TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Joel Stratte-McClure

DOG DAYS OF WINTER: Two Alaskan husky sled dogs got more attention on the red carpet at the ``Eight Below'' premiere at the El Capitan on Sunday than actors Jason Biggs, Paul Walker, Bruce Greenwood and Moon Bloodgood. The impressive performances by DJ (who plays Max) and Coba Bear (Maya) in the film, which opens today (see review on Page 8), started a rush on the plush stuffed huskies sold at the adjacent Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store.

``I want to find a way to invest in huskies,'' Biggs joked at the after party in the Hollywood & Highland complex, where sculptors were carving huskies out of ice and kids were playing games in the Husky Arcade. ``The rise in the stock price for a real husky is going to resemble Google. Huskies are definitely the new Dalmatians.'' Although Bloodgood stayed close to apparent boyfriend Eric Balfour, Walker stood patiently in line with his daughter Meadow and other 7-year-old girls to get ``authentic'' husky dog tags. Then they dined on snowball cupcakes before painting huskies by the numbers.

``This is a true, inspiring, uplifting and tear-jerking story about a team of eight dogs in Antarctica and the bond they have with their sled-dog driver,'' said director Frank Marshall, who called the film ``a throwback to movies featuring Lassie, Rin Tin Tin and Old Yeller. But huskies are bred to be high-energy working dogs in the cold and don't do well in the backyard. Jason should invest in the dolls, not the dogs.'' Disney and the El Cap are definitely putting their money on canine celluloid. ``Eight Below'' follows ``Lady and the Tramp'' and precedes ``The Shaggy Dog'' in the theater. ``The movies have definitely gone to the dogs this year,'' said Marshall.

MALE BONDING: Who got the most credit at the 2006 Fun Fearless Male Awards hosted by Cosmopolitan magazine in Hollywood on Monday night?

Patrick Dempsey and author-comedian Greg Behrendt both thanked their wives for making them fun and fearless, while director Brett Ratner gave the nod to his grandma and grandpa. But it was the newly single guy who's been having the most fearless fun lately that really cracked up the predominantly male crowd at Day After when he stepped up to the podium.

``I really need to talk to Greg Behrendt about his new book, 'It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken'!'' joked Nick Lachey, as he accepted his crystal plaque. ``I think I need a copy.''

Meanwhile Lachey's giant pal, USC quarterback Matt Leinart, actually blushed when he received his award and ``Access Hollywood's'' Shaun Robinson let everyone know that ``he doesn't have a date for Valentine's Day.''

But neither Lachey nor Leinart is going to get much action if they stick with their Monday night M.O. They hung tight with a group of guys and were protected by a huge bodyguard to avoid being assaulted by fearless women like Haylie Duff, Kristin Cavalleri and Alyssa Milano.

Milano finally managed to reach Lachey and give him a demure buss after the awards were handed out. But most of the other ``Fun Fearless Males'' - including Dempsey, Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, ``Survivor'' hottie Jeff Probst and Jesse Metcalf - bolted immediately after the ceremony. The Dempseys went on to party with the cast of ``Grey's Anatomy'' at the Geisha House to celebrate the release of the first season's DVD. But the other guys just looked too scared to hang around with Cosmo girls.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) WALKER and DJ: In this case, fur is a-OK on the red carpet.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

(2) RATNER and LACHEY: Just between us guys.

(3) DEMPSEY: When a man loves a woman.

Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com