Breed: Yorkshire Terrier
Date of birth: 17/11/2017
Gender: Male
Neck circumference: 22cm
Chest circumference: 34cm
Base of neck to base of tail: 33cm
Height to shoulder: 17cm
Weight: 2.9kg

General Description

Bangkok, Paris and London twice over: Mojo has the travel record of a touring artist and the composure to match. He is an exemplary flier, endlessly praised by cabin crew for his calm, and he arrives anywhere new without the slightest fuss. At under three kilograms he is genuinely tiny, though nobody appears to have told him so. His owner describes him as carrying himself like a small monarch, convinced of his own significance, particular about how he is held and altogether certain that the room has improved since he entered it.

The Yorkshire Terrier is a product of the Industrial Revolution rather than the drawing room. Scottish weavers moving south in the nineteenth century brought their small terriers into the mills of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the dogs earned their keep catching rats in the weaving sheds and around the pits. A dog called Huddersfield Ben, born in 1865, is regarded as the foundation of everything that followed, and the breed was still being shown as a broken-haired Scotch terrier before the Yorkshire name settled in 1870. From those working origins the breed moved into glamour with remarkable speed. Smoky, a Yorkie who served with American forces in the Pacific during the Second World War, is widely credited as the first therapy dog, while Audrey Hepburn’s Mr Famous travelled the world with her and appeared on screen in Funny Face.

Mojo belongs firmly in that second tradition. He adores the camera, relishes being dressed up and settles into a pose with real conviction rather than tolerance. He is neutered, has no allergies and no dislikes on file, is content being groomed and is entirely unbothered by the vacuum. One practical note for any booking: he prefers a secure, respectful hold and is discerning about who picks him up, so handling should be steady and a brief introduction is worth the two minutes it takes.

Mojo’s strength is stillness and expression rather than athletics. He holds a stay, drops into a down, sits on a platform and can be placed in position and left there with complete reliability. He maintains eye contact with his handler or the lens and takes directional cues, looking up, alerting, glancing over his shoulder or fixing on a point, which gives an editor genuine reaction shots to cut to.

He plays dead with full commitment, rolls over, begs, sits pretty with paws raised, spins on request and licks his lips on cue, the last of which is a surprisingly useful comic beat around food scenes. That repertoire suits sitcoms, romantic comedy, luxury and lifestyle advertising and any storyline built around a pampered small dog with strong opinions. Period pieces are worth considering too, given how firmly the breed sits in Victorian British history. He also has motion capture ability, which is rare in a dog this size and opens the door to animation and games work needing authentic small-dog movement.

This is where Mojo truly excels. He holds a pose, works confidently at a distance from his handler and actively enjoys wardrobe, wearing clothing, accessories, hats, costumes and even glasses without a flicker of complaint. For pet fashion labels, accessory ranges, eyewear campaigns, jewellery and luxury gifting, a dog that genuinely enjoys dressing up rather than merely permitting it is an enormous asset, and in size S he fits the sample pieces small brands actually produce.

That famous silky coat rewards grooming and coat-care briefs, and his patience through styling means a salon or shampoo brand can shoot process and finish in one session. His travel credentials suit airlines, pet carrier and travel accessory brands, hotels, city break campaigns and luggage labels, with real experience behind the imagery rather than a staged suitcase. Editorial and fashion shoots, festive and seasonal campaigns, greetings cards and calendar work all suit his combination of poise and glamour. He is a natural for anything trading on elegance, and his slightly imperious expression does a great deal of the storytelling by itself.