Robert Weatherwax, a professional dog trainer for film and TV productions who took on the trade of his father, Rudd, the original owner of Lassie, died Thursday at a Veterans Affairs facility in Scranton, Pa. He was 83 years old.
Weatherwax was born June 4, 1941 in Burbank, Calif. — exactly one year before the birth of Pal, the dog that portrayed Lassie across seven MGM films and the pilot of the “Lassie” TV series. Growing up, Weatherwax and his sister, JoAnne, were tasked with assisting their father with his professional work, including teaching new routines to their pets. Their grandfather, W.S. Weatherwax, was an animal trainer during the
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