How Movie Dogs Become Believable — Insider Confessions | Mathilde de Cagny - Behind the Gate

What if every “cute trick” on screen is actually a carefully sculpted performance — and what it takes to get there can break or build an animal’s life?

On this episode of Behind the Gate, we sit down with Mathilde de Cagny, Animal trainer for film and TV, who translates canine body language into unforgettable screen moments while refusing to sacrifice safety or soul. From growing up in France to teaching 80 distinct behaviors for a lead role in Hollywood, Mathilde pulls back the curtain on the quiet craft that creates on-screen magic.

Scenes you'll remember:
• 🎄 “Santa Ambush” (00:08) — a Jack Russell meets a moving prop and chaos becomes comedy.
• 🐕 Stray deep-dive (00:16–00:19) — 80 behaviors, months of shaping, and why some dogs are “workaholics.”
• ⛔ Safety standoff (00:14) — when Mathilde calls a hard NO and production must listen.

What you’ll learn:
• How trainers read and ‘translate’ what a dog is saying without human projection. 🔍
• Why rescues often become the best on-set stars — and how matching personality beats breed hype. ❤️
• Prep checklists, camera-adjustments, and backup plans that prevent set chaos. 🛠️
• Where VFX/AI are helping — and what they risk taking away from the craft.

If you care about animals, filmmaking, or the untold labor behind tiny screen moments — don’t skip this one. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who loves dogs, and join us in insisting safety and respect be louder than spectacle.

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