The Lassie Barker

Will Lassie be on TV anytime soon?

2008-03-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Yes! Lassie will be appearing on the Florence Henderson show on March 31, 2008 on the RTL network. The segment will also feature a Lassie pup that does therapy work. For times in your area, vist the RTL site at http://rl.tv/

Also stay tuned to the Lassie Network at www.lassie.net for news of another exciting TV appearance of Lassie in the near future!

I really wanted to see Lassie 10 in Maryland! Did the Lassie Network cover the event?

2008-01-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Yes we did! We were there when Lassie 10 made his second performance ever at the World of Pets Expo in Maryland!

For photos of the event, visit http://www.lassie.net/wopmd.htm

When is the next Lassie appearance?

2007-12-17T14:11:00.001-08:00

The next scheduled public appearance of Lassie will be in Timonium, Maryland at the World of Pets Expo.

For more info-

http://www.worldofpets.org/MDmain.htm

What does lassie.net think of the new Jon Provost book, "Timmy's in the Well"? Thumbs up or down?

2007-12-17T13:45:00.001-08:00

Fans of Jon and his years on Lassie will probably want to add this book to their collection. Not a "Lassie" book, this is a book focused on Jon's early life, his childhood and the challenges and sacrifices of being a child star, as well as the rewards, the effect on their families and the exploitation of child stars. Many other well known child stars contribute their memories of working and growing up with Jon, and their own experiences as child stars. The book follows Jon making his transition through the teenage years, and to adulthood outside the spotlight, a transition many child actors never survive. There are many wonderful photos throughout, some rare, but they are difficult to see with any clarity because they are so small and placed in the margins.

Welcome Lassie 10!! I was in MA this past weekend and got to see the premiere of Lassie 10! What a great dog! How old is he?

2007-11-06T08:43:00.000-08:00

Lassie 10 (aka Rockie) is 13 months old and this past weekend's appearance was his first of what is sure to be a very long career. He is not quite as large as his famous father and grandfather, but is more like the old Lassie's of Rudd's. He still has some growing to do, and doesn't have his full adult coat yet. He will be truly blossoming in the next year! Look for him at other appearances in the near future!

It seems like everyone is writing a Lassie book these days. Which ones do you recommend?

2007-10-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

To our knowledge there are no Lassie books currently on the shelves that are authorized or licensed. There are only three books that lassie.net recommends:

1) The Story of Lassie- Told by the master himself, Rudd Weatherwax

2) Lassie, A Dog's Life- by Ace Collins

Who else but the original owner and trainer could tell the story of how Lassie began? "The Story of Lassie" is a treasure but unfortunately out of print.

Our good friend Ace Collins painstakingly researched the history and legacy of Lassie for his book, "Lassie, A Dog's Life- the first 50 years". He spent months working with members of the Weathewax family, cast and crew and searching through archives of press clippings. It is the foremost authority on the legacy of Lassie in existence and has come to be known as the "Lassie Bible". We use it here at lassie.net as our source for the most credible information available. Also out of print, it can be found more easily online.

If you are searching for more information on the collie breed, "The Collie Concept" by Bobbee Roos is the best! Again, this is a highly sought after book that is out of print.

I heard lassie.net gave out promo copies of "Lassie's Pet Vet" recently. How do I get one?

2007-09-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

The promo episodes of "Lassie's Pet Vet", and other promo items, were supplied to us by Classic Media. During the Mid Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, copies were given to attendees of the presentation, "Lassie, A Dog's Tale", and some were given out at National Dog Day by lassie.net. Current fan club members in good standing will be receiving a copy in the mail, but because our quantities are limited, they are not available through other means. You can view the promos and a full episode at lassie.net and also at the official Lassie Pet Vet site.

Is Bob's Laddie a littermate of Lassie (HeyHey)?

2007-09-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

No. Laddie was born on 12/12/1998. HeyHey was already appearing in the Cinar series at the time Laddie was born. They are both sons of Lassie 8 (Howard) but with different mothers.

I was at MANC and saw the video on Lassie collectibles. Is that available online?

2007-09-23T09:15:00.001-07:00

Yes it is!

The video that was shown was a segment from HGTV's Ultimate Collectors and featured lassie.net's Cathy Schmidt's collection. You can view that clip, and many others at http://www.lassie.net/hgtv.htm, or click on the Video/Audio link for a complete list.

I just received an auction catalog that has "bootleg" Lassie items. What does that mean?

