Arin Greenwood & Murray

Who is in the photo at right?

That's my sweet dog Murray Rothbark. He is going on 10 years old. My husband and I adopted him when he was about a year and a half old. We don't know what breed he is - we've never had him genetic tested - but he seems to have some hound in him. What I can say for certain is he's a Very Good Boy.

I'm Arin Greenwood. I'm an animal writer and former lawyer. I live in St. Petersburg, Florida, with my Murray, three cats - Elfie, Jackie, and Chappy - and one very tolerant husband.

I used to be animal welfare editor at The Huffington Post, and now I freelance animal stories for a whole lot of publications like The Today Show's website, The Dodo, and The Washington Post. I have a new novel about dogs, and robot dogs, and love, that came out on April 17 - it's called Your Robot Dog Will Die.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

The occasion for Coffee with a Canine is that the day has begun, and so I must have coffee. Murray very patiently lets me drink one big mug of it before our morning walk.

What's brewing?

I have one of those coffee makers with a timer on it, so that I wake up to a full pot of coffee. I want to thank the person who invented this device from the bottom of my heart. I drink dark roast coffee with a splash of almond milk - my husband complains the coffee tastes like burned sludge but I like it quite a bit.

Any treats for you or Murray on this occasion?

Murray and I eat our breakfast after getting home from our morning walk. I'll have my second gigantic cup of coffee with a big bowl of Wheaties, while Murray enjoys his bowl of kibble.

How were you and Murray united?

My husband and I wanted to adopt a dog. We were looking for a dog who'd get along well with our cat. We found Murray - then called Baxter - on Petfinder. A local rescue group called Rescue Angels got him out of a shelter in the south. He was being fostered at a doggie daycare in Washington, D.C., where we were living at the time.

We went to go meet Murray at the doggie daycare, and he just rolled right over for belly rubs. We were smitten. We brought him home overnight for a test run, just to make sure he and our cat would be good. (They were!)

The second we walked in our apartment door, Murray ran into our bedroom and hopped up onto the bed. It's like he knew he was home.

How did your dog get his name? Any aliases?

The general rule in our household is that I bring home the pets and my husband gets to name them. Our dog's full name is Murray Rothbark. He's named after one of my husband's favorite economists, Murray Rothbard. My husband works at a think tank called the R Street Institute, and our Murray actually holds a position there as well - he's director of canine policy. He's got bylines on a couple of published op-eds, too, if you can believe it.

Does Murray do more to help or hinder your writing?

I'd say overall he's a neutral influence on my writing, but he's a tremendously positive influence on my life. So to the extent that I am a happier person because of Murray, I'm also a happier writer.

Has Murray inspired the creation of any fictional dogs?

Not yet. Stay tuned, though.

Cat, postman, squirrel...?

Murray is so funny about cats. We have three cats now, and they all desperately want to be friends with Murray, and he is just not interested. He doesn't pay them any attention. But when he sees strange cats - out on the street or at other people's houses - he gets so excited that he'll start to cry. He wants to go sniff them and lick them. He loves them. Our cats, though - nope, he has no time for them.

He hates people who deliver mail to our house, or packages. He'll bark at UPS drivers, even if we see them miles away from our house. He sometimes even barks at random brown vans if we happen to spot one. Squirrels, likewise, do not bring out Murray's best qualities.

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

Yes to all the above.

Where is Murray's favorite outdoor destination?

He loves playing fetch in our yard. And his favorite thing in the world is when we take him to this magical place called Dog Beach. My husband and I call it the happiest place on earth for dogs. It's a beach at a park in St. Petersburg where dogs can go run around and swim, and play. It's so wonderful. Unfortunately for Murray, a trip to Dog Beach is usually followed by his least favorite thing in the world - a bath.

Who is Murray's best pet-pal?

Murray loves me and my husband, and likes a couple of other people, but he doesn't have that many dogs he likes to play with. He's not mean or anything, just mostly kind of disinterested. There is this one dog named Banjo who Murray really loves, though. She's one of the only dogs he's ever loved to play with. I don't know what is different about Banjo, but it's very sweet to see him have a doggie friend.

What is Murray's best quality?

That's like asking what is the best thing about being alive, or about sunshine and flowers. Everything about Murray is perfect.

If Murray could change one thing about Floridians, what would it be?

He wishes they would set off fewer fireworks. Those stupid explodey things really scare the bejeezus out of him.

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

"Can we go to dog beach now, but how about we skip the bath afterwards?"

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

Oh, that's a good question. I guess the obvious answer would be Bill Murray. (Get it????)

What advice would Murray give if asked?

I think it would be something along the lines of: "Eat more snacks, take more naps, abandon all baths."

Visit Arin Greenwood's website.

--Marshal Zeringue