Michael Douglas says he didn't like his canine co-star in 'And So It Goes'

NEW YORK, July 11 (UPI) -- Actor Michael Douglas had nothing but high praise for his And So It Goes director Rob Reiner and co-star Diane Keaton, however, he was less complimentary about the troublesome Rottweiler who stole several scenes in the romantic comedy.

"That dog was the biggest pain in the ass!" Douglas declared during a round-table interview with reporters in New York this week.

"Who auditioned this dog? This [expletive] dog can't do anything. Anything," he said, acknowledging the breed of dog is notoriously hard to train. "It was a bad call. The dog was the only miscast, bad thing. We worked around it. I'm sure Rob wouldn't tell you, but that was left up to somebody who didn't know what they were doing. This dog could not do anything. Normally, these dogs -- [their trainers] read the script and they know there are certain things they've got to do. Nothing!"

In the film, Douglas plays Oren, a grumpy widower suddenly charged with caring for his 9-year-old granddaughter Sarah, played by Sterling Jerins, when his estranged son Luke, played by Scott Shepherd, goes to jail. Diane Keaton plays Oren's next-door neighbor Leah, a lounge singer with a heart of gold.

The dog is a stray Sarah adopts as a pet shortly after she arrives.

And So It Goes opens nationwide July 25.