Flynn & Roxy

Who is in the photo at right?

This is Roxy and me, Flynn. We live in Melbourne, Australia. I am a student and have a passion for writing. When I am older, I would like to be a journalist, novelist or editor.

Roxy is an 8 month old Cavoodle. If you're wondering what a Cavoodle is, it is a King Charles Cavalier X Mini Poodle. She loves going for long walks and visiting her friends at the dog park. Roxy and I both love the weekends because for her it means ‘time to play’ and for me it means ‘time to rest’, so we have to do both.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I’m just sitting on the couch with Roxy while relaxing from the stress of life. Roxy is sitting on my lap and her heart beat is very fast.

We would usually go out to a café on the weekend on the way to the park, but we have too much going on this week.

What's brewing?

I’m having hot chocolate. Sorry if it’s against the rules because it’s not coffee, but I have a sweet tooth and a craving for chocolate.

Any treats for you or Roxy on this occasion?

I am also having Flake chocolate bar, like I said; I have a craving for chocolate.

Roxy is munching away on a Schmackos liver treat. I don’t want to give her any chocolate because it might make her sick; also, she is fat enough as it is. I don’t want to give her any coffee in case she goes wild, which most of the time she already is.

How did Roxy get her name? Any aliases?

When we bought Roxy, we had to come back the next day to pick her up. We had already been thinking of some names. We came up with: Micky or Roxy. When we were driving to the breeders, we stopped at a red light and on the back of the car in front of us there was a sticker that said ‘ROXY’ on it. We decided then that it was fate and that we had to name her Roxy.

How were you and Roxy united?

I have wanted to get a dog for years but we never ended up getting around to it. About 6 months ago, we started looking around for a puppy. After some advice and research, we decided that a Cavoodle would be a good dog for us, especially since it is half poodle which is great for me since I am an asthmatic. We weren’t planning on buying her; we were planning on buying a dog at another shop but stopped in at this breeder anyway. When we walked in, we saw Roxy sleeping. There was a bunch of other people looking at Roxy, so we decided that we had to buy her before anyone else did. That was the day that changed my life.

Rabbit, postman, cat...?

Rabbit? Not many rabbits around where I live.

Postman? She occasionally barks at the postman but I am not home when he comes to drop off the mail, so I don’t know.

Cat? Roxy has an ongoing battle with our cat, Puss. They are always fighting and attacking each other but they are finally starting to get along. They sometimes share the leftovers, I know that we probably shouldn’t feed it to them! Roxy’s enemy is the cat, Puss but hopefully they will soon be friends.

Squeaky-toy, ball, boomerang...?

Boomerang? Sadly, no boomerang for Roxy.

Squeaky toy? Roxy loves her squeaky toy. She is always running around with it in her mouth which gets extremely annoying but also very cute. It also happens to double as her tug-of-war toy, even though it is not designed for that.

Ball? Of course! Whenever we take Roxy to the park, we take her ball and ball-thrower. She is also very fast for her small size -- she runs like a bolt!

However, Roxy has also had a very bad experience with her ball. She once ate it, yes, she swallowed all of the rubber; we then found it the next morning in her vomit… Ew.

What is Roxy's best quality?

Roxy’s best quality is her loyalty and love towards everyone. Whenever we come home she is always jumping all over us and running around in circles.

She will always love us whenever we need someone, she is always there; that’s what dogs are for.

She also happens to love everyone, even people that don’t like her. Whenever I take her for a walk in a crowded road, she is always jumping up at strangers and trying to lick them on the face. Roxy also loves life and is always happy to be where she is or do what she is doing, especially if she is at the park.

If Roxy could change one thing about Victorians, what would it be?

If Roxy could change something about Victorians, it would be that everyone would pat her and give her lots of attention, that is what she loves.

What is Roxy's proudest moment?

Roxy’s proudest moment would probably be when she kept on winning best dog and prizes at Puppy School when she was only 10 weeks old. All of the other dogs where much older and bigger than her, but she stood her ground and won a whole load of prizes at the exams.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Roxy could speak, which actor should do her voice?

What a tough question. Roxy is a very little lady with a big attitude. She's a King Charles Cavalier which (I am pretty sure) are from England, so probably someone with an English accent. I would have to say Kate Winslet. Funny, I know.

Visit the Destructive Puppy blog and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue

Marika S. Bell & Cooper and Ripley

Who is in the photo at right?

I am Marika S. Bell, a CPDT dog trainer and dog behaviour blogger.

