Star Quality - Originally published May, 2011

My husband is just like Gerard Butler, minus the accent, the suave wardrobe, the full head of hair, and the rippling six-pack.  Actually, although my husband is partially of Scottish descent, he doesn’t resemble Gerard Butler at all.  I suspect even Gerard Butler or any celebrity sans make-up, wardrobe, lighting, and a personal trainer doesn’t resemble the star we see on film or the red carpet.  Still, we accept and expect that our loved ones aren’t like movie stars.  So, why is it that we expect our dogs to live up to celebrity standards?

We frequently choose dogs based on their resemblance to their star cousins, like Lassie, Eddie, the Beverly Hills Chihuahuas, and even the 101 Dalmatians.  Perhaps because of this, there is the expectation of the same behavior.   We want our dogs to rescue Timmy from the well, tilt their head as they listen sympathetically, and cavort companionably with their cohorts.  They should always come whenever they are called, lay quietly in the background until their services are needed, and only relieve themselves to make a statement.  It’s easy to be dazzled by these celebridogs.  They are beautiful and low maintenance.  However, like their cinematic human counterparts, movie dogs have trainers, stunt doubles, groomers, and re-takes.

Lassie infamously was not only male, but also several dogs, each specializing in a talent, selected for his coloring so that they all appeared as one dog on screen.  Dogs that did their own stunts, such as the original Sandy (from Annie) and Eddie, were adopted from shelters, selected for stardom because of their high energy and drive, the exact same traits that probably landed them in a shelter in the first place.  Celebrity dogs spend hours working with their trainers, providing them with plenty of mental and physical exercise and practice.  Even so when filming, like all actors, acting dogs are given an unknown number of opportunities to get their tricks right.  They’re not necessarily one take wonders.  And let’s not forget computer generated images when the trick is dangerous or the picture perfect dog simply isn’t up to task.  Simply stated, the real dogs bear little resemblance to their reel counterparts. 

That is not to say that we should resign ourselves to rude and unpleasant dogs at home and leave good behavior to the silver screen.  Our doggie divas and divos deserve to have their own star quality polished.  We just need to expand our expectations to what happens “behind the scenes.”  Just as a personal trainer, wardrobe, and stylist can bring us a little closer to resembling Brangelina, having additional members on your dog’s team can help Lulu be a little more Lassie.  Training our dogs helps them shine, bringing them closer to being the dogs of our dreams.   Training also helps us gain insight into our dogs’ behavior and personality, creating a new appreciation for our dogs just being themselves and not some illusion.  Best of all, while working with our dogs, we can enjoy the lighter moments as well as the accomplishments.  In real life, bloopers are always included.