The Tales Behind The Dogs of Lady and The Tramp

We’re only a few days from Lady and The Tramp to stream on Disney+, so I’m sharing my experiences on the set this week.

My secret trip to Savannah was filled with exciting surprises, including a meet and greet and interview with head animal trainer Mark Forbes about his vital role in Lady and The Tramp.

Of course, Monte (Tramp) was there to oversee the process and my heart was melting!

Did you know? Rose, Monte, and about 6 or 7 of their other 4-legged friends are all adopted! We thought it was so sweet that the Lady and the Tramp crew gave these rescues a true rags to riches story!

We got him [Monte] about 4 ½ months before we started shooting. So we really don’t know what his life was before that. He has a great attitude and temperament. He’s very flirty.

I have to agree with that last statement – Monte was giving kisses to everyone, but I think he had a soft spot for me (a girl can dream!).

Monte is so perfect for the role of Tramp. He looks rugged, yet he’s a big softie and a sweetheart. Also, the camera absolutely loves him.

Mark told us that there are 2 other dogs playing the role of Tramp on set every day, Wendell and Shamus. They both have very emotional stories.

Wendell was in a gang of dogs just roaming the streets, and he was set to be euthanized before the Lady and The Tramp team rescued him. Shamus had to have several surgeries because he kept losing weight and not being able to eat. We don’t have a dog, but we did rescue our cat, Cielito, from the streets – she was being mistreated when we found her and we just had to take her in.

Mark Forbes told us about the adoption process. It definitely takes time, and it is overwhelming, but it was all worth it in the end when they got their Lady and their Tramp.

We would literally spend all day looking through pictures of dogs. If everything still looks good, you get to go on a plane and go there and check out the dog and see if he’s cowering in the back of the kennel or if he’s outgoing and up at the front. And then you just take a chance. At some point you make that leap and go, I’m going to rescue this dog.

It was such an “awww” moment when he told us about their commitment to finding all the adopted dogs forever homes at the end of the movie process. Honestly, I would take them home if I could! They really jumped in and committed to taking care of them.

Mark told us that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” which is why the dogs were all about a year old when they started training them. They are pros by now!

It’s about positive reinforcement. It’s getting them to be sort of a team. First we start with basics. We start training them to sit, lie down, on your feet, go get a mark, stay. It’s about eight behaviors. We’ll spend the first 6 to 8 weeks doing nothing but that. While we’re doing that we’re taking them to different places and then getting them used to new people.

We thought it was especially adorable how he told us that a pat on the head means just as much as a treat to the dogs. They love the approval and attention, and especially because Rose and Monte were adopted, they have such a loving and humble air about them.

We use every trick that we can. We just want the dog to be natural. We want it to be organic.

There are several trainers that work with the leading pets in the film. One of them got to be in costume as an extra during a scene, and she cued Rose [Lady] on what to do. Talk about creativity!

Rose and Monte are a dynamic duo, they listen, they obey, and above all, they have courage and heart. The directors knew they were the best choice to play Lady and Tramp, and I have to agree. I can’t wait for you to see them on screen. Did you get Disney+ like I did?

In Disney+’s “Lady and the Tramp,” we’ll see a timeless retelling of the 1955 animated classic, now combining live-action and photorealistic animation.

The“Lady and the Tramp” live-action, our pampered house dog Lady (Tessa Thompson) and our tough but lovable stray, Tramp (Justin Theroux), embark on an unexpected adventure and, despite their differences, grow closer and come to understand the value of home.

Lady’s owners, Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons), spoil her daily, and her neighbors, Jock, an outspoken Scottish Terrier and Trusty (Sam Elliott), a world-weary Bloodhound, are always within barking distance.

But when a baby enters the picture, Lady is no longer the center of attention, and the arrival of cat-loving Aunt Sarah only complicates matters.

As Lady finds herself in a dangerous part of town, Tramp steps in, and the streetwise mongrel is quick to teach her the ways of the world. Before long, the prim and proper purebred and the fast-talking mutt are partaking in moonlight strolls in the park and romantic spaghetti dinners by candlelight.

Tramp savors the independence of a world without leashes or fences alongside his roguish friends Peg (Janelle Monáe) and Bull, but Lady misses the comfort and safety of a family, and soon both must decide where – and with whom – they belong.

The film is directed by Charlie Bean from a screenplay by Andrew Bujalski and Kari Granlund, and is produced by Brigham Taylor with Diane L. Sabatini serving as executive producer.

Remember to follow the “Lady and the Tramp” adventures using #LadyandTheTramp and #DisneyPlus, and like Lady and the Tramp on Facebook, follow Disney+ on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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