2007-09-23T09:02:00.001-07:00

"Bootleg" is a term that is used to describe a product that is illegal in some way. During the Wrather years when thousands of licensed Lassie products were produced, many products were made by companies and individuals that did not secure licensing, and offered for sale without permission. Those items were considered "bootleg" and although illegal, gained a certain popularity among collectors. Because they were not licensed, they had limited distribution.

Will Lassie be doing more personal appearances?

2007-08-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yes!

Lassie will most definitely be doing more personal appearances! After last year's premiere of the latest Lassie movie, a summer tour and just wrapping the first episodes of Lassie's Pet Vet, Lassie has been taking a well deserved vacation.

Even while Lassie is resting at home, Lassie is dreaming about his fans, and continuing to train the 10th generation Lassie. Meanwhile the folks at Classic Media are busy making arrangements for the next places Lassie will visit.

Upcoming appearances of the one and only Lassie will include the World of Pets Expos in MA and MD where Lassie will be joined by "Timmy" (Jon Provost).

Is Bob Weatherwax angry at lassie.net?

2007-08-30T19:51:00.001-07:00

Occasionally Lassie goes through "growing pains". Change can be hard for some. We all want the comfort and security of things staying the same. But Lassie has always changed, and we have always changed with Lassie. Sometimes the changes were the actors on the show or the fictional family Lassie lived with. Sometimes the trainer changed, from father to son, or from trainer to co-trainer. Sometimes the dog changed as one dog retired and another younger dog was brought in. Until 1997, the only consistency in the Lassie world had been that all of the dogs that played Lassie were direct descendants of the original Lassie, Pal, and since then even that has been broken several times on screen and appearances.

In 2000 the Weatherwax family sold the Lassie trademark 100% to Classic Media and in 2003 Bob Weatherwax ended his association with Lassie. This meant the family gave up all rights to the use of the name and image of Lassie from that time forward and Bob would no longer supply dogs to be Lassie. These were choices they made. There was no "corporate takeover" and Bob was not forced out. With those decisions, Bob voluntarily gave up any involvement in the breeding, choosing or presentation of current or future Lassies. He might continue to breed line dogs, but none of them will ever be Lassie again, without a contract with Classic Media.

Earlier this year Bob has resurfaced in the public eye and has a new website. We've become aware of a bevy of negative statements and unsubstantiated claims being made about us, and Carol Riggins, on his site, ALL UNTRUE. If such accusations were true, they would be in a courtroom, not on a blog. From our 10+ years experience working with Bob directly, we know that he rarely went near a computer, not even for email, and it would be a radical change for him to actually be writing the web content himself. Even as recently as this past weekend, he made a point later in the day at an event to personally come in to the vendor tent to visit Cathy's table and say hello. His recent comments are not only untrue but were quite a shock coming from out of nowhere a week later.

With the exception of Bob's bookkeeper, the people that are now working with Bob and producing his site are all new business associates since the sale of the Lassie trademark by the Weatherwax family. None of those people are previous business associates of lassie.net or Colliewoode Productions, nor were they involved in the many professional or personal experiences and decisions made by Bob and/or lassie.net during the years we worked together. It's a mystery how anyone who was not present and involved could possibly write about anything that happened between us. What we present on our site is not only the history and ongoing activities of Lassie, but is an autobiographical journey of our past 12+ years with Lassie, which includes 8 years of personal memories with Bob.

It's can be somewhat disturbing, yet humorous, to watch a fan in middle of the Midwest, who doesn't have all the facts, who was never involved, and is relying on heresay, creating fantasies and lies about us that are so different from reality. But it's not funny to see this kind of tactic being used in a way that presents Bob as a bitter, angry man who hates everyone who once worked with him and supported him for many years. As one of the most famous trainers in the world, Bob certainly does not need people to attack anyone's integrity in order for him to succeed in his new endeavors.

Bob deserves to be recognized for his body of work outside of Lassie and significant contribution to Lassie. He also deserves the opportunity to move into new ventures and be successful there as well. Those that think it's necessary to attack the integrity of others to lift Bob up have grossly underestimated Bob's talent. Regardless of what you may read elsewhere, we continue to wish Bob success now and in the future, and will always treasure our years together.

I want to be Lassie's Pal! How do I do it?

2007-08-30T13:38:00.001-07:00

Just send us your photo, name and city and state to LassieNet@aol.com , and we'll add you to the new Lassie Pals page! That's all there is to it!

I saw that there is now a Weatherwax collie kennel name granted by the AKC. Does this mean Lassie and all the line dogs are now AKC registered?

