Sending an Animal To Talented Animals...

    If you are considering sending an animal to stay with us for a few days, a few months, or forever, you likely have many questions!   For those who know us, it is an easy decision to entrust us with the welfare of an animal, and each year we receive many calls from responsible breeders, rescues, shelters, and rehab centers asking us to adopt or foster animals. But for those who do not yet know us, there are many questions.  Of course there are all of the typical screening questions to ensure that we can provide an ideal home, and additionally there are many questions about our lifestyle and profession and what exactly the life of our animals is like. 

So, if we are discussing getting an animal from you—either permanently or temporarily, I thought it might be useful if we wrote up a document answering some of the most common questions and hopefully providing an accurate picture of our world so you can be absolutely informed in working with us to decide if we are the best situation for any particular animal. If you have any questions that are not answered by this document, feel free to ask, and if you still have questions, let’s get together.  We have no stronger reference than our animals, so if you really want to know about us, meeting our animals and seeing their health, joy, temperament, and training will tell you more about us than any words I write.  We are also always willing to provide references including veterinarians and trainers. Of course, if we are using your animal temporarily, we will do everything possible to care for your animal in the manner you request, but the guidelines below are nonetheless useful in explaining how we care for our animals.

First and foremost, know this—we train animals because we LOVE animals.  There is nothing more important to us than the well-being of the animals with whom we share our lives. Every decision we make in our personal and professional lives puts the happiness and welfare of our animals first.

Who We Are

Talented Animals consists of two primary trainers: Roland and Lauren, and a group of secondary trainers. For the last 10 years we have trained animals for the entertainment industry.  We specialize in projects where complex training is required, and work with a wide variety of animal species. The human members of our team come from diverse backgrounds.  We have advanced degrees in avian ecology, biology, veterinary nutrition and immunology, physics, sociology, and philosophy. Our trainers have backgrounds in conformation, marine animal training, obedience, agility, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, tracking, guide dog raising, Schutzhund, cranio-sacral osteopathy, developmental psychology, veterinary medicine, falconry, herding, and Search and Rescue. The common element is that we were all world-class animal trainers before we found ourselves working animals on a movie set, and quickly discovered that this was our life’s calling.  If you are born to work animals in Hollywood, you know it the moment you try it—it is exciting, challenging, and more fun than anything!  It is unlike other animal activities, because ANYTHING goes.  There are no artificial external limits on your creativity.  You do anything you can think of to help your animal understand what is being asked. You and your animal develop a bond of trust and you are constantly challenged to get the best possible results.

 

Continuing Education

            We attend seminars most years with leading animal experts--Turner, Bailey, McConnell, Arnold, Bryson, Balabanov, Nelson, Dunbar, Reid, Pryor, Zink, White, Sternberg, Dufford, etc. We also teach numerous seminars and classes on various aspects of animal training and care and try to be available for behavioral consultation or to provide expert testimony in legal or political venues.  

Nutrition

At Talented Animals we prepare fresh biologically appropriate food for our animals.   We believe many of the big name animal food companies are making a profit at the expense of our animals' health. We have home cooked since 1988 and have seen wonderful health and vitality in our animals during that time. In addition to many years and many animals fed our diets, Lauren’s graduate research was in the field of veterinary nutrition and immunology and we have several veterinarians who regularly review our diets to ensure nutritional balance. We run a CBC/chem screen on each animal at least once a year and compare the results to try and identify any problems.  This also helps to establish baselines which will be very useful if diagnosis is ever necessary. 

Weight

We are very serious about keeping our animals at an ideal body mass.  If an animal is being fed a balanced diet that contains everything that is needed for optimal health, reducing the number of calories so that the animal stays lean has numerous benefits and virtually no drawbacks.  A staggering number of animals have obesity related illness, and thin but well nourished animals live longer, healthier, happier lives.

Exercise

We are also fanatical about exercise for our animals.  Each animal has a program of exercise tailored to its needs, ensuring adequate aerobic and anaerobic activity.  We really like swimming for those animals that enjoy it.  We also provide lots of room and browse so that each animal self-exercises as much as possible. And we provide lots of play.

Environmental toxins

We live miles from the nearest paved road, and there are generally no insecticides or herbicides used at our facilities. Our animals receive filtered well-water which is frequently tested. Virtually all of our smaller animals are family members in our house which has no carpet and very few toxins. Hoofstock and really large animals are kept outside in well ventilated enclosures (although most of them end up in the house at least sometimes!). We utilize either natural or inert substrates, and generally avoid cedar or other aromatic materials that can off-gas harmful compounds.

