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When I first decided to get a dog 11 years ago, I wanted a medium-sized one. Those days the choice was limited to Labradors and Boxers. I preferred the Boxer’s look and character over that of the Labrador. So, one day I drove with a pet consultant to Pune to pick up my puppy Flash. Flash was around two-months-old when I brought him home. There was something about Flash that made me hang on to him.

I had wanted a pet essentially for my studio, as that is where I spend most of my time. I was completely hands-on in raising Flash. I read up on various books and spoke to numerous vets on what best could be provided for him. Flash is my first pet and I wanted to do my best.

At the studio, Flash leads a very active life. He is a social fellow and actors who come to the studio absolutely love him. Even those who are scared of him warm up eventually, and enjoy playing with him. I remember Bipasha Basu was initially frightened of Flash. But by the end of the day, they had become fast friends and Bipasha soon got a dog for herself.

Arjun Rampal has Boxers of his own and is extremely fond of the breed. He’s always bonding with Flash at the studio. Shah Rukh Khan has dogs of his own too and he enjoys playing basketball with Flash. Flash has shot with all these celebs and then some. Abhishek Bachchan, Big B, Minissha Lamba, Dia Mirza, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Aftab Shivdasani and more have shot with Flash and had an absolute blast. He knows how to get attention too.

By standing in front of the camera, near the subject, Flash ensures that he has my attention. I love the way he greets me each morning when I start work. He’ll act like he hasn’t seen me in ages and I just love the way he welcomes me to the studio.

As told to Madhulika Gautama