Snowball loves to stop for a pet — when he has the time. Mom Jami Kinton found the then-six-month-old shih tzu shivering and underweight in Mansfield. But seven years later, the Old Brooklyn pup’s career is white-hot, with a Super Bowl ad and shoots for Purina and Ford on his resume. “[Dog performers] are put in a million different situations,” says Kinton. “He loves the changing environments.” Sit, stay and peek at the pup’s pre-shoot schedule.
7 a.m.
Snowball wakes up three hours before showtime to a breakfast of Orijen kibble or scrambled eggs. “We don’t overfeed him, because his tricks are food-motivated,” says Kinton.
8 a.m.
After a bath and blow-dry, his tear stains are covered with Humane Society of America-approved white cream. “He’s pretty professional,” laughs dog dad Logan Broadbent, pointing out Snowball’s set of neckties.
10 a.m.
Being on-set presents new challenges. During an ADT Security shoot, Kinton hid beneath a window and held up some tuna to get Snowball to wag his tail on command, a trick he’d never learned. “That showed me what he was capable of,” she says.
5 p.m.
After up to 13 hours of shooting, the pup relaxes with a walk or trip to a rock-climbing gym. “Sometimes I pick him up with one arm and do some smaller obstacles,” says Broadbent, an American Ninja Warrior vet.
10 p.m.
After dinner (and maybe a pupaccino), Snowball snuggles in his parents’ bed. “When he’s not shooting, he’s just like any other dog,” says Broadbent.
