Some of Doty's earliest works deal heavily with contemplations on mortality and grief. One of his partners, Wally Roberts, was diagnosed with HIV in 1989 and died a few years later in 1994. This poem was part of a collection he released four years after he passed, so it's entirely possible the poet drew on that profound personal loss as inspiration for the dog's owner. It's also worthy of note that he is the owner of a golden retriever himself.