‘Dog’ is a buddy comedy movie directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin. It follows U.S. Army Ranger Jackson Briggs as he embarks on a road trip along the Pacific Coast with a Belgian Malinois military dog named Lulu. Hoping to redeem himself in front of his superiors, Briggs is tasked with getting Lulu from Washington D.C. to Arizona in time for his former master’s funeral. The unlikely duo initially don’t get along and end up having a series of misadventures.
However, over time, Lulu and Briggs form a beautiful bond and together learn to pursue happiness by letting go of their past traumas. The film is a treat for animal lovers and appeals to audiences of all ages. Its moving story and the wonderful performances of the actors were particularly appreciated. Lulu, the sweet four-legged protagonist, makes one wonder if she’s a real dog or a CGI-generated one. If you too are curious to find out, we have what you need. Let’s dive!
Is Lulu The Dog real or CGI?
Lulu in ‘Dog’ is not one, but three real trained canine actors combined. In an interview, actor Channing Tatum who plays Briggs and also co-directed the film shared his observations of his canine co-actors and said, “They’re just amazing. I would watch the trainers with their dogs, in particular. They realize and notice things in the dog that I didn’t even notice. It’s more like this bond that they have with them, that they correct and stop the behavior before it even happens. They keep the dogs focused which was really fascinating to watch.
‘Dog’ is loosely based on Tatum’s relationship with his beloved late pet dog Lulu, after whom the protagonist is named. The Pitbull Catahoula mix died of cancer in December 2018 and the actor was deeply attached to him. He used to travel with her frequently, and their last road trip to Big Sur inspired him to make the film. In fact, he shared with USA Today that one of the scenes with Lulu onscreen reminded him of his late mate. In this scene, the dog runs down the road and attacks chickens, and shared that his Lulu would do the same.
“She was my dog through and through… She was a hunting dog and I don’t hunt, so she was never really able to exercise that part of her instincts. And so (any animal) that wasn’t a dog or a horse she would try to murder,” Tatum added. Additionally, co-director Reid Carolin said the actor’s experience with dogs helped improve his performance with his co-director. However, there were also a fair share of challenges encountered while filming with the three dogs.
During his February 2022 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Tatum revealed that he was repeatedly bitten by dogs on set. However, he praised the driven nature of the Belgian Malinois breed and said that with the help of several delicious treats, they were able to familiarize the canine trio with the set up of the shoot. So the lead actor or rather the cast of ‘Dog’ are very real, and they brilliantly portray the beauty of human-animal relationships as well as the dynamic nature of mutts.
Read more: Where was Dog (2022) filmed?