2007-08-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

No, none of the line dogs have ever been, and are not now, AKC registered.

According the AKC, Bob Weatherwax applied for the kennel name of Weatherwax and asked for a special exception to the usual breeder criteria because his family had been breeding collies for over 50 years. He was granted an exception based on the family's public record and all this does is reserve the name Weatherwax to him, and only for the collie breed. He couldn't use it to register Cairn Terriers for example, he'd have to re-apply for the kennel name under that breed. Anyone else could apply for the use of the name Weatherwax for a kennel for any other breed other than collies. This granting of a kennel name does not in any way deem Lassie, Bob's collie, or any of the other living line dogs, as AKC registered dogs.

How was Hey Hey selected to be Lassie?

2007-08-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

In the late 1990's the Lassie series being shot in Canada had replaced Lassie 8 after 26 episodes. They began shooting the next 13 episodes with collies they had purchased from a breeder in the midwest. It was the first time in history the part had not been played by a genetic line dog. A successful worldwide campaign was waged by http://www.lassie.net/ to restore the genetic line dog to the series.

At that time Bob Weatherwax asked longtime assistant Carol Riggins to take her genetic line dog to Canada to finish the series. This was the first time the 9th generation direct descendant was seen on screen, and HeyHey continues today as the Official Lassie. Although there are rumors floating on the net that HeyHey was not the dog Bob selected, the credits of the show clearly show the facts. Dogs were supplied by Weatherwax Trained Dogs. The Script Consultant was Robert Weatherwax and Owner/Trainer was Carol Riggins.

I read on another site that Lassie has a Roman nose. What is this and why are they saying it is bad?

2007-08-16T15:44:00.001-07:00

Jenna asked us this question and we appreciate you asking this question.

A Roman nose is a term used in the dog show world. In the sport of Conformation Show competition, dogs are judged on how close they come to a "standard" of perfection. Since no collie is perfect, all collies have some fault of one kind or another. A Roman nose refers to the angle of the nose and jaw and it is not "perfect" like the "standard". Other head faults are Two-Angled Head Borzoi-Type High Over Wavy Profile Dish Face Drop-Off Shark Jaw Slack Jaw Farm Shepherd Straight Line Long Stop. There are also faults for the eyes, ears and the rest of the dog's body, his movement and even his size.

The perfect ears are rarely genetic and require months and months of "training" the ears while they are a pup to tip over at the top. Many products from glues to apparatus are sold to help this process. Nothing can be surgically altered to meet the standard. Thus, the last dog that Bob Weatherwax worked as Lassie, named Laddie would be disqualified because of his surgically altered ears. Lassie 8, Howard, was thought by some to be grossly large (the largest Lassie ever) and not possessing what the show world would consider, good movement. Every Lassie has had his "faults" and every Lassie has had it's share of critics from the show/breed world.

Only those involved in conformation competition really care about this because that competition is about breeding a dog that comes close to a physical standard. It does not judge the intelligence, stamina, health and soundness of a dog and the judging is subjective to each individual judge's interpretation of the "standard" and their likes and dislikes. Responsible breeders breed for the entire dog, coming as close as possible to the physical standard but also breeding for intelligence, stamina, health and soundness. Every breeder has dogs they pick to compete for titles such as Best in Show that they think are the closest to the standard. Every other dog in the litter came from the same parents but some will be "show dogs" versus "pet dogs". It's all very subjective and up to the individual breeders interpretation of the "standard"

Collies are not judged on these physical factors in performance competition such as agility, obedience, rally, freestyle, only in the conformation ring. No Lassie has ever met the "standard" for one reason or another, and no Lassie has or ever will compete in conformation because the dogs must be AKC registered dogs. The only "standard" Lassie adheres to is the description of Lassie in the International Trademark of Lassie. A dog without a blaze would be a "pet dog" versus a possible candidate as Lassie because the blaze is required.

The first Lassie, Pal, was deemed a pet collie by his breeder and sold to a pet home before he was used as payment for a training bill the owner owed Rudd and Frank Weatherwax! The Collie Club of America has invited Lassie to appear many times at their events and even inducted Rudd Weatherwax as an honorary member, and Lassie has never even had AKC papers! Most importantly, remember Lassie has never been about first in a competition or being better than anybody else. Lassie has always been about being yourself, being the best you can be and about seeing the best in others. Every Lassie has been loved by millions around the world, and Lassie has been the biggest ambassador for the collie breed that has ever lived and no other collie can say that!

How do I schedule a Lassie appearance?

