Breed: Border Terrier
Date of birth: 14/06/2021
Gender: Female
Neck circumference: 26cm
Chest circumference: 46cm
Base of neck to base of tail: 41cm
Height to shoulder: 33cm
Weight: 8.2kg

General Description

Maeve arrives with something few new faces can offer: a working CV. As the much-loved regular of the Butternut Box creative team she has clocked up multiple professional brand shoots and countless days of social media filming, so studio lighting, flash and the rhythm of a working set are already second nature to her. References from the brand are available on request, which tells you everything about the impression she leaves behind.

She is a happy, affectionate little dog who treats everyone as the best friend she simply hasn’t met yet. Eager to please and pleasingly pliable, she settles from excited to neutral in moments and brings a patient, biddable attitude to long sessions. Her motivation is refreshingly straightforward: balls and treats rank as the twin currencies of her world and a handler with a tennis ball can steer her gaze precisely where a director wants it.

The Border Terrier hails from the rugged country along the Anglo-Scottish border, where farmers bred a game little terrier tough enough to run all day with the foxhounds. Grizzle, that flecked blend of tan and dark hair, remains the breed’s signature colouring. On screen the Border Terrier punches well above its size: Baxter, Ron Burgundy’s four-legged confidant in Anchorman, is the breed’s most famous ambassador and Andy Murray’s Borders have made them a familiar sight in celebrity culture too.

One of Maeve’s most useful quirks is her wardrobe of coats, all grown by herself. Freshly hand stripped she looks sharp and smart; as the coat blows she takes on a charmingly scruffy, lived-in appearance. Stripping happens twice a year in the first and third quarters and cannot be brought forward, though a professional tidy-up can usually be arranged ahead of a booking. In effect, clients get two distinct looks from one dog.

Maeve’s party piece is an exceptionally strong wait and go, giving productions frame-accurate timing on entrances, exits and action beats. Combine that with a reliable recall, a whistle response and the ability to take direction from well across a field and she handles location work that would fluster many studio-raised dogs. She thrives outdoors in all conditions and takes to water readily, true to her hardy border roots.

Casting-wise her two coats double her range. In her smart era she plays the well-kept family companion in contemporary drama; in her scruffy era she is tailor-made for the loyal farm dog, the rescue-centre hopeful or the plucky stray in period and rural productions, where a grizzle working terrier lends instant authenticity to any countryside scene. Her drop, leave and long-duration stay keep her rock steady through dialogue, while her tug-of-war and flirt-pole enthusiasm supplies convincing, joyful energy whenever a script needs a dog at full tilt.

In stills work Maeve’s ball-guided eyeline is worth its weight in gold. She holds a pose, looks to a point, a person or a mark on request and redirects her attention between frames without breaking position, so photographers capture exactly the composition they planned. Having already fronted professional pet food campaigns she is an obvious pick for food and treat brands seeking a proven performer, while toy manufacturers gain a model whose delight in a ball requires no acting whatsoever.

Her weatherproof wire coat and countryside credentials recommend her to rural lifestyle labels, walking and outdoor gear ranges and dog-friendly tourism campaigns, where she can be photographed mid-adventure rather than merely posed. Gentle with children and at ease being handled by unfamiliar crew, she travels happily to wherever the light is best and works from a distance when the shot calls for a lone terrier on a sweeping moorland horizon.