From the ArcaMax Publishing, Cats & Dogs Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/catsanddogs/s-173666-120833
Rin Tin Tin was one of the earliest canine stars of screen and radio.
He was found as a shell-shocked pup found by American Lee Duncan in a
bombed-out dog kennel in Lorraine, France.
Named for a puppet called Rintintin, the dog returned at war's end
with Duncan to his home in Los Angeles, California. Nicknamed Rinty by
his owner, the dog learned tricks and could leap 11 feet 9 inches. He
was seen performing at a dog show by film producer Charles Jones, who
paid Duncan to film Rinty. The dog's big break came when he stepped in
for a recalcitrant wolf in The Man From Hell's River (1922).
Rin Tin Tin would be cast as a wolf or wolf-hybrid many times in his
career, despite looking little to nothing like one. He also had his
own radio show in 1930, called The Wonder Dog, on which he did his own
sound effects. Rin Tin Tin was honored with a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame at 1623 Vine St.