United Kingdom, June 12 -- Gerard Butler says the emotional heart of How to Train Your Dragon is linked to his rescue dog Shushka.

The 55-year-old actor, who plays the Viking warrior Stoick in the upcoming live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, said he relates more to his character's son, Hiccup -portrayed in the new film by 16-year-old Mason Thames - than to the dragon-hunting chief he plays on screen.

Talking about making the film during an appearance on the Today show, during which he held up a picture of his rescue dog, the actor said: "This is actually the day I met Shushka. We were in the middle of nowhere in Bulgaria and I found this stray dog who was pretty ill and just immediately fell in love with her."

How to Train...