Film, TV and advertising animal actors

About film, tv and advertising animal actors

The dog actors UK productions use range from highly trained professional animals to steady family pets registered with an agency. Whether you are an owner wondering how to get your dog in films, or a breeder whose puppies have gone on to screen work, this page explains how animal talent agencies work, the licence rules, and what makes a good screen dog.

What this work involves

Screen work is repetitive, noisy and full of waiting. A dog may need to:

• Hit a mark and hold a sit, down or stand through many takes.
• Work at a distance from its handler, who is often out of shot.
• Perform cued behaviours such as looking, barking, carrying an item or going to a person.
• Stay calm under lights, among crew, cables and cameras, on unfamiliar sets and locations.
• Travel, and wait quietly for long periods between takes.

Stills shoots for advertising are usually shorter than film and television days, but still demand a steady temperament and solid basic training. Productions sometimes need two similar-looking dogs to share a role.

Who trains and supplies these dogs in the UK

Trained dogs for TV, film and advertising are usually found through animal talent agencies, which connect productions with animals and their handlers. An animal talent agency will typically hold a profile of each animal on its books to show to clients, and those animals may belong to professional trainers or to members of the public.

In England, anyone who keeps or trains animals for exhibition as a business, including for film and television, needs a licence from their local council. Government statutory guidance says agents who organise the exhibition of animals but do not own or train them fall outside that licence, provided they have limited or no contact with the animals and make sure every keeper and trainer they use is licensed. People whose trading income is below the HMRC trading allowance (£1,000 a year) do not need a licence.

The dogs themselves come from ordinary breeders and rescues, and screen training is done by their owners or by professional trainers. Canine Breeder does not supply animal actors or trained dogs; it lists breeders.

Breeds and lines

Any well-trained, confident dog can work. Popular choices include:

• Border Collie: quick to learn and eager to work, well suited to complex sequences.
• Labrador Retriever: steady, food-motivated and familiar to audiences, a staple of family advertising.
• Retriever (Golden): gentle and photogenic, and calm around children and crew.
• Jack Russell Terrier: small, expressive and quick, and easy to carry on set.

Unusual-looking breeds and crossbreeds can also find work when a production needs a particular look. Temperament and trainability matter far more than pedigree.

What to ask a breeder

1. How do the parents cope with noise, crowds, travel and strangers handling them?
2. Are the parents food- or toy-motivated, and how quickly do they learn new behaviours?
3. Have any of your dogs, or dogs you have bred, worked on screen, and through which agency?
4. What socialisation and habituation plan have the puppies followed?
5. Which health tests have both parents had, and how do the results compare with the Royal Kennel Club Health Standard for the breed?

Legal and welfare notes

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require anyone keeping or training animals for exhibition in the course of a business, whether to a live audience or through recorded images such as film and television, to hold a local-authority licence. The licence holder must hold valid public liability insurance for the activity and take a copy of the policy to every exhibit, ready for inspection. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so check with your council. In England and Wales, the duty of care under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 applies on set as everywhere else: the dog’s needs come first, however long the shoot.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get my dog into films?

Train solid basics and a reliable stay at a distance, then approach a reputable animal talent agency, which will build a profile of your dog for productions. In England, if your income from screen work goes above the HMRC trading allowance, ask your council whether you need a licence.

Do I need a licence for my dog to appear on TV?

In England, a licence is needed if you keep or train animals for exhibition as a business. Statutory guidance says that people whose trading income is below the HMRC trading allowance do not need one, and that income above it does not automatically make you a business. Your local council can advise on your circumstances.

What makes a good dog actor?

A confident, food- or toy-motivated dog that recovers quickly from surprises, works reliably for its handler and stays calm around strangers, lights and noise. Breed matters less than temperament and training.

Breeders whose dogs have worked in film, television and advertising, or whose lines have the steady temperament screen work needs, are welcome to list on Canine Breeder.