Outlander
In Diana Gaboldon’s series Outlander, the character Young Ian Murray comes to own a wolfhound-wolf cross whom he names Rollo. When STARZ produced Outlander as a TV series based on the books, the showrunners chose to use a Northern Inuit instead, introducing the dog Rollo in Season 4 when Young Ian won him in a card game.
The breed was chosen because of its wolfy look and because of its temperament and trainability.
According to the Outlander Wiki, Rollo was primarily played by a Northern Inuit dog named Dui (short for Mac Dubh). Because dogs often grow quickly or need breaks, another Northern Inuit dog named Whisky shared the role during the early seasons, and a dog named Yogi Bear also stepped in.
While Rollo is described as an Irish Wolfhound-wolf hybrid in the novels, the production chose Northern Inuits for their wolf-like appearance and highly trainable nature.
The following clips give some idea of Northern Inuits in action!
The character Young Ian Murray wins the wolf-dog Rollo in a card game against a crooked player.
Later in the series, Young Ian leaves Rollo with his fiancee Rachel.
RESOURCES
Reiher, Andrea. 2018. Why Outlander’s Rollo Is Not the Irish Wolfhound You Pictured from the Books. Popsugar. https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/what-breed-dog-rollo-outlander-45448637.
Outlander Wiki: https://outlander.fandom.com/f/t/Rollo
