Training Spot
Traci Murdock, CPDT

Carrollton, TX
214.878.2230
www.training-spot.net

Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Marley & Me. Legally Blond. I am Legend. Must Love Dogs. All these movies have canine actors who stole the show (and usually our hearts) as they sat, ran, played, and even misbehaved on cue. Have you ever thought, Hey, my dog is cute and smart. I bet he could be in movies or commercials. Then meet Traci Murdock, Training Spot's owner as well as Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT), Photographer, Talent Scout and Wrangler, and much more. Traci uses all these talents to teach dog owners the skills their dogs need to break into show business.

Training Spot was established in 2000, but the canine acting niche of training is one of Traci Murdock's latest additions to her arsenal. She was convinced that her own dogs - a Cattle Dog and a Border Collie - would be perfect for show business. As an experienced dog trainer in obedience, agility, flyball, and rally, Traci thought that getting her dogs into show business would be a breeze. She began researching and contacting agents and sending out portfolios and soon, she and her dogs got their first callback. Still, even with her background as a trainer and a photographer, she felt overwhelmed at times with everything she had to remember. Later she began working as a talent scout and wrangler herself and decided to compile everything she'd learned to help others who also wanted to break into doggie show business.

Traci used her own experiences in getting her dogs exposed to the business of canine acting to create "Hollywood Dog" classes, which teach the most common skills and tricks that producers ask for and how to quickly train your dog for a new trick if it's required on set. Class attendees also learn how to send their dogs to a mark to perform, practice working for others, and learn how to build new tricks from known commands. Traci also provides some talent agent contacts and conducts a photo session on graduation day so that graduates will have head shots to send out.

Dog owners have three options for the class. There is a six-week class ($150) that is geared towards the dog owner who has limited exposure to dog training and acting. This class includes an introduction to clicker training, an outline of commands that your dog needs to know, and other tips for success in the canine acting world. Traci also offers one-day seminar ($150) for those who don't want to take the six-week class but simply want to be informed about the training and skills that are required for a typical acting assignment.

Finally, there is a three-week class ($225) beginning in August that is a "fast-track" version of the six-week class which is taught specifically for an agent and will include "tests" for the dog and a mock photo shoot to demonstrate each dog's abilities. Based on the dog's performance in this class, the agent will know if he or she is ready to be booked for other photo shoots or productions. Tracy has several graduates that work regularly because of the skills they learned during the class, including Prozac, who was recently featured on the cover of Golf Digest. The next series of classes will be Thursdays, August 6-20 from 6:30-8:30 PM. Tracy will also offer the same course from September 3-17 which is also on Thursdays.

In addition to teaching the Hollywood Dog class, Traci also teaches "Woof 101" at the SPCA Pet University which is "an animal behavior program at the SPCA of Texas that offers quality training classes, workshops and seminars for pet owners and professionals in the animal behavior and welfare fields." Woof 101 is a 6-week basic obedience class that includes commands like sit, stay, down, loose leash walking, and come. The class is $75 and is held at the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney. The next session starts on August 23.

For more information on Training Spot or any of the other services that Traci offers, please visit her Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/tracimurdock or email her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it You can also follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TAMIam1.