Of course, it didn’t hurt that many of the dogs already enjoyed barking, so it was just a matter of getting them to do so (and not to do so) at the appropriate times.īut working the behind the scenes was only half the magic, if not less, as their on-screen presence and context within the stories are what really made them come to life. To get them to bark on cue, she used positive reinforcement by putting a see through fence or gate between her and the dogs, then allowing them to get excited as she backed away, and rewarding them with treats when they responded with appropriate barking. But of course, many of them were untrained to begin with, so head trainer Julie Tottman had to start with the basics, such as sitting, laying down, staying and hitting specific marks so they stand in the proper spots within the framing of the shot.
To get them ready for their parts, each dog was trained for specific actions that needed to take place on screen, such as lowering their heads and barking on command. Surprisingly enough, while breeds of that size are rarely popular enough to readily find, the producers of the film were not only able to find one to play the part of Fang, but a whopping seven, each of which is featured selectively throughout the film series, many of which went on to do small television appearances for the parts they played.
In the books, Fang is actually described as being a boarhound, better known as a Great Dane, but in the films is portrayed solely by Neapolitan Mastiffs. When it comes to mythical dogs, most pale in comparison to Fang, Hagrid’s massive, yet faithful companion in the Harry Potter series.