Indy

January 20, 2026

Folks, it’s not always all about me. I didn’t win any prize at the Astra Film Awards the other day, but I have no plans to steal my neighbor’s dog bone in retaliation. That said, I’m proud of Indy, the star of Good Boy for winning best performance at the ceremony, beating out the likes of Ethan Hawke, Alison Brie and other performers.

You see, Indy was the protagonist, the star in Good Boy, a horror film, and the first dog to win the Astra Award in all the years of such ceremonies.

As a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, or Toller, Indy made his moves and played the part assigned by director Ben Leonberg, who doubles as his master. Leonberg spent more than a year filming Indy, but it was worth it for them both. Indy wore a black bow tie at the ceremony.

Director Leonberg wanted to shoot a horror film from a dog’s perspective, but with Indy, who stands 19 inches, a bit taller than me, it meant getting down to eye level; filming proved a challenge for tall camera people. To get Indy to follow, they lured him with salmon and beef flavored kibble. (I wouldn’t need any such treats, I’m sure.)

Last year Indy won the Howl of Fame Award for best performance by a dog, but that was just a warm-up for the Astra event.

Kutter

[Last night I pretended to enjoy putting on boots before our walk in the snow. It did not go well.]