The Untold Truth Of These Celebrity Movie Dogs

We don't deserve dogs. Our canine companions are simply too good for us horrible human beings, blessing us daily with their unconditional love and unflinching support, even in our worst moments.

Occasionally, they bless us with their presence on the silver screen too, stealing scenes from their less exciting (and, let's face it, less adorable) human colleagues with a simple waggle of their tails or flutter of their big eyes. 

Hollywood can be a dark place and, according to the old adage, one should never work with children or animals. Does this really ring true, though? Are movie dogs complete divas on set? Does newfound fame send them down a shame-spiral of depression and hard doggie drugs just like their child star counterparts? Or do they retreat from the spotlight, eager to live a normal life once the initial rush of exposure has passed? Let's find out.

Edgar Wright's ode to buddy cop movies is notable for many things, among them another couple of genius performances from longtime collaborators and real-life best friends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Police dog Saxon is first introduced to the proceedings during Angel's (Pegg's character) initial tour of his new police precinct. He later pops up to steal scenes during several jaunts around town, usually accompanied by the gruff PC Bob Walker. Although Saxon looks like a tough-as-nails doggie officer (introduced with a big bark for the new sergeant no less), the reality is very different.

According to the BBC, Samson, the German Shepherd who played Saxon in Hot Fuzz, was actually prevented from becoming a real-life police dog for being too friendly. The BBC notes he was rejected by Avon and Somerset Police back in 2005 for "not having enough natural aggression." 

Thankfully, Samson was snatched up soon afterwards to appear in the movie. As for the flick changing his easygoing disposition, BBC was assured by representative Ann Masling, from dog charity GSD2000, that Samson was really enjoying his newfound fame and even regularly attended media appearances with her. Hopefully he hasn't continued to greet every new person he meets with a bark of (dis)approval. 

Mike Mills' critically celebrated and hugely personal 2010 movie Beginners, which is based off his own relationship with his father, who came out in his seventies, regularly features on "Best Of" lists of go-to LGBTQ movies. Most recently, ScreenCrush rated it one of the best of the past 25 years. Dog star Arthur (portrayed by Cosmo) is so integral to the plot, he even features prominently on the film's poster.

In order to capture that realistic pet-owner relationship, trainer Mathilde De Cagny (whose credits include Marley & Me and We Bought A Zoo) told the New York Times that she slathered bacon grease on star Christopher Plummer's face, then encouraged an eager Cosmo to lick it off. Cosmo was also reportedly painted with brown spots, so he'd more closely resemble Mills' real-life Jack Russell terrier.

Following the shoot, star Ewan McGregor was so enamored with his co-star that he wanted to take the little guy home himself. McGregor explained that, unfortunately, his wife is allergic to dogs and cats so Cosmo was returned to his rightful owner, De Cagny. However, as McGregor told The Bark, the experience led to him adopting his own dog, one that wouldn't cause his partner to erupt into sneezing fits, so the story has a happy ending for all involved.

Max is kind of like a doggie American Sniper. Described by Yahoo! Movies as "a coming-of-age tale about a young boy who inherits a military dog after his brother dies on the front-lines in Afghanistan" the flick featured five movie dogs (including stunt animals) as the titular character. Trainer Mark Forbes, who worked on Evan Almighty among others, described the story to Yahoo! Movies as having "more meat" to it than others of its ilk, with a "multi-dimensional" character at its heart. Albeit a furry one. 

The lead actor was a Belgian Shepherd named Carlos, who wasn't even two years old at the time of filming. According to Forbes, none of the canine actors had any experience prior to the shoot and were located following a nationwide search. Carlos was found on a farm in Kentucky, by Forbes himself, as detailed by USA Today. Director Boaz Yakin also told USA Today that Carlos had "real star quality" but was "very temperamental." Although his IMDb, at the time of writing, lists just that one credit, the dog had such personality that the filmmakers ended up basing a lot of Max's character on him. Now that's real star power. Hollywood is surely calling (maybe Carlos just isn't interested in a celebrity lifestyle).

