Pure Breeds: The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Hilarious First Episode of Graydon Sheppard’s Brand New Pet Project

From writer and filmmaker Graydon Sheppard comes the surreal new series, Pure Breeds, celebrating the most refined of pedigree pets. Commissioned exclusively for NOWNESS, we get better acquainted with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, well known for its silky coat, loyalty and affectionate demeanor. Heed the following warning: the above video contains wet noses, dreamy eyes, wagging tails and gently rippling fur. The viewer may witness scenes of panting, barking and frolicking. Sheppard's YouTube hit, Shit Girls Say, whose first episode featured a brilliant cameo from Juliette Lewis, has seen in excess of 30 million views. “I hadn’t really done much comedy before, and I love dressing up, so it was a perfect opportunity,” says Sheppard about the viral phenomena that started as a Twitter feed. We met him to discuss the pleasures of working with such distinguished house pets.

Can you tell us a little about why you wanted to look at purebreds?
Graydon Sheppard: I’m a dog nut. It used to be so bad that when I saw a cute dog on the street and got to pet it, I would cry. Purebred dogs and cats are odd in that they’re ‘luxury animals,’ so they’re gorgeous and have interesting histories, but they’re also just animals that like to play and that I like to pet. They’re usually presented as either snooty Westminster dog show prize-winners, or disease-riddled, inbred sad-sacks, and I wanted to find that place in the middle without ignoring those elements.

Pure Breeds shows a love of household pets. Have you ever been a pet owner?
GS: It’s definitely a love. I had a dog named Molson, like the beer, 'cause I was a classy 13-year-old. He was a Humane Society mutt, we think a Bouvier-Shepherd cross, and he was so cute and docile and sweet when we went to meet him for the first time. But once we adopted him he turned into a total mental patient. He would literally scream like a human at the top of his lungs when we drove with him to obedience classes. I loved him so much. Bad dogs are cool.

How did the talent behave on set? Were they cooperative?  Did they make unfair demands?GS: On the shoot day their little personalities shone through. Mylee was definitely the star, so the script changed because of her. When one dog would leave its position and run away, she would just jump into frame and sit exactly where the other dog was supposed to have been.

The animal whose personality most closely reflects your own is a..?
GS: Persian cat.

And why is that?
GS: We’re both lazy assholes, I’m just slightly better at hiding it.

Which of the “Shit [insert noun] Say” spin-offs was your favorite?
GS: “Shit Sri Lankan Mothers Say.”