Cleanliness

Our facilities are kept very clean. We try to avoid insect and rodent problems by ensuring there is very little to attract them.

Vaccinating

This is a very complicated decision, and we could write at length on our views.  For the purposes of this document, it will suffice to say that we vaccinate as little as possible while avoiding unnecessary risk.  We utilize titers to verify seroconversion, and we vaccinate for diseases where we believe the severity of the disease warrants the risks associated with vaccination.  We repeat vaccinations for viruses infrequently unless there is a scientific reason to believe that additional vaccinations are indicated.

Spaying and Neutering

This is another extremely complex issue on which I could write volumes, but let me simply say that our policy is to work with our veterinarian to make the very best decision for the health of each animal.  We do not sign spay/neuter contracts, and we do not spay or neuter solely because society says it is the responsible thing to do.  We look at all of the medical evidence available at that moment and make the best decision.  No animal of ours has ever bred unintentionally.  When we do spay or neuter, we use a laser scalpel, the latest surgical techniques, and the best pain medicines available.  Generally we prefer propofol and sevoflourine for the surgery and tramadol and metacam postoperatively. Unless there is a compelling medical or behavioral reason to do so, we will not alter an animal before physical maturity.

Our defining characteristics as trainers

  • Responsibility—we believe that animals are never to blame.  Animals are behaving naturally; all training is up to the trainer, not the animal, so whatever they do we caused it and if we do not like it we need to modify our behavior.

  • Leadership instead of dominance.

  • Almost entirely positive.

  • Extremely animal-centric—we do not expect animals to behave like humans, we are extremely understanding and tolerant of their natures and their behaviors.

  • Excellent observational skills—observe everything the animal is doing and see all the factors contributing to what the animal is experiencing.

  • Imagination—always see how things look to the animal

  • Great understanding of the science behind behavior and behavioral modification, and great intuitive ability to use this science without understanding

  • Mastery of the mechanical skills required

  • Great timing and reflexes

  • Ability to trust and engender trust in animals

  • Flexibility

  • Creativity—something is not working, what else can you do to get the behavior? 

  • Calm professionalism

  • Emotional self control—reactions in training must always be dictated by the desired effect and outcome, never anger or frustration.

  • Acting ability—to be able to act unhappy or disappointed or ecstatic as needed.

  • Patience

  • Energy—you will generally get from an animal what you put in, and if you need a high energy behavior, you need to be energetic. And you need to be able to play games and keep your animals attention at all times.

 

Where does punishment fit in our training?

In general, positive punishment is one of the least effective tools in the arsenal of any animal trainer.  It tends to reduce an animal’s willingness to try new behaviors, and decrease their enthusiasm for training in general. In particular, movie trainers need animals that are happy to work and are eager to do whatever behavior is required for tomorrow’s project, so we almost never correct them or yell at them.  

The solution to this is to use “negative” punishment.  If an animal understands a behavior and refuses to do what is asked, they lose the opportunity to get the treat or to play the game.  Generally this means they are put away in a crate and watch another animal work and get treats and praise.  This has several positive ramifications—the animal’s desire to play the training game is built up and up, they are jealous of the other animal and really want to do better next time, they observe the other animal performing the behavior, etc. 

 

Our defining characteristics as owners/stewards

  • Really love our animals as animals. 

  • Spend most or all of our time with our animals.

  • Provide absolutely secure housing from which our animals can never escape.

  • Try every activity with our animal, but do not use hard or unpleasant methods to succeed. 

  • Pursue the activities that give our animals joy and avoid the activities that do not.

  • Are competitive enough to push, but do not really care about winning. 

  • Let our animals sleep in our beds and sit on the couch when watching TV. 

  • Take our animals to work. 

  • Would do whatever it took to find and secure a perfect home for any pet we ever could not keep.

  • Provide the very best veterinary care available.

  • Are not intimidated by intensity and let our animal play and be animals. 

  • Take unequivocal responsibility for anything and everything that happens is our pet’s lives, and do our best to keep them happy and healthy. 

  • Are silly and playful with our animals. 

  • Really pay attention to our animals and spend quality time with them, not ignoring them at the end of a leash. 

  • Do not let our animals get fat.

  • Really enjoy animal behavior and are always trying to learn more. 

  • Do not get sucked in by training fads. 

