Oscar Worthy Scene Stealers...The Four-Legged Variety

Scene from The Artist courtesy of The New York Times

Oh, the tricks of the dog trainer's trade-especially those trainers whose canine clients work in the film industry. Can you say bacon grease and hot dogs?  According to this article in today's New York Times, the film "Beginners" includes a happy reunion between human star and his dog-only the human (in this case, Christopher Plummer) had bacon grease slathered on his face to entice Cosmo, his dog, to enthusiastically lick it, as though wildly happy to see him.

And let's not forget Uggie, the scene-stealer from the silent film, The Artist, and his love of hot dogs. Apparently his trainer went undercover as an extra in the movie, with those hot dogs stuffed in his pocket.

The two animal trainers for these films and others, "both came to their jobs through a love of animals and, especially, the antics of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin..." But brought their unique sensibilities to their client's scenes. For example, the various moves that Uggie used in The Artist, like "falling backwards and playing dead, hiding his head, none of that stuff was in the script," said his trainer, Omar von Muller. "They're my tricks." Pretty amazing, we say.

How many of you think there should be a separate Oscar category for animals and their trainers? Let us know!

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