Breed: German Shepherd
Date of birth: 13/11/2023
Gender: Male
Neck circumference: 55cm
Chest circumference: 91cm
Base of neck to base of tail: 90cm
Height to shoulder: 68cm
Weight: 40kg

General Description

Point a lens at Fred and something clicks into place. He squares his shoulders, fixes the camera with a level gaze and holds it, every inch aware that he is a good-looking dog. Behind that classic black and tan coat and those upright ears sits a devoted, one-person soul: a true velcro-dog who would rather be at his owner’s side than anywhere else, matched to a willingness to learn that gives him a real work ethic on set.

The German Shepherd was shaped in 1899 by Captain Max von Stephanitz, a cavalry officer who gathered Germany’s regional herding dogs into a single breed built on his motto of utility and intelligence. Within a generation it had become the world’s foremost working dog, serving as messenger, guardian, guide and screen star alike. That last calling began with Rin Tin Tin, a shepherd pulled from a French battlefield in the First World War who went on to headline more than two dozen Hollywood pictures. Fred belongs to that proud, camera-ready tradition, all the way down to his flair for a pose.

He has already built a following of his own, fronting content for brands including Tractive, Dock and Bay, Pawer Water and Rafa’s Raw across two years on Instagram and TikTok. A few essentials for the diary. Fred is reactive to other dogs and happiest as the only animal on a booking, so he needs to be cast solo. He may bark or hang back with new people for a moment before warming up fast. He would also rather the hoover, mop and broom stayed in the cupboard.

Everything about Fred suggests the loyal hero, a part his composure lets him play to the hilt. Unbothered by bangs and sudden noise, he holds a rock-steady stay, drops into a down on command and waits on his mark while action unfolds around him, which suits police, military and search-and-rescue drama where a dependable dog holds the scene. He vaults over and onto obstacles, springs in and out of a car boot on cue and threads around a person or a prop, the vocabulary of a working K9 in full flow.

His devotion powers the quieter stories too. As a one-person dog to his core he is a natural for loyalty-driven features, the faithful companion who shadows a lead through thick and thin. There is comedy in him as well: a ball switches on his playful streak in an instant. He will bow, spin, offer a paw or touch his nose to an outstretched hand, small cues that lend warmth to a family scene.

Few dogs bring this much studio experience to the floor. Fred settles into a pose and stays put, comfortable under lights and unfazed by a busy shoot. He sits with products beside him without breaking concentration. That polish makes him a strong fit for pet-tech and GPS-tracker brands, outdoor and adventure gear and premium nutrition, the very territory his existing collaborations already cover.

He is a confident dresser as well, relaxed in clothing, hats, a GoPro harness and, by his owner’s own account, a killer pair of sunglasses, which throws open the doors to eyewear labels, active-wear ranges and travel campaigns. His commanding good looks and upright bearing lend authority to any brand chasing a strapline about loyalty, protection or the great outdoors, while his ease in the car makes him a ready-made co-star for automotive and 4×4 shoots. Whatever the brief, Fred arrives knowing his angles.