He called them Rin Tin Tin and Nanette, after the good-luck charms that were popular with soldiers in France-a pair of dolls, made of yarn or silk, named in honor of two young lovers who, it was said, had survived a bombing in a Paris railway station at the start of the war. He thought about that luck when it came to naming the two puppies he eventually kept for himself-the prettiest ones, a male and a female. He marvelled at the story, turning it over like a shiny stone, watching it catch the light. But hiding nearby was a starving, frantic German shepherd female and a litter of five puppies.įrom the moment he found the dogs, Duncan considered himself a lucky man. As he strolled around, he saw a hellish image of slaughter: about a dozen dogs, killed by artillery shells. “I came upon what might have been headquarters for some working dogs,” he wrote. His account of this time is soldierly and understated, but he vividly recalled the morning of September 15, 1918, when he was sent to inspect the ruins of a German encampment. He was assigned to the 135th Aero Squadron, as a gunnery corporal, and was sent to the French front. It wasn’t until three years later that she would reclaim them. Neither she nor the children knew if they would ever be reunited. She left them in an orphanage in Oakland. In thousands of pages, which include a detailed memoir-a rough draft for the autobiography he planned to write and the movie he hoped would be made about his life-there is only one reference to his father, and even that is almost an aside.Īfter Grant abandoned Elizabeth, she was unable to care for her children. Lee was a great keeper of notes and letters and memos and documents. The next year, Grant took off and was never heard from again. Lee was born in 1893, followed, three years later, by his sister, Marjorie. Lee’s mother, Elizabeth, had married his father, Grant Duncan, when she was eighteen, in 1891. The family ranched, farmed, scratched out some kind of living.

One of his grandmothers was a Cherokee, and one grandfather had come west with Brigham Young. Lee Duncan was a country boy, a third-generation Californian. In most other circumstances, the valley-plush and undulating, checkered with dairy farms-would have been inviting, but it rolls to the German border, and in 1918 it was at the center of the First World War. The Meuse Valley was a terrible place to be born that year. The exact date isn’t certain, but when Leland Duncan found the puppy, on September 15th, he was still blind and nursing, and was nearly bald. Rin Tin Tin was born on a battlefield in the Meuse Valley, in eastern France, in September, 1918. His owner, Lee Duncan (right, in 1927), was devoted to him. He is an expert on animal aggression and has a deep passion for animal training.Rin Tin Tin, a German shepherd, made twenty-three silent films. Joel is the most knowledgeable and skilled animal training professional in the San Diego area. With a deep profound love for dogs, and more than five years of Killer Whale training experience, Joel decided to bring his knowledge and expertise to training dogs. Joel Beckman has developed a one of a kind unique dog training program that’s derived from his diverse education, training and employment. This is the preferred method for most marine mammal trainers, big cat trainers, therapy dog trainers, agility trainers, search and rescue trainers and many other animal training professionals. Joel uses positive reinforcement training. This job not only allowed Joel to train and perform with Killer Whales, but it’s also where Joel met the love of his life. This experience led to Joel’s next position as a Killer Whale trainer at a world famous theme park in San Diego, California. At this one of a kind animal program Joel learned about conservation, educating the public, veterinary practices, proper cleaning procedures, animal ethics, entertainment and of course animal training. While receiving an exotic animal education and training degree from Moorpark College, Joel Beckman devoted several years to training, caring for and performing with big cats, monkeys, camels, birds and many other exotics. Joel does In-Home Sessions, Online Consults & Sessions, Private Sessions at the Ramona Facility, and Group Classes at the Ramona Facility. Joel specializes in working with reactive & aggressive dogs, but can help with any form of training.

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