Nicole & Macho

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Nicole! I live in metro Detroit with my boyfriend, Nick (in the picture with me), and my Chihuahua, Macho. I work in digital advertising at an agency in Detroit.

The second picture [below left] is me with Macho. He is approximately 5 years old based on his health. Macho’s blog is called The Macho Minute.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I had to drive Nick to the airport early in the morning, so I stopped by a Starbucks on my way home.

What's brewing?

I wasn’t sure what I would want, but they had a new iced coffee drink with Mocha and Coconut in it. Since it’s so nice out, I decided to go for that (and it’s pretty delicious).

Any goodies for you or Macho to go with the coffee?

Nope, just the coffee!

How were you and your dog united?

This is a long one- Back in July of 2009, there was a terrible local news story here in Detroit about a man who was a hoarder of garbage- and Chihuahuas. After neighbors complained of a terrible odor coming from the house, police came to check it out. When they saw one Chihuahua outside, they called a local animal shelter. Inside they found over 100 live Chihuahuas, and after further investigation found about 150 dead Chihuahuas inside Ziploc bags in freezers. A video about the house is here if you want to know more about where Macho came from. Flash forward to November where I am reading the newspaper online at work. I had been following the Chihuahua story since it happened, so when a story showed up online about the case, I had to read it. I clicked on the story, and the first thing to load was the cutest dog I have ever seen with one floppy ear. I knew right away that I had to have him. I read the caption of the picture and it said that this dog, named Macho, was one of two last Chihuahuas from the house that needed to be adopted. One month later, I picked up Macho from the animal shelter!

Why "Macho"...and does he have any aliases?

I absolutely loved the name the shelter gave him, so we kept it. But Macho has a ton of nicknames. A few of our favorites are Macho Poochu (like Maccu Piccu), Pooper, Poochie Pie, Pooch-a-loop, and Macho Man (like the song!).

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Macho ignores everything! But I don’t think he has ever seen a cat or a squirrel in his life, so that might freak him out.

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

Again, Macho ignores toys. I bought him a ton of toys. When he never played with them, I donated them to the animal shelter where I adopted him from. He does enjoy a good bully stick though.

What's an ordinary day like for Macho?

Macho loves sleeping in our bed. When I say love, I mean L-O-V-E loves it. In the morning, he will refuse to get up, and he is especially mad when Nick is out of town for work so he has to get up earlier than usual. On days when he sleeps in a little longer with Nick, he likes to wake up, sit on the couch, and try to sip Nick’s coffee while they watch the news. Then I’m pretty sure he sleeps the entire time we are at work until about 6ish when I get home. When I get home he loves to play this little “game” with me where he sprints into the bedroom, jumps on the bed, and does this goofy running thing at me. It’s cute, and I have a video to post on his blog of it. Then he just hangs out all night watching us cook dinner and then cuddling on the couch before he gets really excited to go back to bed.

Who are Macho's best pet-pals?

Just me and Nick! Macho is afraid of a lot of people, and I don’t blame him. His first few years of life were probably very confusing and scary, so he doesn’t trust easy. He will ignore all other people, but if Nick or I are near him, he will allow strangers to come up and pet him. He does well with other dogs and will mostly ignore them as well. He will sniff and be a little curious, but not too much.

What is Macho's best quality?

My favorite quality of Macho’s is that he is so curious about everything. It is especially cute because he is unsure if he should be scared of the object he is curious about or not. The first time he saw me knitting, he was starring at me trying to figure out what I was doing. I held up the knitting needle to let him sniff it, and he took the slowest, most curious bite of the needle. Sometimes Nick and I will sit there trying to be quiet and not laugh when he is checking out something new because it’s so adorable.

What is Macho's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

For proudest, it is definitely the first time he had a leash on without freaking out. Macho hated the leash when we first started trying to get him to get used to it. It got to the point where he would fight us whenever we tried to put it on his collar. Once it was on, he would not let us touch the leash or he would start trying to pull away. When we finally got a dog trainer to work with Macho, she was able to get him to calm down with the leash attached to his collar. The best day was when Macho sat down next to me on the floor while I was holding the leash and let me pet him. It was a great day.

Macho doesn’t really have an embarrassing day, but he definitely has a day where we were both pretty terrified. The animal shelter where Macho was adopted from had a Chihuahua reunion for all the dogs rescued from the house. I wanted so badly for Macho to go, so I took him in his carrier to the event. Everyone wanted to see him, so I thought just maybe he would be ok on a leash. He had his collar on, and I put a harness on him as well. I attached the leash to the harness, let him out of the car, and everything was ok for about 30 seconds. Then when Macho realized that he was on a leash outside, he tried to run away from me by backing up. I bent down to try to calm him down, but that scared him even more causing him to back right out of the harness. I reached down and grabbed his collar, and that came right off over his head. Now I am standing in a parking lot outside with my terrified dog and nothing on him to hold onto. I instantly reached for his leg and held on for dear life. He scooted under my car, and I literally had to drag him out from under it until I could pick him up. I jumped back into the car with him where we were both out of breath and terrified at what could have happened. I still think about those few seconds that happened so quick where I could have lost Macho forever!

