Beech Tree News Network

I would really like to see the movies in the John Wick franchise, but I can’t.  His dog is killed in the first movie, and I don’t watch movies in which dogs die.  I’ve told you before that I’m probably the only American who has never watched “Old Yeller.”  I watched “Where the Red Fern Grows” on the recommendation from a cousin.  This was in the days before you could Google “Do any dogs die in the movie ‘Where the Red Fern Grows’?”  FYI, two dogs die in that movie.  I have not forgiven that cousin and probably never will.

I can trace this aversion to movies in which dogs die back to a movie called “Lassie Come Home,” in which a little dog, Toots, was killed by two thieves.  At the time, I was five years old.  It took me days to get over that.  I know that the dogs in movies are just trained to play dead, and they don’t really die, but you know how they say in order to be fully invested in a movie, you have to suspend disbelief.  When I watch a movie, I become totally immersed.

I don’t know who trained the little dog, Toots, but the dogs that played Lassie were trained by two members of the Weatherwax family: Rudd Weatherwax, original owner and trainer of Lassie, and his son, Bob Weatherwax.  Rudd trained the original Lassie—real name “Pal,” as well as the subsequent collies that took on that role, including Lassie Jr., Spook, Baby, Mire, and Hey Hey.  With names like those, it’s a good thing they could act.  Pal died at the age of 18, and was buried on Rudd’s ranch (Wikipedia.org).

Bob Weatherwax, the son, trained the dogs that played Lassie for the CBS Lassie series that aired from 1954 to 1974.  Bob also trained Toto from the “Wizard of Oz,” as well as “Old Yeller,” from the afore-mentioned movie that I have never and will never watch.  Bob died in August of this year, but you can still view his video, “The Lassie Dog Training System,” on YouTube.

Teresa Ann Miller is one of the top dog trainers today.  She trained dogs for the movie, “The Art of Racing in the Rain.”  She also trained cats for the movie, “Cat’s Eye”—wish that training video was online, if you have a cat you know—and pigs for the movie, “Babe.”  “You’ve got a huge advantage with a dog,” Miller says, “because he does want to do something for you.  He wants to be good.  He wants to be part of your life” (Businessinsider.com).

I could never be a dog trainer.  I’m just not a disciplinarian.  I had the same problem with being a mom.  I’ve always felt like life is hard enough without having someone around who’s trying to bend you to their will.  Garey fusses at me when I feed his sister’s dog the last bite of my sandwich, and he thinks I give my cats too many Greenies.  He’s right on both counts, but I don’t see me changing my ways any time soon.  Besides, if you have to pass through any kind of dog or cat heaven before you get to your own heavenly residence, I will be treated like royalty.