a handwritten logo for a company called 4 legs a tail .

A Moment With Lassie

4 Legs & A Tail • May 27, 2014
a brown and white dog is walking down a dirt road

A Moment with a 4 Legs & a Tail Celebrity



Every year Hollywood rolls out the red carpet to honor their best.  It was 70 years ago when Lassie Comes Home was nominated for an Oscar, and though the iconic picture didn’t win the award for Best Cinematography in 1944, she did win hearts for generations to come.  4 Legs & a Tail recently caught up with the film and TV star.

 

Lassie – Let’s stop right there.  Nice intro, but I’m not a “she”.  (The fact is, every Lassie has been a male.)

4LT – That’s interesting since I recall many references to you being a girl.  Did that bother you?

Lassie- It was fine on the set, but brutal at the kennel.  You know how sensitive teenage dogs can be.  Right!  Actually, the original Lassie was a female, but she freaked out during an action scene.  I was the trainer, Rudd Weatherwax’s, collie and he gave me the stunt and I kept the role.  Subsequently, males were used because our coats stay thicker in the summer.

4LT – For those unfamiliar with the movie, a couple falls on hard times, and are might to sell their collie to some rich guy, and the couple’s kid is heartbroken.  The rich guy takes Lassie away where his grand-daughter senses Lassies unhappiness and arranges her/his escape.  Along the way, you face many perils from violent storms to dog catchers, but you also meet some wonderful folks, until you are finally reunited with your family.  Is that pretty much the story?

Lassie- You got it! The role of the grand-daughter was played by a young Elizabeth Taylor who only made 100 bucks a week while I was pulling down $250.

4LT- Was there any animosity due to the income disparity?

Lassie- She was always cool with it.  She said I made her a star, which could be true since the part was originally played by Maria Flynn.

4LT- Who?

Lassie- Exactly!

4LT- There were seven sequels to the movie.  What made you leave the silver screen?

Lassie- It wasn’t my decision.  MGM felt they had squeezed all they could and sold the rights. Big mistake!  I went on for another 19 years with 17 of them on CBS.

4LT- I thinks everyone remembers Lassie from TV.

Lassie- Here’s a good one the next time you’re playing trivia.  Who was the original mom in the Lassie TV series?

4LT – June Lockhart.  I win!

Lassie- Loser!  It was actually Cloris Leachman.  She left the show after a couple of years.  Some say she didn’t like playing second fiddle to a dog. Other accounts said she dissed Campbell Soup, one of our major sponsors at the time.  Either way, June was much nicer.  I think Leachman was a cat person.

4LT- They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.  Lassie Come Home hit the big screen more than 70 years ago which makes you at least 490 in dog years.  What new tricks do you still have in you?

Lassie- When I was a pup, my biggest vise was chasing motorcycles. These days, I’m too old to run down a Harley, but I wouldn’t mind cruising the interstate on the back of a V-Twin.

 

The post A Moment With Lassie appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail .

 

two dogs are playing with a stick in the snow

Surviving Winter

By Aileen Whitty • December 9, 2020
8 Tips from a professional dog walker to help make Winter in New England your and fido's new favorite time of year!
a black and white skunk is crawling out of a hole in the ground .

Help! My Dog’s Been Skunked!!

June 5, 2015
Dogs can be very curious. This sometimes can get them into a stink of trouble. If your dog encounters a skunk, it is likely to get sprayed, if it insists on checking out this newly found creature. When a skunk is startled it will make a peculiar purring sound, sometimes growling. Before emitting its sulphuric […] The post Help! My Dog’s Been Skunked!! appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a close up of a brown and white dog looking at the camera .

Shiloh, the Pupillon/Chihuahuu

By 4 Legs & A Tail • June 5, 2015
The post Shiloh, the Pupillon/Chihuahuu appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a black and brown dachshund is laying on the ground and looking at the camera .

A Small World

By 4 Legs & A Tail • June 5, 2015
By, Tim Hoehn A few days prior to Paws for a Caws Adopt-a-Thon in Barre, we found out that my elderly mother-in-law is in stage 4 with cancer. After her husband of 50+ passed away a couple of years ago, she was very lonely and decided to get a dog (which we encouraged.) However, we […] The post A Small World appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a small dog is wrapped in a red blanket .

Thunder, Fireworks and Other Scary Stuff

By 4 Legs & A Tail • June 5, 2015
We are once again heading into fireworks and thunderstorm season and every day it seems I am asked what can be done about Muffy fears of loud noises: “My dog hides in a closet during storms.” “My dog tears up the house whenever there are fireworks.” “My dog sits in a corner, pees on the […] The post Thunder, Fireworks and Other Scary Stuff appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a porcupine is eating grass on the side of a road .

The Prickly Porcupine

By 4 Legs & A Tail • June 5, 2015
Jenn Grenier, Burlington Emergency Veterinary Specialists- Williston, VT It was a beautiful, summer day and I was out walking with my dog Shadow, soaking in as much Vitamin D as possible. All of a sudden, she came out of the bushes foaming at the mouth and franticly pawing at her face. She had what looked […] The post The Prickly Porcupine appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a close up of a tick on a yellow flower .

What’s Bugging Our Animals?!

By 4 Legs & A Tail • June 5, 2015
M. Kathleen Shaw, DVM – Vermont Veterinary Medical Association During the hot summer months, both large and small animals can suffer unwanted attention from biting flies and mosquitoes. These flies are not only the typical “house flies” we see, but species such as black flies, deer flies, and horse flies. In many cases, the mosquitoes and flies prefer […] The post What’s Bugging Our Animals?! appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a close up of a horse 's face in a stable

Healing Touch

By 4 Legs & A Tail • February 16, 2015
From Tears to Trauma Release – by Karen McCloud, HTAP, HTP My childhood dream was to become a Veterinarian, but in the early seventies I was told by my high school advisor, “it is a man’s business!” Being a shy girl at the time…I opted for an Equine Science degree, and followed my passion for horses […] The post Healing Touch appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a squirrel is sitting on a tree branch looking at the camera .

Keeping Your Pets Healthy This Spring

By 4 Legs & A Tail • February 16, 2015
Spring is here and with the warmer temperatures we also start to see many dogs that either are vomiting, have diarrhea or both. A few years ago I think I figured out why we seem to see this epidemic of GI problems in the spring. My theory is that all the birds, mice, chipmunks and […] The post Keeping Your Pets Healthy This Spring appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
a brown dog is laying in the dirt behind a chain link fence .

Miranda Lambert’s Foundation Awards NH Animal Rescue

By 4 Legs & A Tail • February 16, 2015
Bedford, NH (February 6, 2015) – 50 States/50 Shelters. That’s what the MuttNation Foundation’s initiative boasts, supporting one shelter in every state. “What a wonderful surprise to open the mail and find a grant check from Miranda Lambert’s foundation!” recalled Paula Mattis, the Animal Rescue League of NH’s President & CEO. Grammy-winning country singer/songwriter Miranda […] The post Miranda Lambert’s Foundation Awards NH Animal Rescue appeared first on 4 Legs & A Tail.
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