Petfinder.com forums :: View topic - 08/04 - 08/10 CASTING CALL! Find your own Pet Star! [ ]

This month's topic is all about finding that perfect Star for your home. Our guest Bill Berloni of the Broadway hit Legally Blonde is here to answer your questions regarding how to find that perfect new Pet Star for your family. Do you live in the city and have a small apartment but want the company of a furry friend? Are you retired and looking for a vacation buddy? Bill Berloni is here to help!

More about Mr. Berloni:
WILLIAM BERLONI (Animal Trainer) William Berloni's Broadway animal training credits currently include the canine stars of the new hit musical LEGALLY BLONDE. Other Broadway credits include the original Sandy in ANNIE, CAMELOT with Richard Burton, FRANKENSTEIN, THE FIRST, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, OLIVER, ANYTHING GOES (at Lincoln Center), NICK AND NORA, LA BETE, THE WIZ, the 20th and 30th Anniversary revivals of ANNIE, the Madison Square Garden production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, DINNER AT EIGHT (at Lincoln Center), GYPSY with Bernadette Peters, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, THE WOMAN IN WHITE AWAKE AND SING and THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE. He recently trained a dog for Susan Stroman’s new ballet DOUBLE FEATURE at the New York City Ballet.

Mr. Berloni has also trained animals for hundreds of Off-Broadway shows, including working at the New York Shakespeare festival on nine different productions, Regional Theaters, Tours, Movies and Television shows. His most current film is CHARLIE WILSON’S WAS directed by Mike Nichols and starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. His most recent television shows include the last seven seasons of SESMAE STREET, JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES, BETWEEN THE LIONS, READING RAINBOW, OOBI, ANIMAL PLANET’S WILD ON THE SET and featured stories on the CBS EVENING News and CBS SUNDAY MORNING as well as being a celebrity judge on MTV’s hit show LEGALLY BLONDE, THE SEARCH FOR ELLE WOOODS. . His animals have appeared at the White House seven times for presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

As an author he has written SANDY THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A STAR published by Simon and Schuster, DOGA by Chronicle Books and his latest book BROADWAY TAILS is published by Globe Pequot Press and available now in stores . Proceeds of that book will be donated to the Sandy Fund and the Humane Society of New York. Mr. Berloni has received the ASPCA Humanitarian Award and the American Humane Association Craven Award for his work on Broadway. Famed film documentarian, Albert Mayslas will be releasing a film about Mr. Berloni’s work called LUCKY DOG this year.

Mr. Berloni, his wife Dorothy and their daughter Jenna, live on a farm in Connecticut with fifteen dogs, four cats, three horses, a pony, two llamas, and a miniature donkey. Mr. Berloni is currently the Director of Animal Behavior for the Humane Society of New York and is involved in helping animals that need homes. Visit our Website at www.theatricalanimals.com.

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:24 am Post subject: Looking to add to the crew

Hi Mr. Berloni! Glad you are here! I am looking to adopt another dog in to our family. We have two dogs already and a couple of cats. Obviously I need to find a dog that will get along with my existing family. What is the best way to test this in a shelter setting? I really want to adopt from a shelter over a rescue but as you know that requires determining within the shelter walls which pet will fit our exisiting furry family best. Thanks!
-Crazydogs

Bill Berloni's Answer:

Dear Crazydogs,

You have come to the right place for advice. Petfinder.com will help you do a lot of the leg work before you go. My first question is, why do you want another dog? If it is to open your heart to another homeless creature, bravo. My second question is, do your existing pets want another dog? Probably not. They have got it good and while they might enjoy meeting other dogs, it is a whole other story to move one in. This is just like making an arranged marriage. Pet ownership is a "till death do we part" relationship. And we know how successful arranged marriages can be. So we have to stack the deck to make it work.
Of your two dogs there is an alpha dog and a follower. You MUST find a dog who will not in any way want to challenge that pecking order. Not in size, age, weight, personality or energy. You need a number three dog who will be happy to be out of the shelter and fit in right under your existing dogs. So you must self evaluate your dogs and find a match under them. If a new dog can come in and not challenge their rank, they shouldn't care. As for the cats, petfinder.com candidates have a icon which says whether a dog can go with cats or not. Most shelters like mine, The Humane Society of New York, run temperament tests that evaluate all those conditions.
And if we arranging a marriage I say go on at least one date. Make an appointment with the shelter to see the dog interact first with other dogs, then with shelter cats and then with your dogs. You shouldn't expect love at first sight, but a good healthy dose of your dogs exerting themselves and the new adoptee falling into rank.
Good luck on your quest. Use your head, not you heart when choosing. Your heart has lead you into the decision to adopt, let your head make the choice of the right addition.

