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The Heidi Chronicles, Part 9: A dog struggles with her Teutonic heritage

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This is Heidi. Earlier this year, she was ‘discovered’ in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Times Staff Writer Diane Haithman. And this is her “head shot”: That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

During Heidi’s interview with animal trainer Shawn Weber on the set of TV’s “NCIS” (see Chapter 8), Shawn offered some solid reasons why a “private party animal” — that is, a house pet — is unlikely to win a role over the professional competition.

I might have guessed that even the best-trained house dog might have trouble performing tricks with the distractions of a TV or movie set. But Shawn was the first to suggest that Heidi’s biggest problem would be the same one that plagues many human actors: typecasting.

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Not that I expected Heidi ever to portray a dachshund or a Great Dane. But according to Shawn, she also would never be cast as what she actually is: the family dog.

To date, I had only heard of one unfair rule of thumb in dog-casting: Black dogs rarely get work because their coloring makes it difficult to light their faces and eyes. Exceptions are made, however, for breed-specific dark coloring — for example, if the script calls for a Doberman.

But Heidi’s problem is not the color of her coat; it’s her Teutonic heritage: German shepherds are seen as police dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, guard dogs, attack dogs. House-pooch roles, Shawn says, tend to go to sweet-faced Labradors and golden retrievers, like Heidi’s best friend forever, Ruby (the two are pictured together above in this BFF shot).

“They don’t want a mean-looking dog,” Shawn explains.

Mean? My little fraulein wouldn’t hurt a teacup poodle. Well, there was one minor incident a few Christmases ago when Heidi took a nip at the well-padded rear of a man in a red Santa suit who visited her regular doggie day-care facility, Play It to the Bone, in Studio City. But he asked for it.

Heidi is day care’s self-appointed border patrol, and Kris Kringle crossed the line. Well, at least Heidi has a better chance of working on a set than a Yorkshire terrier, because, well, they tend to pee on the floor. “Yorkies are the hardest dog to potty train, especially the females,” Shawn says.

To catch up on the Heidi Chronicles, go to Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

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Photo: Alan Feldstein

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