No Work Done: The Dog's a Natural

It’s not unusual for a beautiful middle-aged female in Los Angeles to inspire this catty remark: “Oh, she’s had .”

 It is perhaps a bit more unusual when the catty comment is made about a beautiful middle-aged dog.

On one of the few sunny days Studio City saw during late December’s , I sat at a tiny outside table on cute Tujunga Boulevard in front of the , sipping café au lait.  With me was Matt Dearborn (double espresso), creator and executive producer of the Disney XD TV series Zeke & Luther, which follows two teenaged buddies as they try to take on the world as skateboard stars.  And under the table was my German shepherd, Heidi, who managed to seduce Matt into giving her all of the biscuits I’d brought for her while I was inside the shop getting the coffees.

I was there to interview Matt about Zeke and Luther for… well, for Another Publication. But, as usual, Heidi immediately became the nucleus of attention.  I don’t know whether it’s the big velvet ears, quizzical brown gaze or toothy grin -- the shepherd always brings it.

A staffer popped out of the restaurant to coo over Heidi and offer her yet another treat.

“How old is she?” the woman asked.

“Eight and a half,” I replied. 

The woman shook her head in disbelief as she walked back into the gelato shop. Then came the comment—Studio City, not Beverly Hills: “She’s had work done,” the woman tossed back over her shoulder.

The fact is, Heidi hasn’t had work done–but she’s done work. Heidi is an aspiring actress. I chronicled her attempt break into showbiz for the Los Angeles Times for a year for its pets and animals blog L.A. Unleashed (link here to the wrap-up of Heidi’s story).  

Since I left the Times staff in late 2009, I admit this doggie stage mom has neglected Heidi’s career.  Still,  like fleas, it’s difficult to fully exterminate the acting bug. Before setting up the interview with Dearborn, I knew he loved dogs—I’d seen photos of him with his Dachshund, Cooper—so I figured Heidi would be welcome.  But did I secretly, shamelessly hope Matt might say:  “Hey, we need a dog just like Heidi to knock the kids off their skateboards in our next episode”?  I don’t ask myself this question because I just hate to be lied to.

As it happens, I learned some sad news: Cooper the Dachshund had just died, at age 10; Matt was on his way to pick up the ashes.  And a little boy named Gabriel who made eye contact with Heidi post-gelato told us: “I wish I had a dog. I had another dog but he died, he got ran over by a car. “ At that, I hugged Heidi close and realized that, really, her only job is to live forever.

But the German Shepherd Dog (GSD) is a working breed, and Heidi is no exception. Realistically, I don’t know how many acting roles there are for an almost-9-year old house dog with bad joints, but I realized could offer her a job myself: as a journalist.

The Studio City Patch has given me opportunity to join its esteemed cadre of writers covering the Studio City community, where even pets have resumes and headshots—and I’ve asked Heidi to assist. 

It’s far from a starring role in a movie, but for Heidi, it’s a paw in the door.  We welcome your thoughts and suggestions. And of course if the dog does get a job, you’ll get the news here first.