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:16 am Post subject: Terrorist Kitty

I recently adopted a great cat! He loves to be with me, follows me everywhere, sleeps in the bed right next to me...but he has certain behaviors that are a little odd. He gets extremely jealous, and even presents hit back to me if another cat is sitting next to me. He has started to get to the point now that if he is sitting with me and one of the dogs wants to come and sit in front of the couch or chair on the floor near me, he actually swats them to get them to move and then comes right back and lays down as if nothing happened. He will later rub on the dogs and want to make friends but now they are afraid of him. Is there any way to curb this behavior and make him feel secure enough that he doesn't have to do this behavior?
Thanks!
Doggy

Bill Berloni's Answer
Terrorist Kitty

Dear Doggy,
I love your first sentence I adopted a great cat." Bravo and kudos. Then you go on to say "he has behaviors that are a little odd". You go on to explain he protects you when your personal space is being invaded and then tries to make friends with his canine housemates. I must say I think you got it all wrong. You are looking at the world through the eyes of humans and canines. Both are pack animals and live well in groups. But us trainers know it is a CAT"S WORLD. We were placed on this earth to bow to a cat's every whim. Feed them, love them, worship them. How dare you call that odd? He was on your lap first when these smelly beasts try and get close. I find it brilliant he protects his lap. And then when your dogs are not bothering him he tries to make friends. You can't blame your cat just because the dogs can't take a little attitude.My point is, you have different species living together. Humans and canines think alike. You don't own cats, they own you. My house is set up to give my two cats free reign over my twenty dogs. So don't pet your cat when the dogs are around. Separate the two love sessions. Share the love and treat everyone equally. Your cat is not insecure at all, he just sees the world through a felines eyes.

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:30 am Post subject: Star quality in shelter pets

Hi Bill, I have a general question about what you do. How can you tell from a Petfinder post that a shelter pet has star quality? (And what *is* star quality in an animal anyway?) And finally, have you ever adopted a pet and then found that it wasn't suitable for the role -- and what did you do? (OK, sorry, that's really four questions!) Smile

Bill Berloni's Answer:

What is star quality? It is when a creature lights up the room in the eyes of the beholders. When a Broadway star has it the audience leaps to their feet. When they don't it is a lonnnnnnng night. In the case of Perfinder the beholder is the person looking for the pet and the star in the animal you are looking for on line. Petfinder gives you so much information. The first thing we look at is the picture. Don't stop there. Falling in love with a picture is lust, not love and that gets old real fast. The star qualities are in the bios. Sex, age, breed, history and bio. I suggest that people send a few hours searching and footnoting ones that touch your heart. If there is not enough info, make the call to the rescue group. That is the beauty, you can actually talk to someone about your star. In my case I am also looking for talent which I can't determine until I get the animal home and begin training. I always find my stars on petfinder.com. If they don't have the talent, I work with the rescue group to re-home to animal. There is a waiting list people who want dogs trained by me. And then I become the agent to the star. Bottom line, pet star quality is in the eyes of the owner.

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject: Adopting a greyhound...

Hello, i posted this in another forum and petfinder admin. said to come over here and ask the question...so ill just cut and paste what i previously wrote:

Hello! I'm on the boards here off and on anymore, but wanted some advice on something i have been considering since spring time.
I met a greyhound on my nightly walk on the river, and immediately fell in love. I have a little dachie, and he took to this big greyhound as well. He seemed very sweet and gentle, and was actually the nicest dog to walk that i saw that day. I understand every dog is different though. I considered greyhound adoption before i adopted my Mac.
I contacted keystone greyhounds, a local rescue, and got some info from them, and have been googling information on them over the summer. The local girl who owned the greyhound i met, also said she would help me out, and even told where she runs her greyhound with no worries. This group does alot of community outreach programs to promote greyhound adoption, and also seems to be willing to help all the members of their group.
Now i have had differing opinions from different ppl...about greyhounds. My dad's ex gf (who was a nutcase btw so im not sure if i can trust a word she says), said greyhounds had "too many issues" and that i would regret adopting one b/c she had worked closely with a greyhound rescue. I have talked to other ppl though, who actually live with a greyhound, and they love them.
I think every dog has issues, Mac has issues, and im sure he'll have many more the older he gets, as being a living, breathing thing...im sure ill have more issues as my body ages also. At least for him i feed him the right things and keep his body weight down, and try to be a good mommy.
So for all you greyhound "experts" or lovers or ppl in general, what do you think of greyhound adoption. I am all for it, and i couldn't see myself adopting another breed..i have been debating this issue all summer... i would just like some different viewpoints.
There are some other things about my lifestyle..i am single (well i have a bf but im not married...), have no children and no plans for any (i have Mac), and travel. I plan to travel more in the future and i already travel when i can with MAC. If MAC can't go, i won't go unless its a work function. I even take him voting on my dad's pontoon boat, which he loves.
Anyhow, can't wait to hear from all of you out there!!

