Actor Dean Cain and his 15-year-old son, Christopher, are never without some canine love when they’re at home – they have two adorable dogs to keep them company at all times. Happy (the brown pooch) and Bella (the black hound) even love to swim with the family, which keeps them cool during the – ahem – dog days of summer!
Cain is looking forward to the fall though. That’s when the former star of “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” returns to the superhero franchise that made him famous with a key role on the new CBS series “Supergirl.” As scientist Jeremiah Danvers, Cain is the foster father of Kara Danvers/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). Since most details about the show are being kept secret, fans will have to tune in to the show’s Oct. 26 premiere to learn more.
In the meantime, the 49-year-old prolific actor – who also leads the cast of VH1’s “Hit the Floor,” which will have its third season debut in 2016 – was very excited to tell HNGN all about his beloved pets....
Tell us about your dogs.
Bella is a black lab and the newest member of our family – the only female in the household. She is crazy, not that women are crazy.... She is fantastic and full of energy. And she made Happy a much happier dog since he was really sad after we lost our dog Lady. They were both named by my son Christopher.
Tell us more about Bella.
Bella won’t let you sleep in the morning. If Bella knows you’re awake, she starts making these whining noises and will not let you go back to sleep. So that’s pretty much how we get greeted every morning. Bella is type A and she is nutty.
And Happy?
Happy is funny. He has always been afraid of loud sounds ever since he was a puppy. No idea why. As for Bella, you can shoot a shotgun next to her and she would not even blink. She has not a care in the world, but Happy is very skittish. But when a coyote shows up, guess who’s there? Happy. Bella hides.
Your animals are so happy and always enjoying themselves.
That is why we named him Happy! I’m a dog person – anyone who knows me knows that through and through. Dogs are so much fun and we love them. They are just wonderful members of our family. There are lots of times when my son and I are home, and we don’t talk to each other for a little bit, and he’s outside with the dogs for an hour or two. And I do the same thing every single morning and every night.
How important is it to have a pet when you have children?
When you have pets, you learn about how to care for something and how something can love you unconditionally. A dog’s love is so unconditional. Our dogs have free reign of a giant backyard, and are always with us as well – so they kind of have the best of both worlds. I think you learn so much about how to treat others when you have a dog. It was really important for my son as he was growing up. He felt like the dad.
What have you learned through the years by having pets in your life?
One of the biggest things is patience. You learn that with kids also. You have to have patience when you are trying to get them to come and sit [since] they don’t listen all the time. They’ll run through a photo shoot all wet and shake, and they won’t jump in the water when they are supposed to – pretty much the same thing kids do. I think I have learned a great deal of patience and just the unconditional love. It sounds cliché, but I could have the worst day in the world but when I come home to these two dogs, I am a rock star! There is almost nothing like that.
You are not afraid to get down and dirty with your dogs.
We are in the water with them every day. They love to go in there. It is just part of the deal, and we love it. They are part of the family. If I’m in the pool, we are all in the pool.
Tell us about your new role on “Supergirl.”
The character is Jeremiah Danvers. I’m not at liberty to discuss the role per Warner Bros. Suffice it to say, I’m very happy to be a continuing part of the Superman lore and family.
What do you think of the upcoming movie “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”?
I am looking forward to the new Superman movie. But, by the time it comes out, I may need a walker to get to my seat – what is taking so long? It looks dark, so it’s going to be interesting!
For more on Dean Cain, connect with him on Twitter.
