Fans of the detective series “Return of Mukhtar” and “Dog” will certainly know the main four-legged hero - a charming shepherd. This hero is played by a professional furry actor nicknamed Earl Schutz Hund.
Finding a dog that could play an assistant police officer took a lot of time from the directors. They got acquainted with many shepherd dogs, even a whole casting was arranged for dogs. Of course, all the candidates were incredibly smart, but still could not cope with the tasks. The only shaggy challenger who was able to fulfill all the requirements was the Shepherd Dog Schutz Hund. He left no chance for other dogs and was accepted for the role of the main police dog.
All representatives of the German shepherd breed have incredible quick wits and strength. Any dog of this breed needs a daily load and regular study of new teams. On the set, the Earl gets everything you need in full.
Pedigree of Count Schutz Hund
The Count's family tree is striking: his parents are multiple champions and exhibition winners. In addition, the Count himself has an aristocratic origin: his ancestors were the favorites of Peter the Great. In his seven years, the Earl is a seven-time champion of Ukraine among large dog breeds. Dog handlers put a lot of effort into it. Already in the first months of his life, the Earl knew the basic commands, and the older he became, the more instructions he could carry out.
Biography
An integral fact from the biography of Count Schutz Hund: he is a native of Kiev. Born in the capital of Ukraine, but traveled to different countries due to filming in the series. Earl also has a brother Rex, who is also filmed in a movie. Rex replaces Earl in case of illness. The big plus is that the brothers are fantastically similar to each other. They can easily be called twins.
Movie star
Shepherd Earl Schutz Hund first hit the TV screen in the role of Mukhtar in the eighth season of “The Return of Mukhtar”. His predecessor, Yaks, died, and the series went on, so the film crew was looking for a smart and most similar shepherd.
Earlier, the Earl had already played minor roles in the series. But after the death of Yaks, the director noticed a young dog, and the Count took the place of Mukhtar, brilliantly coped with the role.
Role in the TV series “Return of Mukhtar” and “Dog”
During the filming in different series, the Earl changed several owners, which was very difficult for him. In the series about Mukhtar, the host was the main characters: Pavel Vishnyakov, Eugene Pronin and Alexei Shutov.
The dog, Count Schutz Hund, supplemented his biography with the main role in the series “Dog”. Three seasons, which took almost four years to shoot, and in each series a dog in the title role. There he plays not only the role of a police dog, but also the best friend of the protagonist. The count unquestioningly carries out the commands of the owner, and also saves him when attacked by ill-wishers. As a friend and comrade, he helped the protagonist survive a break with his wife, job loss and a passion for alcohol.
Dog Team Character Reviews
In the series "Dog" its owner is the main character Nikita Panfilov. He said that it was not easy for him to gain the trust of a shepherd. Once he even bit Nikita. It all started with the fact that most of the cast and crew loved to feed the animal. After the bite situation, Nikita Panfilov forbade everyone to give anything to the dog. After this, the Earl recognized the owner, and there were no more such incidents.
Nikita also says that working with people is easier than with dogs. The dog Count Schutz Hund has a difficult character: he always loves to be the first. In those moments when Rex is forced to replace the star of the series, the Earl is very jealous of this. Another difficult feature of Count's character: if he himself does not want to do anything, then it is impossible to force him. In situations where you need to remove a new take, and the dog lies and does nothing, the filming process is suspended until the protagonist rests, has a bite and again works in the mood.
As the producers of the series note, Count Schutz Hund has a more relaxed character, unlike Rex. After filming, the Count gets tired, loves to eat and go to bed. Rex - on the contrary, active, loves to play and frolic. Often, after working with a brother of a star shepherd, workers found bitten instruments.
Both shepherd dogs are pets and cinema skills were trained in the process of filming.
I would like to note that the producers of the series “Dog” for the role of a police dog wanted to choose a representative of a different breed of dogs, because they did not want their series to evoke associations with “Mukhtar”. Representatives of various breeds participated in the casting for the main dog role, but no one was able to cope with the requirements for the film.
Stuntman
It is worth noting the fact that Count Schutz Hund independently performs all the dangerous stunts on the site. The dog received injuries, starting from a broken nose, a cut belly and ending with broken paws. This did not stop him or frighten him: he underwent a course of treatment and returned to shooting in full combat readiness. In moments when the Count could not act, he was replaced by Brother Rex, a no less intelligent dog and looking like his brother like two drops of water.
Dog life on set
Between the filming process, Earl and Rex love to eat: raw beef is the main course. A favorite treat is a crispy straw cookie. The twin brothers will never give up on him.
Shepherd dogs, having appeared on the site for the first time, could not get enough of so many people. They approached everyone, substituting the back and asking them to stroke, scratch and pamper with something tasty. No one, of course, was able to refuse them. Rex in terms of getting treats was more smart. He worked perfectly in the frame only if he knew that after the command “Shot!” everyone who was with him at the site will give him cookies. Cynologists had to fight this habit for a long time, because Rex completely refused to work without goodies.
Of course, they did not overfeed the dogs, since the actor should be in shape: Earl and Rex had low-fat cottage cheese for breakfast, dined with meat, and dry balanced food for dinner.
But the longer the shooting took place, the less active the Count became. He was very tired and therefore devoted every free minute to rest and sleep.
Count and Rex pay a lot of attention, treat them with care and attention. A clear diet and rest for dogs is very important. They are not around the clock on site. Most of the time the dogs spend with the main character of the film to establish close contact. This makes it easier to work directly during the filming, the dogs obey better, which reduces the time of the work process.
The series “Dog” and “The Return of Mukhtar” show that a dog can be not only a pet, but also a friend, assistant and even a partner.