Paty Jager & Tink, Boots, and T-Bone

Who is in the photo at right?

Hi, I'm Paty Jager. I'm the author of nine historical and contemporary western romance novels. My side kick, Tink, believes she's my muse. Being a Miniature pinscher and Chihuahua mix she is the right size to squeeze onto my lap when I'm writing, and therefore, she believes she is the ghost writer of all my books. She's been on all of my research trips. Gold mining in Sumpter, OR, checking out the historical center in The Dalles, taking a trek up the gravel roads of Silver City, ID and she's even been to several book signings, wearing a tiny cowboy hat. Tink believes she's a person and ignores the two cow dogs. Boots, a Border collie, and T-Bone, a Red heeler/Australian shepherd mix who help us move our thirty head of cattle. And the two Mini-aussies we're keeping for our daughter.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We heard about Coffee with a Canine from another dog lover and had to stop in and check it out and see if you have tasty treats. Tink's cute face always gets her a treat.

What's brewing?

I'm a green tea drinker- especially green tea with honey, lemon, ginseng.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

T-Bone and Tink have sweet tooths and will consider just about anything a treat, but Boots is a picky eater. While T-Bone might take half your hand when you give her a treat, the other two are very polite. So feed them first.

How were you and your dogs united?

Shortly after we bought our 70 acre ranch, a friend showed up at our door with T-Bone as a puppy. He picked the dog up for his daughter, and she didn't want her. Since she was a cow dog and my husband can never turn down a puppy face, she stayed. She hasn't been much of a cow dog, but she has such a happy go lucky personality you can't help but smile when you look at her. That was 14 years ago.

A year later a man was selling Border collie puppies out of the trunk of his car at the local feed store. My husband was there and the man told him this last pup and fallen out of the trunk and hurt herself, and if he didn't find someone to take her he was going to kill her. So my husband brought her home, and she has been his shadow ever since. She has the best cow instincts I've ever witnessed in a cow dog.

We'd lost a house dog and moved into a new house. I told my husband I didn't want another house dog, but an elderly couple who are good friends had a small dog that I made over every time I saw him. And low and behold, one day the couple showed up at my house saying, "Come on, you get pick of the litter." Their little male had sired a litter of pups and they were giving me the pick of the litter. I went along and sitting in the middle of eight puppies, I picked out Tink. She had a little crook in her tail but she had the same coloring as three other females. The owner of the mother said she couldn't tell which one I wanted and I might as well take her with me that day. She was 4 weeks old and fit in the palm of my hand. My husband and I wouldn't know what to do if something happened to her. She's been our enjoyment the last five years now that the kids are all raising their own families.

How did the dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Tink is short for Tinkerbelle. Because she was so small when we first got her, I wanted a name that fit something small and dainty. Our friends and kids call her Stinker.

Boots… I'm not sure why my husband picked that name. He just did and it stuck, but I like to call her Tootsie.

T-Bone- The person who gave her to us said that was her name because the white on her face looked like a T-bone. And she's just T-bone.

What role have your dogs played in your writing?

As I said above, Tink thinks she's my muse. She sits on my lap when I write, travels on road trips, and attends book signings. But the outside dogs have influenced cow dogs in my contemporary novels. I've used some of their personalities in fictitious dogs in Perfectly Good Nanny and Bridled Heart. One is a cow dog mix like T-Bone and the other a Border collie.

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

Tink likes riding in the car, but she especially likes to ride on tractors. My husband fixed up boxes on every tractor so she can ride along. If she's at the house and hears a tractor start at the barn she heads down there and the next time I see my husband and the tractor Tink is riding in her box. Boots and T-Bone like to ride on the hay trailer in the winter when we feed the cows.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

T-Bone and Boots- Cat, Sage Rat, Rock Chuck.

Tink – mice and voles.

What is each dog's best quality?

Tink- Peppy character and doesn't bark.

T-Bone- happy face and attitude.

Boots- Sweet and cattle savvy.

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

They'd have me handing out treats every hour.

