Debra Webb & Toto, Trixie, and Smoky

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Debra Webb and I'm an author of romantic suspense novels. My 89th book, Missing, comes out in this month! Missing is part of my long-running Colby Agency series.

I have three wonderful dogs! Toto, a Cocker Spaniel-Scotty mix; Trixie, a Maltese; and Smoky, a Beagle!

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Every morning my husband, the dogs and I have coffee on the porch of our 111-year-old house!

What's brewing?

We love Dunkin Donuts coffee! We buy the whole beans and our coffeemaker grinds and makes the heavenly brew with the push of one button. My husband is usually up first and the wonderful smell of brewing coffee drifts through the French doors of our bedroom and wakes me (and the dogs!). All three of our pups follow me down for coffee (and their morning treats!).

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Occasionally we have coffee cake or home made pound cake.

Any treat for your dogs on this occasion?

Trixie, Toto and Smoky sometimes get a bite of cake but they always get their morning cheese treat!

How were you and your dogs united?

We rescued a lost dog who turned out to be Toto's mother. The owners were so thankful that we had rescued their dog that they allowed us to pick one of the puppies! Trixie lived with one of my dear writer friends, Rita Herron, whose daughters had both gone off to college and with Rita traveling Trixie was feeling a little lonely. We were thrilled to bring Trixie home with us! My younger daughter bought Smokey as a little pup at the Dog Days Festival in Ardmore, Alabama!

Have your dogs had any influence on your writing?

Definitely! They keep me company! Each day when I go to my office to write, they follow. Also, their love and loyalty remind me every day how important those traits are in my characters!

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Toto reminded us a bit of the dog from The Wizard of Oz when he was a pup. We sometimes call him Snake because when he was younger he was so good at keeping snakes out of the yard or warning us when one was there.

Trixie already had her name when we got her but we usually refer to her as the Princess since she rules the roost!

Smoky was named by my daughter who believed his stealthiness was like that of smoke.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Smoky chases the squirrels! He has been known to climb the ancient Pecan tree in hot pursuit (this is absolutely true!). Toto has no interest in the squirrels. He prefers to bark at the cats who stroll the alley behind our house. Trixie is above such trivial pursuits.

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

When the dogs were younger they loved all sorts of doggie toys (and most anything else that happened to be in their paths). Nowadays it's more about a nice pillow to lay their heads on.

Where are your dogs' favorite places for outings?

They love to go for rides. We have several dog parks and they love them all! Mostly they love being wherever we are.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Well there's Samson, my younger daughter's new Lab pup. Then there's Kisses and Nona, my older daughter's wonderful doggies. And Gizmo, my niece's Shihtzu.

What is each dog's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Oh my gosh, so many! When he was younger Toto was an excellent guard dog! There are far too many proud moments to name. I can't think of a single embarrassing moment with Toto. Trixie is pretty much the same. She rules, allowing her subjects only so close. And if anyone is going to sit in Mom's lap, it's Trixie. Smoky is the young one, only three to Toto's fourteen and Trixie's eleven.

When we first moved into this 111-year-old house, it was a mess and we were trying to live here during the renovation. One night my husband was going through the downstairs turning off lights before bedtime and Smoky stopped dead in his tracks in the back hallway. He simply would not move on to the next room. My husband finally turned the light back on to see what the problem was and there was a huge spider on the wall! Once my husband got rid of the spider, Smoky moved on. The next day we found a place in that hallway where the big old nasty spiders were coming in! We might not have noticed it for weeks if Smoky hadn't!

During our first summer here Smoky would climb that big old Pecan tree after those elusive squirrels. The second summer he was older and a little heavier. No matter, he chased the squirrels and climbed that tree again. But this time he lost his nerve and was afraid to try and get down. So he howled until we rescued him!

Visit Debra Webb's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Larry D. Sweazy & Brodi and Sunny

Who is in the photo at right?

That would be Brodi, age 9, and Sunny, age 4, both full-blooded Rhodesian ridgebacks.

