So you think your pet dog Rascal is going to be Hollywood's newest animal sensation? Well, if you believe your pet has what it takes to become the next best pet star the world will ever see, then go ahead and give it a try. Before you rush to the nearest pet agent or start calling casting directors to book your pet on the next commercial or photo shoot, there are a few things you might want to consider though.



Almost every single pet owner sees some potential in their pet and see a star in their beloved little doggies, and rightfully so. Since you do love your pets, you do see the best in them and wish them to have the best of everything, including fame and fortune. While your pet may indeed be the next Benji or Lassie on the lot, you still need to assess your pet's abilities in terms of possible abilities that will be seen as useful in the acting and modeling industry.

To help you figure out if you do have a star on your hands, here are a few useful tips to follow:

Figure Out if Your Pet Is Indeed Ready for the Limelight

Suspecting your pet of possibly having what it takes to become a pet model or actor is different from knowing for sure. If you want to make certain that your pet can indeed take all the pressures of stardom, you will need to know for certain. There are a few things you may need to consider when you want to know if your dog is indeed skilled enough for acting or modeling. A pet that goes into acting or modeling will need to be disciplined enough to take orders from other people. While your pet may easily perform for you and your friends, it may be a different story when it comes to getting on the set of a commercial shoot or a print ad photography session.

You can try to ascertain whether or not your pet is star material by attending certain casting calls. The people who initiate pet casting calls know what to look for in pets and what a future pet star looks like. You can easily tell people that your dog can do this and can do that and you can even have your dog do the tricks you say it can do in the comfort of your own home. Having your dog do the exact same things in front of a few strangers away from home may be a different story altogether and may not even happen if your dog is not up to the challenge. These are some of the initial obstacles you and your pet may face and knowing these beforehand will help save you and your pet a great deal of anxiety.

Training to Become a Star

How do you go about making your dog into the star you see him to be? You can help your dog achieve stardom with some proper training and discipline as well as with some good grooming and still more training. The keyword here is training. Let's face it, a nice looking dog can have an equally nice looking replica a few blocks away and the only difference between the two would probably be how well your dog is trained to do what he needs to do.

There are quite a number of places where your dog can get trained to do what most dog actors and models do and knowing who to approach to get your dog started in the right direction is essential to his success. You can actually start the training process at home by teaching your pet some of the basic tricks like sit, roll, fetch and all the basic tricks that most dogs do. If you want your dog to learn more complex tricks and skills, you may have to go to certain professional dog training schools for this. These training schools will give your dog the necessary skills he may need to use on the set of a movie, a TV show or a commercial or even for a professional photo shoot.

The Portfolio and the Agency

Now that your dog has some of the skills he or she may need for the big screen, you will then need to have his or her portfolio ready and get your pet signed up with a reputable animal acting and modeling agency. These next steps are important to establish that you and your pet are indeed serious about getting into the modeling and acting world for pets.

Having a picture of your pet taken for portfolio purposes may require a professional studio photographer, although you can do it on your own with a digital camera and a good neutral background. The first two important shots that your pet needs to have in his or her portfolio is a close up shot and a full body shot that shows the dog's natural size. Aside from these two shots, you may need to create other pictures of your pet in various scenarios and poses to help create a diverse portfolio of pictures for your dog's acting and modeling career. Of course, no portfolio is complete without a resume. You may need to create a detailed list of the things your pet can do. You can also add substantially to his resume if you expose the dog to certain charity events where you can get him or her to perform. This kind of an exposure gets your pet used to the huge number of people who may be present and will help to add to his credentials.

In the end, it's not really about achieving stardom for your dog or getting him to earn big amounts of money. If your dog enjoys what he or she is doing, then that is the greatest achievement ever. Despite all the fame and fortune that these dog models and actors get, if they are not happy with what they are doing, there is no point in letting them do it in the first place.