Cooper is a 7 year old Lancashire Heeler male. Lancashire Heeler are a rare dog breed from the NW UK used (like corgis) for herding cattle.

Ripley is a 3 years old SPCA-special. We would love to get him genetically tested to see what his closest breed is, my guess is English Mastiff/GSD.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

After breakfast we head to the local dog park where we get to sniff the pee-mail and stretch our legs. Then I lead the way to our favourite coffee shop. Next stop is home to read email and write. I love this part of the day where we can relax in the office with the heater on, drinking my coffee while the boys lounge on their beds around the office.

What's brewing?

A half strength flat white from my much-appreciated baristas at GroundUp cafe in Pauahatanui.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

The best treat for all of us is the toastie-warm office when the heat is on. It isn't a big office so two dogs, two cats and me, fill it up pretty well.

How were you and your dogs united?

My husband grew up with Lancashire Heelers so when we decided to get a dog, 7 years ago, he wanted another heeler. Cooper was chosen for us by my husband's mother in the UK and he flew with her (first class) to Seattle where we lived. He has since travelled with us to Singapore for two years then here to New Zealand.

Ripley was a pup at the local SPCA at 8 weeks old, I met him at 4 months old and decided he was the one! He is my big New Zealand Frankenstein dog (he doesn't seem to fit together very well).

You may be the only dog trainer I've come across who also has a background in big cat training. How similar are those two areas of expertise?

I was first introduced to clicker training when I worked with a Puma named Tum-Tum. That experience has greatly affected my methods of dog training through positive reinforcement. If you wouldn't smack a tiger on the nose, why would you need to do that to a dog? All training with the cats was behind a safety fence so you had to be able to communicate well and you couldn't use force even if you wanted to. The animals has to trust you and that only happens through positive training.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Cooper was named on the impulsively, when I saw his little head poking out of his soft-sided carrier at the airport.

Ripley was named after one of my favourite movie characters "Ripley" from Alien. Also he was very wrinkly as a puppy so it seemed to fit.

Do your dogs have a favorite place to go for an outing?

They love the local dog park, but their unequalled favourite is the beach!

Rabbit, postman, cat...?

Due to Ripley's lack of early socialization just about anything out of the ordinary needs at least one good bark. They have a very tolerant relationship with their own two cats, even sleeping on the bed together if given the chance in the morning.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Molly and Max, a Labra-doodle and a Mini Snauchzer are their good friends from the dog park. They are also one big and one small dog so they are a good match for my mis-sized boys.

What is each dog's best quality?

Ripley is a snuggler, he stares up at me lovingly and the Oxytocin hit is instantaneous.

Cooper is a courageous soul, and a proper gentlemen at heart. All the airs of stateliness go out the window, however, when a guest comes to visit and he can't stop his butt wiggling faster than his front.

If your dogs could change one thing about New Zealanders, what would it be?

All the beaches in NZ would be dog friendly and off-leash!

If your dogs could speak in the movie about your life, who should do their voices?

Cooper would be voiced by Pierce Brosnan, and Ripley would be Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Concords.

Visit Marika S. Bell's Dancing Dogs website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lois Alter Mark & Jessie

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Lois Alter Mark, co-founder of StyleSubstanceSoul, Flicks for Kids editor at NickJr. and blogger on The Huffington Post. Jessie is my sweet old – very old – Newfoundland. She will turn 12 in June.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Every day that Jessie is still here is an occasion for celebration. She’s so old – the vet says she’s around 100 – that she’s pretty much just living on love at this point.

What's brewing?

For me, a trenta-sized black iced tea, unsweetened with no water and extra ice from Starbucks. With two Sweet ‘n Lows. For Jessie, a nice, cold bowl of water.

Any treats for you or Jessie on this occasion?

Yes! It’s hard to get her to eat these days but she has to have a specific amount of food at specific times of the day because she has diabetes and needs insulin shots after both meals. So, today, I brought home a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald’s, which we shared. Her nose still goes right up in the air when I walk in the house with that bag, and she gobbled up every piece I gave her. She needs the calories way more than I do!

How did Jessie get her name? Any aliases?

We had just moved to California from New York two years earlier and our beloved chow chow, Sophie, had passed away on the trip cross-country at age 11. We wanted to give our new dog a Wild West kind of name and couldn’t help thinking about Jesse James. We named her Jessie and looked for a middle name beginning with the letter “S” to honor Sophie. We chose Sage because it felt West Coast-y.

