Is there anything better than the relationship between a man — or woman — and their beloved dog? If there is, most dog owners would be hard-pressed to think of what it could be. Many of us enjoy every aspect of a dog-centric existence, from caring for our favorite furry friends to keeping track of their many quirks and preferences.
Even though the dog in Netflix series It’s Bruno! is used as more of a plot device than a character in his own right (as any dog owner knows, dogs have well-developed personalities of their own), his owner Malcolm spends almost every waking minute with him. Malcolm is obsessed with giving Bruno the best life possible. And Bruno pays Malcolm back by just being his adorable self. Sound familiar? Here are 10 more things dog owners will relate to from It’s Bruno!
YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR DOG WAY TOO MUCH
Parents everywhere are guilty of being a bit long-winded about their children. But if you happen to be a child-free dog owner, like Malcolm, that impulse is replaced by your dog. On It’s Bruno!, Malcolm doesn’t talk about a whole lot besides his furry companion. Bruno’s schedule, his food, the places where he's allowed and not allowed to go, even the ins and outs of dog training are all major topics of conversation for Malcolm. Surprisingly, most of the people around him are interested in all the latest doggie details.
In real life, our friends may not be quite as charmed by our tales of our dogs' latest antics. That doesn’t mean we won’t be sharing them anyway. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to bask in the glow of the amazingness that is our dogs.
PEOPLE PET YOUR DOG WITHOUT ASKING
Look, we know our dogs are adorable, but people have a tendency to start man-handling them without asking. When that happens to Bruno, Malcolm illustrates the violation his dog is experiencing by petting the guilty party’s granddaughter. While that’s a little extreme, dog owners will appreciate the point he’s trying to make.
Not all dogs are people dogs. And even the most pro-people dogs have their off days. When a person asks before they start grabbing for our dogs, it lets us assess our dogs’ body language so we know if they're really in the mood to engage with a stranger. Sometimes they just aren’t, and we want to respect their wishes.
YOU GET ANNOYED WHEN OTHERS DON’T CLEAN UP AFTER THEIR DOGS
When a new dog owner moves to town on It's Bruno! and lets his greyhound leave his poop all over the neighborhood, Malcolm is rightly incensed. He mounts his own investigation into the source of this scourge and eventually finds the perpetrator — even though the man and his dog seem to have an almost unnatural ability to flee the scene of their crimes.
Dog owners who habitually clean up after their dogs can relate to Malcolm’s ire. While we’re working on the perfect bagging and discarding technique, these wayward owners are flaunting the rules… and getting away with it. Not only is it bad form, your dogs’ leavings can make ours sick. Not cool, people, not cool.
YOU DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SPARE YOUR DOG’S DIGNITY
Malcolm believes Bruno’s just as cute as Angie, the neighborhood dog who's attained celebrity status because she models for a popular brand of dog food. So he decides he’s going to make Bruno famous too. Things don’t quite go as planned, though. Instead of a respectable product, Bruno ends up being the face of a remedy for dogs who happen to eat their own, well, you know. Poor Bruno!
While Bruno doesn’t really care, Malcolm does what he can to save his dog’s dignity by buying all the cans of the product he can find. What proud dog owner would do any less? We want our dogs to be given the respect we believe they rightfully deserve. When they act ridiculous, bark at something silly, or otherwise engage in embarrassing shenanigans, we do our best to cover for them.
LOSING YOUR DOG IS TRAGIC
This one definitely isn’t hilarious, although the exaggerated way Malcolm handles the situation certainly is. When Bruno’s kidnapped, Malcolm loses the center of his world. Without Bruno, Malcolm experiences the swiftest, most spectacular downward spiral ever. In no time flat, he’s sleeping on the streets!
While most dog owners won’t fall that far if we lose our furry friends, we can certainly relate. Losing a dog, under any circumstances, is one of the biggest tragedies a dog owner can experience. It’s the inherent heartbreak of welcoming a dog into your life. Most of the time, your dog will leave you. When it happens, you feel lost and adrift without them. After all, your dog is an important member of your family. Their departure leaves a huge hole in your life and your heart.
YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR DOG
On It’s Bruno! when Malcolm needs to make plans, he talks it out with Bruno. And Bruno’s a pretty good listener, even if he may not be all that interested in what Malcolm’s saying.
Malcolm and Bruno aren’t alone. What dog owner hasn’t periodically caught themselves telling their dog all about their plans for the future or regaling them with the story of their day? Sure, our dogs may not understand, but they tend to be pretty interested in their favorite humans, which is all the encouragement many of us need to start talking. Besides, sometimes our dogs are better listeners than other humans.
A SHOCKING AMOUNT OF YOUR MONEY GOES TO YOUR DOG
Throughout It’s Bruno!, Malcolm does what he can to get Bruno everything he could possibly need. He buys him fancy Italian dog food, runs all over town searching for his favorite turkey meat, and spares no expense at the veterinarian (which is frickin’ expensive).
Dog owners everywhere can relate. Between dog food, grooming, treats, toys, and vet bills, keeping our dogs healthy and happy can sometimes lead to a bit of sticker shock. Still, just like Malcolm, when it comes down to it, if our dog needs something we’ll figure out a way to make it happen — no matter how costly it is.
YOUR DOG HAS INEXPLICABLE RIVALRIES WITH OTHER DOGS
Malcolm and Bruno visit the park one day, only to come upon a dog that doesn’t like the look of Bruno. The dog barks his head off and the show’s subtitles helpfully translate all the ways the dog is threatening Bruno.
Whether another dog decides they hate your dog, your dog decides they hate another dog, or the feeling’s mutual, these doggie rivalries are just another part of owning a dog. We may not understand exactly why these rivalries happen, but they can be intense. Sometimes the best we can do is just roll our eyes.
YOU HAVE INEXPLICABLE RIVALRIES WITH OTHER DOG OWNERS
For every ridiculous rivalry between two dogs, there’s another one between dog owners. Throughout It’s Bruno!, Malcolm and Harvey maintain an unstated but deep-seated competition. First it was over whose dog could do more tricks, then it was about which dog was the better model, and then Harvey followed Malcolm into the dog-walking business and poached many of Malcolm’s clients.
Real-life dog owners sometimes do the same, even if it’s in spite of ourselves. We get jealous when we see people acting like our rival’s dog is cuter than ours and we become indignant when someone points out how well-behaved some other dog is without acknowledging our dog’s good behavior. It may seem silly, but we just want everyone to realize what we already know: our dog is the best.
PEOPLE ARE A LOT MORE INTERESTED IN YOUR DOG THAN YOU
Everyone in Malcolm’s Brooklyn neighborhood knows him and Bruno, but still, they mostly comment on the dog. When Malcolm meets someone new, they almost inevitably ask about Bruno first.
This is the irony of being a dog owner. We meet lots of people, but mostly they just want to know about our dogs. People ask for our dog’s name but fail to ask for ours. They're often curious about our dog's gender and breed but couldn’t care less about what we do or where we’re from. Honestly, we don’t really mind. We’ll tell you everything we know about our dog's history if you let us.