Hoodlum the Mighty Dog

Hoodlum, a Parson Russell Terrier, is featured in a Mighty Dog brand food print ad. In the advertisement, Hoodlum looks ready to pounce on lions caught in a tree. The dog was photographed in front of a green screen with cardboard boxes simulating a tree.

Hoodlum gets mighty big break in show business
By Amneris Solano
Staff writer, photo by Octavio Jones
SANFORD — Every pet owner believes his dog is a mighty dog.

But Wendy Anderson has proof.

Hoodlum, her Parson Russell terrier, appears in a print ad for Mighty Dog brand dog food. The ad is being featured in a variety of publications, including People and O, Oprah Winfrey’s magazine.
In the advertisement, Hoodlum shows his might by barking up a tree that’s top heavy with a pair of lions. With his head and tail pointed toward the sky, Hoodlum looks as if he’s about to pounce as the computer-generated lions cower in fright.
“Mighty Fearless,” the ad boasts.
Yes, he is, said Mighty Dog brand manager Nicole Balderas.

“Hoodlum did a great job conveying what it means to be mighty, and being mighty is a tall order,” Balderas said in an e-mail. “A Mighty Dog is unique. Brave, bold, heroic and independent — a dog with a lot of heart.”

Anderson thinks so, too. The ad was photographed in front of a green screen with cardboard boxes simulating the tree. Hoodlum’s job was to look up and act as if he were ready to leap up in the tree.

“I think it’s really cute,” Anderson said. “It was a great idea. All you see is a little tiny dog and a great big tree.”

Brown spots were painted on Hoodlum’s white back and tail to match the dog that is featured in the television ads of the same campaign.
“I guess if I didn’t know he was mine I wouldn’t recognize him,” Anderson said. “He’s in makeup, and he’s tiny.”
Hoodlum has been studying acting at the Bon-Clyde Learning Center in Sanford, where Anderson works as a full-time trainer. This was the 17-month-old’s first gig as a professional actor.

“He’s an awesome little dog,” Anderson said. “He’s smart as a whip. He’s sweet as he can be.”
Hoodlum is a fun-loving outgoing dog who isn’t afraid of strangers. He greets visitors with his tail wagging and his little pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“When I originally named him Hoodlum, he was pretty laid back,” she said. “I do believe dogs fulfill their names. I wanted him to be a little spitfire, and he is now.”
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