Tell us about your dog.
Junior is an 11-year-old Black Labrador. Junior is our second Black Labrador, and is named after our previous Labrador, Cosmo who lived till he was 14-years old. When we discovered Junior at the breeder, the resemblance was uncanny to our previous dog. While there is no relation, it seemed fitting to name the second Labrador, Junior.
How did your dog come into your life, and how has your relationship grown over time?
Losing a pet is difficult. It takes time to heal, and you want to respect the memories and the space they occupied in your life. Raising a pet takes work, and while in most cases we think of the children in a family and how fun it would be to have a new puppy, ultimately, it is the adults in the room that end up caring for them the most. It was important that everybody felt ready after the loss, and we got there. When I visited the breeder, I saw Junior and knew he was the one. Junior has become a staple in our orbit – as he goes, we go.
Share a memorable or funny moment involving your dog that you’ll never forget.
11 years one can accumulate many funny memories, but perhaps one of the more memorable moments is when I came home and found Junior with the garbage can lid around his head. He was laying on his bed, sad, ashamed, and had the evidence of his crime literally around his neck. After months of working with him to stay out of the garbage, we thought we had it solved. Apparently, not so much. It was hard to discipline him after we saw him, he’d been through enough. The humiliation seemed to be sufficient punishment for us. After that, he never did it again. So maybe embarrassment is a real training step after all.
Matt Berman
Partner, Executive Vice President
USI Insurance Services
2400 E. Commercial Blvd., Suite 600
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
O: 954-607-4011
C: 305-742-6889
matt.berman@usi.com
