Kristen Nelson & Pancake

Who is in the photo at right?

I am Kristen and I recently graduated with my Masters in Elementary Education. I am still looking for a job. Pancake is a shih tzu and I have no idea how old she is. I rescued her from a puppy mill and she was in such bad shape with no teeth they have no idea how old she is.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

It was such a nice day outside that I wanted to get out with her! Plus, the Sonic was totally destroyed with the May floods in Nashville and has recently reopened.

What's brewing?

Actually not coffee but instead Sonic Vanilla diet coke

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

A Jr. Cheeseburger.

Any treat for Pancake on this occasion?

Of course! Her own Jr. Hamburger!

How were you and your dog united?

I found Pancake on petfinder.com. I knew I wanted a shih tzu and I was just drawn in by her first pictures. She was from a puppy mill where she was used as a breeding dog and not taken care of at all! It took her two weeks to figure out that you could play with the toys I had for her and over a year for her to trust the leash. I didn’t hear her bark for two weeks and even now the only time she barks is when she hears me and she can’t see me.

Pancake is an usual name for dog--where did it come from? Any aliases?

I get asked this all the time and I have no idea! I just decided (before I got her) that it would be her name. I always wanted a dog named Pancake and it fits her perfectly!

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Not really. But she is a snob to the other dogs (Cairn Terrier and Doberman mutt). They try to play with her and she only wants to play with the cat- who of course won’t play with her only the Chloe (Doberman mutt).

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

Actually she is very fond of cat toys. She loves them! She will steal them from the cat’s basket.

Where is Pancake's favorite place for an outing?

Sonic! She loves their ice cream.

Who are Pancake's best pet-pals?

Her favorite animal is Izzy the cat and she also is very fond of Izzy the dog. She only likes to play with animals that are smaller than her. She can be a bit of a snob.

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

That I would be home more. She is very attached. I cannot be in a different area of the house without her there as if she hears me she barks and whines.

What is Pancake's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Most embarrassing is when I catch her near the cat litter box. We recently got a top entry one. No more of that!

Proudest would be when she finally trusted walking on the leash!

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--Marshal Zeringue