Paws for applause! Meet the dog stars of Strays

Filthy, funny live action comedy Strays drags its butt across Hollywood’s family friendly red carpet. Yes, it’s a talking animal film. But that’s like saying that Ted is a kids’ series because there’s a talking teddy bear in it. 

The movie centres on naive Border Terrier Reggie (Will Ferrell) whose dirtbag owner Doug (Will Forte) keeps trying to get rid of him. One day when Reggie isn’t able to make it home after one of his “games” with Doug, he falls in with a street stray gang led by Bug the Boston Terrier (Jamie Foxx), Maggie the Australian Shepherd (Isla Fisher), and Hunter the Great Dane (Randall Park). Together, as a kind of therapy group, they try to deprogram Reggie to make him realise that he’s in an abusive relationship with Doug. And then it’s time for revenge. 

Aside from muzzle replacements to show the dogs talking, and one hallucinogenic trip involving a sock puppet, the film is made up almost entirely of live action footage of some extra good boys (and girls) being naughty dogs. So Head Animal Trainer Mark Forbes and the dogs’ individual trainers had to work with the dogs to get them to do stuff like pretend to pee on command (actually one of the most difficult routines to train, especially for female dogs playing male dogs), or “hump” a lawn ornament when they hear the command “humpitty, humpitty”. Come meet comedy’s new dog stars.

Stream Strays on Showmax now.

Going in with all four paws

While the voice cast recorded their performances together, on set director Josh Greenbaum, four dogs, their trainers, and a host of canine extras embarked on an incredible journey together. Training began about four months before shooting started, and each dog had its own trainer. To explain what he wanted to happen in each scene, Josh used stuffed animals as stand-ins for each of the dogs. Now imagine four dogs in the same scene working on different commands at the same time. Someone get them a treat! 

Reggie the Border Terrier (Will Ferrell)

The adult Reggie is played by Sophie, along with a body double named Boy. There’s a puppy version on screen, too, who proved so adorable that he got snapped up by Josh, whose kids named him Reggie in honour of his on-screen role. And yes, since Sophie is a girl, the VFX team had to add in a lil furry package for one specific scene. 

Trainer Mathilde de Cagny (who collaborated with Maggie/Elsa’s trainer Tammy Blackburn during the film) had to get Sophie used to working with other dogs, since she was raised in isolation during Covid. And since Sophie acted directly with Will Forte, in scenes in which he yells at Reggie and throws things at him, Will rehearsed his lines sitting next to her, and Mathilde offered her a treat every time he got louder and meaner. 

Whenever Reggie had to look soulful and on the verge of tears over Doug’s betrayal, Sophie’s gleaming, black bobba-pearl eyes made it clear that a star had been born. Sophie and Mathilde won Best Dog in a Leading role at the 2024 Pawscars. And we’ll now be sending our applications to be seat fillers at the only awards show in Hollywood that really matters. 

Bug the Boston Terrier (Jamie Foxx)

Boston Terrier Bennie might play a tough guy on screen (unless it’s dark in the woods and a leaf falls near him, or an eagle tries to treat him like lunch), but off-screen he proved the most persnickety of the animal performers. No wet grass or cold concrete for Bennie’s dainty paws! His trainer brought heating pads to set for him, along with a little coat in case he got cold.

Sensitive Bennie was taken aback when Sophie barked at him loudly – to the point that he refused to film a hole-digging scene with her, and his double, Fly, had to be brought in. Fly also got used for the eagle kidnapping scene, because she wiggled and looked more panicked than Bennie did, since he seemed to find the flying harness comfortable. 

But it seems nobody minds if a true star shows temperament. Bennie does the world’s most charming confused head-tilt, complete with an inquisitive poking forward of his snoot. In recognition of his greatness, Bennie’s performance won him and trainer April Mackin the 2024 Pawscar for Best Dog in a Comedy. 

Maggie the Australian Shepherd (Isla Fisher)

In the film, poor Maggie belongs to an influencer who has replaced her with a new model pomeranian puppy for likes and shares. How insulting! On screen, Maggie is the competent one, even outperforming some police dogs. And that was her attitude behind the scenes, too. Elsa (trained by Tammy Blackburn), played Maggie along with her backup dog, Riley. 

Elsa was the only one of the four lead dogs who had previous acting experience; as she is a regular at the Universal Animal Actors show at Universal Studios in Florida, which allowed her to be comfortable also working with Strays’ Head Trainer, Mark Forbes. A consummate professional, Maggie was ready to hit her spot and do her tricks like a canine Meryl Streep, so she sometimes got impatient with Dalin’s the Great Dane’s shenanigans. What a teacher’s pet. 

Hunter the Great Dane (Randall Park)

Hunter is a failed police dog who went on to be a therapy dog at a hospice. On screen, he’s supposed to be highly trained in two really specific jobs, but he has become so neurotic that he has to wear a cone around his head to block out stressful stimulation. 

This was Dalin the Great Dane’s first big role, which he shared with his double, Ike. While he’s the tallest of the dogs, he was just a puppy during filming. And when you’re that massive, your puppy zoomies tend to send cameras and production staff flying. He also had trouble sitting still early on in the shoot for his trainer, Kristy Gerosky. But it played to everyone’s advantage when Dalin had to act out a scene in which Hunter knocks down Doug’s door at full force. This scene took two months of training to accomplish and involved Dalin jumping onto a door that was lifted higher and higher off the ground, then staying on the door until it was lowered down to ground level again – a game that he reportedly adored. 

And watch how enthusiastically he scoffs down those mushrooms in one of the forest scenes. They were made out of chicken and Dalin went loco trying to eat them all at once. 

So get ready for a comedy that’s off the leash. Stream Strays on Showmax now.