ANIMALS SUPPLIED AND TRAINED FOR FILM AND TV SERVING THE EAST COAST
(661) 713-8832
About Joel Silverman
Joel Silverman began training and supplying animals for film and television in 1980, a career that has taken him to 17 countries around the world. He also trained and coordinated the IAMS commercials, and had a great relationship with their agency Saatchi & Saatchi from 1997-2014. Working with the same agency for nearly two decades also suggests he wasn’t just a trainer-for-hire, but a trusted collaborator who understood both the creative vision and the technical demands of production.
Communication
Trainers that are successful on the set will tell you that it isn’t really about what happens on the shoot day—it’s about everything that happens before it. There is no doubt that many jobs require some basic action from the dog and little communication. However, when trainers are given more complicated actions at the last minute, it can create avoidable problems: The animal may not be trained for the behavior, or the trainer has little or no time to troubleshoot. Once this happens, the crew can end up waiting or improvising under pressure and possibly not getting the shot. Joel's experience with commercials like IAMS, and shows like Empty Nest—where he trained the dog Dreyfuss—illustrates the opposite approach.
Efficiency
Productions that run smoothly when using animals tend to:
- Share scripts, storyboards, shot lists, well in advance
- Allow time to train specific behaviors if needed
- Coordinate closely between trainer, director, and production team if needed
Without that lead time, you risk not just missing the shot, but also stressing the animal and the crew, which can spiral into costly delays. So it’s really about efficiency, animal welfare, and ultimately getting usable footage. In working with animals, communication isn’t a soft skill; it’s the foundation the entire shoot depends on.
Our Dogs
In 2023, Joel launched his Dog Training for Film and TV course after discovering an abundance of talented working dogs across the United States during his training tours and appearances. He realized that by offering hands-on workshops with realistic, on-set scenarios, handlers could sharpen their dogs’ skills in a practical way. That vision paid off—every dog you’ll see in the program has trained with Joel at some point, improving through this immersive, real-world approach.
A number of these dogs have a lot of set experience, working on features and television. The trainers who will bring the dog will have the script or storyboard days or weeks in advance, so that the dog is trained and prepared on that specific action prior to coming to the set.
Getting You the Right Dog
We operate our business the same way we did in Hollywood. In Los Angeles, there are no traditional talent agencies for this work—we’ve always acted as our own agents, and we continue to do so today.
When you approach us about an upcoming project, we carefully review the script or storyboards and present a curated selection of dogs that are truly suited for the role. We don’t submit just any dog. Because we know each of our dogs individually, we consider not only their skills but also their temperament and personality.
A dog may be capable of performing a specific action, but that doesn’t automatically make them the right fit for your project. Matching the right dog to the right role is something we take seriously, and it’s a standard we never compromise on.
JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF COMMERCIALS & CREDITS
- FEATURE – Back to the Future I and II – “Einstein” (real name Fred) – Orange County Animal Shelter, Santa Ana, CA (did not work the dog on the set of Back to the Future)
- FEATURE – Family Man – “Lucy” (Joel’s Dog – real name Ellis) Orange County Animal Shelter, Santa Ana, CA
- TV MOVIE – Annie – “Sandy” (real name Chester) – Orange County Animal Shelter, Santa Ana, CA
- Joel’s Dog “Foster” – Appeared in dozens of commercials, has toured with Joel and performed in front of thousands in over 30 states. On the cover of three of four or Joel’s books. – Orange County Animal Shelter, Santa Ana, CA
- Joel’s Dog “Duke” – Appeared in dozens of commercials, and was featured in national commercials for Nissan, Budweiser, and Polaroid. Duke was also featured in the motion picture “Road Trip” and co-hosted Joel’s TV series on Animal Planet Good Dog U. – North County Humane Society, Oceanside, CA
- Joel’s Dog “Duchess” – Appeared in the Chase Bank national commercial with Joel. – Nevada Humane Humane Society, Reno, NV
Joel’s last feature he worked on was “A Good Year” with Russell Crowe, directed by Ridley Scott in 2005. And in the past five years, Joel has coordinated on been responsible for the training of the dogs for Gray Malin’s still shoots all over the world.
To find many more of Joel’s credits, please check out his IMDb page.
If you are interested in Joel helping you with your next project, please feel free to send us a message or call us at (661) 713-8832. Just hit the “contact” link at the top of the page.
