I watched the movie "The Courage of Lassie" on TCM today, the 1946 film with a young Elizabeth Taylor and was wondering what the details of origin were. I was fascinated that in the 1946 film Lassie is a male-pup of Mary that is left behind when the dog's owner finds Mary and takes what pups he can find on a boat back to her home. The pup then wonders through the forest and is accidentally shot by hunters. Picked-up and nursed back to help by Kathie (Elizabeth Taylor), she names HIM Bill. Bill grows and loves Kathy, becoming a fine sheepdog. But when herding some sheep across a road gets hit by a truck and is taken to a facility where he recovers only to be claimed by the US Army for canine training. He thus becomes Duke and fights overseas against Japanese occupation. Kathy thinks he was stolen and yet still holds out hope. The dog is given an inked tattoo with ID #688X8. He escapes on the way home from a train and follows his instincts back to Kathie. Accused of cattle butchery (to survive) the dog is to be judged and destroyed. But the military ID saves him at the last minute and he returns to an overjoyed Kathie. I was amazed that the origin of the name Lassie was never explained and that they used a male dog. Of course, for the tv series they used male dogs too, covering up the genitalia with extra fur and shooting at angles!!! So this is the origin of my song parody...

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/5100000/Courage-of-Lassie-elizabeth-taylor-5134661-1024-768.jpg