A trip to the set of Lady and the Tramp wouldn’t have been complete without meeting Lady and the Tramp.

Lady and a dog

Lady and a dog

They were adorable! This also did a great job on set and that has a lot to do with animal trainer Mark Forbes, who so graciously took the time to chat with us.

Mark Forbes

So what did I learn about these talented animals? Check this out…

group of ladies looking at a dog

  • They cast Tramp from a photo, flew out to meet him and the rest was history.
  • It was about a 2 ½ month process to cast all of the animals in the film.
  • About seven or eight of them were complete strays that they rescued. A few came from breeders and a couple came from private homes.
  • They use positive reinforcement to train the animals and they start with basics. “…training them to set, 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…”
  • One of the hardest things to get the dogs to do is having them look in the right direction “…so it’s all about eye lines. We use a big stick a lot which is we teach them to look at the bait stick.”

Want to know more about about our time on set? Check out these Lady and the Tramp Fun Facts we learned from the production designer, John Myhre. You can also get to know more about Yvette Nicole Brown, Aunt Sarah in the film.

More about Lady and the Tramp

It’s a timeless re-telling of the 1955 animated classic, a pampered house dog and a tough but lovable stray embark on an unexpected adventure and, despite their differences, grow closer and come to understand the value of home. Life is good for Lady, an overachieving American Cocker Spaniel who resides in an upscale suburban neighborhood. Her owners, Jim Dear and Darling, spoil her daily and her neighbors, Jock, an outspoken Scottish Terrier and Trusty, 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. Lady soon finds herself alone on the streets in an unwelcoming part of town. Fortunately, Tramp steps in, and the streetwise mongrel is quick to teach her the ways of the world.

Before long, the prim and proper pure bred 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 and Bull, but Lady misses the comfort and safety of a family, and soon both must decide where – and with whom – they belong.

Lady and the Tramp is available for streaming on Disney+ November 12th!

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