What is each dog's proudest moment? Her most embarrassing?

Proudest for Tink would be when she chased a rabbit out of my flowers. It took her some time to get up the gumption to chase it. It was bigger than her. Her embarrassing moment: when our daughter's mini aussie rolled Tink. She got up looking so befuddled.

T-Bone's proudest moment would be when she finally caught a rock chuck she'd had cornered in a rock pile for several hours. Embarrassing: chasing a cow out of a pasture we'd just put her in.

Boots' proudest moment would be when she herded five heifers out of one pen and into the next just with my husband giving her hand commands. Most embarrassing would be when she fell from the hay trailer and caught her leg in the stake pocket and dislocated it.

Visit Paty Jager's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kris Tualla & Pepper

Who is in the photo at right?

This is a year-old photo of my camera-shy mixed-breed, Pepper. I'm certain her name is self-explanatory. She was a rescue pup back in October of 1995, and we have no idea what she is!

That's me, Kris Tualla, in the photo below left.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I'm working on my 7th historical novel - the hero is a deaf private investigator in 1700's Norway - and a little caffeine does help awaken the muse! Pepper is always by my side, no matter where I am in the house or what I'm doing. She's deaf now, too. Maybe she knows.

What's brewing?

Freshly ground beans, Starbucks from Costco (I'm not a rich author - yet) made strong, drunk with half-n-half. No sugar or flavors.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

You are so cruel. I'd love a cherry fritter. What I'm having is strictly imaginary.

Any treat for your dog on this occasion?

At the risk of offending purists, Pepper always gets a bit of whatever I'm eating. She watches me and if I don't offer immediately she walks out of the room, walks back in a different door as if to say, "Oh look - here I am!" She does this expecting each "appearance" to generate a handout. She's actually 25% successful with that ploy.

How were you and Pepper united?

We had to put a 5-year-old Cocker Spaniel down and were heartbroken, as you might imagine. There was a poster in the vet's office advertising the 3-month-old rescue pups which they thought were Dalmatian and Springer Spaniel. (Um… No.) My youngest daughter and I went to see them and we fell in love with the shy little girl.

Does Pepper have any influence on your writing?

Not her specifically. But my love for dogs - and their love for us humans - inspired a chapter in my first novel. Unfortunately, I had to cut the chapter, but I released it as a short story. Your readers can download it for free here.

How did you come up with Pepper's name? Any aliases?

She's white with tiny black spots all over. "Pepper" was obvious. We call her Pepper-la-wepper… Peps-la-weps… Peeper…

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Cats. Definitely.

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

Rawhide chews. Mostly to hoard and keep away from the other dogs who have passed through our home.

Where is your dog's favorite place for outings?

My husband takes her on long walks through our Phoenix suburban neighborhood. At 16, she still enjoys it!

Who are Pepper's best pet-pals?

My son's dogs and my precious grand-puppies: Teva and Bella. Before our son bought a house and moved out, they were puppies in our home. Pepper kept them in line [Teva and Pepper, photo above left].

What is Pepper's best quality?

She is scarily smart. At 8 months old, she figured out that if she stood up and pushed down on our lever-style door knobs she could push a door open. Then a year later, she figured out how to push down with one paw and pull with the other. The first day she came out of a closed bedroom, I didn't believe it. But she did it successfully for years.

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

Pepper has always been uber-concerned with following the rules and doing the right thing. She strives to understand what is expected, and behaves accordingly. As such, there are no "missteps." True story.

Visit Kris Tualla's website, blog, and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue

Michele Young-Stone & Emma Peel and Chauncey

Michele Young-Stone is a novelist. Her debut novel The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors came out last year to wide acclaim and is now available in paperback. Last year she appeared here to answer a few questions about her sweet dog, Emma Peel (after Emma on the British TV show The Avengers) [photo right].

I asked the author to update us on the canines in her life. Her reply:

Emma Peel, our dog for fifteen years, died on May 29th. We are heartbroken. She was our first daughter. She was the reason my husband and I bought our first house. She was the reason we put up the picket fence; the reason we had a pet-friendly wedding. She was our ring-bearer!

