You don’t see a lot of dogs in Shakespeare’s plays. Actually, you don’t see any — except Crab.

In all the histories, tragedies, comedies and tragicomedies, a dog makes an appearance in only one: “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” which Shakespeare on the Sound is presenting this month in Rowayton. The dog, Crab, has no lines and only one scene, but it seems inevitable that Oliver, the shaggy 65-pound mutt who plays him, will be an audience favorite.

“His gait and attitude are very comical, which makes him a natural comedian,” said William Berloni, the Tony Award-honored animal trainer, who described Oliver as a lover of humans, which is crucial for a canine actor. “Because performing dogs are surrounded by people, they have to be kind,” Mr. Berloni said.

Image William Berloni with Oliver, who is in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” Credit... Tony Award Productions

Crab isn’t treated particularly well. Just after his entrance, with his owner, Launce, a clownish servant, he is insulted. “I think Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives,” Launce (played by Tom Pecinka) announces. The animal’s crime? During an emotional family scene, the dog “sheds not a tear nor speaks a word.” Even the cat, Launce says, was “wringing her hands.”