The dog, Old Yeller, although described in the dialogue as a mongrel, is portrayed by a 170-pound Yellow Mastador (Labrador Retriever/English Mastiff cross) and, in the book by Fred Gipson, is a Black-Mouthed Cur, a similar looking but less bulky breed.
Was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 2019. It was the first live action Disney film with no animated sequences to be preserved.
Although the movie is based in Texas, it was filmed in California.
Beverly Washburn was a long time friend of "Old Yeller" co-star Tommy Kirk until the day he died, and confirmed that he passed away "peacefully" at his home in Las Vegas on Tuesday night 9/28/2021 at age 79. She, who also resides in Las Vegas, and Kirk were set to participate in an upcoming "Old Yeller" reunion.
More than 60 years after its original release, Disney continues to license the name "Disney's Old Yeller" to a dog food manufacturer who uses that as the brand name for their product.