Dogs

January is “National Train Your Dog Month,” an activity that can lead to a surprising outcome.

In 2011 a writer named Susan Orleans published a book on Rin-Tin-Tin. In the book she tells of an American soldier fighting in France during World War I who adopted a German Shepherd pup, brought it back to California, trained it, and the dog appeared in 23 silent films for Warner Brothers, becoming the most famous dog in the world and the number one box office star.

In the 1960’s another Rin-Tin-Tin had his own television show, as did Rudd Weatherwax’s collie, Lassie, a show that appeared in black a...