The Dog (Puppy/Teddy) Symbol in Funny You Should Ask: Companionship, Domesticity, and Lost Time

The Dog (Puppy/Teddy) as a Symbol of Companionship, Domesticity, and Lost Time in Funny You Should Ask

In Elissa Sussman's Funny You Should Ask, the dog that Gabe Parker adopts—first an unnamed puppy, later named Teddy—functions as a quiet but persistent symbol. She appears in both the past and present timelines, and her physical transformation from a ten-week-old puppy to an older, graying dog mirrors the decade that separates the two weekends. More than a pet, Teddy embodies Gabe's longing for a normal, grounded life, his capacity for tenderness, and the unspoken bond he shares with Chani Horowitz. Through her recurrence, the dog becomes a marker of what has changed, what has endured, and what was lost in the years between the interview and the reunion.

What the Dog Literally Is

The dog is a large-breed puppy, described in the first timeline as having “catcher’s mitt paws” that signal she will grow into a big dog. She has black fur, a pink tongue that seems too long for her mouth, and a timid personality—afraid of her shadow, birds, and paper bags. She is affectionate, rolling onto her back for belly rubs and licking faces. In the present timeline, she is older: her muzzle has white on it, she is tall and lean, and her hip bones are visible. She still barrels toward people with puppy-like enthusiasm, but her age is unmistakable.

The dog is initially unnamed. Gabe tells Chani he is “waiting for it to come to me.” When Chani remarks that the puppy looks like a teddy bear, and later reveals that her own childhood teddy bear was named Teddy, the name sticks. In the present timeline, Gabe reveals he named her Teddy, saying, “I never was a very creative adult.” This naming is a direct callback to Chani's offhand comment, suggesting that the dog carries a piece of their first encounter with her.

Where the Dog Recurs

The puppy appears in several key scenes during the first interview weekend. She is present at the lunch where Gabe and Chani first talk, sleeping under the table and later resting her chin on Gabe's foot. She accompanies them to the Hollywood Hills house tour, where she explores the backyard while Gabe and Chani look at the property. She is also there when Chani visits Gabe's apartment before the premiere, barking a short greeting and being fed cheese. In each of these moments, the puppy serves as a natural icebreaker, giving Chani and Gabe something to focus on besides the awkwardness of the interview.

In the present timeline, Teddy appears when Chani arrives at Gabe's apartment above the Cozy in Cooper, Montana. Chani hears her nails on the hardwood floor before she sees her, and the dog throws herself into Chani, knocking her over. Later, Teddy accompanies them on a walk through town, ambling between them and sniffing the Christmas tree. She is also present when Gabe shows Chani the old theatre he has purchased. In these scenes, Teddy is not just a prop but an active participant in the reunion, bridging the gap between the two timelines.

How the Dog's Meaning Changes

In the first timeline, the puppy represents Gabe's success and his carefully curated list of things to do once he became famous. Getting a dog was one of those items, and he admits it was partly to combat the loneliness of being on set away from family. The puppy is a tangible reward for his achievement, but she also reveals a softer, more vulnerable side of Gabe—one that is anxious about his Bond casting and worried about public backlash. The puppy's timidity mirrors Gabe's own insecurities, and Chani's gentle interaction with her helps break down the walls between them.

In the present timeline, Teddy's age and physical decline symbolize the passage of time and the lost decade. The puppy that was once small enough to sleep on Gabe's lap is now a large, older dog with a white muzzle. Chani notices the change immediately, and the sight of Teddy's aging makes her acutely aware of how much time has passed. The dog's presence also signals the domestic life Gabe has built in Montana—a life that includes a family, a bookshop, and a sense of rootedness. Teddy is part of that domesticity, a constant companion who travels with Gabe between L.A. and Cooper. Her continued presence suggests that some things have endured, even as the puppy she once was has faded.

The naming of the dog adds another layer. By naming her Teddy, Gabe implicitly honors the connection he felt with Chani during their first meeting. The name is a private nod to a shared moment, one that Chani only learns about years later. This naming transforms the dog from a simple pet into a symbol of the bond that never fully dissolved, even after Chani left in the middle of the night.

Character and Theme Connections

The dog deepens our understanding of Gabe. His gentle handling of the puppy—picking her up, nuzzling her, letting her sleep on his lap—reveals a nurturing side that contrasts with his public image as a heartthrob and action star. The dog also connects to his desire for a normal life, a theme that runs through the novel. Gabe's list of things to do when successful includes not just material acquisitions but also relationships and family. The dog is the first step toward that domestic ideal.

For Chani, the dog serves as a point of connection and a source of comfort. Her immediate rapport with the puppy—scratching her belly, feeding her cheese—shows her warmth and her ability to be present in the moment. In the present timeline, her emotional reaction to seeing Teddy again—she starts to cry—underscores how much she has missed not just Gabe but the life she might have had. The dog becomes a tangible link to the past, and her presence forces Chani to confront the choices she made.

Thematically, the dog ties into several of the novel's central concerns. It speaks to the tension between public and private identity: the dog is part of Gabe's private life, a comfort away from the cameras and the tabloids. It also connects to the theme of second chances and revisiting the past, as the dog's aging makes the lost decade tangible. The dog's presence in both timelines suggests that some connections can survive time and distance, even when other things fall apart.

Study Questions

1. How does the dog's physical appearance change between the two timelines, and what does that change symbolize?

In the first timeline, the dog is a ten-week-old puppy with soft black fur and oversized paws. In the present, she is an older dog with a white muzzle, visible hip bones, and a leaner frame. This change symbolizes the passage of the ten years between the two weekends. The puppy's youth and energy contrast with the older dog's slower, more deliberate movements, mirroring how Gabe and Chani have both aged and changed. The dog's aging makes the lost decade concrete, reminding the reader that time has moved forward even as the characters try to recapture the past.

1. Why does Gabe name the dog Teddy, and what does this reveal about his feelings for Chani?

Gabe names the dog Teddy because Chani mentioned that her childhood teddy bear was named Teddy, and she said the puppy looked like a teddy bear. By choosing that name, Gabe preserves a small, intimate detail from their first meeting. This reveals that he remembered Chani's words and that she made an impression on him beyond the interview. The name becomes a private token of their connection, one that Chani only discovers years later. It suggests that Gabe's feelings for her were genuine and that he held onto that memory even after she left.

1. In what ways does the dog serve as an icebreaker or a bridge between Chani and Gabe in both timelines?

In the first timeline, the puppy gives Chani and Gabe something to talk about when the interview stalls. Chani asks about the dog's name, and Gabe's response leads to a conversation about teddy bears and childhood. The puppy's presence softens the formality of the interview and allows them to connect on a personal level. In the present timeline, Teddy's enthusiastic greeting breaks the tension when Chani arrives at Gabe's apartment. The dog's joy at seeing Chani again creates a moment of shared emotion, and Chani's tears show that the bond is still there. The dog acts as a bridge, reminding both characters of the ease they once felt with each other.

1. How does the dog's presence complicate the theme of public versus private identity in the novel?

The dog is a private element of Gabe's life, rarely mentioned in the tabloids or his public persona. She is part of his home life, his travels, and his emotional world. In contrast, his public image is carefully managed by publicists and shaped by media narratives. The dog represents the authentic Gabe—the one who is anxious, tender, and grounded. By showing the dog in both timelines, the novel emphasizes that the private self is often hidden from public view. The dog also serves as a reminder that fame does not erase the need for companionship and domesticity, and that the public persona is only a fraction of the whole person.