Bill Berloni's Answer:

Dear Greyhound admirer, You sound very intelligent. You have done all the work I tell new dog owners to do. You have done the breed research, you have met the dogs, you have reached out into the community and networked. You have introduced your present dog to the breed and dachie approved. And the best is you are considering adoption. So I have one question. My German Grandmother who never got past grammar school (God rest her soul) used to say to me when I was a smart aleck teenage "If you're so smart, how come you are so stupid?" The only argument you gave me against Greyhounds was your Dad's nutcase ex girlfriend (your words not mine). With so much good sense on your side, I don't see the problem. The only thing you must remember about rescued racing dogs is they have suffered a horrible up bring and life. One their race is run, they are dumped. These dogs have had no socialization and love. They are misfits. They need to be introduced to the world. They are usually physically in bad shape. They are a blank discs that needs to be written. So at first they are frightened of the world. But in the hands of gentle loving souls, they can be molded in very peaceful loving creatures. And they are most appreciative of all the breeds for the chance at life. I think a greyhound is waiting out there somewhere for you to come and rescue it. And if you take anymore advice from the ex girlfriend, give me a call, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you CHEAP!

Hi Bill,
After evaluating how long it's taking me to train my dog, I wondered, on average, how long it takes for you to train a dog to be ready for a staring role in a movie or a play? And, how long to do spend a day on training?

Also, do you choose pets to train once a role has been presented to you? Or do you seek out pets that you feel have "star quality" in the hopes finding them future roles?

Thanks so much!

Bill Berloni's Answer:
Training for movies and plays are very different. Movies are much easier. The set is closed and quiet and you only have to get it right once. In theater, which is my specialty, there are no retakes and the dog must get it right every night. So for movies, an eight week basic obedience course is a good start. Then if there are any other behaviors that are needed, a couple weeks more. For plays, I usually take a year. For two reasons. First to work in very different situations to desensitize the dog to noise. The second reason is others must command the dog. On a film set, I am behind the camera giving commands. Onstage, the dog must listen to actors. So we need to build the stage dog into a super trained dog. My training sessions are about 20 minutes a day. But the key is all day long I am enforcing my commands. People tend to only be consistent in training sessions and then get lazy in life. Trainers are consistent 24 hours a day. With this kind of work going into performing dogs, it would not be time efficient to get dogs, train then and hope for roles to come. Then they become things I am waiting to use. I get the role, then the dog and they have a job and purpose. As well as a good retirement plan with me after the show closes.

Last edited by Petadmin on Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:50 am; edited 1 time in total

odonata
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Total posts: 1
Gender: Unknown Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:48 pm
Post subject: Training Question

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Hi Mr. Berloni,
It's so great that you give rescued dogs a second chance. I have a training question. When my German Shepherd mix hears the word Go, he races to the door because he knows we are going to take him for a ride. Then he starts to jump up over and over in excitement and starts barking. We always make him sit and stay until we get the door open, then release him to go to the car. But the barking is something I would like to extinguish. Unfortunately, it has just become part of the whole parcel: "If they say GO, I must jump and bark, then go to the door where they will make me sit and stay till released." How can I just extinguish the barking?

Bill Berloni's Answer:

Seems like you have a very smart German Shepard. I know I am dating myself but there is an old vaudeville joke. Man goes into the Doctor and says "Doctor, Doctor, it hurts when I do this (he bends his arm)" Doctor says "Then don't do that. That'll be twenty dollars" So after I give you advice I expect $20 to go to the shelter of your choice. If your dog goes crazy when you say "Go" stop saying "Go". You must reprogram him to a new exit command. Pick a word that is in your vocabulary that will mean "sit quiet and let me leash you up". I will use the word "out". In a session totally separate from going out say the work "out" while you have the leash, make him sit, reward him and unleash him. Once he gets wise to the fact he gets treats for sitting quietly and doing nothing, say "out" leash him up and walk him to the dog and make him sit again. Once he thinks you have lost your mind for giving him treats for sitting quietly at the door, open it but don't do out. Once that is set you should be able to say your new word without the barking frenzy associated currently with "go" and walk out. Some jokes never go out of style. Good luck.