I’m Larry D. Sweazy, a full-time writer. I write a Western series, Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger for Berkley (the third novel, The Badger’s Revenge, comes out April 5th), as well mysteries (that novel will be out next February), short stories, and non-fiction articles. I also write back-of-the book indexes for major publishers like Pearson and Cengage. You can find out more about me at my website.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We have coffee every morning. It’s always brewed and waiting for me when I awake. I make a cup, and head to the office to check my email and start work. Both dogs usually follow me, and argue about who gets the soft, comfy chair that day. Brodi usually wins, but not always. The loser lays under the desk at my feet.

What's brewing?

A couple of years ago I had some serious stomach issues, and one of the recommendations was that I give up caffeine. So, I did. But being such a creature of habit, and lover of the taste of coffee, I switched to decaf. I don’t get a jolt, but I still get the comfort of my routine and the pleasant aroma of coffee filling the house.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Usually not. I like to enjoy the coffee, and then eat some breakfast about an hour later.

Any treat for your dogs on this occasion?

They get a treat after we get back from our morning walk, and I get my second cup of coffee.

How were you and your dogs united?

We owned a basenji for 16 years. When she died, the house was empty, so a couple months later we went looking for another dog. I was spending more and more time at my desk, so I knew I needed a bigger dog that could hold up to some serious walks. I wanted a reason to get out of the house and exercise, so we settled on Rhodesian ridgebacks as a breed. We were already familiar with African dogs, so it seemed like a good fit, and it has been. Brodi was an easy adjustment, and became an integral part in my exercise routine, and really, so much more. Sunny came along five years later to keep Brodi and I moving at a good pace.

Have your dogs had any influence on your writing?

Good question. They are a comfort, always present, and always ready for a walk. I work out a lot problems when I walk, so they’ve probably helped me plot a few novels.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Brodi is really Baruti, which is Swahili for Teacher. It’s been an appropriate name. Brodi is calm, a thinker, a protector, and is always pointing the way to a mellower, more fulfilled life. He is my ambassador. Sunny is actually named after an Audie Murphy movie, Seven Hours Until Sundown, and because his effervescent personality has been sunny from the first moment we saw him. He’s the happiest dog I’ve ever met. And happier if he’s touching you. He’s an 85 pound lap dog.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Wouldn’t be a cat. We have a black cat, Nigel, that we rescued. Both dogs love Nigel, and I’m sure Nigel truly believes he is a ridgeback. Which is odd, because ridgebacks hunt lions in Africa. Postman, no way, especially if he is a giver of attention. Squirrels, oh yes, Sunny loves to chase squirrels. Brodi thinks about it, but the thought is usually gone by the time Sunny chases the squirrel up a tree. No squirrels were harmed in the making of that statement. Ever.

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

Ridgebacks are funny, they’re not really toy kind of dogs. They have bones they chew, but that’s about it. I bought all kinds of stuff for them to play with when they were puppies, and after a couple of fetches, they were just bored. Now, if I tie a white plastic trash bag onto a fishing pole (ala lure coursing) and toss it, spin it, whatever, Sunny will play until he drops. Such nonsense is beneath Brodi, though.

Where is your dogs' favorite places for outings?

That’s easy. We have a woods close by with trails through it that runs along a nice creek.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

That would probably be Fritz, a schnauzer, who lives in the neighborhood.

What is each dog's best quality?

Loyalty, and they don’t bark a lot. Just when something is out of the sync.

What is each dog's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

A few years before Sunny came along, and it was just Brodi, he proved himself greatly. Along with hunting lions, ridgebacks are known as really good watchdogs. Now, Brodi has always slept downstairs…at his own choice. He could have slept anywhere he wanted to. One night, at two in the morning, Brodi came up the stairs, stopped at the landing, and barked. He had never done that before, and I woke up instantly. He barked again. Just once. And I got out of bed. By the time I made it to the landing, he had already went back down the stairs, and was standing beside the front door, staring out the side glass window. I asked him what the problem was and he didn’t acknowledge me, he just kept staring out into the darkness. So I stood there with him, and sure enough about two minutes later, two guys edged alongside a vacant house across the street, and broke into the garage. I called up to my wife, and told her to call 911. She did, and police caught the guys. So, how Brodi knew what was going on across the street, and was smart enough to wake up still amazes me. He’s never done anything like that since, but I trust his bark, and I trust his instinct with people. Sunny has never done anything quite so amazing, other than not tear up anything important, but his constant companionship and love is something to behold. Neither one of these dogs could ever embarrass me, they’re both just really cool, and I’m happy to share my life with them.

