Debbie Dadey & Bailey, Skippy and Shadow

Who is in the photos at right and below?

I'm Debbie Dadey (in the blue sweater) and my beloved Bailey is a Springer Spaniel and Border Collie Mix.

I am the author and co-author of 151 children's books, including the brand-new Mermaid Tales series from Simon and Schuster. Bailey is currently unpublished.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Bailey and I have coffee together every weekday. In the morning after breakfast we retreat to my office. She to her dog bed and me to my desk chair. I have two other dogs that join us: Skippy, a 15 pound Maltese, and Shadow, a Schipperke that likes to eat everything-including toilet paper. Skip sleeps under my desk and Shadow sleeps in front of it.

What's brewing?

Lately I've been enjoying Folgers Gourmet Vanilla Biscotti flavored with Sugar Free French Vanilla International Delight straight from my Keurig machine. I'm too cheap and lazy to get dressed to go to a coffee shop, so I figure since I only drink a cup a day I can splurge on a coffee machine. This way I can work until break time in my pj's.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Usually the dogs eat breakfast and fall asleep. They are very supportive of my writing this way.

How were you and your dogs united?

They are officially not my dogs. Bailey is my husband's. Skip is my daughter's. Shadow is my youngest son's. However I feed the dogs. I love them and spend almost every day with them. They sleep with me. They follow me around our house like a parade from room to room.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Bailey is named after my book series, The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids. The book series was named after my beloved grandmother, Lillie Bailey. Marcia Jones and I co-wrote the series.

What role have your dogs played in your writing?

They snore in all the right places while I'm writing.

I did write a series with Marcia called Barkley School for Dogs. My dogs gave us lots of ideas for the series, including the plastic funnel that Bailey had to wear when she had surgery.

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

They love going for walks around the neighborhood. Bailey's leash goes in my left hand. Skip and Shadow's leashes go in my right. The poundage works out pretty evenly that way.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Every morning my dogs chase our neighbor's cat out of our yard. One day I'm afraid they will catch her.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

They are good buddies with each other. Bailey is the 'mother' dog. When they go outside the others wait politely for Bailey beside the door before proceeding without her.

Bailey is sixteen and I worry what the other dogs would do if something happens to her. I worry what I would do!

What is each dog's best quality?

They love me without question, even if my hair sticks straight up and with no make-up.

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

No cats.

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

Bailey would be a female Morgan Freeman, Skip would be William H. Macy and Shadow would be Tim Allen after three cups of coffee.

Visit Debbie Dadey's website, like her Facebook page, and check out her Twitter perch.

--Marshal Zeringue