She also went on our honeymoon with us. It is impossible for me to express how much I miss her.

In all of my novels, I try to include dogs. In my third novel, The Saints of Los Vientos, I wrote Emma into the book two days before she passed away.

There are two dogs in The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors, both based on real well-loved animals.

I remember that when I was getting my MFA, I told my screenwriting professor, “I can handle a person dying on screen a lot easier than I can handle a dog dying.”

I like to think that Emma is eating all the chocolate she wants in Doggie Heaven!

RIP sweet girl, 1998-2011.

Fortunately, we have another dog, Chauncey (nickname) [photo left]. He was given to us by a wonderful couple who loved him so much that they wanted him to have someone to play with (presumably our six-year old son), but the truth is, we all play ball with Chauncey. His first name (on his American Kennel Club papers) is Sir Thomas Peanut. He’s so funny that the name nearly suits him. He’s a beautiful and sweet Cocker Spaniel who loves to run and chase birds and squirrels. He climbed to the top of Crabtree Falls with us.

So far, he’s not a coffee drinker. He likes water and biscuits. No carrots, but he’d probably like a sandwich from the coffee shop.

Chauncey, whose second name was Naz, added at least six months to Emma Peel’s life. He was sweet to her. The two of them slept back to back when they weren’t arguing over which TV show to watch. Chauncey likes 30 Rock but Emma Peel preferred reruns of Arrested Development.

Read an excerpt from The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors, and learn more about the book and author at Michele Young-Stone's website, blog, and Facebook fan page.

The Page 69 Test: The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors.

Coffee with a Canine: Michele Young-Stone & Emma (May 2010).

--Marshal Zeringue

Lisa Begin-Kruysman & Hooper

Lisa, I recognize you and Hooper (in the photo at left) from when you were guests here last fall. What's brewing today?

Today we are enjoying a nice Kona Blend, whole bean. We've taken to grinding our beans, something we started when we inherited a machine that does the grinding and brewing. We are a little behind the times. Hooper got some leftover cereal and an organic treat I got at a dog fair.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine this time around?

These busy days, I need all the energy I can "brew" up. Less than two weeks ago, I published a collection of six short stories as a Kindle e-book on Amazon and now I'm busy promoting it. Something's Lost and Must be Found tells six distinct stories about some special search and rescue dogs of the soul. It is under 26,000 words. The Title Story follows a mother as she struggles with one of life's greatest losses. Human Directional presents a young man as he discovers for himself the underside of the puppy mill world and The House of the Happy Dog (the longest) follows a Bouvier de Flandres named Simon as he searches for his Fourth and Truest Home. My adopted catchphrase is, "Sometimes it's not just the dog that's lost." I've been letting people know about it through the book's dedicated Facebook page and my blog and it's been doing nicely over in the Amazon rankings. I think its a short and engaging read, perfect for the summering reading season. I hope to have a softcover version available in the coming months.

When you were last here you were just about to celebrate Dog Fest there in Brick Township. How did the event go?

It was phenomenal. They will be having DogFest II on September 18th of this year, just in time for the 83rd observation of National Dog Week. We had great weather and big crowds ... the kids loved it! This year promises to be bigger and better. I've also reserved a display case in our town's library to fill with dog books to honor National Dog Week.

I read on your blog that you occasionally visit Florida. Does Hooper like it better there or at home in New Jersey?

Great question. We love the Keys and St. Augustine and our family goal is to spend more time there. I am so inspired to write when I'm there, I wrote two of those short stories on our visit in March. I've read that more best sellers have been written there than anywhere else! I sure hope that' true. And Hooper loves the dog-friendly beach and gets to do what a Portuguese water dog loves best, swim and run. She is not always great in warm climes, so she does seek the shade and cool spots. We also attended the second occurrence of WoofStock, another very successful dog-event in Islamorada in the Keys.

