Life on the Leash

The first time I met Mabel the Miniature Schnauzer puppy I had no reason to doubt that she was anything other than a Miniature Schnauzer. She was a just a wee bebe, all of 9 weeks old:

I started working with Mabel just as I was casting an Animal Planet special (details to follow) that called for small pups under 16-weeks of age, and Mabel made the cut to be on the show.  How could she not?  Talk about star quality:

I worked with Mabel and her people every Saturday in the weeks leading up to the taping, and each time I showed up it was as if she’d increased in size by two. The size requirements for the show were fairly rigid (the smaller the better), and I began to worry that Mabel’s growth might put her at risk to be cut from the cast.

Thankfully, her growth spurt slowed a tad, and she was still invited to be a part of the show. On the day of the taping the American Humane Rep on set (“No animals were harmed in the making of this program”) spotted Mabel and whispered, “That’s no Miniature Schnauzer!”

“You think so too?! I swear that’s what she’s supposed to be!”

We went back and forth about her size relative to her young age and shrugged our shoulders.

Either Mabel had the world’s largest miniature parents, or someone messed up her paperwork!