‘Bridgerton’ Season 3: Will Newton Return? Dog Trainer Joanna Mayston Stays Tight-Lipped
Bridgerton Season 2 introduced a beloved new character named Newton. Austin, the corgi, played Newton, Kate Sharma’s beloved pet and a worthy adversary to Anthony Bridgerton. Newton captured fans’ hearts with his on-screen antics, but dog trainer Joanna Mayston won’t reveal if Austin is reprising his role.
Austin, the corgi, plays Newton in ‘Bridgerton’
When Kate Sharma headed to London to find a perfect match for her sister, she couldn’t do so without her trusty dog Newton. The adorable corgi was said to be an excellent judge of character, and he certainly had his doubts about Anthony Bridgerton.
Austin, the dog who plays Newton, had a natural talent for showing his distaste for Anthony. Dog trainer Joanna Mayston told Entertainment Weekly that Austin typically “revs up” or admits a low growl before barking. This meant that, unlike in many cases, production didn’t need to add sound effects to create Newton’s growl.
The most effective way to train Austin for the Netflix series was with food. “There’s a lot of sausage involved,” Mayston told EW. “Primarily cocktail sausage, but any sausage will do. We train them with a few basic behaviors. Things like going to a mark, doing ‘stays,’ going with people that aren’t necessarily us. A few little tricks like how to speak on command.”
Will Newton return for ‘Bridgerton’ Season 3?
While Austin was incredibly talented with an easygoing temperament, having a dog on set has its own challenges. Mayston had to feed Austin frequently on set to keep him from barking between takes.
“He knew I was going to feed him to shut him up because I didn’t have time to take him away,” the dog trainer told EW. Mayston also had to eventually warn cast members not to pet Austin while in costume, as his fur would end up stuck to their elegant outfits.
At the end of Bridgerton Season 2, Kate and Anthony married and seemingly still live at the Bridgerton estate. Since Newton is Kate’s dog, it seems likely that he will return in season 3. Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley have already confirmed their return for the new season.
“We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,” Ashley told Deadline. “In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting.”
“I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in Season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.” Unfortunately, during her interview with Entertainment Weekly, Joanna Mayston would only reply that she is not at liberty to say whether Newton returns for season 3.
Bridgerton fans would like to see Newton return
Although we don’t yet know if Newton will be back for Bridgerton Season 3, many fans would like to see him return. “Having a dog on set might be difficult, but I would love to see Newton cause mayhem with the Bridgerton siblings,” one Reddit user wrote.
“Have him chew up Benedict’s art. Eat Colin’s food. Pee on Anthony’s shoes. Hide Eloise’s books. He has such potential.”
All episodes of Bridgerton are currently streaming on Netflix.
