A.P. Chekhov’s inventions in drama had a profound influence on L. Andreev. Considering himself “the successor of Chekhovian form”, Andreev was assured that in Chekhov’s plays lies the key to establish the theater of the future, namely the theater of panpsychism. In Chekhov’s works, Andreev appreciates, most of all, a certain quality of liveness, which allows the writer to most fully represent psychological reality and uncover the truth of being. By studying The Waltz of the Dogs, a play which serves as a classic example of panpsychic drama, this article examines Andreev’s perception and adaptation of Chekhov’s poetics, focusing especially on such aspects as the understanding of dramatic action, mood, the technique of “odushevlenie”, revelation of mental experiences, and so on.