As the character Tallahassee in "Zombieland," Woody Harrelson devised a thousand ways to dispatch the undead. But when it came time to feeding pancakes to a dog on the set, he considered only one option.
Harrelson, a devout vegan, had a question for Greg Tresan, Georgia's resident animal handler for the big screen.
“I handed Woody some treats to get the dog to respond and he asked me if they were vegetarian treats,” Tresan said. “I asked him if he was joking, and you could’ve heard a pin drop on that set.”
“That dog has to lick me on the face in the next scene,” Harrelson told Tresan.
Next time, Tresan said, he'll be armed with all-sweet-potato dog treats. Yet another animal- and actor-wrangling lesson Tresan has picked up on a Georgia movie set. Tresan, who with his wife Carol heads Atlanta Dog Works, has worked on numerous productions filmed in the state, including "The Way Home," "ATL," "That Evening Sun," "Footloose," Wanderlust" (starring Jennifer Aniston), and, of course, the often laugh-out-loud "Zombieland."
With more and more filming taking place in Georgia, Tresan says, you could literally have a cash cow out in the barn, or perhaps a furry star sleeping at the foot of your bed.
If you think Spike and Fluffy are ready for their close-ups, Tresan may want to meet them.
He and his wife Carol run their wrangling business as well as a full-service kennel and training facility on 10 acres in Ball Ground, 50 miles north of Atlanta. Their personal menagerie includes goats, miniature and full-size horses, a donkey named Prada, several dogs and cats, a parrot and hissing cockroaches left over from a horror film.
Toss in a 5-year-old daughter named Devon, and you’ve got the makings of a reality TV series. (They’re working on that, too.)
Tresan was in music school at UCLA and had no notion of becoming a professional dog trainer. It happened quite accidentally.
“I had this great dog, an Australian Shepherd named Jumpin' Jess, that I taught to catch a Frisbee,” Tresan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “She was so good that she did the halftime show of several San Francisco 49er games.”
That led to a commercial gig with Little Debbie Snack Cakes; then things snowballed for Jess when Toys R Us booked her.
“The next thing I know, I’m out in the Hamptons all because of my dog,” Tresan laughed. “Of course Jess was the star, though.”
Of course, film work is not all champagne and oatmeal crème pies. Tresan’s work keeps him going seven days a week, with directors often moving schedules up by three weeks at a time. One day he needs a Great Dane on the set of Lucy Liu’s “Marry Me” in Alpharetta, and then he’s hustling Kevin the Georgia Lottery goat downtown the next. And sometimes it’s not just the animals he must finesse.
Abigail Breslin’s pup was used for “Zombieland,” in part because of the convenience factor (Breslin starred in the film), but often directors request specific breeds and at the last minute. When a pug was requested for “Marry Me,” Tresan called a local breeder who recommended Calvin, the personal pug of Canton account executive Jamie Moore.
“My wife and I sat down with Calvin and told him not to get too carried away by the fame,” Moore said with a laugh. “We’ve had to widen the dog door a bit for his enlarged head, but he should be fine.”
Tresan said that Calvin was a dream client with a calm demeanor.
“We get a lot of calls from people who think they have the most precious pet on Earth, but they’re not socialized at all,” said Tresan.
And it’s not just canines Tresan needs. His wife added that they’re always in need of cats.
“Cats don’t really listen the way a dog does and they’re more difficult, but we’ll wrangle them,” she said.
Even if your critter is cast, don’t expect overnight fame and fortune -- or even residuals. Moore said Calvin’s paycheck offset his yearly shots and some dog food.
“The pay will keep him eating the good stuff for a couple of months,” Moore said.
Your pet in pictures
Tresan’s tips:
- You pet must be able to perform basic commands like sit, stay, lie down.
- They must be food-motivated.
- It's important that your dog establishes bonds easily. Skittish dogs need not apply.
- Your dog cannot scare easily. There's a lot of action on the set, a lot of noise and milling about.
- Don't "free feed" your dog. Your pet should be fed twice a day at the same times.
- Don't use your dog's name to correct their behavior. It's like having an aversion to alcohol. You don't want them to associate their name with a punishment.
- Take lots of pictures of your dog at heart level. Don't dress them up in little outfits, or any outfits.
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