Benji was the name of a canine character in several very popular movies. The dogs that played Benji were so cute and so smart that it’s only natural that many people want to have a dog like him.

So what kind of dog is Benji?

Unfortunately, answering that question isn’t as easy as it sounds, because the dogs that played the part in the movies were strays. The first dog to play the character of Benji was named Higgins. His trainer, Frank Inn, found him in a kennel in Burbank, California.

The trainer was often asked what kind of dog he was, and his best guess was a cross between a miniature schnauzer, miniature poodle, and cocker spaniel. Let’s call it a “cockasch noodle”, just for fun.

Benji wasn’t the only role Higgins played. He was also a regular guest on the TV show. petticoat crossingwhich was popular in the 1960s. Higgins’s first film appearance was in 1971 as a character in mooch goes to hollywood. He was 15 years old and officially “retired” when he was recruited to play in the first Benji movie.

Higgins’ daughter then took over the role and played the role of Benji in movies from 1977 to 1989. He looked a lot like Higgins, except his fur was softer and fluffier, and he had a white patch on his muzzle. Because she started playing the role when she was only 11 months old, she was called “Benji” both in real life and in the movies.

When the role was taken on for the film. Benji: No leash! In 2004, another shelter dog was recruited for the role. A nationwide search for the perfect dog took three months and was widely reported in an effort to encourage others to adopt shelter dogs. Finally, a mongrel dog that looked good (and was easy to train) was found at the Humane Society of Southern Mississippi in Gulfport.

And that brings us back to our original question: what kind of dog is Benji? And answer – everyone the dogs that have played Benji in the movies have been mutts. And with the exception of Higgins’ daughter, they have all been adopted from an animal shelter, where many lovable, trainable and devastatingly cute dogs now await a permanent home.