  • Sit quietly with our pets and watch a sunset. 

  • Scratch their ears, rub their muscles, cuddle.

  • Take our animals places and are good ambassadors to the public. 

  • Never let our animals do anything that might contribute to negative perceptions about animal ownership.

  • Are proud of how wonderful our animals are.

  • Get up on Sunday thinking, "Where can we take our animals that they have not been and will enjoy?”

  • Gets our animals Christmas presents and let them unwrap them. 

  • Set limits so the animal knows how to succeed. 

  • Do not nag.

  • Are clear and consistent. 

  • Do not put our animals in unfair situations, and protect them from meanness and stupidity. 

  • Always vigilant and check every situation for possible risks, but not so protective that the whole world becomes a fearful place. 

  • Teach our animals to meet the world in play stance, ready to see what cool new adventures await. 

  • Make light of negatives and learn from them.

  • Laugh lots. 

  • Have excellent yards with fun things to do. 

  • Really makes sure that our animals get enough exercise. 

Daily Lives of Our Animals

A Day of Prep

Prep days are the most fun—the animal gets up early and plays out in a warm-up yard with several other animals and trainers.  Fetch, tug, etc.  Then he goes with his trainer to do some work.  Usually they will warm up with some simple tricks and obedience, and then will start training specific behaviors and scenes needed for the upcoming project.  There are fake boom mikes, dollies, motion control cameras, strobe lights, fog machines, anything we can think of to get the animal used to the crazy sights and sounds of a movie set.  Before lunch we will often get together several trainers and their animals and have a little fun competition—which animal can go to a mark from farthest away, or hold a sit stay the longest amidst distractions, or do a complex behavior chain the best, whatever.  Then the animals are put in runs or yards to rest while we eat lunch.  After lunch we unwind with some fun physical conditioning—a swim in the pond, a romp in the woods, lure coursing, etc.  Then we have an afternoon training session similar to the mornings.  Towards the end of the day we often get together and rehearse scenes involving multiple animals.  As prep progresses, we often videotape these afternoon sessions and send them to production so they can see exactly what the animals are being trained to do.  This is often a lifesaver, as the director can look at it and call us to tweak the action. 

 

A Day on Set

Generally speaking a working day starts the day before.  The animal is bathed and groomed.  Lots of blow drying and brushing to be sure they will not shed on the human stars, and a nail trim and tooth brushing to make sure they look and smell their best.  The morning of work, they are usually up early for a quick play session and then touch-up grooming before being loaded into a large comfortable crate in the back of our animal van.  When we get to set, they are taken out for a brief walk and then put back in their crate to rest.  Days can be long, so whenever they are not working they learn to nap and relax.  The trainers get signed in and then usually take an exercise pen, crate, or appropriate cage down to a staging area near the set, and place the animal inside to relax.  Usually there will be another animal that looks like the lead in an identical setup nearby. For the next 12 hours, one trainer is constantly present to make sure the animal is comfortable—shade, air conditioning, water, whatever is required!  The other trainer goes to set and waits for the animals’ scene to be ready and then comes to get the animal. There is lots of waiting around, and we almost always bring other animals to work and prep around set while we are letting the star animal rest. One of the biggest challenges is that there are lots of people who love animals on set, and they all want to come say hi and meet the animal star, and you often have to tell them they cannot meet the animal until after the shot is completed.  The animal is walked for a few minutes and then is brought down to the set to perform in his scene.

Once we get to set for a particular shot, the fun really begins.  We walk through a rehearsal with the cast, and the director changes things around based on what he sees.  Unfortunately, his little changes are often huge changes from the animal’s perspective—animals are very literal, and tend to learn things in pictures, so changing their position or environment often makes the entire behavior seem different to them. After rehearsal, we will have round 30 minutes to prep whatever changes have been made while they finish lighting the scene, and then we are called back, put the animal in place, wait to hear action, and pray that all our training will pay off and the animal will get it perfect.  One of the hardest things here is that we are often hiding and cannot see the animal, and the urge to stick our head out and see if they are doing it right is hard to resist!

Time off

Time off is all about fun, conditioning, and practicing the basics.  Lots of swimming, running, grooming, and training.  We work on stand, sit, look, goto mark, easy, etc.  Lots of socializing to sights and sounds.  Massage, carting, skijoring, obedience, any activity to keep their brains and bodies sharp and keep them working for rewards.  Most movie animals have far more days off per year than they have working, and during those days off we do all the same fun things with them that amateur animal owners do.  We go to the beach, or hiking in the woods, or on horseback rides.  And we frequently compete in a wide variety of animal sports for fun—agility, obedience, tracking, carting, Schutzhund, dock diving, etc.

