A dog from Vermont shares the spotlight with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a new Super Bowl ad.
Jack, a boxer, has appeared in several television commercials. His latest is a spot for Intel, and was filmed outside of Boston in autumn of 2016.
In the ad, the 5-year-old dog wakes up with Brady, who later beats Jack to a fallen pancake.
The ad tells viewers new Intel replay technology that will be on view during the Super Bowl makes “anything look epic.”
“He was so kind and flexible to work with,” dog mom Nina Daniel of Starksboro, Vermont said of Tom Brady.
Jack, who has been in training at Show Me The Biscuit in Williston since he was a puppy, has also appeared in a lottery ad and a shoe ad.
“I am so proud of him,” Daniel said.
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Trainer Cassy Lamothe said it takes a special, dedicated, and patient human-animal team to make it in showbiz.
“I think a lot of dogs have the potential, they just need the right handler,” Lamothe said.
The toughest part of working with an animal on set, Daniel said, was keeping Jack still and focused, despite long days of shooting and all the distractions from camera equipment and personnel.
“It’s a new challenge to our training relationship,” Daniel observed. “How can I make him comfortable doing whatever it is they’re asking him to do?”
Positive reinforcement with treats does the trick, Daniel said.
“I only train him with positive reinforcement,” Daniel said. “I don’t force him to do anything he’s not comfortable doing.”
And mom may need to stock up on those biscuits, because Jack has an agent who Daniel said is looking to book the talented dog for more TV gigs like the one for Intel.