Watch the trailer for The Badger’s Revenge, and learn more about the book and author at Larry D. Sweazy's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: The Badger’s Revenge by Larry D. Sweazy.

--Marshal Zeringue

Martin Kihn & Hola

Who is in the photo at right?

The tall one is me -- Martin Kihn. I work for an ad agency in Minneapolis. The shorter, better-looking one is Hola, a Bernese mountain dog. She's eight years old now, and still a bundle of unstoppable energy. In this picture, Hola had just graduated from a week-long training retreat in the woods of Virginia to prepare for her Canine Good Citizen certification.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Hola and I like to have a routine. While I was writing my book about her, she'd get me up at six in the morning, and I'd toss on a pot of coffee. Then I'd sit on her doggie bed drinking my coffee and writing her book while she snored happily next to me.

What's brewing?

Hola and I recently moved to Minneapolis with my wife Julia after twenty years in Manhattan. When I was writing Bad Dog, we lived in a Hispanic neighborhood in Washington Heights. I got hooked on a strong espresso-like drip coffee called Bustelo -- rocket fuel for the writer. By coincidence, it's the same brand consumed by my favorite fictional character: Holly Winter, star of the fabulous Dog Lovers Mysteries series by Susan Conant.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Just whole cream. Milk doesn't have enough body for my taste. Cream takes the edge off the Bustelo. I don't eat while I write because my hands are busy typing. Hola doesn't eat because she's sleeping. But as soon as she's up, after her walk, she gets the ultimate canine goody of all: raw organic black angus beef. Yum.

How did your dog come to be united with you?

Hola was my wife Julia's idea -- one I was totally against in the beginning. I'd never had a dog before, just cats. They seemed too big and high-maintenance, which of course they are. But I was traveling all the time for my job and my wife wanted a companion at home, so I couldn't say no. It wasn't easy finding a good breeder to let us have a Berner because we lived in an apartment and were first-time owners. They're surprisingly strict. Eventually we found one up in Rochester and drove eight hours each way to pick her up. The rest is history.

How did she get her name?

All the dog books we read suggested a simple name, so we wanted to go for one syllable. On the other hand Spot or Joe seemed too ordinary for such a beautiful dog. She turned out to be so friendly, my wife decided to call her Hola for "hello."

What is your dog's proudest moment so far?

Our book Bad Dog tells the story of how Hola starts as a kind of good-looking Marley -- just a badly-behaved, badly-trained dog. At a certain point, my life was falling apart and I decided we were going to train and get our Canine Good Citizen award from the American Kennel Club. This is a ten-point test of good manners and basic training, but it was totally impossible for us at first. Literally impossible. But after a lot of hard work, Hola earned her CGC in 2010. It was an amazing day -- really incredible.

Learn more about Bad Dog: A Love Story at Martin Kihn's website and the Bad Dog Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jared Cullum & Rusty

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Jared and I'm an cartoonist and designer living with my wonderful wife (Johanna) in Virginia. We have a 6-year-old, black and silver Miniature Schnauzer. He's a male and his name is Rusty. Rusty is a very sweet boy but has a reserved mysterious darker side. He's never quick to trust but as loyal as they come once you're on his good side. I say mysterious because we don't know a lot about his past. He was a rescue and is overall a happy well-functioning dog but has the occasional button we watch for not to press. In this photo we're sitting together over a cup a coffee. Rusty is a character in a bi-weekly webcomic strip I do called Pea Green Coffee Cup.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I start every morning with coffee. I can't imagine how anyone starts their day without it. I have coffee with my dog Rusty because I enjoy relaxing with him but also he follows me everywhere I go. If I take a shower, my wife will often see him sitting outside the door if he hasn't already snuck in to scratch and contort the towel into a comfortable place to lay down.

What's brewing?

