Making a film in which most of the action involves animals is noted for being extremely difficult. Making a movie in which several animals have leading roles and dozens more play bit parts is downright daunting. Still, carried along by their enthusiasm for a brilliant script — in which the animals seem to have all the best lines — the filmmakers decided to take the plunge. They did not take it blindly, however. They sought the best help they could find.
Boone Narr has been training animals for film work for more than 20 years. Most of the trainers he hired for "Cats & Dogs" can make similar claims. Those combined years of experience meant the filmmakers could count on getting the best possible performances from their animal actors.
"I couldn't believe how disciplined and well-trained the animals were," recalls producer Lazar. "There seemed to be no limits to their ability. In fact, three weeks into the shoot I fired my assistant and replaced him with one of Boone's Mastiffs."
Even for trainers with vast experience there is no fast, easy way to get an animal to perform. It takes time and a great deal of patience. In the case of "Cats & Dogs," it took a full year to find and train this engaging cast. Serious training began in January 2000 for a film that was slated to start shooting in July. Every bit of that time was needed.
Two trainers cared for and trained the five dogs (two of whom carried most of the role) playing Lou. They worked eight hours a day, six days a week, for six months, a grand total of more than 2,000 hours, to get Lou ready for his starring role. Anyone who ever tried teaching his or her own pet to stay can understand the need for that schedule. Of course, Lou did not just have to stay. He had to stay, speak, look forward, look away (turn from the trainer), look left or right, sit down, stand up, back up, chase his tail, walk side by side with other dogs, lick faces when asked, play on command, and work with cats. Each of the animals had to master a similar list of behaviors. They did not just get obedience school diplomas -- they emerged with the animal equivalent of a Ph.D.
The uninitiated might think animal stars endure terrible lives, rather lile child actors of the 1930s, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Actual training sessions are brief because animals, even exceptionally intelligent ones, have a limited attention span. A great deal of each trainer's working day was spent grooming, planning, devising teaching aids, holding exercise and play sessions and physically caring for the animals. They cleaned and refilled water and food dishes while their pampered charges caught a refreshing nap.
"Noah has this all figured out now," says lead trainer Mark Harden of one of the star canines. "If he's not needed yet, he'll just lie down somewhere on the set and go to sleep, even with 60 or 70 people working all around him."
For the dogs playing Lou, fun was part of their daily routine. Because the character Lou is a puppy, trainer Ursula Brauner made sure the two-year-old pocket Beagles got plenty of play time along with their more serious training. "I wanted to be sure they kept a puppy attitude," Brauner explains, "so we played with them every day." The approach worked. Although the Lou dogs performed their roles like pros, they usually came to the set carrying a favorite toy.
Movie Database
In Theaters
