Breed – German Shepherd x Border Collie

Gender – Male

Date of Birth – 01/06/2017

Measurements: 

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Weight: 25kg

Shelby is a mixed breed dog model with a gentle, scruffy old man appearance.  He’s a dog that truly exhibits his emotions with his facial expressions and has human-like emotional responses via his eyes, whiskers and ear twitches.  Unique looking dogs with unique characters are appealing in TV and film to get that stand out imagery that cannot be found elsewhere.

Rescued from Romania in 2017, Shelby has lived his life in the UK.  He is now in his forever home with his experienced handler who adopted him in 2023 from the life-saving sanctuary, Rescue Me.  His handler has spent time socialising Shelby to new environments, sounds and sights and has concentrated on his trick training to build his confidence and bring joy to his life.  Shelby is a true survivor and despite all he has been through, he is polite, obedient and has a real eagerness to learn.  He and his handler have a lovely bond.

Shelby has an interesting breed mix and thus he is truly one of a kind and has a completely unique appearance.  His background is of the pastoral breeds and in his life in Romania he will have functioned as a livestock guardian dog until he moved to safety in the UK.

Like all working breeds, pastoral dogs utilise their natural canine behaviours to do the jobs that humans have developed them for; they are specialists in watching livestock and using the stalk/chase part of their hunting behaviour to move them where they need to go.  Pastoral breeds like to work closely with their owner, they are strong willed and hardy and have an acute sense of self control.  This is very much Shelby’s character; he’s loves having work to do and he completes his role in a measured way

This beautiful tan, black and white dog was named after Thomas Shelby, the famous character from Peaky Blinders, to help him find a home away from the rescue shelter.  Canine Shelby looks equally attractive as Cillian Murphy in a flat cap, so we think the name is fitting! 

Shelby is a mature looking dog but don’t let his appearance fool you; he has a spritely spirit and is a real go-getter.  The white tinges to his fur bely his age and make him look older than he is; this opens him up to modelling and acting briefs that require an older looking dog.

Shelby is a sweet natured dog and has a placid nature.  Due to his background and past experiences in his life before adoption, he is better suited to working with adults and can take a little while to warm up to the actors he’s working with, so prep time and rehearsals with the actors on the day of filming must be incorporated into his working hours on set.  

 

He excels in outdoor work and follows instructions from his handler easily.  He takes his work seriously and has pride in his accomplishments.  Shelby can also work alongside other dogs from his own household (Timmy and Betty also registered with The Animal Talent).  Ever the professional, Shelby concentrates hard despite the distraction of other dogs.

 

His appearance and abilities lend him to filming themes that require a dog with an older appearance, or subject matters including shelter dogs, stray or street dogs because Shelby easily portrays a downtrodden boy.  His soulful eyes are very convincing!  

 

Conversely if you’re filming in a rural setting and are looking for an energetic, active dog running free in the countryside, Shelby’s longer coat flows beautifully and looks supreme with air blowing through it.  He’s an expressive dog that can portray a variety of emotions and therefore can work in a variety of studio backdrops or location settings.

 

This mixed breed dog is thriving in his forever home with his human who is a professional behaviourist and so his skills list and talents are improving on a daily basis.  Shelby is an alert and attentive dog with a unique appearance that has arisen from his mixed breeding.  His ongoing work will see him progress from shorter filming roles to more complex scripted features within no time at all.

Shelby has a predominantly reddish-tan coat, mottled with black and also white patches on the front of his body, including his chin and nose.  He’s a perfectly groomed dog, however, he always has the slightly shaggy appearance that makes him look a little unkempt!  He really rocks that ‘grumpy old man’ anthropomorphic trait.

He has a fox-like bushy tail that has a perfect curl, making his side profile really quite stunning.  He’s fit, lean and very healthy meaning he’s in perfect shape to portray wellness and vitality, particularly for a mature dog.

Being of Romanian descent, he is be suitable as a “Rommie” poster boy for any rescue or charity based promotional work.  He’s a fine looking boy that excels in outdoor and location based photoshoots.

Shelby has experience in a professional photographic studio and performs well under heavy lighting with the use of flash cameras.  He has a solid ‘stay’ and works well with product placement.  This experienced dog model can work in a variety of indoor or outdoor locations.

 

PJ Pet Photography – Two themed studio shoots with props

Down

Happy to be groomed

Heel

Look to point

Paws up

Recall

Sit

Spin

Stand

Stay

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