Visit The Macho Minute blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pia Bernardino & Bruno, Bini, and Bogo

Who is in the photo at right?

I am Pia Bernardino. I am a blogger working on my very first novel, I love to read books and watch movies what better way than to have a blog that contains my insights on the latest books or movies I’ve read or seen. In addition, it is always awesome to connect with fellow bloggers like yourself so I’m always game in doing cross blogs.

My husband Bong and I have three dogs:

Bruno, an Ori Pei (male)

Bini, [in the photo with me at right] a Corgi mix (female)

Bogo, [in the photo with Bong, below left] Chihuahua (male)

They are all 5 years old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

All five of us go on a Saturday walk in the Park and then have a coffee and donut at Starbucks.

What's brewing?

Skinny Caramel Latte.

Any treat for you and your dogs on this occasion?

Cheese Danish for me and a small piece of Danish for them.

How were you and your dogs united?

Here’s the entire story:

Imagine a cute, innocent and tiny 5-year-old girl (my mom said I was cute). Back then, my bestfriend was Bernice and as what friends did, we visited each other. On a day that I would always remember as the day a monstrous beast attacked me, believe me something close to that happened. At Bernice's home a large and ferociously terrifying dog ran toward me. The dog was growling as it approached its next meal - me. I was trembling and felt like no one was there to help, so I ran; since their condo unit was quite small, I ran in circles. The dog caught the edge of my skirt and while biting he continued to growl. At that point, I was in shock and above all was I was traumatized.

If you are wondering what dog attacked me, it was a pekingese. Yes, I am aware of their size and cuteness factor now, but, if you were as tiny as me when I was 5, you too would identify with my fear.

Because of that, I grew up believing that all dogs were my enemy. Bong on the other hand loves dogs, in fact he grew up in a home with fifteen dogs and in Jersey, he had a white samoyed, Blanchie, who said goodbye to him and the world at 12. I was thankful that Bong never pushed the issue about me and dogs.

My fear prevailed until we moved to Seattle and something changed within me, initially maybe it was curiosity. One day, I asked Bong if we could visit the pet store nearby. There was this fawn colored tiny little girl (like I once was) that caught my attention, she was so cute that right then and there I named her Bini. To prove that I would love, care for and be good to the dog and because Bong was so patient with me, we went to the store every day for two weeks and spent at least two hours playing with Bini. Because of our frequent visits and aside from getting to know the owners, Bong noticed this wrinkly designer breed, and another dog caught our hearts, he was barely a pound and was being bullied by his sister/litter mate.

On September 1, 2006, our lives changed - we brought Bini, Bruno (the wrinkly masculine dog) and Bogo (our mini Chihuahua) home. By the way, Bini is not tiny anymore; let's put it this way-- she now waddles. They are now part of our family. My trauma transformed into love for our three loyal dogs.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Hubby chose the name Bruno as it is such a good fit for him, very masculine (well, just don’t relate it to the movie with Sasha Cohen Baron).

I named Bini (bini) which means lady in Tagalog.

We both named Bogo (buy one, get one).

Cat, rabbit, postman...?

Anyone!

Is there a dog in your novel-in-progress?

There is still a long way to go with my novel; I don’t think that on my very first one there will be.

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

Yes to all. All three dogs love toys. Bogo loves whatever Bruno has.

Where is your dogs' favorite place for an outing?

We just like walking in the park or on a trail nearby. Actually, all three love to help us as we do our landscaping work on our backyard.

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

Maybe Bogo would tell me to stop calling him my Princess because he is a boy (he’s 3 lbs!)

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

For Bruno, it was when he was barely 1 and was still a very tiny. We lived on the second floor and Bong and I were downstairs calling on Bruno who was on at the very top of the steps. At first he was apprehensive to go down, but after several calls he braved the stairs. When Bruno sets him mind on something, he does it.

Visit Pia Bernardino's "So Many Books, Here's Mine" blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jennifer & Moxie

Who is in the photo at right?

The human in the photo is me, Jennifer, and the dog is Moxie. I'm a writer/screenwriter from New York who moved to Paris a few months back to see if I could carve out a life for myself here. I don't think I would have lasted this long if I didn't have Moxie with me. I also write the blog Jennyphoria.

