Bill Berloni knows dogs.

The trainer of pooches — and a wide assortment of animals for Broadway, film and TV — got his start when he was instructed to go to the pound to find a dog that could play Sandy, the faithful companion to the title character in the musical Annie, which was making its world premiere at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam in 1976.

That set the Haddam resident on his career path training animals for shows. He received a special Tony Award for his work and, on May 19, will be honored with an award from New York’s Drama League. More locally, he and his four-legged friends will be part of Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Playing with Dogs concert at The Bushnell in Hartford May 20.

Berloni is also an advocate of rescue dogs and for steering folks to animal shelters when they’re thinking about getting a pet.

But for many, such a visit can be intimidating, confusing or even wrong-headed.

So we asked Berloni what tips he could share to help guide people in making the right choice for them.

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