If we are doing our jobs well, a day on set is more fun for our animals then almost any other activity.  When one of our animals has been working on a project for weeks or months and the project ends, they will run and jump into the truck for the next several days, or into the bathtub, and look at us with an eager expression.  They truly do enjoy going to set and playing the training game and getting lots of treats and being the center of attention.

What makes a great movie animal?

Many, many things go into making a great movie animal.  To begin with, they must have a very good temperament—no inappropriate aggression, no excessive fear, lots of drive, etc. They need to love the work—new situations, lots of attention, long hours.  They need to have fantastic attention, but be able to work without constantly looking at their trainer.  They need to be strong enough emotionally that they are not upset if they are in a scene where people are yelling or where the trainer cannot come in and reward them.  They need to have charisma and a great look. 

Trainer/Animal Relationship

The relationship we have with our animals is one of the most important aspects of our lives. We ask for an incredible amount of trust, and the only way to earn an animals trust is to invest many hours working with that animal. In general you get back from an animal what you give them, and that means that if you want a truly good animal actor you need to genuinely commit yourself to them and give them your heart and love.  With the animals that are ours, this is easy—they are our most beloved friends and we are in this business because we wanted to find a way to spend our every minute with them and making their lives rich and full. With animals that belong to other people and we only use on occasion, this is more challenging.  We bring them home, and spend many hours of intensive playing, bonding, and training carefully designed to build a strong relationship as quickly as possible.

American Humane Association

The AHA is responsible for overseeing production and ensuring that “No Animals Were Harmed.”  Remember that the AHA is very different from HSUS or PETA.  AHA advocates for the welfare of the animals and has a strict set of guidelines about what can and cannot be done with animals on a movie set. Prior to the AHA assuming an active role in ensuring animal safety on set, there were many atrocities committed to “get the shot.”  In most instances, the AHA works with the animal team to review the script and make sure a safe plan exists for each shot. In general, directors and producers are very understanding of the AHA, and work hard to ensure compliance. 

Who owns the animals?

There is no universal answer to this.  Often we use our animals, but sometimes we use animals belonging to colleagues or to laypeople.  Sometimes we use rescue animals. Most of the time we try to use in house animals simply because the amount of training required to get an animal set ready is considerable.  However, we do not ever want to have more animals than we can give optimal attention, so we cannot always go get more animals for each project—soon we would have hundreds of animals! Some trainers have made this mistake and end up with more animals then they can train or even really care for.  Other trainers have made this mistake, and end up “dumping” the animals when the project is finished.  However, both of these are rare examples of shortsighted trainers.  Good trainers are extremely focused on having the right mix of animals, having the right number of animals, and using alternatives to ensure that this balance is maintained. 

            One of the most interesting sources for animals is the general public. We get hundreds and hundreds of emails and letters each year from people who want their animals in movies and have been told by everyone on the street that their animal is so cute is should be in movies.  Most of these animals are not suited to the work, but some are.  The bigger challenge is the owners—most of them are adoring stage moms that will not let their animal out of their sight.

Doubles

In modern moviemaking, there are often several animals playing each part.  This allows us to ensure that no single animal is overworked.  Production days can get long and there is no way to give an animal overtime, so we have a second or third animal there in case the first animal gets tired or bored or is not feeling great.  We also use multiple animals to allow particular animals to play to their strengths.  For example, we may have a lead cat playing a role and doing the complex behaviors, and use another more mellow cat to do the scenes where the cat is required to sit still, and another cat to perform scenes where the cat has to run fast from one point to another.   

Do the animals enjoy this work?

In our company, the answer is always yes.  That is because if they do not, we do not use them!  There are many animals for whom this job would not be fun, and there are some for whom it is fantastic.  They love the game, they love the novelty, and they love being the center of attention.

Are the animals stressed?

This is a somewhat difficult question to answer.  Anytime an animal is asked to do something, there is some stress associated with the animal’s desire to succeed. Similarly, an animal in nature is often stressed—being chased, fighting, hunting, etc.  Avoiding all stress is not a realistic or even desirable goal.  For us, the objective is to ensure that the animals experience a natural and optimally healthy lifestyle, and that they have a clear path to success that they understand. We absolutely do buffer them from the artificial stress of the movie set.

