I thought I might add here that I know the point of this movie wasn’t about dogs or Great Danes in particular. Because I love dogs, I was focused on the star Apollo rather than the star(s) Naomi Watts and Bill Murray & their life purpose issues. To me, those points were a sub plot. The main plot was - who is going to take care of your pets when you’re gone? Something for all of us pet owners to plan for. I have. Have you?

I loved that movie. The dog was a major bonus.

I'm 74 and when Carmelita passed in July, I decided no more animals. But currently sitting in my lap is a 6 year old rescue toy poodle. I'm thinking I should be able to outlive her but if not, I have family that will take her.

We have no idea what the future holds.

@murraysmom Zone 6a OH It makes me smile to know that you have a doggie in your lap. I’ve no doubt she adds so much joy to your life. Adopting a rescue is so great & it’s a perfect plan for your life. I’ve no doubt you had the same thought process as we did when we adopted Whisper, a retired 5 year old show dog from a preservation breeder. We had lost Ginger rather suddenly & were lost and bereft. Whisper saved us & we gave her a nice new life.

@Ninapearl That Jimmy Fallon video is hilarious! It’s pretty obvious that Naomi became pretty attached to Bing. I remember that Bing & Frank were litter mates. Their bond has to be believed by everyone when Frank reacts to Bing when hearing him on TV. Watching this movie was a nice way to spend an evening. I wouldn’t have known of it if you hadn’t posted about it & wouldn’t have been able to watch it if my DH wasn’t so nice to order it for us.

@Ninapearl - I've never heard the term "preservation breeder" but I realize that describes the woman who bred both of our Aussies. They are related by a grandmother. We had to sign a contract similar to what you describe about returning the dogs to her if we were no longer able to care for them, and we have it in our wills. She also required that we not have either of our boys neutered until they were 2 years old to allow them to develop fully and also in the event she wanted to bank their sperm for her breeding program. She has many awards and is a passionate breeder. We are fortunate to live with two of her "pet puppies".

I must add that the novel “The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez is a really wonderful read. She’s one of my favorite writers.

@KW PNW Z8 naomi did become very attached to bing and became quite protective of him during their time together. any time they were filming out on the streets of new york, there were guards at every corner and following closely behind them to make sure that no loose dogs approached them or that any people got too close.

you'll probably remember the scene in the movie where she comes home and finds him sprawled out on her bed and proceeds to to tell him "bad dog!!". when that scene was filmed, she had to only "mouth" the words which were later added to the soundtrack because bing is allowed on the furniture in his real home, including beds, and they didn't want to confuse him or hurt his feelings.

danes typically draw a lot of attention just because people don't often see them out and about but when you add in a movie star and a dog that has such a huge "presence" as bing has, it becomes tenfold.

@seagrass "preservation" is just another way of saying "reputable". many of the long-time breeders i know prefer to use "preservation" because it more accurately describes their passion for keeping their particular breed's original characteristics (both physical and temperament-wise) that, more or less, were the reasons for that breed's creation.

i'm sure you've seen the memes of wolves laying on couches with a caption that reads "we used to be wild but then we discovered you have couches!" danes were originally bred to hunt and take down wild boars as well as be guardians of estates but then they, too, discovered that we have couches! 🤣

This is our younger Aussie - the older guy never gets on the sofa (he likes to sploot with his belly on the tile floor). I took the blanket off of the cushions to wash it and didn't get it back on soon enough. He's snuggled on my fleece sweatshirt.

@Ninapearl I do remember that scene very well! I was horrified & wondered how poor Bing felt about hearing her tone & seeing her looking right at him. Thank you for explaining how the scene was managed. There are so many movie scenes with animals where the scenes look horrific & I know that they do have people who make sure those animals are safe & cared for. Hearing your explanation makes me believe that really is a true statement.

yup, not only are there representatives present to make sure animals are treated properly, bing's owner never let him out of her sight the entire time they were away from home which involved many weeks of filming in new york and then the numerous talk show appearances he made.

oftentimes, there were quick shots of bev leading bing on to the stage to where naomi was sitting. for reasons of how guests on these shows are booked/arranged, bev was never interviewed during the segments but she was always just offstage with eyes on him 100% of the time. bev and bing are so bonded, there were times when she needed to stay hidden from his view lest he try to go to where she was during filming but even during those times, she never took her eyes from him.