It was one of National Purebred Dog Day’s favorite commercials featuring a dog, but one of Volkswagon’s most popular commercials ever was pulled after a hue and cry over the well being of its star, a Jack Russell Terrier named, “Bear.” The 30-second ad featured “Bear” sitting in the passenger seat of a VW Polo “singing” the Spencer Davis Group classic, I’m A Man, but trembling and cowering once outside the car. To the average person, such conduct in a dog seemed unlikely to be a trainable behavior, but Bear’s owner, Hollywood animal trainer Steve Berens, disagreed, and Bear’s appearance in other movies and commercials seem to support his contention. British newspaper, The Daily Mail, interviewed Berens, and you can see that piece here. After reading it, do you agree that behaviors like quivering can be trained?
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Cute commercial! I hadn’t seen it. I think nearly any dog behavior can be trained. I couldn’t do it, but there are trainers who could. That said, I think some people would find the commercial hard to watch because of the trembling and quivering, whether it is trained or not. No one likes to see an unhappy dog and even if it is a trained behavior, the average person wouldn’t know that and would think he had been mistreated. Would love to see them remake the commercial in another way using the “I’m a Man” bit. The lip syncing is incredible!
Thanks for the feedback, Sharyn, and we have to agree!
Those people that don’t think behaviors can be trained have never really worked with a dog, especially a Jack Russell!
Having rocked our photo contest last May, Sue, with your epic pictures of your JRT, we figure you know a thing or two about working with the breed (grin)!
Thanks. I am by no means a good trainer, but she has made me a much better one.
And yet there was no outcry over that stupid car commercial that was running during the Olympics that had an idiot owner let his Border Collie float down what appeared to be rapids as they chased after it in the car. Seriously???
We are SO glad this bothered you too, Pe Ell! It was one thing to throw the stick, let the dog catch it and float down river some, but the SECOND time was too much.