Learn more about the short story collection, Something's Lost and Must be Found.

Read the September 2010 Coffee with a Canine Q & A with Lisa Begin-Kruysman and Hooper.

Visit Lisa Begin-Kruysman's National Dog Week Movement blog and connect with the National Dog Week Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue

Barbara & Trixie and Minnie

Who is in the photo at right?

That’s Minnie and Trixie. Since I’m single, we don’t have any pictures of us all together!

I’m Barbara, a bookkeeper by day, a writer by night and a caretaker for my mom and my brother with Alzheimer’s. Trixie is believed to be a greyhound/spaniel mix and is seven and Minnie is probably a Rottweiler/Boxer and she’s a little over a year old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I couldn’t start my day without coffee. If you cut me, I bleed coffee.

What's brewing?

Plain old Folger’s, although I make it in a 1966 Sunbeam percolator. I use a heavy sprinkling of non-dairy creamer.

Any treat for you and your dogs on this occasion?

All my treats are shared with the pups. They are quite spoiled. We all like sweets. They are fond of Kleenex, however…something I just can’t get into.

How were you and Trixie and Minnie united?

I got Trix from a rescue in Lakeport, CA – she was “mis-aged”. They told me she was about 10 weeks old, but she was only seven weeks. She has always been a neurotic Diva dog. I found Minnie on the lawn across the street from my house, abandoned and very sick with worms. No one came for her, so I kept her. Of course I treated her worms while waiting. She’s always been the affectionate “I wanna be by you” dog.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Dad and I named Trixie after trying to come up with truck stop waitress names. My neighbor started calling Minnie “Mousy” when I found her – I didn’t like Mousy, but she responded to “M”, so I came up with Minnie.

Cat, rabbit, postman...?

We don’t have rabbits, but if you substituted “squirrel”, I’d answer “all of the above”.

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

Surprisingly, neither cares much for toys. Minnie is into cardboard boxes, dog food bags and digging.

Where is your dogs' favorite place for an outing?

Both hate the car, but Minnie is learning that the dog park is a cool ending to a car ride.

If Trixie and Minnie could change one thing about you, what would it be?

I’m not home all day and that I’m really lazy.

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

Proudest: Minnie caught a rat.

Trixie can get any toy by name. She just won’t play with them.

Embarrassing? Trixie always poops when there is someone in the backyard.

Minnie jerked me from the front door, across a flower bed and onto the lawn when I had contractors here. It wasn’t embarrassing for her, but for me…well, it wasn’t my finest moment.

Visit Barbara's "If I Didn't Have a Sense of Humor" blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Andrea & Benny and Lily

Who is in the photo at right?

Our Coffee Date landed us at the beach. Benny and Lily are 4-year-old French Bulldogs.

That's me, Andrea, in the photo below left. I am originally from the east coast and now reside in beautiful California. My profession: let's just say I have a career in law enforcement.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Following my grande latte extra hot please and Lily's visit to the V-E-T I decided a beach walk was in store.

What's brewing?

Brewing.... Are 3 favorites OK? JJ Beans flavored coffee or Coffee Importers coffee or a Starbucks latte extra hot.

Any treat for you and your dogs on this occasion?

The biggest treat was letting them run and dig in the sand. Afterwards dried liver and salmon treats were the perfect choice to end their day.

How were you and Benny & Lily united?

I always wanted a French Bulldog. I came across a breeder and there Lily [photo right] was, 8 weeks old. I was suddenly hooked on French Bulldogs.

Benson, a.k.a Benny is from a show dog French Bulldog family in Pennsylvania. He was 11 months old when I had him driven to the Grand Canyon where me and a friend picked him up. Following the initial introduction, Lily wondered when this "Benson" kid was going home... Now she loves him and they are inseparable.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Lily, well, I love the name and thought it was a good fit for a little French girl.

Benson, a.k.a Benny was already named when I adopted him. He also calls himself a "Chick Magnet."

Cat, rabbit, postman...?