I store coffee much like my friends that collect and drink wine do. I have the brew that I currently drinking or trying out, but I also keep a load of Folgers or Maxwell for in between or if I run out of the brands I prefer. I'm currently drinking a breakfast blend from Rostov's Coffee & Tea Co. I buy a lot of coffee there. When I was in art school and when I had a studio downtown shortly after I'd go there for "Cappy Hour" where they have a large cup for $.50 at the end of the day. If I'm going to draw in a coffee shop I often go to a place here called Crossroads which uses coffee from Rostov's. It's featured in the first comic strip I drew of my current series. I also go to a place called Black Hand, but I'm sort of over-answering at this point so I'll just cut it short... Rostov's. Breakfast Blend. For me, that is. Rusty doesn't drink coffee, but I guess that goes without saying.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Whenever Rusty and I go out on a coffee or park or anything date I always try to get him a small something. There are plenty of pet stores in my neighborhood with dog cookies or a small greenie if I haven't brought something from home. Today. Nothing fancy. Bowl of cheerios. Thinking about making eggs. Probably won't. Effort. I like breakfast better at non-breakfast time.

Any treat for your dog on this occasion?

Rusty is crunching away at one of those small crunchy bones. He loves those things.

How were you and Rusty united?

He was a rescue, which seems like a over-dramatic word for the simple exchange. A young family had adopted him as a puppy when they had a little girl. The young family grew into a four kid family and the mother wanted to go back to school. That's all I know of their personal story but she was taking him to the pound and looking for a home. I met her in the parking lot of a Target and that's when I first met Rusty. He was wearing a small red harness and black sweater with a small moose pattern across it. She (the owner) was very sweet and after a sobbing and saying good bye passed the leash to my wife and I. We took him home and showered him with love and he showered our sheets, pillows, space heaters, rugs, important documents and floors in pee. Eventually he came around. After having him a while my wife began to feel left out because of the bond between Rusty and I, often coming home to find us wearing matching bandana's or tiny sombreros. We have since got my wife a little Yorkshire Terrier we call Baxter who has the same relationship with her that I have with Rusty. It's good but can be frustrating as Baxter won't listen to me and Rusty often hesitates to listen to her.

How did your dog get his name? Any aliases?

Rusty or The DogFather or Russ-Russ or Sweet-boy or Robo-Schnauz or No-Sorry-I-Can't-Pet-You-Now-I'm-Working. We thought of a thousand names to rename him on the trip to get him, but the woman that had him before us was so genuinely heartbroken at the loss of her dog going with us we decided to honor her and their bond by continuing to call him Rusty. It just felt right.

How prominently does Rusty figure in your comic, Pea Green Coffee Cup?

Rusty is a regular "cast" member of it. He pops in every now and then, usually for a joke or a thought about him. The comic strip is mainly about life and being married. Rusty's cartoon version is like him in that he's sweet but very reserved. He constantly needs love and affection but never opens up to being overly joyous. He's like a lover that has had a bad day and needs a hug but "doesn't want to talk about it." That's the feeling I get when he snuggles with me and I just do as any good friend would do. I pat him on the back and say, "I'm here and everything's going to fine."

UPS man, cat, squirrels?

UPS. Holy jeez. And squirrels.

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

Oddly enough: None. His favorite time is just cuddling or getting his back rubbed. But, for some reason at the dog park if other dogs are playing with a ball, he'll compete and chase a ball or two.

Where is Rusty's favorite place for outings?

We like to go to a particular dog park in our neighborhood. It's not a dog park, but we and the collective dog owners have decided it is ... often to the chagrin of local police. We like the dogs and the families that go there but we have to keep an eye out for cops so we can leash 'em up.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Our little yorkie loves to roam with the largest dogs he can find at the park, often rummaging around or climbing on top of a pack of Great Danes. Rusty has his reservations and often sits with me. He occupies his time by policing the park. If two dogs get in a tug match he'll dart over and bark like crazy. When they break up he'll trot back smiling at me as if to say, "D'you see that? See how I busted those guys?"

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

My need to sleep at 5 o'clock in the morning. On the same note, if I could change anything I'd change their need to pee at 5 o'clock in the morning.

What is each dog's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Baxter trots around constantly in a total state of pride. I don't think he understands the concept of shame, somehow it escapes him. Rusty seems to do fine but there was this one time for Halloween we thought it would be cute to dress him in a chicken outfit. Once it was on he wouldn't move. He looked identical to the boy in the Christmas Story film with the bunny pajamas. He just sat and wouldn't even look up at us. He looked so sad and ashamed we stripped it off him as fast as possible as a little foam hot dog with a tiny dog attached to it ran circles around us and jumped in our face for attention.

