I am Anne Love, a dean at a small college in NYC. Luna joined me and my two sons two months ago; we adopted her from the local shelter. They said she is about a year old, and a "bassett mix". I think she's a combination of bassett (her front legs), dachsund (rear end), and folks in the know say some pit bull terrier (head). I call her a hybrid!What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?
Every morning Luna and I have some bonding time - lots of petting, chasing a ball, tug-of-war. I have my coffee, she gets a wake-up work-out.
What's brewing?
In the morning I have my version of cafe au lait - a mug of hot milk with coffee. I'm pretty much a coffee wimp - I prefer it not too strong, and with milk and sugar.
Any goodies to go with the coffee?
For breakfast, usually cold cereal or oatmeal. On the weekend my favorite is waffles.
Any treat for Luna on this occasion?Luna gets dog food - lamb and rice kibble, and dog treats.
How did Luna come to be united with you?
Last June our dog of 14 years, Lacey, died. We were heartbroken. We missed her sweet welcomes at the door, her company, her soft fur. We talked about getting another dog, and what kind, and finally started looking at the local shelters. Luna had just arrived the day we visited the shelter in our town, and as they say, she picked us out. The staff member let Luna out of her crate, and she trotted right over to us, stuck her head under my arm, and that was that!
How did Luna get her name?
Since she is small we thought about long names - I was suggesting "Nasturtium," "Chrysanthemum," "Delphinium." One of my sons said that if it had to be a flower, he liked "Lilly." It didn't have to be flower, and we liked Lilly, but then I thought of Luna Lovegood, the character in the Harry Potter books. Since our last name is Love, it sort of fit. So she's Luna. Also turns out it's short for Lunatic, which she is now and then when she gets wound up and races around the house or the back yard.
Does she have any influence on what your write?
Yes! She filled the hole in my heart left by Lacey, and I wrote about that in my blog. See my blog entries for November and December. She also keeps my company when I write - she likes to be curled up nearby.
Where is Luna's favorite place for a walk?All around our neighborhood. There are lots of friendly people, some friendly dogs, and plenty of squirrels to chase. We haven't ventured out beyond our town yet.
Stick, Frisbee, tennis ball...?
Tennis balls are great! One inside, one outside. She's also fierce at tug-of-war with the rope toy.
Cat, squirrel, postman...?
Squirrels are the favorite, but cats are very interesting too. She loves people, and doesn't bark at the postman (at least not yet).
What's an ordinary day like for Luna?
Play, eat, walk, nap while the family is at work and school, get walked by my sons or her dog-walker, nap, eat, play, walk, sleep, repeat until the weekend, then play lots more!
Who is Luna's best pet-pal?
Gracie-lou, a hound-mix, not quite a year old, also a shelter dog. They've played together only once so far, but it was very funny to watch short-legged Luna take on long-legged Gracie, and vice versa. Luna would run circles around Gracie, and then Gracie would sit on Luna.
What's Luna's best quality?
Her friendliness - she is happy to see everyone, and her whole body moves when she wags her tail!
What's Luna's proudest moment? Her most embarrassing?Proudest moment - finding her first toy, among the cast-offs of my son's toys in the basement. It was a stretchy green frog. When she grabbed it in her mouth, shook it, and threw it to the floor, it bounced (much like a real frog might, without any interference on Luna's part!). She pounced on it, and repeated the process. She derived much joy from the frog until its demise.
Most embarrassing - none yet!
Care to share a Luna story?
The photo of Luna under the Christmas tree is funny, we think. She likes to curl up in something or near something, and as soon as we put the tree skirt under the tree, she went for it. She scratched at it, trying to get it just right, then she flopped down. It's been her favorite place since then. We bought a dog bed for her as a Christmas present, so now she likes to be in that, under the tree. She may be very confused when we take the tree down!
Visit Anne Love's blog, "Inspired by Love."
--Marshal Zeringue
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