Tuffy was a "common cow dog," in the words of his trainer, Ger Orvedahl. Tuffy was born circa 1930 near Faith, South Dakota, and was given to Ger as a puppy. Ger, thirty-four years old in 1930, trained Tuffy to help him on the family cattle ranch. Tuffy was a working dog; not only did he learn to herd stock, but he became an extra hand on the ranch, accomplished at retrieving objects, delivering objects, and obeying a wide range of commands without hesitation. When Ger's health began to fail, the family pulled up stakes for Hollywood. Between 1935 and 1941, Tuffy appeared

in more than two dozen feature-length films and several serials.

This Web site tells the story of Tuffy. It has three parts:

• Filmography lists the films in which Tuffy appeared and the names of his human costars, which include Henry Fonda and Fred MacMurray. The films are arranged by year of theatrical release. Under filmography you will also find details about several of the more important pictures, including

  
  

  • The Mighty Treve
  • Trail of the Lonesome Pine
  • Stagecoach Days




• Orvedahl Family History: From the Prairie to Hollywood recounts Ger's evolution from cattle rancher to showman. Included are anecdotes from ranch life, Tuffy's first perfomances around Faith, circumstances surrounding the decision to leave for Hollywood, and how they got their lucky break once they arrived.




• The Orvedahl Method of Training a Puppy, the full text of a puppy-training manual that Ger wrote a few years before he died.