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Bill,

I have an acquaintance that recently purchased a two year old female Australian Shepherd. The dog jumps up as a way of greeting her owners and other friendly people. She (the owner) was advised to throw her knee up and into the dog's chest as a way to train her not to jump by a trainer. She has also been told by other dog owners to step on the dogs front and/or rear toes; or to capture the dog's front paws and hold them up in the air until the dog struggles to return to all fours. All of this advice is by well-intentioned folks.

I've always been told that throwing a knee up (whether actively pushing back or just allowing the dog's upward momentum to run into the knee) can cause injury to the dog's hips and/or shoulders. I've also been told that any form of physical or verbal interaction with the dog can be re-enforcing the behavior.

I taught my dog a strong sit-stay before jumping became a problem. He was also taught that in order to gain attention from me or any one else that he must have all four on the floor and wait in a calm manner. Any other behavior from him gets a stone faced "statue" like reaction from the human. It works for him, but he's a mastiff. How would you advise my friend?

Bill Berloni's Answer

Jumping Aussie.

Thank you for the question. This owner seems to like people giving her advice. In fact you are writing on her behalf so it is hard for me to get a good picture of the owner and dog. All you have described is the dog's behavior, not the owners. So right there I get suspicious. But Aussies are known for being athletic, fun and stubborn. I can totally see the dog doing it. My golden rule is I never pet a dog unless all four feet are on the ground. Is the owner running is saying "Hi sweety, I missed you so much" and enticing the dog to jump? The owner must be calm when entering so as not to miscue the dog. All learning requires positive and negative reinforcement. I prefer the strong sit stay as the positive reinforcement. My negative reinforcement is training my back and walking away. If the sit/stay, turning doesn't work, I get a leash on them and stand on the leash so they can't jump. Once they are calm (and it could take a while) I walk away. The knee up, toe stepping, foot grabbing can actually inadvertently hurt the animal. WE never want to inflect pain in training. I recommend your friend getting to an obedience class and asking her own questions.

William Berloni

Last edited by Petadmin on Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:58 am; edited 1 time in total

Betsy Saul
coFounder
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
Total posts: 2
Gender: Unknown

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:48 pm
Post subject: burning questions from the founder of Petfinder

Hi Bill,

Thanks so much for coming to spend time with us here on Petfinder! As you know, I'm a huge fan of yours.

As someone who came to an animal welfare career quite by accident, I'm always intrigued to learn how other people got here. What did you *think* you were going to be when you grew up? Did your family think you were nuts when you announced that you were going to be an animal trainer? When did you know it was your "real job?" Did you have any early experiences that defined who your "professional self" became? Did you have have to work with any REALLY challenging human Broadway stars? I bet even the biggest pet lovers among them can make training a challenge sometimes!!!

All the best in everything you do,
Betsy

Bill Berloni's Answer

Dear Betsy,

Thank you for the question. I too came to my career as an animal trainer by mistake. I wanted to be an actor and as soon as I graduated high school, I began apprenticing in a local summer stock theater called the Goodspeed Opera House. They were doing a new show that needed a dog. I was given the opportunity to become and actor if I found and trained a dog for no money. I agreed. The show as the original production of the musical ANNIE and I found the original Sandy at the Connecticut Humane Society the day before he was scheduled to be put to sleep. A year later the show opened on Broadway and I became a famous animal trainer at the age of twenty. At first I still pursued my acting career while I was training Sandy. But no one had ever trained an animal to be a character in a live theater production before and soon I had offers for other Broadway shows. About two years later I realized I was much more talented as an animal trainer and began setting up a business. My parents at first were dismayed not only when I told them I wanted to act but they were even more confused when I told them I was going to be an animal trainer. But by then I had written a book and had three Broadway credits to my name. The early experiences that defined my career are simple. I was an only child growing up on a farm in rural Connecticut. There weren't any kids close by for me to play with so my early years before kindergarten were spent with my Collie Rexy, my cat Fritz and my bunny Whitely. I must have learned inter species communication at an early age. Of course that experience made me a very shy child with other children and the stage gave me the opportunity to express myself with actually talking to people. And while most of my theater acting colleagues are also very shy the one great universal thing about animals are they are non judgmental. They accept you for who you are. So even the most difficult divas melt when I get them in a room alone with a dog. My favorite people to work with are kids. The world is still all make believe and working with a dog isn't work, it's play.