As far as this photo goes, this is what happens every time I attempt to take a picture of us together. This was the best of the ten or so photos I took.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Unfortunately, I don't get to spend as much time with Moxie as I'd like to during the week, so when the weekend comes, I try to do something special with her. As friendly as Paris is to their dogs, allowing them in most restaurants and shops, they bizarrely don't allow them in many parks. We live near the Jardin des Tuileries, which is one of the few where dogs can go. So, this weekend I took her to the Tuileries for a few good games of catch.

And I never need an excuse to drink more coffee.

What's brewing?

I made a Peruvian blend using my French press.

Any treats for you or Moxie on this occasion?

Paris has been very lucky for Moxie in the treats department. When I lived in the US, I never ate cheese. But here, it's a completely different story. There are so many varieties and they are so fresh.... Moxie never misses a chance to perform for a piece or to lick my plate clean.

How were you and Moxie united?

I had wanted a dog for as long as I could remember, but I didn't want to get one until I knew for sure I would be able to take on the responsibility. When that time finally came (just over three years ago), I went to nine different shelters looking for my perfect dog.

Coincidentally, I found her at the shelter my mom volunteers for, which was the last one I visited since it was farthest away. I thought I wanted a small dog, but I fell for her as soon as I saw her. The rest is history.

How did Moxie get her name? Any nicknames?

Moxie was named Candi by the shelter. I knew for sure I didn't want that name. So, the night before I was to take her home, my mom and I stayed up discussing names. We jokingly went through all the celebrity baby names we could think of - Shiloh, Moses, Maddox, Apple, Suri, etc. - and then we went on to the stranger baby names - Pilot Inspektor, Bronx Mowgli, etc. - and it was here that we got lucky. Penn Jillette, of Penn & Teller fame, had a daughter named Moxie CrimeFighter. I thought that was the perfect name for a dog, so Moxie's moniker was born.

What are the biggest differences in Moxie's Parisian life from her American days?

Sadly, I think the biggest difference is that she got to play with more dogs in America. We knew a lot of local pups and we lived near Prospect Park, which is huge and has great off-leash hours. She was also able to play with my Mom's dog fairly often. Here, dog encounters are fewer and farther between.

But it's not all bad. People are very friendly with her. She gets stopped and petted and fussed over by strangers more here, which is lovely. It seems like there's a natural kind of reverence for the companionship of a dog in France. She also gets to come with me to more places than she did in America. I'll often bring her with me to nearby cafes for lunch or dinner.

There are definite trade-offs, but I think as we meet more people and more dogs, she'll only get happier.

A friend once told me about meeting an Australian dog who didn't offer his paw to shake unless the request was made with an Australian accent. Does Moxie recognize her name when spoken with a French accent?

Fortunately her name sort of sounds the same with a French accent, so that's good. But I think if but if you were to ask her to shake in a French accent she probably wouldn't understand. She has difficulty even with native speakers if their accents are different from mine, say Southern or British. If they give a command and I repeat it, she'll usually understand what they mean when they say it again. She really attentive and tries very hard to please.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Oh, she loves cats. "Kitty" is one of her favorite words. I think if she could find a cat who wanted to be friends she would be in heaven. Squirrels are a different story. Those she likes to chase and tree. As for the postman, it would depend. If she met them on the street, she'd happily lick their hand. If they knocked on our door, she'd bark like crazy.

What is an ordinary day like for Moxie?

She wakes up and stares at me until I also wake up. We go for a walk around the block and then we have breakfast. After that, it's different day-by-day. Generally, I leave for a while, she works on the Great American Novel or solves crimes or does whatever it is dogs do when you leave them alone, and then I return and she pretends she's been napping.

I'll take her for another, longer, walk, and play a few games of catch or our version of soccer. I feed her and then go out again. This is when Moxie practices her you've-broken-my-heart puppy face. She's very talented.

When I come home for the night, we go for one more walk and then go home to chat about our days.

What is your dog's best quality?

She is the sweetest dog imaginable. She just wants to make me happy. She's never mean or malicious or vengeful. She's friendly and loving and shy and trusting. She's smart and she tries really hard. Her best quality is how sweet she is, but the best thing about her is how loved she makes me feel.

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

One of the best things about having a dog, particularly one that hasn't had previous owners, is that she thinks everything I do is normal. If I burst out into a musical in my living room or dance around like a crazy person, she just thinks this is what people do. There's no judgement.

But what would she change about me? That's easy. I would never, ever go anywhere without her.

What's your dog's proudest moment so far? Her most embarrassing?

She's so funny, my dog. She often gets a pretty proud look on her face for the simplest things.

Moxie was born with a birth defect that left her with under-developed shoulder muscles. For a long time she couldn't sit with her front paws touching the ground or raise her paws high enough to give you a "high five." Through a careful collaboration with the vet and a change in her diet, we were able to seriously increase the mobility in her arms. All of this is to say, I think her proudest moment was the one where she realized she could use her arms to get toys that had fallen under tables and couches.

