Dog Days for Mike

Remember Mike the Dog of “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” fame? He just flew from L.A. to Toronto first class on Air Canada to shoot a commercial for Nestle’s Grand Gourmet dog food. Total cost of the round-trip for Mike, two trainers and his furry stand-in: $12,780, plus tax!

According to a source involved in arranging Mike’s trip, the airline industry is nervous over Zsa Zsa Gabor’s current $10-million dog-related legal snarl with Delta Airlines (in January, she was asked to leave a Delta jet because she wouldn’t put her two small dogs in cages, and she’s filed a lawsuit). Regulations ordinarily prohibit a dog Mike’s size from traveling in the passenger section, airline sources told us, and special dispensation in such cases is becoming less common.

Someone suggested stashing Mike in cargo, but trainer Clint Rowe wouldn’t allow it (“Mike’s too old (11) and too special for that”).

So to fly Mike, who returns today, Canada’s MacLaren Lintas advertising firm had to book the entire first-class cabin, both ways.

As for Mike’s career, he’s also just wrapped two international Coke commercials. But filmwise, it’s a sad tail.

“Everything I did with him after the movie was a disappointment,” Rowe admitted. “The (‘Down and Out in Beverly Hills’ TV) series was a bomb. A pilot we did called ‘Mutts’ was a bomb. . . .”

Rowe said he now has a completed script and pending deal for Mike.

The flop-eared canine, however, faces new competition: Rowe is currently handling Beasley, a French mastiff, on Touchstone’s Tom Hanks starrer, “Turner and Hooch” (as well as Beasley’s stunt double, Igor). Beasley portrays the title pooch named Hooch, “a big, bad junkyard dog who’s disgusting, dirty and mean and gradually becomes friends with Tom (who plays Turner).”

But Mike remains Rowe’s top dog: “He’s my real dream, my shining star.”