pamperedpuppy // luxury lifestyles for dogs

What's Hot

Hollywood is nothing if not a fickle beast. Just like human actors, pet actors are hot today and mild tomorrow. "The dog that we thought was hot yesterday is a whole new dog today," says Bash. "It goes through cycles," says Heather, who estimates a certain type of dog is in demand for 6 months at a time. "We're seeing more mixed breeds right now than anything."

Still, there are tried and true Hollywood family favorites, like the Golden Retriever, Labrador, and the old American mutt. Heather says the "hot" dog of the moment is purely coincidental; no rhyme or reason.

Working breeds of dogs are easier to train, like the Australian Shepherd and Border Collie. "But that doesn't mean they're better than a mixed breed," says Heather.

And here's another trivia bit. The American Humane Association estimates that more than 80 percent of the dogs and cats used in motion pictures come from animal shelters. The original Benji, for instance, was adopted from a shelter. As a result, more than one million dogs were adopted from shelters across the country following the movie's release. Other dogs who've hit it big also came from animal shelters, like:

• "Fang" from the Harry Potter movies. Fang is a Neopolitan Mastiff whose real name is Bully. He's one of four dogs that portrays Hagrid's "boardhound" Fang. Bully was rescued from a junkyard by one of the movie's production trainers. He was also adopted by the trainer once the film ended.
• "Lucky", a multi-cultural canine from Dr. Dolittle and Dr. Dolittle 2 is really called Sammy. He was discovered by an animal trainer in a shelter in Los Angeles.
• "Murray" (real name Maui) from the TV show Mad About You was found by a trainer in another California shelter along with the dog's mother, Bingo, who starred in the 1991 film Bingo. Maui serves as mom's double in the film. This Collie mix awed viewers throughout the Emmy-Award winning sitcom's seven-season run.

It doesn't really matter where you find your pet. As long as you train him or her well, the real "trick" in reaching star status lies in how you market your pet.

Bash says the main mistake is that "people sometimes forget to focus on the strengths of the breed". While each dog is different, certain breeds are more capable of learning complicated tricks. Body types can often be a factor as well. Expecting a Basset Hound to perform an advanced agility trick as well as a Border Collie just isn't fair.

Keep reading: Protecting your dog »