2007-08-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Drop us a note at LassieNet@aol.com and we will put you in contact with the official Lassie team.

I read an article where a collie judge said that Lassie couldn't be an AKC dog because of the white on her face. Is that true?

2007-08-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

No, that is absolutely false.

The AKC doesn't really care what a dog looks like. They register dogs based on registration papers. If the mother and father are registered with the AKC as collies, the pups are automatically assumed to be collies (another reason to buy your collie from a reputable breeder and not a pet shop). The AKC keeps "standards" of what the ideal collie should look like and those are formed in partnership with the Collie Club of America. White on the face is allowed and common in certain collie lines.

In the purebred world of show dogs, collies are judged based on the dog that comes closest to the "standard". Anything that deviates from that standard is called a "fault". The white blaze is not a fault.

Is Lassie a boy or a girl?

2007-08-01T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is probably the 2nd most asked question.

The character of Lassie, created by Eric Knight, is a female collie. Lassie is always portrayed onscreen as a female.

The actual dog has always been a male collie. Female collies shed their coat (blow coat) several times a year and would make them unsuitable to be ready to perform or appear at any time. Also, male collies are larger and can play opposite a child actor for a longer time before the public realizes the child is growing up.

I have an old Lassie collectible, can you tell me what it's worth?

2007-08-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

The owners of lassie.net have appeared worldwide on various TV shows featuring our massive collections and we have appraised Lassie collections for estates. It's difficult, if not impossible, for most Lassie collectibles to have a firm value, unless they are extremely rare.

Not that long ago you had to scour the antique shops to find anything from the lucrative days of the 50's and 60's when Jack Wrather handled the licensing of products. With the advent of eBay, prices stayed high for these items, but as time went on, and as Lassie's older fans aged and downsized, more people listed their old Lassie items, prices went down, the basic law of supply and demand. Items that just a year ago went for hundreds of dollars can now be found in large supply for less than $25-50. There are no official price guides, and even if there were, they would probably be outdated before they were printed. The current economy also affects all collectibles as prices drop when demand does.

We can tell you how rare an item is, and what we've seen it going for at current market value, and sometimes where you might find it, but cannot appraise anything without seeing it personally.

How does Lassie get around?

2007-08-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

When traveling to appearances Lassie may go by air or by land. When on the road, Lassie travels in her own luxurious RV!

Will Lassie 10 be a son of HeyHey?

2007-08-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

As long as Carol Riggins is contracted by Classic Media, HeyHey will be the father of Lassie 10, and future generations will carry on the long legacy of Lassie of passing the torch from father to son. HeyHey and Carol are busy training and selecting the next pup that may someday be Lassie 10.

Where can I find the new show with Lassie?

2007-08-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

Lassie and Dr Jeff Werber are starring in a new show on PBS called "Lassie's Pet Vet". The show will touch on a variety of pet care topics.

You can find a list of stations and when it will start airing here http://www.lassie.net/lpvstations072507.pdf

Why is Bob Weatherwax not listed as a trainer on your site?

2007-08-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

When lassie.net started, all content on our site and in "The Lassie Star" was approved by Bob Weatherwax. We had a page on our site since 1995 about Bob that he had approved. Recently, in 2007, seven years after the family sold "Lassie", and three years after Bob ended his personal business association with "Lassie", Bob requested to be removed from our site. We strongly disagreed with this as he is an important part of Lassie history that should not be forgotten. As the only site known by major media and fans worldwide for ALL things Lassie, it seemed wrong to remove him. However, we complied with his wishes and removed the specific page about him. We do however continue to mention him in history with facts that are public knowledge, and through our autobiographical experiences in both memories and photos. Both Rudd and Bob conducted their lives as public figures and were paid for their services, so we will continue to present the facts about Lassie's legacy. We will always treasure the special times we had with Bob and Lassie 8 and were truly blessed to have those experiences. We wish him well in his future non-Lassie ventures.

Was that the real Lassie in Sacramento protesting AB1634?

2007-08-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

No, that was not the official Lassie in Sacramento. Jon Provost and Bob Weatherwax went to the capitol to protest as private citizens and took one of Bob's dogs with them. Because of the long history of the Weatherwax family, many assumed it was Lassie, and some reports even called the dog Lassie, but in fact, the Weatherwax family has had no association with Lassie since 2003.

While Lassie's owner/trainer Carol Riggins, and the owners of lassie.net were also strongly opposed to the bill, in the long history of Lassie, Lassie has never been used as a tool for political purposes of any kind.