[CorkyMax]

Dogs on television or in the movies can play heartwarming scenes that bring you to tears, perform tricks that make you laugh, or just act so human they amaze you. Training brought them to that point, and a dog
trainer had to be on the lookout for a lovable canine with star potential. Some trainers seek dogs from animal shelters and have been known to accept troublesome pooches for which the trainer thinks training can not only eliminate their troublesome nature, but could also give the dog the talents needed to score a TV or movie role.

Lassie

Who'd have thought that Lassie, who has to be the most people-helping dog in the world, would have had a disciplinary problem?! Lassie, known as Pal off screen, had a passion for chasing cars. The Weatherwax dog trainers took in Pal to break him of car chasing and took the relationship even further as they trained him to be an animal actor. They saw strong acting potential in Pal and took Pal to audition for the part of Lassie. That shaggy haired collie looked so intelligent you'd think he was human.

American Humane started the Animal Actors Hall of Fame in 1973 and its first inductee was Pal/Lassie. Pal was born in 1940 and passed-on in 1958. All the Lassie dogs we have seen in the movies and on TV have been descendents of Pal, the first Lassie. Even though the name "Lassie" is technically a female name, all the dogs that have played Lassie over the years have been male.

Benji

Benji was a mixed breed (poodle, schnauzer, cocker spaniel), rescued from an animal shelter by trainer Frank Inn. Born in 1963, the mutt's real-life name was Higgins. Frank Inn claimed that Higgins was the smartest dog
that he ever trained. Higgins played the role of Dog in the 1960s TV series called Petticoat Junction where he displayed his prowess at climbing a ladder. In 1974, Higgins took on the role of Benji. Benji was an ingenious dog, capable of displaying a full spectrum of human emotions. Willing to learn, Benji actually memorized long treks, like the scene where he was climbing boxes and crates to get to his hideout. What was most memorable about Benji is that we as viewers did not see him shy away from a scene, nor did we see him looking off set for directions from the trainer.

That playful pup created awareness for animal shelter dogs. After the first Benji movie hit the big screen and it was learned that Benji came from an animal shelter, the American Humane Association reported that more than 1,000,000 dogs across the country were adopted from animal shelters. Higgins was recognized for his acting talents, becoming the second animal inducted into the Animal Actors Hall of Fame. Higgins died in 1975

Old Yeller

The movie, Old Yeller, is a story of a stray dog that enters the lives of a small Texas family in the 1860s. Yeller cares for the family, repeatedly saving their lives until a fateful moment turns things upside-down, leading to a sad ending. The dog selected to play the role of Yeller was Spike, a dog that trainer Frank Weatherwax rescued from an animal shelter when Spike was just a puppy. Frank Weatherwax had no information about Spike's heritage and concluded that Spike was a Lab/Mastiff mix. Old Yeller in the book was actually a Black Mouth Cur, a breed reaching a maximum of 95 pounds. Spike weighed 170 pounds.

Eddie

Eddie was the cute little Jack Russell terrier who acted as the sidekick to Martin Crane, the TV father to Frazier. Off screen, the feisty terrier's name was Moose. Moose had a talent of climbing trees and was an expert at digging holes. Like being sent off to military school, Moose was taken in by Mathilde de Cagny of Birds & Animals Unlimited, a Los Angeles business that trains dog to do more than walk on a leash. They recognized a future actor in Moose and got him the gig on the Frazier show. Moose showed his antics through eight seasons Frazie. Born in 1990, Eddie/Moose moved on to that great fire plug in the sky in 2006

[Todd]

Here are some to add 2 the list...

"Beauregard the Wonder Dog", appeared regularly though unspectacularly on Hee Haw.

Beejay, a German Shepherd, was the first Rex on Inspector Rex.
Bernadette portrayed the Basset Hound "Cleo" in the 1950s TV series The
People's Choice [12]

Buddy, a Golden Retriever, who played Comet on the TV show Full House.
"Bullet the Wonder Dog", a black and silver German Shepherd Dog that appeared regularly on the TV show The Roy Rogers Show.

Happy, furry white dog playing Happy on the TV show 7th Heaven.
London portrayed Hobo in The Littlest Hobo series. The character originated in an earlier film.

Zeltim Odie Peterson, aka Odie the Talking Pug - a pug that said "I Love You" on various talk shows.

Maui, a border collie mix, played Murray on the TV show Mad About You.

Molly, a Bichon Frise, who played alongside Bruce Gyngell in the Australian mini-series Meweth.

Moose and his son Enzo, played Eddie on the TV show Frasier.

Petra, a mixed breed, was the first Blue Peter dog (The 'original' Petra died after making one appearance and was replaced by a look-alike, this was
kept secret until many years after the substitute's death).

Pussy Galore played Truffles, Mildred's terrier, in the British sitcom George & Mildred.

Shep, a Border Collie, was featured on the Blue Peter television series.

Soccer, a Jack Russell Terrier, starred in the PBS show Wishbone.

Tiger, appeared in The Brady Bunch and played a dog named Blood in the movie A Boy and His Dog.

Madison, a Labrador Retriever, best known for playing the role of Vincent on the television series Lost.

Buck, a Briard, played the role of Buck Bundy on the TV show Married... with Children.

Prada, Breezy and Windy, who portrayed Captain Archer's dog Porthos on

Star Trek: Enterprise.

Kyte, a Belgian Tervuren famous for playing Wellard in EastEnders.
Rin Tin Tin IV, a German shepherd, played the role of Rin Tin Tin, AKA "Rinty" on the TV show The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.

Sugar Pie, the dog of model Anna Nicole Smith, starred on the TV series Anna Nicole Show on E!

How about Buddy from Air Bud! (They did like 5 or so of these lol. Here's the trailer for the firsy 1. I remember seeing this...

YouTube- Air Bud trailer

[CorkyMax]

Were they all from shelters, Todd ? Or just famous dogs?

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Corky/Max

Were they all from shelters, Todd ? Or just famous dogs?

Not sure if they were all from shelters or not. Probably not. Just famous dogs that have appeared in movies and television programs.