This particular tale of finding one’s humanity owes more than a bone to its canine star. There are, however, two admissions: according to Willie Morris, the real Skip was actually an English fox terrier, not a Jack Russell; and there were actually two main dogs out of six Skips used during production (including three puppies and an older Skip).

Animal trainer Matilde Decagney, whose experience includes the feature films "As Good As It Gets" and "Homeward Bound 2" as well as the NBC series "Frasier," cited two months of preparation and lots of pampering, including an air-conditioned trailer to fight the Southern heat, to keep the film’s fuzzy co-stars focused. The main Skip, a three-year-old named Enzo making his film debut, was asked not only to display a range of moods, from sweet to protectively fierce, but to play baseball, football and drive a car!

"The tricks are not hard for him to do, as long as he’s in good condition and not too hot," explains Decagney. While cast and crew were allowed to pet Enzo and the other dogs between takes, any food that might distract a canine nose was strictly prohibited. For a scene near the film’s end depicting the aged Skip, Enzo was replaced with his real-life father Moose, who plays Eddie on "Frasier."

"Skip never failed us. I wish I worked with actors who were as well prepared as Skip," admits Mark Johnson. "There was not a trick or a piece of business we asked the dog to do that he wasn’t able to do; it was uncanny. The trainers were so good, they could stop him on a mark, he could lift his leg, he could do a somersault. I expected to see him reading the New York Times any day."