Julie Joyce & Rufus

Who is in the photo at right?

I'm Julie Joyce.  I run a link building company called Link Fish Media, based out of Greensboro NC. This is me with Rufus, who is an oversized male bloodhound who happens to be overweight and 6 years old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I will take any excuse to talk about poor Rufus and do very little work. Since I do a lot of work from home, it's always "Take Your Dog To Work Day" here.

What's brewing?

I have non-trendy coffee, even though I am brewing it with a Keurig. I'm sad because I'd prefer a full-fat iced mocha with whipped cream from Starbucks but Rufus doesn't drive.

Any treats for you or Rufus on this occasion?

I'm having eggs from our backyard chickens. Rufus is having his usual boring breakfast of dry dog food and whatever leftovers he can pick up from the trash can.

How were you and Rufus united?

As a person who swore never to buy a dog from a pet store, I bought Rufus at a pet store. I was in there with my husband and saw him and immediately had to have him. As a proper Southerner, few dogs are more sacred than a bloodhound, and he was huge and clumsy and I just had to have him.

How did Rufus get his name? Any aliases?

He was named after an ancestor of mine, who was a redhead who raised utter hell. His aliases as Buddha, Boo, Ruf, and Buddhasaurus Rexicus.

Cat, postman, squirrel…?

He's recently accepted our cat Dashwood, after only 18 months. I think Rufus is solely responsible for one postal employee quitting her route and one needing anxiety medication. Squirrels calmly run all over his backyard and he never seems to notice but if a person walks within 100 yards of our house, Rufus goes into attack mode. Sadly, we live on a busy street so when he's outside, he's on edge most of the time.

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick…?

Well, he can't catch anything because of his gigantic jowls and slobber…no squeaky toy has lasted more than about 5 minutes so I'll go with stick, unless you want to include "pieces of the house."

Does Rufus have a favorite place to go for outings?

He's a bit difficult to take on outings and has started getting so upset at the vet's office that he has seizures, so we're gently introducing him to a quick walk around the block again. He seems to really like areas with overgrown ivy that are full of other dogs' pee.

How well does Rufus get along with your chickens?

He's been outside with them once and ran at them but with him, you never know what he's intending to do. We keep them separated so it's usually Rufus inside beside the glass doors while the 4 chickens line up and stare at him. He pretends not to see them. I think he's embarrassed.

What is Rufus's best quality?

If he likes you, you will never ever be afraid of anyone hurting you, coming into your house, etc. He also tends to stand on your foot and lean on you when he wants attention, which is insanely cute even when he's drooling, although much cuter when he's not.

If Rufus could change one thing about North Carolinians, what would it be?

He'd bring more open-mindedness into our political system so that we weren't always oppressing people who lived different lifestyles.

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

"Why did you once run across the yard with a can of paint in your mouth?"

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Rufus could speak, who should voice him?

There is only one choice: Sam Elliott.

Visit the Link Fish Media website.

--Marshal Zeringue