Moxie does not understand embarrassment. But I can tell you my most embarrassing moment with her in it.... It was a couple years back, when she was still a little puppy. We were on the way to the park to have a picnic to celebrate my birthday. We passed a group of small girls, maybe 5 years old. They, too, were having a birthday picnic. As we were walking past, Moxie suddenly dropped down and pooped. The looks on those girls' faces was sheer horror.

Visit the blog Jennyphoria.

--Marshal Zeringue

Elyse and Riley

Who is in the photo at right?

The photo shows me (Elyse) and my wonderful dog, Riley. I am currently a student at my local community college pursuing a nursing degree. Before that, I worked as a mental health Certified Peer Specialist for the state of Virginia, providing peer counseling and support services to adults with a mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. Despite the seemingly boyish name, Riley is a girl—people always think she’s a boy, despite the pink collar and leash…sigh. Oh well! Riley is a purebred Australian Cattle Dog and turned 2 years old back in March (her birthday is March 18, 2009).

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

The occasion for stopping for coffee (or in my case, an iced drink since I’m not a huge coffee drinker) is that I’m super tired and need a wake-up and Riley loves to go for car rides, so why not!?

What's brewing?

We’re stopping at a Starbucks drive-thru because I have a gift card (yay!) and they have outdoor seating. Like I said, I don’t really like coffee, but I do love me a Coconut Blended Crème made with soy milk and no whipped cream.

Any goodies for you or Riley to go with the coffee?

I’m on a little bit of a diet (hence the “no whipped cream”), so no goodies for me, but I have brought along some yummy beef treats for Riley to enjoy.

How were you and your dog united?

Ever since I was a little kid, I have begged my parents for a dog. They finally gave in when I was about 13 years-old and we got our first dog (that my parents still have). Now that I’m an adult, I decided it was time to get my very own dog. I actually got Riley because I have a mental illness (which I talk about every once-in-a-while on my blog) which causes me to sometimes see or hear things that aren’t really there. I got her to sleep in my bed with me at night and to bark if there was someone/something in my room. So far, she’s worked out great for that purpose. I decided on an Australian Cattle Dog after I saw a “stunt dog” performance at the Virginia State Fair one year and there were Cattle Dogs in it doing agility and cool tricks. I saw how much fun they were having and decided I wanted to do agility with my dog. Plus, I did some research and found out that they’re in the top 10 smartest breeds and figured she would be easy to train—and she is! I researched some breeders because I wanted a puppy and settled on her breeder. I was last on the deposit list, so I didn’t get a choice of which dog I got. I am so glad I ended up with Riley! I couldn’t have picked a better dog if I had gotten first choice!

How did Riley get her name? Any aliases?

I decided on “Riley” because it was between that or “Ruby.” If I had gotten a red Cattle Dog, I would have named her Ruby. I liked the name Riley ever since some friends of mine named their daughter Riley. I thought it was such a cool, fun name! Oh boy … aliases … let’s see. Riley has many nicknames! She answers to Riley, Riles, Rilesky, Skee, and Skeeter. She also gets called the Riled Child, Skeeter Lapinski, Skeeterbug, Baby Bug, Skee-Skee, and Riley Lapinsk. I’m sure I’m probably forgetting some nicknames also.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

All of the above! She has it out for cats, squirrels, birds, bunnies, mice, frogs, the postman, the UPS guy, the Fed-Ex guy, and anyone that walks in front of our house. She has, unfortunately, caught (and killed) a bunny, a bird, and a mouse. She really wants to get herself a squirrel though—squirrels are her nemesis!

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

Riley loves orange Chuck-It rubber tennis balls! She could be dead asleep and then all of a sudden wake up and come drop an orange ball in my lap. I’m convinced she dreams about them and thinks about them 24/7. She also loves sticks but chews them up. She actually has a PVC pipe that we cut off for her to play with outside since she would chew up all the sticks we would play fetch with. She really doesn’t care either way if a toy squeaks or not…

How did Riley get started as a therapy dog? Who does she work with?

When I got Riley, I knew I wanted to do a lot of training with her and I wanted to get her Canine Good Citizen certification. I didn’t know anything about therapy dogs until we started our Advanced Obedience class when Riley was about 5 months old. A bunch of the dogs were already therapy dogs in the class, just there for a training refresher. I heard all their stories about therapy work and decided we’d go for it. Riley got her Canine Good Citizen certificate in November of 2009, when she was 6 or 7 months old and then got her Therapy Dogs International certification in April of 2010 when she was 1 year old and was eligible to take the test. Riley really loves the elderly, so we primarily go to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and retirement communities. She has gone to visit with elementary students as well, but really loves her “adoptive Grandmas and Grandpas” at the nursing homes.

Where is Riley's favorite place for outings?

