What breed is Max from The Grinch? This is the most asked question after this fantasy drama film was released. In this article, we will talk about the dog breed shown in this movie which is produced by Brian Grazer, Imagine Entertainment, and Ron Howard.
The writer of the movie Theodor “Ted” Geisel took the idea from his father’s 1957 book. The Grinch is directed by Ron Howard and it stars Jim Carrey, Jeffry Tambor, Laraine Newman, Bill Irwin, Christine Baranski, Molly Shinners, and Taylor Momsen.
Max is a pet dog of the Grinch who lives in a cave, the character Grinch hates Christmas and tries to stop the people of Whoville from celebrating it. Now that you know a little bit about the background, let’s learn about what dog breed is Max from The Grinch.
What breed is Max from The Grinch?
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Max is of mixed breed and is played by many different dogs in this movie. He is partially a hound and could perhaps be partially a Great Dane, Newfoundland, or mastiff, however, his exact lineage is still not known. In the movie, Max can understand human emotions and speech and is quite attached to his owner.
The dog who played Max is named Spenser, it is a male Shetland Sheepdog who was only 6 years old at that time. After some time, two more dogs both female Shetland Sheepdogs were added to the cast. One was used for indoor and another one was used for outdoor shoots.
While talking about what breed is Max from The Grinch, many people believe that Max is a Terrier mix which is a result of mating another type of dog breed with a Terrier and they are of different sizes and appearances. However, it is not confirmed.
Moreover, it is not easy to point out Terrier mixes just by looking but still a lot of people think that Max is a Terrier mix. As Airedale Terriers are the largest ones and Max is also quite big, he might be part Airedale Terrier.
Other characteristics of this breed, such as intellect and the capacity to do particular tasks, also fit Max. The deep loyalty of the Terrier mix is another reason why people think Max is close to this breed as he is loyal to his owner Grinch.
Is Max played by more than one dog?
In addition to the answer of what dog breed is Max from The Grinch, you might know that the role of Max in this movie is played by more than one dog. The dogs who played Max apart from Kelly are named Topsy, Zelda, Bo, Chip, and Stella. One funny thing about this role is that Max is shown as a male dog in the movie and it is mostly played by female dogs.
The dogs are trained by Roger Schumacher which took almost 4 months, after all, it is not easy to train dogs to stay on the set and to make them comfortable with the actors. The trainer did a pretty good job. Every dog who appeared in this movie had unique talents, for example, Bo was a great sleigh puller and Stella excelled at recording her barks.
Role of Max in The Grinch:
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Now we know that Max is mostly played by Kelly, let’s have a look at his role in the movie, if you haven’t watched this movie yet then this heading is for you. Max is the lead character of the movie who helped The Grich to steal Christmas from the people of Whoville.
He stayed devoted and loyal to his master despite ups and downs and this is why people who watched the movie asked what breed is Max from The Grinch, maybe they want to get the same breed of dog. Max helped the Grinch a lot in making the right decisions and giving him suggestions by blinking or barking.
Many times when the Grinch treated Max badly or showed grumpiness, he still showed unconditional love, attention, and care towards his owner. The way that Max’s character is shown in the movie is a true example of the nature of dogs and their loyalty towards their owners and it doesn’t matter how they are treated, they still fulfill their duties wholeheartedly.
How Max was treated in Real Life?
The abandoned dogs who worked in this movie are treated with love and care by all the people on the set. Humane Hollywood is an organization that takes care of these pets so that they aren’t treated badly during the shooting of films. This company is doing a pretty good job of protecting the rights of animal actors.
They are always present and keep monitoring the behavior of people on the set towards these animal actors. Before that, there were many cases of animals being treated poorly on the sets, and their well-being was compromised but now no such thing happens because of organizations that are working hard to reach their goal of protecting animal rights.
They also do not allow the filmmakers to force animals to perform dangerous stunts that could lead to injuries. Do you know that all the dogs who played Max used to watch the makeover of Jim Carrey (The Grinch) so that they don’t get frightened when they see him in the final look of Grinch which is quite scary? That’s right and we think this was the best thing about this show.
Now you know what dog breed is Max from The Grinch and how the dog actors were treated on the set. For pet lovers, it is such a relief to know that all the dogs were also comfortable with the accessories that were used on them. All the risky scenes were followed by precautions to protect them from falling or getting any injury.
How Max was rewarded on the set of The Grinch?
The training of the dog is incomplete without rewarding treats and they deserve to be appreciated when they do something good. On the set of The Grinch, all the dogs were treated this way, their training was fun as they got treats every time they performed the task correctly.
During the long scenes when Max had to pay attention for a long time, he was given more treats by the trainer so that he could be more attentive. All of this happened during the rehearsals so when the actual scene happened, he knew that he’d be rewarded so he performed the tasks and scenes correctly.
Additionally, the trainer held treats in his hands while Max was wearing a hard hat and holding a wrench in the cave scene so that the dog would know he would undoubtedly receive treats if he performed properly.
Did Max wear fake Ears?
Apart from wearing fake ears, the dogs who played Max were trained to perform tasks with the accessories including fake antlers. It was a headpiece that was designed in a way to look exactly like antlers.
Max also wore harnesses to make sure he stayed safe during the flying scenes, it was covered in his fur. The fake ears and other things fit so perfectly that they didn’t fall off during any scene.
Had Max been harmed during the Movie?
After knowing what breed is Max from The Grinch, many viewers are concerned about the wellness of the Max on the set. People who read its book or watched the movie know that Max was kicked by the Grinch which was very heartbreaking but thankfully no dog was harmed during the shooting.
Wrapping Up:
We hope that now you have a clear answer of what breed is Max from The Grinch and now you know that it was played by many different dogs. The origin of the Max is still unknown but it is confirmed that he is of mixed breed.
The dogs who played Max were treated rightly on the set and were given appreciation, love, and care. If you are a pet owner then have a look at only natural pet reviews, you will surely find them useful.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Max a real dog in the Grinch?
Yes, Max is played by real by different dogs in the 2000 live-action film that starred Jim Carrey. All the dog actors were rescued and they are of mixed breed.
Why did Max bite The Grinch?
Max wanted to stop the Grinch from crushing Cindy Lou so he bit him in the butt in order to stop him. Otherwise, he was very loyal to him and took care of the Grinch.
Who is the voice actor of the Max in The Grinch?
The voice actor of Max is the famous Frank Welker who voiced many other characters in different movies.