As far as aliases, there are many! We often refer to her in third person as “the Jess,” and say “hi, Puppy” to her when we walk into the house. My son calls her “the Newfoundlander;” my husband, who has studied Buddhism, calls her “the rinpoche,” which means “precious one;” and my daughter calls her “Gibson.” They’re all nuts.

How were you and Jessie united?

It took two years for us to feel ready to get a new dog after Sophie passed away. We were at the Del Mar Fair and they had a “meet the breed” event with Newfoundlands. We immediately fell in love. We became great friends with Sharon Gilbert, the wonderful woman behind the table, and she eventually led us to the breeder where we got Jessie. She was one of the two smallest puppies of the litter of six, and, all these years later, she’s the only one still alive.

Does Jessie have any non-canine pet-pals?

Only her fuzzy green frog squeaky toy. She loves him.

What is Jessie's best quality?

Jessie has a heart that’s as big as her body – and that’s saying a lot. She is pure love, and she brings the most incredible sense of peace to the whole house just by being there. Sometimes we swear she smells like a fresh baked good.

If Jessie could change one thing about you, what would it be?

She would want me to spend all my time petting her. When I sit on the floor with her, she puts her paw on my knee, then throws her head back so I can rub her neck. When I stop, she gets mad and barks. She would like to change the fact that I stop.

For a dog her age, Jessie must have many proud moments. Care to share about a couple of those?

Well, she graduated puppy school with honors and won special recognition for her ability to “stay” longer than any other dog when there was a treat in front of her. She was also awarded a ribbon for “Miss Congeniality” because she was always friendly and welcoming to everyone.

She is probably very proud of the fact that, when she was confined to the family room after knee surgery, she somehow managed to end up in the kitchen – a feat we have never been able to figure out.

I am proud of her amazing spirit. Even though she has been almost completely blind since developing diabetes three years ago, she still manages to get around without a complaint and is as loving as ever. She used to make a crying sound when she couldn’t get up, and I would go help her. One time, she must have leaned all her weight on my arm, and I ended up with a torn tendon. Since that day, she has never again “asked” for help. She manages to get herself up, and I am awestruck and touched by her sensitivity and compassion.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which your dog could speak, which actor should do her voice?

My husband talks for Jessie all the time, and he would have to be the one to do her voice in a movie.

If Jessie could answer only one question in English, what would you ask her?

How in the world did you ever get out of the family room that day?

Visit StyleSubstanceSoul, and read Lois Alter Mark's blog posts on The Huffington Post.

--Marshal Zeringue

Penny Watson & Lucy

Who is in the photo at right?

Human: Penny Watson, writer/reviewer/obsessive reader of romance novels, and super enthusiastic dachshund owner.

Weenie Dog: Lucy, 4 year old, 8 pound, long-hair black-and-tan mini dachshund.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine? What's brewing?

Lucy and I have coffee together every morning. I brew my own Starbucks Dark French roast.

Lucy prefers a latte with foam and cinnamon. She’s a bit prissy.

Any treats for you or Lucy on this occasion?

Lucy begs for Cheddar Cheese Goldfish. That’s her favorite.

How did Lucy get her name? Any aliases? How were you and Lucy united?

Lucy was already named when we adopted her. She was part of a litter of smooth doxies, with 2 smoothie parents, and she showed up with long hair. The breeder was stymied, and no one wanted her. She looked like a little bear cub when we got her….all fluff. You couldn’t even see her eyes.

You're a fiction maven with a particular interest in paranormal and romance novels. Do you have any favorite fictional canines?

My favorite recently was Oyster the pug in Eloisa James’ novel A Duke of Her Own. That book is fabulous, and the scene at the end with Oyster is a tear-jerker.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Chipmunks and bunnies.

Squeaky-toy, ball, Frisbee...?

Lucy loves to play soccer. She is wicked good.

What is Lucy's best quality?

She is a complete love-bug. All she wants to do is hang out and give kisses. She is the only dog I’ve had who hates walks.

She is super lazy. She really just wants to sit on your lap all day and try to lick you to death. She’s adorable.

If Lucy could change one thing about you, what would it be?

She wishes I would fill up her dog bowl with Goldfish.

What is Lucy's proudest moment?

Hanging with the big dogs in the neighborhood. Especially Kenzie, the Viszla down the street.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Lucy could speak, which actor should do her voice?

