Puppies were placed in padded harnesses and leather leads (to serve as reins) on a hidden treadmill, which was set on low speed while trainers stood around it.
The sled was on tubing to ease the sliding. For scenes in which the sled moves and flies, a crew member slowly pulled the sled for a short distance on the ground. The chimney soot that Mudbud shakes off in one scene was a flour mixture that was digitally enhanced in post-production.ĭuring Santa’s sled scenes, a trainer hid in the sled’s back seat holding a lead line attached to the dog’s collar to prevent the dog from jumping out of the front seat or over the front of the sled and onto the ground. They were then cued to “shake” off the dirt. The cookies on the cookie sheet were nontoxic plastic, and the puppy was allowed to eat plain (undecorated) cookie pieces off the floor as a reward.įor the scene in which Mudbud and Puppy Paws roll in the mud, each dog was cued to “roll over” in a specially heated mud mixture at the base of a tree, which was an activity they found playful. Trainers hid on the floor right beneath the puppy in case it got too close to the edge, which it did not. The puppy was filmed on the floor, and then trainers placed it on the counter, cuing it to push its nose at a sheet of fake cookies. Puppy Paws is on the kitchen floor with Budderball, and then is suddenly standing on the countertop, pushing a cookie sheet off the counter and onto the floor. The roof portion of the scene was filmed on the ground against a green screen. The bucket was only pulled up 10 feet and then lowered to the ground. Then, a costumed stuntman pulled the rope of the specially made pulley a safe distance from the side of the building so that the bucket would not hit the building. Another trainer then called the puppy and cued it to jump into the bucket, which the puppy was well-rehearsed for. The bucket started off secured to the ground while trainers released the puppy from its starting mark near a hedge on the lawn. The scene in which Puppy Paws gets into a bucket attached to a pulley and is hoisted up to a rooftop was filmed in separate shots.
The turkey was then replaced with fake bones on an empty platter, where trainers placed the puppy and cued it to stay for a moment. Real food was spaced along the table, and the puppy was allowed to eat a small amount of the food for a moment, until it reached the end of the table where the turkey was placed. A trainer placed the puppy on its mark and cued it to walk on the table, while another trainer hid on the floor to keep the puppy from jumping off. The scene in which Budderball comes alive in Santa’s book and is seen on the dining room table, eating the Thanksgiving dinner and then lying on the platter, was filmed in separate shots. B-Dawg and Puppy Paws break dancing and spinning near a boom box was also achieved using CGI. The scenes in which Santa Paws is on a cliff used computer-generated imagery (CGI). The “conveyer belt” that moved the toys was specially designed so that paws or tails could not get caught in the rollers. The “glue” mixture was made out of flour and water. Trainers cued one puppy to pick up a glue brush and carry it to the other side of a desk, dripping glue everywhere. For scenes in which the dogs mill about Santa’s workshop, helping make toys, pulling gifts on wagons, pawing at a lever and even playing piano, these were trained behaviors cued by off-screen trainers, and the actors were instructed to walk with caution and watch for dogs moving about. Most of the snow was fake and made of a nontoxic material, except in a couple of scenes near a shelter where there was real snow, but the puppies were kept warm. All costumes worn by the dogs were custom-made for comfort. Any object held in a dog’s mouth, such as a Christmas ornament, was a lightweight plastic prop that was not hazardous or breakable.
All food given to the animals to eat was deemed safe for their consumption. All areas were safe and secured, and contained no sharp corners or hazardous terrain. For scenes in which dogs barked or performed mild action, such as sitting, lying, jumping, pawing at something, sitting or standing in a cage, or walking or running from one point to another (including into some trees, into a hole in a building and through a dog door), off-screen trainers used hand signals and verbal commands to achieve the action. All of the dogs in the film were either from the same litter or familiar with each other and accustomed to being together. Several puppies were alternated in the roles of the buddies. Only necessary cast and crew members were allowed on the set and all were quiet during filming. All grounds were thoroughly inspected for hazards.
Before filming began, cast and crew members were instructed on the safety and handling of the animals.