Therapy dog visits are Riley’s absolute favorite outings, but she’s also glad to go anywhere I go! As long as she’s with her “Mommy,” she’s happy. She also loves going to the beach.

Who are Riley's best pet-pals?

Riley’s best pet-pal is her “Aunt,” Chloe, who is my parents’ dog (the one we got when I was 13). Chloe is a Dachshund mixed with who-knows-what. I hate to admit this, but Riley is very picky about what dogs she gets along with. She’s been that way since she was a puppy. She gets along well with some dogs she meets and doesn’t like other dogs she meets. She had a “boyfriend” named Kapua in her therapy dog class who is a Rottweiler/Lab mix and she gets along well with my sister’s dog, Daisy.

What is Riley's best quality?

Riley’s best quality would have to be her enthusiasm for life. There’s not a day that she wakes up and isn’t happy to see our family. Her joy for living inspires me. Her “enthusiasm for life” sometimes gets her in trouble though when we have visitors. She gets super excited to see people that come over to our house (especially my sister and brother-in-law) and needs to sit in their laps (she’s 52 pounds!!) and be right up in their faces giving them kisses!

What is Riley's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Riley’s proudest moment would have to be when she passed her Therapy Dogs International exam last year! Her most embarrassing moment happens every single time we go to the vet … she absolutely loves one of the receptionists there, Brooke, who happens to absolutely love Riley. She loves Brooke so much that she pees on the floor every time she sees her! She only does it for Brooke and has done it ever since she was a puppy and started going to the vet there. So silly! Okay, so maybe those are my most proud and embarrassing moments pertaining to Riley!

Visit the Adventures of a Cattle Dog blog and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jennifer Talbot Ross & Pax, Samantha, and Bess

Who is in the photo at right?

Is it the dog whisperer? No, that’s me, Jennifer Talbot Ross (a people mom and grandmother, a dog mom, a people manager in my fulltime job, and an aspiring writer), with my four-legged crew. My sweet dogs are Pax (the big, white, Great Pyrenees) who’s the baby of the pack at 4 years old; Samantha (the Anatolian Shepherd identified by the painted face) who will be 9 in a few short weeks; and Bess (the black Lab) who is the matriarch of the family and is 9 ½ years old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

It’s wind-down time at the end of a busy day. Pax abhors riding in the car, so our favorite relaxation time is spent in our back yard. Our home is on just over an acre and the entire back yard is fenced so they have plenty of room to enjoy. The yard boasts trees for shade and wildlife for entertainment.

What's brewing?

On this warm spring day, it’s definitely iced coffee (the only choice for me when it’s 90 degrees outside).

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Absolutely!! The dogs are enjoying roasted lamb treats. Both Pax and Samantha have allergies so we have to be very selective about treats. They love the roasted lamb and also sweet potato chews.

How were you and your dogs united?

Bess I found in a classified ad in the newspaper. I had lost my 14-year-old black Labrador just five days earlier and was furtively looking for a female black lab puppy. We visited the owners of the litter and out of two female puppies, Bess claimed me.

Samantha we found on petfinder.com. We were searching for a playmate for Bess and that precious painted face reached out to us. She was with a foster mom, having been rescued the day before her scheduled euthanasia. We took Bess with us to meet her and the two got along beautifully. We had to leave Samantha with her foster mom for several weeks while she completed her treatment for kennel cough and was spade. Then we were able to bring her home.

Pax was a foster of ours. The rescue group, SPIN, had a litter of puppies that needed to be fostered. They were asking “foster parents” to take two puppies each. We signed up for two males who, at that time, were known as Falcor and Big Al. Big Al was adopted by a couple in Denver and became Wilson. Falcor became so special to us that we could not let him go. So, he stayed with us, we became what is known in pet rescue circles as “foster failures” and Falcor became our Pax.

How did they get their names? Any aliases?

Pet names are really important to me. They must hold special meaning, be symbolic or intrinsic. When I got Bess I had noticed the name on the petfinder.com website and liked it, but it didn’t hold any meaning for me. My mother suggested we name her Besame Mucho (her AKC registered name) and then call her Bess. Besame Mucho means “kiss me a lot”, basically, in Spanish. That I liked and Bess was named. We also call her “Bess the Mess” because she has over-the-top personality and attitude and likes to play tricks on her humans and her four-legged siblings.

Samantha was listed on petfinder.com as a Saint Bernard puppy. So, we thought we were going to have this huge dog when she grew up. We wanted a feminine name, but one that would be fitting for a great big dog. A friend’s daughter suggested we name her Samantha and we could call her “Sam”. And, so Samantha was named. However, she never grew into a “Sam” and we have never called her “Sam”. She is still, truly a “Samantha” in every way. I sometimes call her “Samantha-girl” or “Samantha-bantha”, but you see the tendency here is toward the “prissy” side. And so she is.

