From Street Dog to Video Star

A while back, Boca was invited to be part of a video shoot for Colorado-based company Outward Hound as they introduce their new website and re-brand (formerly Kyjen). I was asked if she would interact with puzzle toys and be able to be in a studio off-leash with the other dogs, and I thought she would do great. We both had so much fun and I couldn't wait to see the results, which went live on their website this week and are even cuter than I imagined. 


When we arrived at the studio, she met some of her co-stars and checked out the surroundings. There were lights and camera equipment as well as six to eight other dogs, their owners, video crew and Outward Hound staff. One whole corner of the room was draped with a white background, and the humans had to remove their shoes and stay out of the shots while directing the dogs, who could not be wearing collars or leashes. Boca was slightly nervous at first, and you can see her startle a little in the Paw Flapper video, but she soon relaxed and gave them some wonderful smiles and tail wags.

The dog she posed with in the Star Spinner video was also named Ruby, and was a real sweetheart, although Boca was wary of her as she often is with bigger dogs. It was that much more impressive that we were able to get them to pose so nicely together. It wasn't easy to get Boca to stay in place while I was off to the side, and it inspired me to work harder on our sit-stays and down-stays in case we ever do anything like this again. I am so proud of how well Big Sister did with all that was going on: strange people, strange dogs, new sights and sounds...from starving street dog to commercial star!

At one point, Boca removed one of the blocks from this toy and brought it over to me off-screen, which cracked everybody up. When it wasn't her turn, she sprawled out on the floor like she'd done this a million times. I loved introducing more people to these awesome island dogs. I'm delighted to have had this opportunity and I admit that I can't stop watching Boca happily crunching, frog-legging and trotting off camera to that catchy tune.