Thank you and petfinder for letting me share my experience

Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:18 pm Post subject:

Hi Bill.

I've got two questions.

1- I have a dog who loves to learn new things. At age 7, she was exposed to agility equipment at a dog park for the first time and loved several of the items. It's only for fun - no competitions in her future. The question is related to the teeter-totter. What is the best way to get her to work with this? (She does the A-frame with no trouble and walks halfway across the t-t. When the plank starts to move, she bails out.)

2- Your job sounds like something I would enjoy. So, question 2 is how does one get into such a career?

Thanks.

Bill Berloni's Answer

Dear Connie,

Thanks for the note.The way one gets to Carnegie Hall, Broadway or over the teeter toter is PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Let's start with the teeter totter first. I am glad you have found a fun activity for you and your dog, the operative word being fun. If someone is not great at a fun activity, no big deal. But whether you are learning agility or a new behavior for show, the trick is go slow. In the case of agility, your pup has a dislike of the movement of the teeter. So we must go slowly to show her there is nothing to be afraid of. The way to do it is to separate the activity from the high stress situation of the dog park. Set up a teeter in the quiet of your back yard. The trick being first treat her to walk on the flat board. Once she thinks you have lost your mind for treating her for such a simple behavior, put a block under it that is an inch high so the teeter has no more movement range than say a car ride. Once she learns the movement isn't dangerous SLOWLY build the fulcrum up to the regulation size. But go at her pace. It is never wise to throw someone who is fearful of water into the deep end of the pool. And don't be upset if your dog just doesn't like to feel the world move under her feet. It is only fun!

The way you get into training for entertainment is pretty much the same. The teaching methods I use are the same as I described, positive reinforcement, conditioning and repetition. But you need to be either near New York City or Los Angeles. Those are the centers of work. Find a good animal agent and have fun!

Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject:

Wow! I so admire the work you are doing, not only to find shelter dogs to train, but getting the word out in a very big way that great dogs end up in shelters! I hope that people will reconsider buying a dog from a breeder when they see your animals on stage and screen!

I have posted about this before and received advice from a number of people. Please bear with me while I ask this again...

I have Beagle/Basset neutered male who came from a shelter when he was 7 years old. He is now 9 years old. And, while he's very affectionate, he's also very stubborn. I can't seem to get him to do anything that I want him to do. I've tried positive reinforcement until I'm blue..He just doesn't care. He has a deafening bark and I now have hearing loss because he barks in my face. I've started putting him in his crate with a bone with peanut butter to distract him while I feed my other dogs. At least then he is eating peanut butter instead of barking in my face or trying to climb into the dog food bin. So, now he's put on a lot of weight because of the peanut butter!

He also nips me if I try to coerce him into doing something he doesn't want to do; like giving me an object I don't want him to have. Or trying to get him to go outside when he doesn't feel like it.

I've never experienced a dog like this before. I love him, but he is so frustrating!

Is there any way I can reach him?

Bill Berloni's Answer
Dear Furperson,

Brava on adoption. You chalked up another point to get you into heaven. Now, how to live with the little devil. I don't have a lot of background here but there are a couple things from your email I can surmise. One, this stubbornness is probably why he ended up homeless. Two, as we age we get more set into our ways. Three. a hound or hound mix is a nose with a body attached to it. There is not a lot of give and take. Four, he has a pushy personality. And five, he has other dogs he wants to show off around. Of the five observations, number four is the only one you can change but the others make it much harder. And obviously you have asked a lot of people. Here is my shot. I have a couple rules when I meet stubborn dogs and they have more with conditioning. By the way, you will never get him to listen fully, that boat sailed a long time ago. First rule, divide and conquer. If he does something to displease you as the leader, ostracize him from the pack. Swiftly and with no words, give him a time out away from you in another room until he settles. That in your face stubbornness has to be met with a "You are out of here" attitude until he calms down. The barking can be fixed with an old fashion squirt gun or two. He gets in your face with that barking get back into his with a shot in the face, then a time out. The best you may get out of him is "no your not going to get what you want" and a little less noise pollution. The only other alternative is to go to a full time training course and start from scratch. Good luck.

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