Published: October 14, 2008 10:07 am            

THEATER: The man behind the ‘Blonde’ dogs

By Alyssa Kramer



If it weren’t for animal trainer Bill Berloni, a much worse fate might have awaited canine theater stars Frankie and China.

In addition to his theater job, Berloni is also a behavior consultant for the Humane Society of New York, a non-kill shelter that supports rescued animals in New York City.

But he didn’t always have these jobs.

As an aspiring young actor, Berloni thought he was getting his big break by being offered a role in exchange for the simple task of finding and training a dog to play Sandy in the original production of “Annie. “

Simple, right? Not exactly. But he got the job done, and he hasn’t stopped since. Prior to “Annie,” there had never been an animal playing in a live theater production.

“All of the dogs I train are found at animal shelters,” Berloni said. “I start by teaching them the basics — how to walk, sit, and stay. Then I train them with love and repetition.”

That’s how he was led to Frankie and China. Frankie, the chihuahua who plays Bruiser in “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” is only 1 year old and was found as a stray in Meriden, Conn. He was rescued by Berloni and now flaunts his pink one-piece suit on stage.

China, the bulldog who plays Rufus, came from a backyard breeding situation in upstate New York where even as a young dog she was forced to produce litter after litter. She suffered from multiple health problems and infections, but thanks to Berloni, this spry 3-year-old is ready for the spotlight.

Both dogs even have understudies. Bruiser’s understudy, Roxie, was rescued as a stray in rural Louisiana; Rufus’ understudy, Nellie, was surrendered to the Humane Society as a puppy.

According to Berloni, he chooses his dogs based on how he thinks they can handle stress. He believes that dogs in shelters are able to handle the pressure of being on stage because he can’t imagine a dog dealing with much more stress than being confined in a cage.

“If at any point a dog shows reluctance to perform, then they don’t have to do it anymore,” Berloni said.

Berloni keeps all of the dogs that he train. He owns 26 dogs — 12 are working and 14 are at home. His dogs do all kinds of work, ranging from TV commercials to movies and theater.

After a lot of practice and bonding with the cast members, the dogs are able to take the stage with confidence and seem happy to do it.

“The key is,” Berloni said, “if you love the dog, they’ll go on stage and do anything for you.”

        

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