Visit the Pea Green Coffee Cup webcomic.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lela Nargi & Jaffa

Who is in the photo at right?

That’s me, Lela, a freelance reporter and book author, and my girl Jaffa, a 10-year-old mix of Rottweiler, Chow, and Lab (best guesstimate).

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I actually stopped drinking coffee several years ago – I loved it, it didn’t love me. Now I drink 2 cups of strong tea every morning in order muster the courage to face the world out there on the streets of Brooklyn when I take Jaffa out for her morning walk. Or in this instance, a romp through Prospect Park.

What's the beverage du jour?

Barry’s, extremely hot and dark, with a very small drop of milk.

Any treats for you or your dog on this occasion?

Unfortunately, true to her Lab-y nature, Jaffa is completely food-obsessed. She rarely gets a Greenie or a Wellness peanut butter treat anymore, for the simple reason that having been so treated, she will beg incessantly. For days.

How did Jaffa come to be united with you?

We used to live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, back before it was fancy. Every pet owner in the neighborhood hung out at BARC, the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition, and bought food and supplies from its bizarre and hilarious owners, Tony and Vinnie. One day, friends called to say they’d “borrowed” a puppy from BARC for the day, did we want to come down to their shop and see it? The puppy, of course, was Jaffa. Having had no intention of ever owning a dog, we adopted her an hour later.

How did Jaffa get her name?

Being food-obsessed ourselves, we named her after Jaffa Cakes, the English biscuits topped with orange marmalade and dark chocolate, which is what her coloring reminded us of.

Does he/she have any influence on your writing?

Yes, she gets me out of the house for even just a few minutes every morning before I start to write, which ensures that I am actually a part of the world at large and not some misanthropic freak chained to her desk.

What's an ordinary day like for your dog?

Wake up at 5:00AM whining for breakfast; 5:15-5:17 eat breakfast; 5:18-7:00, lie around; 7:01-8:25, whine for my daughter’s breakfast, my breakfast, my husband’s breakfast, get some pats around the ears, wander around with eviscerated fur squeaky toy dangling from mouth; 8:30-8:45 walk around the neighborhood; 8:46-early afternoon, lie around until someone has to go out on an errand, then go out for another walk; 3:30-5:00PM, whine for dinner; 5:01-5:03 eat dinner; 5:04-8:30, whine for other people’s dinners, lie around, bark at neighbors coming home, snarf a few crumbs off the kitchen floor; 8:31-9:00, go for evening walk; 9:01PM-5:00AM, lie around.

Does Jaffa have a favorite place to go for walk?

Prospect Park in Brooklyn – although this is less of a walk than it is a fiesta of off-leash-hours ball chasing until too sore to walk. Uh, her, not me.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Oh by all means: squirrel.

What's Jaffa's best quality?

Optimism. Every day offers the renewed possibility that someone will forget to replace the lid on the garbage can.

What's Jaffa's proudest moment so far?

The time she barked at the person who was stealing my bicycle from the hallway; if only I’d listened!

Her most embarrassing?

The time we came home from a walk down by the Williamsburg waterfront and she barfed up a stewed tomato, three rocks, and a cigarette butt.

Visit Lela Nargi's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kellie Rupard-Schorr & Buddy, Belle, and Briscoe

Who is in the photo at right?

I am Kellie Rupard-Schorr. I am a HIV/AIDS Prevention Specialist, freelance writer and comic book collector. I write a spirituality blog and a political webcomic called The Beaglez. I live with my partner Cathy, 3 beagles and 2 cats.

Buddy is a 6-year-old female lemon beagle (only tan and white).

Belle (the little one) is a 6-year-old female Tri-color beagle with black ears.

Briscoe is a 2-year-old female Tri-color beagle with big brown ears.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Sunshine!! After months of cold temperatures, rain and snow the sun finally came out and we had a warm enough day to take the whole pack to the historic Battlefield Park for a walk.

What's brewing?

Panera Light Roast with a metric ton of sugar in it (well, maybe not that much). Like most folks raised on southern sweet tea and Pepsi, I like my drinks super sweet.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Not today, although it was hard to pass up the pastries in the store.