Ann Hathaway? She is a fellow Vassar College alum and also has shiny dark hair, like Lucy!

Visit Penny Watson's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pam & Oskar

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Pam and I’m a pet blogger, blogging on both The Daily Oskar and Pet Blogs United, which is a place for pet bloggers to come together and find one another.

Oskar is almost 7 years old and is an all-black miniature schnauzer.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

It’s just our morning coffee and computer time.

What's brewing?

International Delights Vanilla Iced Coffee. It tastes like a toasted marshmallow.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Scrambled eggs with tomato & feta and a slice of Health Nut toast.

Any treat for Oskar on this occasion?

Just his regular Iams dog food.

How were you and your dog united?

My husband, two sons & I spent about a year deciding on a breed. Once we decided on a miniature schnauzer, we found a very reputable breeder in our area. We met Oskar when he was 2 days old.

How did Oskar get his name? Any aliases?

My husband is 100% German and schnauzers are German dogs, so we went with the traditional German spelling of his name. His middle name is Wilhelm.

He has tons of nicknames, like nubbin butt, spindle (for his spindly legs when he’s groomed), Stinky Pete.

His AKC registered name is Mimi’s Oskar Diamond Magic. My nickname is Mimi and I won front row Neil Diamond tickets on a radio station called Magic. I sold those tickets for a nice sum to be able to afford Oskar.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Oskar lives with 2 cats, but goes nuts for squirrels, the mail truck, the UPS truck, anything he thinks is invading his space.

Tennis ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

He loves his Hartz Dura Play ball named Blue.

Where is Oskar's favorite place for an outing?

Oskar loves it when we go camping because there are tons of new places to explore & sniff.

Who are your dog's best pet-pals?

My mom’s dog Buster & all of his Blogville buddies.

If Oskar could change one thing about you, what would it be?

He would make me walk him more often.

What is Oskar's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Any time he chases a squirrel out of the yard he is proud.

His most embarrassing is when he ate the stuffing out of a soft toy & had to have help pulling it out when he tried to poo. Pulling stuffing out of his bum was not one of my finer moments either.

Visit the The Daily Oskar blog and Pet Blogs United.

--Marshal Zeringue

Michele Baer & Zoe and Jake

Who is in the photo at right?

That's me, Michele Baer, and Jake. Zoe & Jake are our 3 year old Border Terriers. I'm a partner in a Web Development business, Cloudyreason.com, and I also have a Border Terrier Blog - BorderJoy.com.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We have coffee every morning after our walk. Today Jake is in my lap as I look through my first emails on my iPad.

What's brewing?

Really strong, black Costco Coffee, our favorite.

Any treats for you or Zoe and Jake on this occasion?

Jake and Zoe love their dried liver treats, we also give them bits of chicken and venison from the table … I know, we're terrible! We eat only Grass Fed, Free Range Beef and Chicken and we love venison so the dogs treats are very lean and without hormones and all those other horrible things people put in processed meats.

How did Zoe and Jake get their names? Any aliases?

We call Jake "Jakey" much of the time because he is so cute! Zoe is "Zo" except when she's in trouble then it's a strong ZO-EEE! She's the one who stirs things up most of the time .. she's a trip.

How were you and Zoe and Jake united?

We purchased Zoe first from a wonderful breeder in Montana. Zoe flew to us at 12 weeks and we fell in love. About 5 months later we had to have "just one more!" so we purchased Jake from the same breeder. Jake and Zoe have the same father "Jake" so they are half brother and sister. Their temperaments are outstanding, they are just the sweetest, most obedient dogs (within reason) you can imagine.

Who are Zoe and Jake's best pet-pals?

They love our Grand-Dogs Puuka, a Morkie, and LeeLoo, an Australian Cattle Dog. They also love Heather and Hank, two Border Terriers owned by Carol and John O'Connor. Jake, Zoe, Heather and Hank go on may walks and adventures together.

Squirrel, cat, postman...?

Yikes, Border Terriers are hunters! Jake is in hunt mode 24/7 … Zoe to a lesser degree but she will spend days digging a turtle out from under the ground, she's very persistent. So far they've been able to catch and/or dig up turtles, rabbits, rats, squirrels, wild pig, many birds and they even swam after dolphins playing one day in the Intracoastal! You would never think these cute and cuddly little terriers would be so … well … deadly to small animals but they are.

The Postman get kisses.

Squeaky-toy, ball, stick...?