The breakout star of cult comedy hit Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy wasn't Will Ferrell's mustachioed man-child but his beloved pet, Baxter. A legendary canine who was unfairly punted by the bad man, spoke fluent Spanish, and ate a whole wheel of cheese leading him to poop in the fridge, Baxter wasn't just Ron's little gentleman, he was all of ours. Sadly, the little fella passed away before he could steal the show in the sequel, leading a movie dog named Quince to take the stage in his place.

His story is of the rags-to-riches variety. In an interview with The Atlantic, trainer Raymond Beal (who worked on A Dog's Purpose and Max) revealed how Quince was plucked from relative obscurity (he'd made a couple of blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearances previously) after being rescued from a supermarket parking lot. Anchorman 2 was, by all accounts, his big break. But the canine newcomer took to his new role with grace, working the junket circuit and even barking in response to journalists' questions.

Baxter is such a pivotal character that director Adam McKay even floated the idea of him getting his own PG spin-off. McKay described his idea to Collider as an adventure story, focusing on Baxter's secret life away from his human buddies. If it moves forward (there's been no real word since), Quince is surely the dog for the job. 

Hit action movie John Wick was considered by many to be a major return to form for star Keanu Reeves, meaning he was probably a bit peeved that his canine co-star, Andy, was more of a breakout hit after the movie than he was. The fate of the movie dog was considered so unjust that intrepid YouTubers RocketJump even created a parody video entitled "Dog Wick" to avenge him (check it out if you're still feeling sore over the poor little guy's fate).

The beagle pup, just eight weeks old at the time of filming, reportedly stole Reeves' heart, too, according to a New York Post article. In the piece, trainer Kim Krafsky from Animal Actors International, whose previous credits include The Drop and The Wolf Of Wall Street, explained how they always wanted a beagle for the flick because "they're just a cuddly breed with such sad eyes."

She purchased Andy from a breeder after a difficult, two-week long search for just the right dog. Krafsky also notes that, although Wick's poor pup is ruthlessly killed in the first 20 minutes of the movie, she and the other trainers were on set with Andy for about three weeks total. Although Andy took to the press circuit with ease ("he loves getting the red-carpet treatment" Krafsky shared), he settled down for a relaxing break on the Animal Actors International farm (a real farm, not the usual "went to live on a farm" trick) in New Jersey following his first showbiz job. 

The canine star of I Am Legend, the 2007 adaptation of Francis Lawrence's novel, is arguably more important than his human accomplice. Not only is Sam the sole companion of Will Smith's lonely scientist, but his death is the emotional crux of the whole story. The featured movie dog was played by two German Shepherds named Abbey and Kona, according to Entertainment Weekly, with Abbey discovered in a California kennel by trainer Steve Berens (who's worked on The Mask and horror flick Sinister over the years.)

As Berens tells it, Abbey and Smith bonded instantly, the dog greeting the actor with a bark of approval when they first met. The effect spread to the whole crew, with director Lawrence noting that when the shoot was over everyone swarmed around "it was like the whole crew had been dying for six months to pet her." Nobody took to her quite like Smith himself who, much like his character in the movie, was dying to take Abbey home with him, "But you know, she has her own family now, so it was just another of those fleeting Hollywood romances." 

As it happens, movie dogs actually are better than humans (particularly when it comes to hitting their marks on set). Afterwards, rather than being swept up by the tides of fame, our furry friends often return to their normal lives unfazed and still eager for a cuddle, or a nap under a kindly owner's desk.

Sure, some of them have gone on to bigger and better things. But, for the most part, the prize pooches on this list are born naturals and unapologetic scene-stealers, in it for the joy of acting (not to mention the pet-and-scratch attention that comes with it) and nothing more. 

We could learn a lot from their work ethic, unwillingness to fall victim to the perils of fame, and voracious approach to on-set catering. Not to mention their attitude to our fellow humans, too. After all, through their eyes, we're not so bad.