Any treat for your dogs on this occasion?

No snacks on this trip, but after the long winter a walk at the park is always a treat.

How were you and the beagles united?

In 2004 one of our cats passed away and Cathy grieved terribly. I had never seen a lemon beagle before and took Cathy to go see her. They were a match made in heaven. Eventually, it became clear Buddy needed a friend so we brought Belle into the family. Two years ago we noticed our dogs were becoming big couch potatoes, so we picked out Briscoe to liven up the pack.

How did your dogs get their names? Do they have any nicknames?

Buddy earned her name because we got her to be Cathy’s “buddy”.

Belle was named after Snoopy’s sister in the comic strip Peanuts.

Briscoe [photo right] had such a wrinkly forehead and stubborn nature we named her after our favorite TV character – Law and Order’s Lenny Briscoe.

What was the inspiration for your webcomic at www.thebeaglez.com?

I like to talk about politics, but I don’t like to fight about politics. One day I was downloading a camera card and realized I had about 100 pictures of the dogs. So I started making political cartoons out of them which got a great response from friends. I discovered people are more likely to listen and discuss rather than argue when your thoughts come out of the mouths of cute beagles.

UPS man, cat, squirrels?

Anything that moves. The beagles have a fenced in play area so squirrels frequently come up to the fence and tease them and they would love to get their paws on one! We also have a lot of deer in the area that provide a howling good time. [Belle, photo left]

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

Definitely squeaky-toy! Briscoe gets a new toy every morning to destroy while we get ready for work. Once she pulls the squeaker out we take it away and give all three girls a treat. A squeaker a day keeps the blues away.

Where are the dogs' favorite places for outings?

They love the Battlefield Park, an actual civil war battlefield. We live out in the country so any walk in the woods is always full of good smells and diversions.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Beagles love everyone and the whole world is their best friend.

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

They would want me to get up earlier so I could spend more play time with them. I’m not a morning person so I get up with just enough time to get ready and get out the door to work. If they had their way, I’d spend all day hanging out with the home beagles.

What is each dog's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Proud: My partner Cathy was being treated for breast cancer and had just taken her first chemotherapy treatment. She said she felt fine and wanted to snooze on the couch and I went to the back of the house to take a nap. About an hour later Buddy [photo right] started jumping up and down frantically on the bed to wake me up. She never does anything like that. I got up and noticed Belle was running up and down the hall and wouldn’t stop. She just kept running to the bedroom door then running down the hall. Since it was unusual for both dogs to be so frantic, I followed Belle and found Cathy lying on the bathroom floor. She had gotten sick and gone in there while I was sleeping. Thanks to the dogs I was able to stay with her while she was ill.

Embarrassing: We took Buddy and Belle to a pet store to have their picture taken with Santa. They put a huge red bow on Buddy that made her look really dorky. Then while we were in line, Buddy had a “backwards sneeze” (something beagles are prone to – it sounds and looks like an asthma attack). So she starts hacking and wheezing loudly while everyone is staring at her. Cathy sat in the floor with her and tried meditative techniques so she started rubbing Buddy’s chest and saying, “Think about calm things, visualize nice thoughts, think about being at the vet. You love the vet.” It was so embarrassing Belle and I walked down the cat toy aisle and pretended we didn’t know Cathy or Buddy!

Visit The Beaglez webcomic.

--Marshal Zeringue

Alex & Nigel, Natalie, and Nash

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Alex. By profession I am a marketer/advertiser, but in this economy I am now professionally a care giver to my 3 beasts and my military spouse, and a blogger over at Laundry and Vodka. That's Natalie with me in the photo.

I have 3 lovelies:

Nigel - 5 1/2 year old Dachshund
Natalie - 4 year old Basset Hound
Nash - 2 1/2 year old Australian Blue Heeler

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I have coffee with Nigel every day. He sits in my lap on the sofa while I drink my joe. But today, he is not feeling well and spent the night with the vet to get him into better shape. So instead, I have the two big dogs lounging on the floor by my feet. Nash likes when I use him as a foot rest.

What's brewing?

I am a caffeine addict, but with pregnancy has come limitation on my obsession with coffee. I am 5 months along with my first child (a girl!), so I am drinking half caf black drip. Gag! It's the only way I can justify more than 1 cup in the morning, but I miss my bold, jet fueled coffee!