Pax [photo left] came to us from the rescue group as “Falcor”, the foster. He remained Falcor for the first several months of his life. But, when we made the decision to adopt him, I told my husband we had to rename him. There was no way I could see myself standing at the back door calling out, “Falcor”, at the top of my lungs. My husband told me that he had a German shepherd dog named Pax when he was a young man and he liked the name as it was Latin for peace. That seemed like a really appropriate name for a big guy who was going to be incorporated into a pack of 4 large dogs. He’d better be like “peace”. And, as I look back over the years, he has truly lived up to his name.

Please tell us about Moses, the subject of your new book.

Moses [photo right] was a truly exceptional, gentle-giant who stole my heart, along with the hearts of all whom he met. His “joie de vivre” was unmatched. He was the first Great Pyrenees dog I’d ever known, which makes him even more special to me. His loss, though heart-wrenching, gave me the inspiration to write the book. And the book, in turn, is a vehicle by which Moses’ legacy can continue to be a blessing, as 10% of my royalties are donated to pet rescue.

What role have your dogs played in your writing routine?

The dogs have, so far, been my muses. Though the only book I’ve published is about my dogs, I have some ideas in the works for some fiction endeavors. They will, no doubt, involve dogs. I’ve also been asked when the sequel to The Story of Moses will be ready. In addition to being a source of inspiration, I find the dogs help to ground me, to keep me in the moment, which is extremely helpful when trying to get those creative juices flowing.

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

Their absolute favorite place, for each one, is a walk in the neighborhood. Samantha and Bess like going for rides and enjoy visiting PetsMart and just about anywhere other than the vet’s office. But, if we’re talking “favorite”, it’s definitely walking the neighborhood. I am fairly confident (though I would not put this to the test) that they all know their way around the neighborhood as well. We have several routes that we take. Most of our walks are one-mile routes. But, when we have time we circle the entire neighborhood for a total of two miles. They know the turns we take. The dogs love walks because they experience all the smells along the way that tell them who’s been there and interesting tid-bits like that. Often, they get the added perk of visiting with neighbors and, oh, just anybody along the way, getting pets and smiles and hugs from kids and adults alike.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

My dogs are definitely more interested in the squirrel (or a rabbit). We have loads of huge red oak and live oak trees in the back yard that are prolific bearers of acorns – hence lots of squirrels. The squirrels are daring and quick and I dare say are often taunting the dogs. And, the dogs love it. Sometimes, they lie inside with their heads resting on the windowsill and a keen eye on the back yard. If a squirrel moves, they’re up and out the door after it. There are also lots of wild rabbits that live in the woods at the back of our neighbor’s property and venture into our yard at times. The dogs love chasing them too and, luckily, the rabbits are amazingly fast.

What is each dog's best quality?

Well, all three dogs are extremely intelligent. But, Pax – his best quality is his gentle, loving spirit. He truly loves every dog, every person he meets. Loyalty (a discerning nature) would be Bess’s best quality, I think. She would walk through fire for me or for her daddy. Of that, I’m sure. She doesn’t readily accept just anyone, she is cautious. She is very aware that infants are to be protected and will put herself between someone or between other dogs if she feels they are threatening to an infant. Samantha is an innate and vigilant guardian, constantly circling the yard, attentively watching, who absolutely adores children.

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

I think they’d want me to be some sort of 6-handed being that never had to go anywhere so I would always be with them and it would be really easy to pet all of them at one time. On a more serious note, I am very, very close to my dogs (some would find it rather eccentric or odd I’m sure). I talk to them a lot. And, I’m convinced that on a certain level they understand much of what I say. Because of this close bond, my dogs are very sensitive to my moods. I know they don’t like it when I’m angry or sad – it actually upsets them. So, they would surely rather that I was more balanced in mood, more able to stay in the moment, and more unconditionally loving and happy – more like them J.

What is each dog's proudest moment? His/her most embarrassing?

Bess was a young pup when our first grandchild, Emma, was born. Emma came to visit when she was about 10 months old and we were concerned about how the dogs would be with Emma, given they had never been around any small children. So, needless to say, we were very watchful of Emma around the dogs. As was our ritual, after dinner each dog received a rawhide chew. Bess was enjoying her rawhide on the floor of the living room and Emma toddled up to her, reached out and took the chew from Bess’s mouth. Bess just sat there, unmoving, patiently watching Emma. After a moment or two, Emma gave the rawhide back to Bess, who resumed her enjoyment. That exhibition of character was Bess’s proudest moment.

Bess does not have embarrassing moments – she is completely unflappable. However, MY most embarrassing moment with Bess was when she made big potty (and you know that that means) in the middle of PetsMart (and she wasn’t a cute puppy at the time – she definitely knew better).

