Why Does War Horse's Matt Doyle Regret Teaching His Dog a Stage Trick?

After a two-show day, Broadway’s pet-owning performers love nothing more than coming home to their number one fan: a loyal four-legged friend. In honor of the annual Broadway Barks dog and cat adoption event, coming up on July 9 in Shubert Alley, we asked stage stars to show their puppy—and kitty!—love by telling us all about their furry pals.

MATT DOYLE (Billy Narracott in War Horse)

What is your pet’s name and breed?
Jacob is my older dog. He's four years old, 10 pounds, and is a Dachshund/Maltese mix. Laila is my younger dog. She's only a year. I have no idea what she is! She behaves more like a jungle cat than a dog.

How did your pet get its name?
When they were puppies, I tried to spend a week or two with them to see what stuck or made sense. Jacob's name came to my mind pretty immediately and totally fit. Although, my old roommate and I did think he looked a lot like the fox from the movie Labyrinth. We were convinced he had to have the same name. When we looked that character's name up, we found out it was Sir Didymus. I wasn't going to name my dog Sir Didymus. Laila is a gorgeous dog. She has big yellow eyes and is very striking. I wanted her to have a really pretty name to match her pretty features.

What is your pet’s favorite pastime?
Jacob's favorite pastime is making sure that he's witnessed every single move I make. I can't go anywhere in the apartment without him by my side. Laila's favorite past time is the dog park. You're not allowed to say "park" around her.

Does your pet know any tricks?
Just the basics. I recently taught Laila to "weigh up" like Albert teaches Joey in War Horse. Now all she does is jump up. I regret this.

What’s the funniest thing your pet has done?
Whenever we go to the park, Jacob tries to keep Laila in check. Mind you, he's 10 pounds and she's psychotic. One day, a bigger dog was wrestling with Laila and getting pretty rough. Jacob hopped off my lap and ran across the park. He raised his little chest and barked the loudest bark I'd ever heard from him. What was amazing is that the two actually stopped wrestling and walked away from each other. I would love to know what was said.

What’s the naughtiest thing your pet has done?
Let's just say I used to have another chair in my living room before Laila arrived.

Do you look like your pet?
Jacob looks like how I looked high school. Shaggy hair, disheveled, and a little awkward. I'm jealous of Laila's bone structure.