The show was the brainchild of television producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax. They created a story about a struggling midwestern farm family and its dog. Weatherwax's dog actor Pal was chosen to play the title character. Pal had played Lassie in the seven MGM movies about the dog character. Pal made the two pilots for the television series, and then retired. The television Lassies that followed were all descendants of Pal, all were male, and all were trained by Weatherwax.