The Heidi Chronicles, part eight: A potential star still needs a double

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This is Heidi. Earlier this year, she was ‘discovered’ in the park by a pet talent agency; since then, she has embarked on a one-dog quest to break into the business. This is her Hollywood story as chronicled by Times Staff Writer Diane Haithman. And this is her “head shot”: That longing look was achieved by placing a biscuit just out of reach.

After being dazzled by the German shepherd that portrayed Butch on the “Dog Tags” episode of the CBS series “NCIS,” I called the publicist and asked if Heidi and I might drop by the set to meet ‘Butch’ and his trainer, Shawn Weber. Sure, she said. As it happened, ‘Butch” was played by Rowdy, and Rowdy was much too busy working to meet with us. This might be just as well because Heidi, a maybe-German, maybe-Belgian shepherd from Texas, probably would have suffered by comparison to Mr. Perfect, a purebred German shepherd from Germany.

For lack of chairs on the sound stage, Shawn the trainer and I sat on the floor and talked — and Heidi, it must be said, was not behaving in a professional manner. Instead of sitting like a good girl, she wandered between us, stepped on the tape recorder and decided that I needed my face licked thoroughly. And what were the chances Heidi of becoming a star? Replied Shawn, cheerfully: “About as realistic as me being Tom Cruise.”

Shawn repeated what I had heard before: Most working animals come from animal companies; Rowdy came from Phil’s Animal Rentals. He referred to Heidi as a “private party animal” — different, one supposes, from the public party animal one might observe on the JumboTron at Dodger Stadium. Added Shawn: “If I had a dog who was really well-trained, I’d think commercials or print ads, because for most movies, you need three.”

Three? As I learned from Shawn, TV and movie dogs usually have doubles — and triples. For “NCIS,” Rowdy had a double named Rocket. Heidi’s possibly mixed breed and oversized ears would probably work against her, making her hard to double.

A bell rang on the set, signaling that filming was either ending or about to begin. Heidi’s head shot up anxiously. Shawn shook his head. “They really have to be prepared for that kind of stuff. At our barns, we have fake cameras going, and noises, so they gradually get used to it. “Some dogs can’t handle it, just like some kids.”

Well, according to Shawn, there are so many other strikes against Heidi that we’ll have to continue them in the next chapter. But at least she got to “double” for Rowdy in this photo below, taken outside Pauley Perrette’s trailer, where the private party animal received a biscuit from a star.

To catch up on the Heidi Chronicles, go to Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.