Rudd Weatherwax

September 23, 1907-February 25, 1985

The first screen Lassie almost never was.

When the screenplay for the highly successful book "Lassie Come Home", by Eric Knight, was ready, young Rudd Weatherwax took Pal for an audition but was turned down. You see, Pal was not a show collie. Pal had belonged to someone else and had brought him to Rudd to be trained. Among his bad habits was chasing motorcycles. Rudd cured Pal of all his behavior problems except the motorcycles and Pal's owner had no use for him and could not pay the $10 fee and asked Rudd to take him. Rudd placed Pal in a foster home, with the understanding he could get him back if he needed him for a movie.

Rudd was no stranger to animal training, having worked in partnership with his brother Frank in the industry for many years. They trained Astra and other famous acts. He knew Pal was Lassie but the studio had other ideas and wanted a show collie instead. Rudd went back home invigorated and began to work heavily with Pal, feeding him a special diet to bring out his coat and teaching him all of the trademark Lassie "tricks". Again Rudd went back to the studio and was turned down, but they agreed to use Pal as a stunt dog.

During filming, the script called for the collie to swim across a raging river, come out on the other side looking exhausted and near death. The show collie wouldn't go near the water. Here was Pal's chance! On cue from Rudd, Pal jumped into the raging river, swam desperately to the other side and dragged himself up on the shore, collapsing and lying still as if dead. Pal's performance was truly emotional.

With that, the director said, "Pal may have gone into the water, but it was Lassie that came out!". The show dog was replaced by Pal and Pal went on to be the first of a long line of genetic dogs bred and trained to be Lassie's.

Rudd Weatherwax continued as Lassie's owner and trainer until his death in 1985.  The first Lassie venture without Rudd was "The New Lassie" in 1989, where his son Robert Sr trained Lassie and was assisted by Rudd's grandson Robert Jr, and later by Carol Riggins

Carol Riggins, who began her work with Lassie under Rudd's guidance, carries on the tradition of Lassie, the line dogs, continues to protect the Lassie image and amaze us all with Lassie's overwhelming performances.