Within the first few weeks of having Samantha in our family, I lost a pair of sunglasses out in the back yard. I had given them up for gone. Then, one day young Samantha (only about 5 months old at the time) came bounding through the dog-door into the house, ran up to me and deposited the sunglasses at my feet. She gazed up into my eyes, tail wagging enthusiastically, and looking as proud as ever that she had found my lost glasses.

Samantha had extensive knee surgery (TPLO – tibia plateau leveling osteopathy) when she was a youngster. They actually saw the leg in two with a bone saw and reattach the knee with steel plates and screws. Needless to say she had a big incision to heal and a very long, arduous recovery. For the first week of recovery, until the incision was healed and the staples removed, Samantha had to wear one of those awful, evil, plastic cone-things on her head. Now, not only do those horrible devices make it difficult for a dog to move around (they run into the walls, furniture, etc.) and even to walk or potty (try sniffing for the perfect bathroom spot outside with a plastic cone on your head that gets caught on the grass and practically throws you head over heels), I swear they know they look stupid and are so very embarrassed by it. Samantha was mortified the entire time she had to wear it.

Last autumn, our local Pyrenees rescue group (SPIN – Saving Pyrenees in Need) had their annual “Pyr Picnic in the Park” in conjunction with the local Pyrenees AKC group. At the picnic, a “fun match” was held mimicking the conformation matches typical of the AKC. The dogs were divided into groups by age and by gender and judged on how closely they matched the standards for the Great Pyrenees breed. Our sweet little Pax went “Best in Show”. He won two blue ribbons and a special chew toy. The crowd cheered when he was selected and he looked up at me and beamed. He was indeed proud.

Pax, though a giant in his own right, has a peculiar and embarrassing trait (and one that my vet whispered to Pax that he would never tell). Pax is terrified of the wind. If it’s a windy day Pax does not like going out to potty. If he’s outside in the yard and the wind picks up ferociously (like just before a storm) he comes running inside. As windy as it tends to be here in north Texas, you’d think it would be something he’d acclimate to. But, no, not Pax – I don’t think that’s in the cards.

Read more about Jennifer Talbot Ross's The Story of Moses.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pene Patterson & Daisy

Who is in the photo at right?

Hi, my name is Pene Patterson and I guess you'd call me a crafter. I am actually an accountant but took redundancy a couple of years ago when the credit crunch hit and now spend my time making lovely handcrafted items including a range for dogs inspired by Daisy.

Daisy is a West Highland white terrier or Westie and is 2 1/2 yrs old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I never need an excuse for coffee as I'm completely addicted and drink 7 or 8 cups a day.

What's brewing?

If I'm out I drink lattes but at home it's a cafetiere of Java with skimmed milk as I'm trying to diet!

Any treats for you or Daisy on this occasion?

Not for me but Daisy has a rawhide chew, mainly to keep her occupied whilst I do this.

How were you and Daisy united?

I went to a breeder to buy Daisy but it's hard to pick from a litter of identical looking white puppies. She actually chose me by coming up and just sitting by my feet quietly whilst I looked at the others. As soon as I picked her up I knew she was the one and could feel her little heart beating I thought with excitement but when we took her to the vets 2 weeks later for her jabs found out she had a level 6 PDA which is a severe heart defect. She underwent surgery at 12 weeks old weighing only 1 kilo but made a complete recovery and is fighting fit. My husband always says that Daisy chose me because she knew I'd make her better but it makes her very special to us.

How did Daisy get her name? Any nicknames?

I don't know why I called her Daisy but she also gets called dumpling.

Does Daisy have a favorite outdoor destination?

We live on the west coast of Scotland and Daisy loves our local beach. I try to take her down at least once a day although it's not much fun in winter. She doesn't swim but loves running in and out of the sea chasing a stick or her ball although I always have to wear crop trousers and crocs as I often have to wade in to recover things!

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Daisy loves cats -- we lost ours earlier this year and she still looks for him and gets very stressed if she sees a ginger cat. She also loves our postman and is always excited if he rings the bell. As for squirrels we don't have any here so I don't think she's ever seen one but if she did she would be very curious.

What is an ordinary day like for Daisy?

She is definitely not a morning person and I often have to physically get her out of bed; yes I'm afraid I'm weak and she does sleep on our bed! Then it's down the beach for our morning walk and home for her to spend the rest of the day between sitting in her favourite window watching the world go by and patrolling the fence. We'll have another walk in the afternoon either to the beach or up the hill to the castle.

What is your dog's best quality?

She has a brilliant temperament, is very loving and lots of fun.

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

I don't think she would change anything about me as she has pretty much my undivided attention 24 hrs a day.

What's your dog's proudest moment so far? Her most embarrassing?

