Robert “Bob” Weatherwax, a trainer and owner of the original Lassie, died on Friday. He was 83.
Weatherwax’s death was confirmed by his son, also named Robert, on Instagram. He wrote, “It is with great sorry that I announce the passing of my legendary dog-training father. Robert Walter Weatherwax (L) — 4 June 1941 – 16 August 2024. He was born exactly one year after my grandfather’s MGM Lassie – Pal. I’m proud to be the last representative of the greatest dog-training family in history.”
Weatherwax worked as a dog trainer alongside his father, Rudd Weatherwax, from his earliest years and often assisted with training Lassie (the family’s pet) and other dogs. At times, the roles were reversed, and Lassie was even in charge of taking care of a young Weatherwax as well.
In addition to training Pal, Rudd was a co-creator of the show.
As a young adult, Weatherwax moved back home to California after serving in the U.S. Army. It was then that he became a dog trainer and apprenticed with his father on the original “Lassie” TV series. He also founded his own training company, Weatherwax Trained Dogs, but took over his father’s practice after he died.
In addition to Lassie, the Weatherwax family also trained movie animals Asta, Toto and Old Yeller.
Weatherwax worked to build trust between himself and the animals he worked with, something that was described as “the eye-to-eye, heart-to-heart building of trust” in an obituary released by his family.
“It was dissecting a desired action and movement down to the most minute step that a dog could literally learn and perform forwards and backwards. It was translating the immense potential of a species similar to us but different enough that what we shared could be captured in the raising of a paw, lowering of a head, crawling on the ground, swimming against treacherous currents, leaping out of windows into the arms of the adult or child who loved the dog and needed the dog in that instant,” they continued.
Weatherwax’s final collie was the grandson of the original dog.
The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.
