Certified Animal Action Overview

No Animals Were Harmed™ closely monitored every moment involving the dog to ensure his comfort, safety and natural behavior throughout filming. Guided by an experienced trainer, the dog followed familiar cues and positive reinforcement, involving simple actions such as walking alongside the actor, resting on his bed or responding playfully. More intense moments were carefully staged with protective equipment, rehearsals and clear communication, which ensured the dog was never in danger and was always rewarded and relaxed afterward. Scenes set indoors or on the beach were planned to feel routine and stress-free, with the trainer nearby and the set cleared when needed. When cameras stopped rolling, the dog returned to a comfortable holding area and enjoyed downtime, walks and play.

Detailed Animal Action Report

In the scene where the actor walks down a flight of stairs with his dog following then enters a boathouse, prior to filming the trainer brought the dog to set. The path to set was down a flight of steps leading to a beach. The trainer was able to watch the rehearsal and see the dog’s path. The trainer gave the actor treats to help him get the dog to follow him. The actor wore a heavy coat and hid the treats in his pocket. The trainer placed the dog at the start position with the actor and instructed the actor to feed the dog. The start position was at the bottom of steps leading up to a boathouse. The trainer then went into the boathouse and stood behind the camera. On action, the actor walked up the steps into the boathouse. The dog followed the actor as she was trained to do. After filming the sequence, the dog was returned to the holding area.

In the several scenes where the actor is relaxing in the boathouse, drinking, playing chess, etc., they filmed these scenes on a sound stage. Prior to filming, the trainer brought the dog to the set and placed him in his bed. When someone knocks on the door, and the actor gets up to answer it, the trainer cued the dog to follow the actor.

In the scene where the actor looks out the window and sees a boat sinking and the dog looks out of the window also the dog was cued to sit and stay on a mark next to the kitchen. The trainer remained hidden behind the cameras. On action, the trainer cued the dog to look outside the windows with the actor. When the actor is sleeping on the couch and the dog runs over and wakes him up, on a cue the trainer instructed dog to run to the actor and lick his face and sniff him.

In the scene where the actor looks off in the distance and sees the girl petting the dog near the beach, prior to filming the trainer put the dog on lead and walked her to the grass area between the cliff edge and the lighthouse. The dog and actress were already acquainted so it was easy for her to sit and pet the dog. On action, they filmed the girl petting the dog.

In the scene where the actor notices some men outside approaching the house and he gets a gun with the dog following him, the dog was walked to set. After they arrived the trained cued the dog to sit on the ground next to the kitchen table. On cue, the dog walked to the main actor. When the actor walked outside, the dog stopped at the door.

When the girl hides inside the bathroom with the dog, the trainer brought the dog to the bathroom set. On cue, the trainer instructed the dog to look at the bathroom door as if there were a ruckus happening in the other room. They continued to cue the dog to look back and forth several times.

In the scene where the soldier walks into the house, the dog attacks him, and he shoots the dog dead, the director discussed the scene and setup with the trainers in detail before filming. The stuntman was dressed as the soldier and had a fake soft air gun, which blows air and makes a subtle sound when the light comes on. The dog was walked to the set, which was cleared of nonessential crew. The stuntman wore a bite pad on his sleeve. On action, the stuntman slapped his arm a few times as a cue. The trainer released the dog and the dog bit the sleeve as instructed. The dog wrestled with the stuntman for a few beats before the stuntman pulled the handgun from his leg and pantomimed shooting the dog. On cut, the dog was rewarded with treats.

When the actress walks out of the bathrooms and sees the dog, dead on the ground, prior to filming the dog was walked to the set and cued to lay down on the floor. In the subsequent scene when the main actor returns and sees his dog dead on the ground, prior to filming the trainer cued the dog to lay down on the floor. On action, as the dog lay in the flat position, the actor entered the cabin, knelt down at the dog’s back and touched the dog’s ribs. The dog stayed perfectly and did not move on every take.