Breed: Golden Retriever
Date of birth: 21/11/2019
Gender: Female
Neck circumference: 40cm
Chest circumference: 74cm
Base of neck to base of tail: 70cm
Height to shoulder: 48cm
Weight: 29kg

General Description

Poppy has two great loves in life: her work and her dinner and which comes first depends entirely on the time of day. Her owner sums her up as a lovable mummy’s girl who thrives on attention and this sunny devotion translates directly to the job. Give her a task and she throws herself into it with the wholehearted enthusiasm her breed is famous for, tail swishing, eyes bright, utterly delighted to be involved.

Her pale golden coat catches the light wonderfully on camera, framing the kind, honest face that has made the Golden Retriever the enduring symbol of the loyal family companion. She carries herself with the easy confidence of a dog who has never met a person she didn’t like, greeting strangers as old friends and offering nothing more than an occasional cheerful bark to say hello to other dogs.

The Golden Retriever was created in the Scottish Highlands in the 1860s, when Lord Tweedmouth set out to breed the ideal gundog for retrieving waterfowl across the estates of Inverness-shire. The result became one of the world’s most beloved breeds and an icon of screen and advertising alike, from Buddy in Air Bud and Shadow in Homeward Bound to Dug in Pixar’s Up, while “golden retriever energy” has entered the language as shorthand for warm, uncomplicated friendliness. Poppy embodies the phrase completely.

A few notes for the diary: she had a hip replacement in 2021 and has recovered beautifully, though high-impact stunt work is best left off her call sheet. Loud bangs are not her favourite thing, so pyrotechnics and starting pistols need advance warning. And because food ranks among her chief passions, edible props should be managed by her handler rather than left within reach – the flip side being that she is exceptionally reward-driven and learns new set routines at remarkable speed.

Poppy was born to play the archetypal family dog and she brings genuine on-set discipline to the part. She walks to heel through a scene, finds her mark, drops into a down or a sit exactly where the blocking demands and responds instantly to an emergency stop, which gives directors real precision when children or moving vehicles share the frame. Her gentle, submissive nature around young co-stars fits her perfectly for family films, primetime drama and nostalgic Christmas storytelling.

She also takes direction from well beyond arm’s reach. Working from a distance, she reads hand signals and answers a whistle, so sweeping countryside wide shots present no difficulty at all. Her trained nose adds another string: scent work comes naturally to her, opening up detective stories and search-and-rescue narratives where the dog tracks down the missing clue. Water scenes hold no fear for her either and she remains calm under pressure when a set grows hectic, a quality that keeps long filming days running sweetly alongside her proven patience for extended sessions.

In front of a stills camera Poppy is a gift. She holds a pose under studio lighting and flash, directs her gaze wherever the photographer points; up, over a shoulder, straight down the lens and waits composedly beside carefully arranged products. Her light colouring flatters warm autumn tones and crisp white interiors alike, ideal for home, lifestyle and family-focused campaigns from insurance to interiors.

Two bookings almost write themselves. Car manufacturers promoting dog-friendly estates and SUVs will value a retriever who leaps into and out of a boot on cue with visible joy. And dog food brands searching for a model who eats with authentic, unscripted relish need look no further – her appetite is entirely genuine. Beyond that, she wears coats, hats, glasses and accessories without complaint, carries a GoPro for adventure content and adores a meet and greet, making her a natural hostess for exhibitions, store openings and live events where a waving tail is worth a thousand words.