Dogs don’t take anything for granted. Michael Killen, the director of the film, believes this. The story of Downward Dog tells the tale of a dog called Martin and his owner, a young girl named Nan.
Downward Dog was originally created by Animal, Inc. will be coming to ABC in the spring.
Killen is a specialist in talking animals. He’s the brains behind the Taco bell Chihuahua campaign and the California Cheese campaign. Martin is a talking dog character for adults.
Sadie is the dog owned by Killen’s sister-in-law. Samm Hodges voices this role. The director chose her because of her expressive face. “Her eyes tell the tale,” he says. Sadie had a scare with cancer when they made Downward Dog. This became part of Martin’s story.
Martin is an incredibly thoughtful dog. Martin has even a therapist. Killen tells the audience, “We have found that after working on this topic for so many years that a dog is capable of saying some amazing and selfish words that would seem shallow coming from an human.” While the joke is funny, it’s quite touching as we watch Martin grow and mature.
The Downward Dog takes you through the familiar rhythms of animal ownership: the walks, meals and naps. Martin’s tale, like many dog stories, is made up of ordinary moments. But he makes each one special. All he cares for is his relationship with Nan.
Sadie died before her show could reach the top. The people behind Downward Dog saved the actor who plays Martin from an animal shelter after he waited for over a year.
“I think that when we see the feelings that we have as modern-day humans through an animal’s eyes, who just wants food, love and trust, we appear petty,” Killen says. “We forget that at our core, we are animals too.”