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

I have the same goody every day - Nuts Over Chocolate Luna Bar.

Any treat for your dogs on this occasion?

Nash already gobbled his up, but Natalie is still munching on a dental chewy this morning.

How were you and your dogs united?

Nigel the weenie dog became my best friend in 2005. I had an old, ailing cat, and needed a dog that would do well with him. I also worked a good bit and needed a breed that slept a lot. Perfect solution? A weiner! He was the right fit for my family immediately!

Nash was a welcome home gift for my husband upon his return from Iraq. He just loved the breed and had always wanted a heeler, so it was the perfect gift.

Natalie is our most recent addition. We moved to a home in the mountains, one day a beautiful white basset hound showed up at my door. She was hungry and dirty, so we fixed her up. I drove around and did manage to find the owners, but they said they didn't want her anymore. I took her straight to the vet, everything that could be wrong with a dog was wrong with her... worms, bad teeth, bad skin, never been fixed, etc... A few weeks and lots of money later she was a vision of health!

How did your dogs get their names? Do they have any nicknames?

All of my animals have always had names that start with "N". It's a quirky fun thing I've done since I was a kid.

Nigel just suits him, he's a funny little devil.

Nash, we lived in Nashville at the time, so it was a great fit for our rambunctious puppy.

Natalie, her name was previously Ally, so Natalie sounded really close to that. She doesn't respond to either name (Ally or Natalie), she prefers to be called Girlfriend.

FedEx man, cat, squirrels?

Nigel loves to bark at the UPS man! Nigel is blind, so he barks his head off until the man says hello, then he runs to his feet for the pet that he knows he's due.

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

Nigel loves his babies. I've included a photo of him with his beloved skunk. He sleeps with him every night, tucked under his arms like it's his baby.

Nash is a tennis ball fanatic. As many times as we'll throw it, he'll fetch it!

Natalie just likes chewies, any kind of chewy. Unfortunately, she doesn't know the difference between a chewy and sunglasses, or a chewy and a flip flop...

Where are the dogs' favorite places for outings?

Nigel should have a sign that reads, "Have food? Will travel." He'll go anywhere, any time.

Nash loved dock diving! He doesn't quite get the hang of it yet, but he loves all of the other dogs and the special attention he receives.

Natalie is a home body, she just wants people to come love on her.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Nigel loves his babies.

Nash and Natalie love each other.

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

The big dogs would want me to spend more time in the backyard with them. Nash would want me to have an automatic throwing arm to keep that tennis ball flying. And Nigel doesn't like my growing baby bump because it is taking up his lap space!

What is each dog's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Nigel went with me to the airport to pick up his daddy when he returned home from a 15 month deployment to Iraq. We had never gone so long without seeing him, and I feared that Nigel would forget his daddy. I had left Nigel in the car while I ran in to find my husband, as we entered the parking garage I ran a few steps ahead to get Nigel on his leash so he could greet his dad. Nigel had not yet gone blind, so as I hooked his leash, I turned him around and sat him on the ground. My husband didn't make a sound, he just looked at his little wiener dog. All of the sudden, Nigel let out the loudest scream I had ever heard from a dog. He started dancing in place, and peeing everywhere, and screaming and crying. My big strong military husband started crying, he tried to pick up Nigel but he was still peeing from the excitement of it all... like a sprinkler all over his boots. Finally, he calmed down enough to be held, and in that moment I am absolutely certain that Nigel was the proudest I'd ever seen him. He had kept me safe, our home safe, and he was ready for his daddy's return.

Natalie had an embarrassing moment in my car - we didn't know each other very well yet. She was crying, but I assumed she was just a little nervous in the car. Then she cried a little louder, I assured her we were almost to our destination. Then she cried louder! I was turning in to the vet... then I smelled it. She had dookied in my car. Sigh!!! I got her out, she ran as fast as she could to the grass to finish her business. I could tell she was mortified, poor little thing.

Nash is all boy, and on level ten all the time. I don't think he knows what embarrassing means. But he's awful proud of his pretty girlfriend Natalie, he grooms her all day long.

Visit the Laundry and Vodka blog.

--Marshal Zeringue