Julie & George

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Julie the Wife, I document burning dinners and ruining childhoods at A Day in the Wife. Enjoying coffee with me is George the Superpet, a six-year-old 110 lb. Standard Poodle who is regularly featured on the blog. George is a little bit excited that he is among first Standard Poodles on Coffee With a Canine.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

George likes to be where I am, and I am usually drinking coffee. If I would allow him to curl up on my lap while drinking it, he would do it. George knows when he hears the cabinet door open to get a coffee cup, it’s time to get out of his chair and start a hard day of begging.

What's brewing?

We are drinking “Rocket Fuel” from our favorite coffee shop, “fuel” in Mount Vernon, Iowa. They use Small World Roaster’s beans from Princeton.

My cup is usually about 25% Creamate Caramel Macciatto creamer. Yes, George and I are coffee snobs. Todd, not so much. But he’s nuts.

Any treats for you or George on this occasion?

Lemon cookies made by my 15-year-old daughter. George and I both love that the kids are starting to cook, particularly since they are better sharers than I.

How did George get his name? Any aliases?

George is named after George Harrison, because his guitar gently weeps. It’s a medical condition. He is occasionally referred to as George the Superpet, but we try not to say it in front of him so as to not inflate his ego.

How were you and George united?

We met in a bar, but for the children’s sake we tell them we were looking for a non-shedding dog due to allergies, and saw George in the classifieds. He was a 16-week-old puppy named Max living with a couple of teacup poodles and a Scottie, and things weren’t working out. The family who owned him realized quickly that he was too big to safely place with teacups. This is why he drinks coffee in our house now.

Who are George's best pet-pals?

George used to play with Zeus and Jaxson next door, both Labrador Retreivers, but they moved a few weeks ago and he’s been a little depressed. He’s been growling to himself, and the kids are starting to campaign for a companion dog. I don’t know that we can handle another gargantuan Standard Poodle, but perhaps there is room for a nice Wheaten or Boston Terrier sibling.

Rabbit, postman, cat....?

There are about 30 feral cats that live in our neighborhood, and every window and door in our house has a streak of dried saliva and rage about two feet up from the floor.

But the postman is a close second. We don’t have rabbits, due to 30 feral cats in neighborhood.

Squeaky toy, ball, stick...?.

George can gut and eat a squeaky toy in less than two minutes. He has no interest in sticks, and no longer has balls. If he gets a rawhide, he will walk around with it in his mouth crying for a day before he breaks down and eats it.

What is George's best quality?

He hugs. He also picks pockets, so you have to be careful with all the hugging. He is a voracious reader – in this picture [at left] he is reading, The Girls From Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow.

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

He would have me work from home again so we can take our 3 p.m. nap before the kids get home. He’s a spooner. (Don’t tell Current Husband, it’s our little secret.)

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

The voice of Abominable Snowman from Bugs Bunny, who says, “I will love him and pet him and squeeze him and call him George.” If he is unavailable, it will be Adam Sandler, paws down.

If George could answer only one question in English, what would you ask him?

What’s the deal with you and Tampax?

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--Marshal Zeringue