What if the animal does not want to do something?

It may sound overly simple, but if we are doing our jobs right, this does not happen.  We look at script and storyboards long in advance, and take the time to train the animals so they are eager and excited to perform the required behaviors. 

If there comes a moment where an animal does not want to do what is required, we either switch to a different animal, or find a creative solution—a way to lure the animal, a way to shoot where the animal is not visible, or an alternative behavior that the animal will do happily and will tell the same story.  Of course, we can also use CGI, animatronics or other movie magic if the shot is something the animal just cannot do.

What about horror stories about animals beaten or broken?

Unfortunately, horrible things have been done to animals over the years by short-sighted people. Just like in any industry, there are some animal trainers who are greedy, malevolent, or simply stupid, and who are willing to use harsh methods to get quick results and then dump the animals.  The entertainment industry is particularly perilous—you have tons of pressure to perform.  Huge amounts of money are at stake, and directors and producers are used to getting what they want.  They are constantly demanding more and more, and it would be easy to get caught up in the sense that getting the shot is the most important thing in the universe.  Unfortunately, some animal trainers are willing to do whatever it takes to make everyone happy in the moment.  Others are simply not strong enough to say no when they should. Obviously, it is easy to tell you we are the very best, but the truth is you cannot know from reading a document.  If you want to know what kind of care someone provides, look at their animals—are they happy, healthy, long-lived? Check references—talk to veterinarians, other people who have sent animals to work with them, colleagues, the American Humane Association.    

Is it ethical to use animals for entertainment?

There are many conflicting opinions on this issue.  “Animal Rights” people tend to believe that no animal should ever be asked to do anything—they should exist in a wholly natural environment devoid of human presence or interference.  We tend to believe that such an ideal does not really exist, and that the litmus test ought to be whether or not a particular animal has a “good” life. For our animals, working in movies is fantastically fun, and is about as close to an ideal life as an animal can find in the modern world.

Our Commitment to our animals

            As you have hopefully gathered by now, we are unwaveringly committed to the welfare of each animal in our family.  For many years, we believed that meant that no animal ever left here—that our obligation was lifelong and under no circumstances would we ever re-home any animal.  At present, our view has shifted slightly.  We still keep almost every animal that comes here for as long as it lives, but we also recognize that some animals will be happier in other homes, and in those cases we believe our obligation is to set aside our ego and do what is best for the animal.  For example, we recently accepted a cat from a shelter that they believed would make a great movie cat.  After a little while, it became clear to us that she would be happier living in a quieter home with fewer animals where she can cuddle on the couch by herself with a person who will brush her and love her.  So, we will find such a home for her and ensure that she gets to live the best possible life for her personality. Because we are willing to find homes for animals that would be happier elsewhere, we are more able to accept rescue animals and evaluate them for a while which enables us to help more animals than if we only took in the ones we were certain we would keep forever. That said, very few animals ever leave here, and no animal leaves here unless we are certain it is going to a great home, and any animal that we do rehome is always welcome back if the need arises.

How many animals do we have?

This number varies somewhat—in spring we often foster various babies for friends, and we have goats and chickens and other animals that we occasionally breed, and we sometimes have animals in for training on a particular project that go home after the project. And unfortunately, too many animals have shorter life-spans than humans, so we occasionally lose an animal to old age.  (We lost a giant Anatolian Shepherd last year at 15, and a Blue Heeler at 17, so the life expectancy of our animals is comparatively high).  Our primary criteria is that we never have more animals than we can care for to our standards. Since we spend many hours training, conditioning, and playing with each animal, we always need to be very careful about accepting additional animals, no matter how much we may want to help them all.

Safety

We are extremely serious about safety—in the last 15 years we have a virtually perfect record with no animals or people being seriously injured.  Our only trips to the emergency vet have been scrapes and cuts from running and playing in the woods, a mushroom ingestion, and a wasp attack. In each case the animal has recovered quickly and without complications.

Location and Facilities

Our main facility is at an elevation of around 1000 feet in the Coast Range west of Salem, Oregon.  We have twenty acres, surrounded by thousands of acres of BLM land.  We have a wide variety of terrain and microclimates.  We have a creek with several waterfalls, lots of woods, some meadows, ponds, etc. Our nearest neighbor is a camp a few miles away, so the animals have plenty of room to romp and play and can make as much noise as they want without ever bothering anyone. Our animals all have very secure housing for when they are unattended, and we have secondary fencing.