GIG HARBOR, Wash. — Like a gentle wave, fame came calling across Henderson Bay to shine a spotlight on the youngest member of Gig Harbor's Tollefson family, a Westy named Stewart, AKA Stewie, AKA Stew, AKA Mr. Bud Bud, AKA Stewie Woowie.
“Yeah, the list of nicknames can really go on,“ laughed Annie Tollefson, who sent a photo of Stewart to HGTV producers seeking a dog like the one on bags of Cesar dog food.
In an instant, 12-year-old Stewart went from amateur sniffer of all things and stair climber extraordinaire to professional dog star of his own TV commercial.
Not bad for an old dog who's not big on new tricks.
“Stewart doesn't even know how to sit,” said Tollefson. “The one trick he knows how to do is dance, so he is very proud of that.”
That trick came in handy for the commercial which promotes both Cesar dog food and the HGTV Dream Home, which sits right across the bay from the Tollefson home.
The ad took eight hours to shoot.
“He slept through a bunch of it though,” laughed Tollefson.
Has Stewart become unbearable now that he's a star?
“It has really gone to his head," said Tollefson. "He eats more, sleeps more, demands more treats, but I think he's always been very, very, very well loved."
Stewart also appeared in some print ads, but that’s it. Mr. Bud Bud says he is done.
“We decided that he's going to be a one-hit wonder,” said Tollefson.
After all being famous is a full-time job, and it can be absolutely exhausting.