Her proudest moment would be when she passed puppy training. As for embarrassing she was very farty as a puppy which luckily she has grown out of but now if she does "pass wind" she always turns and looks at her bottom wondering what's happened!!

Learn more about Daisy and Pene Patterson at their blog.

Visit the Lady Penelope Etsy shop.

--Marshal Zeringue

Elizabeth J. Duncan & Dolly

Who is in the photo at right?

This is Elizabeth J Duncan with Dolly. She's a 13-year-old mix of uncertain parentage. Possibly an Australian cattle dog/lab. However, it is her beautiful blue merle coat that gives her such a distinctive look. People sometimes stop me in the street to comment on her markings.

I write the Penny Brannigan murder mystery series set in North Wales and I teach in the public relations programs at Humber College, in Toronto, at the Lakeshore campus. Sometimes Dolly comes to school with me; she loves the attention the students lavish on her.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

My favourite place to drink coffee is right in my own back yard. I live in the west end of Toronto, on the shore of Lake Ontario.

You forget you are in a big city and it's like being perpetually at the cottage. I rarely go to coffee houses.

What's brewing?

I have three systems. Sometimes I grind the beans myself and use a French press. When I do this, my favourite beans are the Holiday Blend, by Second Cup. If I use my manual drip maker, I use President's Choice Great Canadian Coffee or good old Maxwell House. It's just old-fashioned, regular coffee. And then my son brought home a Tassimo, so it's still Maxwell House. It's not latte, frapachino, grande, mocha, skinny whatever or anything else.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

If we are feeling naughty, we love to have a cake from Sanremo, a beautiful bakery on Royal York Road. The quality of Sanremo products is superb and I understand everything is baked on the premises.

Any treat for Dolly on this occasion?

Dolly has a friend who bakes her peanut butter biscotti from a recipe especially for dogs. Dolly loves those! She has also discovered liver treats.

How were you and Dolly united?

Dolly came to me via my ex-husband. He got her when she was four months old from a sign he spotted on a bulletin board in the bank of the small town where he was living at that time. "Free to good home." So Dolly lived with him until she was about five and then he took a job up north that involved travel, so at that time she came to live with me in Toronto. Dolly's been loved every day since he got her and we couldn't have asked for a nicer dog.

Does Dolly have any influence on your writing?

She sure does. In both my books a dog has played a key role and I really couldn't imagine one of my books without a dog. A couple of readers have asked if my protagonist, Penny Brannigan, could have a cat, but that doesn't feel right to me. Dolly actually does me a great service by inviting me to go for walks with her. I do some of my best thinking when I am walking with her. I resolve plot issues, get inspired, and sometimes, ideas come to me when we're out walking that improve or change the nature or direction of a book. When we get home, I head straight for the computer and I know where the story needs to go.

How did Dolly get her name? Does she have any aliases?

That was her name when we got her and Dolly she remained. I would not have called her Dolly but in a funny way, it suits her. Or maybe it's just that in 12 years I've got used to it and couldn't think of her with any other name. Audrey! Camilla! Rosie! No, Dolly it is. But sometimes when we're alone I call her Pet or Treasure.

Squirrel, cat, postman...?

Definitely squirrel or any other small rodent, like mice. She has a high prey drive, I'm afraid, and she has been known to kill. And then she walks away as if nothing happened.

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

She is not a fetch kind of dog, although certainly fetching. She likes squeaky toys until the squeak goes out of them and then they no longer interest her.

Where is Dolly's favorite outdoor destination?

It is probably Col. Samuel Smith Park behind Humber College where I teach. We have rambled there for years. There's a lake for a dip on a hot summer day and lots of paths to wander, tall grass to hide in, hunting grounds for mice and endless smells to investigate.

Who is Dolly's best pet-pal?

Dolly has two favourite friends, Trixxi, who is also a blue merle and they certainly attract attention when they're together and little Angie, a Maltese terrier from a rescue group adopted earlier this year by a friend of mine. I would say, though, that Dolly is always more interested in the human creature than the canine one.

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

I think she would like me to walk four hours in the morning, then a nice nap, then we'll walk another four hours. However, now that she's getting older, we might be able to cut back on that a bit.

What is Dolly's best quality? Her most frustrating?

Dolly's best quality is her eagerness to please. She has a beautiful disposition and will do things for me that I know she doesn't really want to, like come in the house when she'd rather stay outside. She also has beautiful manners. When I come into the house after being away, Dolly stands up to greet me. Nothing about Dolly is frustrating.

I think dogs are wonderful, beautiful creatures. They are clever, full of fun, and embody the best attributes known to humankind. If there were one thing I could change about dogs, though, I would find a way for them to live longer. They leave us too soon.

Visit Elizabeth J. Duncan's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: The Cold Light of Mourning.

The Page 69 Test: A Brush with Death.

--Marshal Zeringue