I loved reading this article. Marti the dog was selected to play the part of Sandi in the modern take of Annie. The trainer for the dog is Bill Berloni. He is a highly successful trainer who has trained dogs for numerous productions, from the Broadway show of Annie to productions of the Wizard of Oz and Legally Blonde. When I was early in my career of animal training, I remember going to NYC with my dad to film some short dog training segments at the Humane Society of New York. I was introduced by their director and my dad to Berloni. We talked for a long while about dogs and training and why he likes what he does. His top reason for loving to train dogs for production work is that he can rescue shelter dogs and give them a new start. This also helps to show that shelter dogs are fully capable and able to do anything another dog can do. He also told me that he loves the straightforwardness of working directly with the dogs. They are genuine, they are who they are, and they are fast learners who are more than willing to learn. I’ve never forgotten our talk and his encouragement to me, and I’m so pleased to see his work highlighted in the new movie. I can’t wait to go and see the fabulous training, and to see this fabulous dog in action.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:21:15 +0000