Rochester, Minnesota, dogs hit the bullseye in recent Target ads

ROCHESTER — Millions of people see Target ads every day but only a few know that some of the furry friends in them call Minnesota their home.

Alice Howe and Teri Nelson of Rochester have been training and raising dogs for decades. Howe and Nelson have five dogs in total, but three of them have been working professionally for a few years. They take pride in having well-behaved, intelligent dogs and their dogs have some pretty amazing achievements under them.

They had connected with Barbara O’Brien, a photographer and animal wrangler on Facebook. Their border collies were from the same litter and that is how they got to know her. After a few years, O’Brien asked Howe and Nelson if their dog Rainee would be interested in modeling for a few ads and the rest is history.

“Target hires these people to be a scout so to say,” Howe said. “So she finds the talent. She works for quite a few people and they’ll notify her. They’ll say this is what we’re looking for and she will give them suggestions on what dogs to use because they will do it probably two or three times a year.”

Despite having five dogs in total, only three of them model. Rainee is their second oldest dog. She is a 7-year-old poodle and is the best-behaved out of the three. Eddie and Sunny are both Biewer Terriers. Eddie is 3 with a bright smile and big personality. Sunny is only a year and a half but is learning quickly from his siblings. He was adopted from a breeder in Ukraine.

The three have frequently been seen in ads for Target and Kohls, but Eddie has also dabbled in commercials. They especially love Eddie for his big expressions on camera.

“Eddie should probably get an agent,” Howe said. “He’s been doing videos now, too. He did one for Xcel Energy, which was a hoot and holler.”

For that shoot, Eddie had to lay next to a dog he’s never met before and be picked up quickly by a model he’s never met. It was a 14-hour shoot and Eddie was a champ.

“Barbara is very protective of her young talent dogs,” Howe said. “Shorter shoots and if she sees any stress, she stops. She’s just so good because she wants these dogs to be loving it so they can use them for a long time.”

Maya Giron / Post Bulletin

The most important part for Howe and Nelson is that the dogs enjoy it. Currently, they mainly do their work around the Twin Cities but they have gone as far as Milwaukee. The dogs are well taken care of and get lots of attention and treats throughout the day.

“Eddie, I don’t know how he knows but last week when we went up to one of the Target photoshoot places, he started whining and barking when we started turning a corner in St. Paul,” Howe said. “He can hardly wait to get in there.”

Modeling and photoshoots are not for every pet, but O’Brien makes sure the dogs are comfortable and well taken care of. The shoots can be long days with intense sounds and instructions. It’s important for a dog to be well trained and coachable.

For Howe and Nelson, it was important to teach their dogs to ignore other dogs. They don’t play with other dogs because they never know how another dog will react. They try to emphasize the importance of training dogs throughout the entirety of a dog’s life and not just the first couple months.

“People think they get a puppy and they train it for three months, but that’s like going to school and only learning for one year,” Nelson said. “We learned it throughout. We learned it each year. Our dogs need to be trained on a consistent basis.”

In addition to modeling, Howe and Nelson’s dogs compete in agility competitions. They teach classes at Rochester Pet and Feed and their dogs have even competed internationally. They were in Finland a couple of years ago for the Juniors World Championships.

Maya Giron / Post Bulletin

Maya Giron / Post Bulletin

Maya Giron / Post Bulletin

Maya Giron / Post Bulletin

Maya Giron / Post Bulletin

Sara Guymon is a Post Bulletin business reporter. Guymon grew up in New Ulm, Minnesota. She graduated from New Ulm Public High School and went on to attend college at the University of Minnesota Duluth. While at UMD, Guymon pursued a major in journalism and a double minor in photography and international studies. Prior to coming to the Post Bulletin, she worked as a staff writer for the Brainerd Dispatch. There she covered the City of Baxter and business.