We have banned any squeaky toys from the house they drive us crazy! We have to be very careful the type of toys we give them, they must be very very tuff or the pups just tear them to shreds and we're concerned that they will eat the shredded pieces. They have never chewed any furniture or anything in the house, but they are tuff on toys. We give them large marrow bones to chew.

If you give Zoe or Jake a ball or stick the game becomes "I have it and you cannot get it from me" ... so it's not a lot of fun on our end. If we do manage to grab the stick while it's in their mouth they will not let go of it, you can lift them off the ground and they will not let go. Terrier.

What is each dog's best quality?

Zoe is a human lover, she prefers people to dogs (except her pack). She will kiss you, she will live in your lap, she loves children, she is sweet-sweet-sweet to all humans.

Strangers are given much love and it's wonderful to have this being with us who caries so much love with her and gives it so freely.

Jake is kind and sweet but much less extroverted. He is extremely loyal and obedient and will be protective of Zoe and Mike and I and our family. Gentle but the heart of a lion.

Jake is our hunter, it's his #1 pastime.

If Zoe and Jake could change one thing about you, what would it be?

Zoe would have me allow her to sleep with us every night. I have trouble sleeping through the night with them so they sleep on the sofa most nights.

Jake would have me quit work. He does complain about the hours I spend at my computer.

He would like to be out in the boat or hiking with us all day, every day!

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Zoe and Jake could speak, which actors should do their voices?

Zoe would be Reese Witherspoon and she would play characters like Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Zoe is a girly girl all the way.

Jake would be Sean Connery or Harrison Ford, he loves adventure.

If Zoe and Jake could answer only one question in English, what would you ask them?

Do you love us as much as we love you? No .. never mind .. it doesn't matter.

Visit the Border Terrier Blog - BorderJoy.com.

--Marshal Zeringue

Heather Sharfeddin & ZiZi

Who is in the photo at right?

I'm Heather Sharfeddin, an author (with a day job). I've written four novels about the Pacific and Inland Northwest. ZiZi, or more affectionately "Nut", is a female mutt of the Chihuahua persuasion. We suspect a Miniature Pincer had something to do with it as well.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I have coffee with ZiZi every morning about 6am. She knows the coffee press when I get it out and turns circles on the kitchen floor waiting for the water to boil. With coffee made, she sits on my lap while I read the morning paper before she tears it to shreds. Occasionally on Saturdays we'll have coffee on the sidewalk outside Black Bird Coffee & Tea.

What's brewing?

Portland Roasting's Organic Sumatra. Hot and black.

Any treats for you or ZiZi on this occasion?

I usually give ZiZi a rawhide bone to keep her from shredding the paper before I'm finished. At Black Bird she gets a doggie biscuit.

How did ZiZi get her name? Any aliases?

When I brought her home from Northwest Dog Rescue, she was 6 weeks old and 1.8 pounds. She looked a lot like a Kalamata olive. So her first name was Olive. That quickly morphed into Zetuna, the Arabic version of Olive. That, in turn, became ZiZi, which has pretty much stuck. Although we still call her Nut or ZiZi Nut when she's particularly silly (which is all the time).

How were you and ZiZi united?

I went to the shelter to meet a different dog, but he wasn't quite right for me. While there, I found ZiZi and fell in love. We've been inseparable since.

Does ZiZi play any role in your writing?

She mostly plays the role of preventing me from writing. But she's still a puppy right now.

I think as she gets older, she'll be a nice lap companion for those long hours at the writing desk.

Does ZiZi have any non-canine pet-pals?

She loves our two kitties, Minnow and Pirate. Minnow is slightly annoyed by her, but occasionally they play and he tolerates doggy kisses to a point. Pirate hasn't figured out that he's got ten pounds on her. We're working on their sibling relationship.

Squirrel, cat, postman...?

All of the above. She'll chase anything. She doesn't know she's five pounds.

What is ZiZi's best quality?

She's a nut. She can make you laugh on your worst days.

If ZiZi could change one thing about you, what would it be?

That my whole life was dedicated to spending time with her, doing whatever she wanted to do.

Nothing too major.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which ZiZi could speak, which actor should do her voice?

That's a hard one. Whoopi Goldberg maybe. Someone sassy and incredulous.

If ZiZi could answer only one question in English, what would you ask her?

Why is potty training a Chihuahua so darn hard?

Visit Heather Sharfeddin's website.

Writers Read: Heather Sharfeddin.

The Page 69 Test: Sweetwater Burning.

--Marshal Zeringue