‘Dog’ star Channing Tatum on films and furry co-stars

There is a black-and-white photo in Channing Tatum’s dresser drawer dedicated to a lost love. The actor is particularly fond of the picture of the two of them running alongside the ocean. She springs into the air and into his arms. A moment captured in time. And it never made the gossip columns.

By the way, she was also sleeping with him, eating with him and watching his young daughter Everly. Her name was Lulu Channing, a pit bull-Catahoula mix.

“Lulu was my dog.” Tatum said last weekend during a Zoom call from his L.A. home. “I raised her from six weeks old, when she was just a little ball of fur.”

His voice went soft when he talked about her final days. “We went on a road trip and I learned some profound lessons about surrendering and acceptance,” said the actor, wearing beige pants and a dark green shirt with hair shorn military short.

This brings Tatum to his new film, “Dog,” opening Friday in theaters. “I heard this story about a bucket list trip between a man and a dog,” Tatum said. “At first, it was a little too sad and wasn’t emblematic of my Lulu. Even in the last days, Lulu and I had a life of adventure together. I wanted to tell a story about life.”

“Dog” became a buddy comedy about two former Army Rangers who go on an inspirational road trip. Tatum plays Briggs, who is dealing with his own PTSD, while Lulu, a decorated canine Ranger, is facing her uncertain future.

Review-Journal: First, tell us a bit about the Belgian malinois, a regal, crazy smart and seemingly intimidating dog.

Channing Tatum: They’re amazing dogs that you can often find working with our special forces, including U.S. Navy Seals. But if you haven’t been around this breed — the Belgian malinois or Dutch shepherd — it’s helpful to realize that they’re not your normal dog. Their minds work extra fast. They’re like a shark prowling a room thinking, “What are we doing now? We have to be doing something!” I love the breed so much. I own one now. And I can’t go to the bathroom without her going with me with the vibe of: “Okay, here’s another activity.”

And the dogs have a few peculiar traits.

They’re almost superhuman because they see in the dark and smell someone you can’t even see yet. They’re fearless, which is why sometimes they’re the first “in” during dangerous situations. The dogs have this vibe of: “Unleash me. Let me go in and do my job. I will go hard for you. I will die for you.”

What are the challenges of acting with a furry, scene stealing co-star?

Three dogs played the one dog in the movie, so I had to become friends with all of them. There was Lana, who was the smallest and would lay on her side. Britta did a lot of the acting scenes where I have to show feelings because she was the most expressive, and Zuzu did the wild action stuff.

You’re the lead actor here and also co-directing the film. How did it feel to step behind the camera?

It was basically chaos at times. I did enjoy setting the scenes up. I was directing the dog most of the time and my co-director Reid Carolin was directing me. It was definitely fulfilling creatively, and I can say that I scratched an itch. But, if I ever direct again, I would definitely not be in the movie.

How do you know as an actor that you nailed a particular scene or moment?

You don’t know if you did it right as an actor. You never leave a scene saying, “Nailed it!” I don’t know any actor who feels like he or she ever really got it right.

You spoke with veterans about dealing with PTSD. What did you learn?

Briggs in the movie is dealing with some degree of PTSD, plus a traumatic brain injury that washed him out of the military. What I learned from talking with real Army Rangers is that almost every single person on the team is working hurt. Each time you shoot a particular weapon, you basically get a concussion. The military actually put a ban on how many times a soldier can fire this one weapon during a month, but that ban gets ignored.

What was the most difficult scene to film in “Dog.”

One night, it was freezing cold in the desert, and I had to be soaking wet for 14 hours while we filmed a scene. The production crew are in parkas because it was about 30 degrees outside, but they had to keep dumping water over my head. I was convulsively shaking like a jackhammer and couldn’t get my lines out. Finally, they put a heater fan on me between takes. But I don’t want to make it sound bad. There were so many great times with the dogs. At sunset, we’d sit and just watch. It was so peaceful.

You have a slew of upcoming projects, including the rom-com “The Lost City” with Sandra Bullock debuting at the end of March, plus “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” and the Vegas theatrical show. Talk about mixing it up.

It’s all about what feels right in the moment. Am I interested in telling this particular story? It’s not about playing to a certain fan base. It’s about the words on the page or the idea and not me saying, “Okay, I did a love story, so now I better follow up with action.”

“Magic Mike” is such a phenomenon in Vegas and in cinematic history. Remind us of how this started for you.

I was 18 and working three jobs. Working at a club was just one of them. I enjoyed performing. In fact, dancing in that club was my first performance job — and I really liked to dance. I could have never predicted that it would lead to a show in Vegas and several movies.

Word is you never read what’s written about you.

That’s true. My first rule is to never read what they write about you. Why torture yourself? You’re going to read the bad and remember that more than the good. This extends to never watching myself in any TV interviews, either, which always leads to me saying, “Who is that goofball?”

What’s a good Sunday when you’re not working?

Hanging out with my daughter Evie and our Dutch shepherd, Rooklin. A little beach time and a sunny, hot day. Peace and rest. And laughing loudly.