t’s been ten years since the fateful meeting between musical collaborators Brooks and Sven that took place right outside of Hank Williams’ farm in Franklin, Tennessee. It was a dreary morning for drummer, Steve Brooks, who had just walked away from his band of 5 years, penniless and without a familiar friend for thousands of miles. It was even worse for four month old mixbreed Sven who had just been tossed from a moving truck on the unfamiliar backroads of the American heartland. But the timing of their individual misfortunes was a mutual stroke of luck…ignoring the advice of numerous vets who insisted that his newfound friend should be “put down” because of traumatic injury, Steve made a commitment to help the dog recover and live a full and happy life…and his devotion paid off. Sven regained his health, and became a full-time companion and inspiration for Steve, who regards his pup as an irreplaceable partner in his successful dog training business, and his musical career.

Since the very start, Steve has been a guardian angel to his dog; rescuing him from near-death, giving him the skills to be a well-rounded companion, and helping him become an entertainer and musician. In return, Sven acts as a role model at Steve’s Silverlake-based obedience school, K9U Dog Training. He sets an example for the dogs in Steve’s care, and shows them how to be the best they can be. But when he’s not helping to train celebrities’ pets, Sven is busy being a celebrity himself. He can be seen retrieving beverages from the fridge, turning off appliances, playing the piano, or singing “I love you” on TV nation-wide. To date, Sven has appeared on many TV shows including National Geographics Dogs with Jobs, Animal Planet’s You Lie Like A Dog, Pet Star, and many more. Most recently, Sven’s appearance on Planet’s Funniest Animals was nominated for best musical clip during the Blue Ribbon Viewer’s Choice Awards. Numerous articles have been published have featured Sven including BARK, Fido Friendly,and Animal Wellness magazines.

That’s just the beginning! Sven has even flexed his musical muscle in the recording studio, and recently released his debut album, Who Really Loves You. This groovy and grinding album includes eight “dog” tracks and a Quicktime video featuring Sven on vocals, piano, bass, and electric guitar, Steve on drums, and a pack of talented canine friends on back-up vocals. It’s truly a rock ‘n roll coup d’etat for Sven and the gang, (K9Fusion) who have produced a raw and serious album that can be enjoyed by musicians and dogs too. His music is featured on several major radio stations world wide.

But as the first decade of companionship and collaboration between “Brooks and Sven” comes to a close with the triumph of a successful album release, the next chapter opens to a bittersweet tune. On the tenth anniversary of their first meeting, Sven was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and is not expected to live beyond another year. Although he remains in good spirits, and continues to impress with his talents, Steve knows that all too soon he will have to say farewell to his one and only Sven the lovedog. But Brooks and Sven continue to roll on, with the intention of performing until the very end. If they have their way, there will be more tv appearances, film festivals and many more adventures before their charmed and fruitful partnership is part of the past.

After a long and productive life, Sven sadly passed away in January of 2005. His work and spirit lives on through his many television, film and musical recordings.

For more information on K9Fusion, or K9U Dog Training, or to find out more about Sven’s album, Who Really Loves You, please contact Steve Brooks at (866) K9TUNES.

If you’d like to hear for yourself as Sven plucks guitar and bass, and soulfully sings on his debut album, click here to find out your purchasing options.