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Local pooch becomes TV star Photo by Bob Pennell Look, Ma! I'm on Candid Camera! Jamie, a mostly Australian cattle dog, waits for his turn in front of the camera as a crew from the Animal Planet television channel films Dogs for the Deaf in Central Point Thursday. Cameraman Scott Nelson and producer Cyndi Haas are filming a segment for a series called "Pet Story," which examines different relationships between people and their pets. Dog's star quality comes through 'Animal Planet' features local nonprofit By PAUL FATTIG CENTRAL POINT -- Jamie put her paws on trainer Lori Ramey's knees, pushed her soft muzzle against her cheek and looked up with her dark brown eyes. "Can you zoom in a little bit? Get the hugging and loving," television producer Cyndi Haas whispered to the cameraman filming Thursday at Dogs for the Deaf, the nonprofit facility outside of Central Point. Lights. Camera. Action. Jamie, the largely Australian cattle dog who only last year was doing time in the Jackson County Animal Shelter, was about to become a star on Animal Planet, a channel watched by some 40 million people worldwide. Jamie will be part of a series called "Pet Story," which will begin showing at the end of July, Haas said. "The series is about the different relationships people have with their pets," said the Philadelphia resident. "We're looking for a lot of different stories about a lot of different people with a lot of different kinds of relationships." Haas, whose crew was contracted by Animal Planet to make the show, was impressed by Jamie. "She's awesome," Haas said. "She's definitely going to make someone very, very happy." The production crew will film Jamie next week at her new home with the Gary Spears family in Sultan, Wash., a small town just northeast of Seattle. Ramey, director of training at Dogs for the Deaf, is taking Jamie to Sultan today. A photographer who works in a photography lab, Spears, who is deaf, is married and has a 5-year-old daughter. Jamie is a certified hearing dog, meaning that she is legally certified to work at home as well as out in public, including going to work with Spears. The facility also trains "home" hearing and "novice" hearing dogs. The former is for the home while the novice only responds to limited sounds. "Jamie will be going to work with Gary and alert him when there are patrons at his business," Ramey said. "At home, she will alert him when someone is at the door, to the oven timer, to the alarm clock, to the smoke alarm and to his wife and daughter calling his name." Ramey will spend the next five days with the family, helping them to bond with Jamie. Jamie, who weighs 42 pounds, is about 14 months old. Ramey picked her up at the Jackson County Animal Shelter 5 1/2 months ago. The dog caught her eye, said Ramey, who has worked as a trainer at the facility for 10 years. "She was in the size and age range we were looking for," Ramey said. "She was very gregarious, very anxious for my attention and willing to do just about anything I put her through. "She wasn't afraid of me," she added. "She wasn't afraid of noises. She had confidence. That's what we're looking for: confidence, stability, eagerness to please, friendliness." In addition to working in various settings, each dog spends time training in one of four apartments at the facility. "In the apartments, the trainer teaches the dog how to respond to sounds in a real home-like environment," explained Robin Dickson, the facility's executive officer. "They are trained with squeaky toys and tennis balls." Average cost of training each dog is from $10,000 to $12,000, Dickson estimated. The dogs are given to the recipients at no charge. "We also do follow-up visits," she said. "We're there for the life of that team to help them with whatever they need to be successful." Each person who receives a dog through the facility is carefully screened, Ramey said. Dogs for the Deaf has volunteers throughout North America who help screen potential recipients. "Being a non-profit organization, we want to service the people whose need is the greatest," she said. "We also want to make sure they are aware of the work involved. If they think they are going to get an automatic dog who is going to do everything, then they are in for a surprise." It takes work by the recipient to help the dog understand what it needs to do in each case, she said. The toughest part of the training is the parting, Ramey said. "Saying goodbye to the dog is the hardest part," she said. "But I have to stay focused on the big picture: that there is someone out there who needs her." (Dogs for the Deaf, a non-profit facility founded by Roy Kabat in 1977, places about 40 hearing dogs annually. For more information on the program, which is funded by donations, check out www.dogsforthedeaf.org ) Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA