Picking the Perfect Dog

Sometimes events will happen in life that will propel a certain breed, or type of dog into the limelight, for good or ill. Most notably, in the recent past, have been the rampant breed bannings of most bully breeds, and Disney's 101 Dalmatians movie. Dalmatians were suddenly admired and desired as companion dogs, and pit bulls and their cousins were either shunned or desired for the wrong reasons. Oddly enough, both breeds have suffered similar outcomes: grossly overbred with careless disregard for the complexities of genetics and health issues, under-socialized, and poorly trained (although the pit bull types have suffered far worse than the Dalmatians have).

Dogs in Movies and TV
Dog actors are selected based on both their capacity for filling the role, and their appearance. A dog that plays a devoted and intelligent family pet that rescues his charges regularly (like Lassie), is playing a part, just like any other actor. While Collies actually do make devoted family pets, there is a whole lot of training and care that goes first. Some people think that a dog will come out fully trained and ready to save the day. It just doesn't happen that way.

But a lot of dogs you see on television simply are not a good fit for the average family. Eddie, the Jack Russell Terrier from Frasier, may have been a charming and funny companion on the series, but the real-life Jack Russell Terrier needs an experienced dog owner. Somebody who has the time, the energy and determination to keep this little breed from becoming a destructive menace.

Movies also rarely ever show the financial side of dog ownership. Formal training, basic obedience classes, grooming, and dog food can quickly amount to a large amount of money. A breed that is picture perfect on screen could cost you quite a bit for grooming if you want to keep your Bichon Frise looking like a movie star.