Lily prefers squirrels. Benny on the other hand will stick with the bunnies.

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

Lily has had a white stuffie dog since she was 8 weeks old and still plays with it. Otherwise, a small tennis ball will do. She plays constantly.

Benny is not going to be happy I am telling you this but his favorite toy is a small pink Ugg. Otherwise the first toy out of the toy box is as good as any.

Where is Benny & Lily's favorite place for an outing?

Benny and Lily love car rides, going to their friends Annie's house and of course the beach.

If Benny & Lily could change one thing about you, what would it be?

They would probably tell me to quit work and let's go for walks and more walks and more walks.

What is each dog's proudest moment?

Benny and Lily are volunteers for the French Bulldog Rescue Network. They are very proud when they are asked to volunteer.

And their most embarrassing moment?

Embarrassing, I accidentally scared Benny when he was laying in the sun. He jumped a mile and looked at me like he was mortified. He got lots of hugs after that one.

Lily: she was barking at a stuffed monkey until I showed her it was not real.

Visit Benny and Lily's blog and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue

Man Martin & Zoe

Who is in the photo at right?

Zoe, a Chow-Golden Retriever mix. And me, Man Martin, author.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Whenever I have a free day, I enjoy sitting on the patio in the morning drinking coffee and writing with Zoe and my chicken, Sorche. She’s a barred roc bantam.

What's brewing?

Very strong Colombian coffee. My wife and I are somewhat coffee snobs and feel coffee’s too weak unless you can stand a spoon upright in it.

Any goodies for Sorche, you, or Zoe to go with the coffee?

Sorche pecks at some beet greens nearby or scratches for earthworms. Being a true omnivore, she must eat a certain amount of sand and pebble as part of her regular diet. Zoe licks herself. Me, I just stick to coffee.

Rumor has it that Zoe knows how to spell. What's the story?

When Zoe was little, if we said the word “walk,” she’d go crazy running around in anticipation. To save her disappointment, Nancy and I took to spelling it out. For a while that worked, but then she’d go crazy when she heard W-A-L-K. As a result, Nancy and I had to re-arrange the letters, throwing in Qs and Xs just to throw Zoe off track. K-L-A-W, Q-W-A-E-R-L-K. Like that. Consequently the poor dog never did learn to spell, a shortcoming for which Nancy and I have only ourselves to blame.

Does Zoe have any role in your books and writing life?

My new book Paradise Dogs has nothing to do with Zoe or canines at all; it refers to hotdogs. I don’t worry about Zoe being disillusioned, however, because, as I have already mentioned, she can’t spell worth a lick.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Zoe loves to chase squirrels, but fortunately for the squirrels is not very good at it. The squirrel invariably dashes to the backside of the nearest tree and then straight up. Zoe is infallibly mystified by this maneuver, and is left staring stupidly in the wrong direction like a yokel who’s been duped ten times in a row by the same magic trick.

Where is Zoe's favorite place for outings?

We have a wonderful park nearby with a trail that winds around a lake and with plenty of other dogs, not to mention geese and ducks. In the springtime the goslings hatch and we watch them mature day by day as we walk. In the summer, it’s the ducklings’ turn. There seem to be a certain number of snapping turtles or some other predator, because there’s always considerable inventory shrinkage among the young ones. Harsh, I suppose, but otherwise the lake would pretty soon be wall-to-wall ducks and geese and besides, snapping turtles got to eat too, you know. In the springtime, there is also a plant, which a friend says is a variety of privet bush, with such sweet-smelling flowers, it’s not an exaggeration to say the fragrance almost makes you dizzy.

Who are Zoe's best pet-pals?

Our next-door neighbor has a Morkie named Mia (a cross between a Maltese and Yorkie) that frequently comes to visit. She and Zoe get along famously which makes life very good when either we or our neighbor have to go out of town.

If Zoe could change one thing about your wife, what would it be?

Nancy has very severe opinions on the topic of Dogs-Sleeping-in-Beds-with-People. I am inclined to take a more latitudinarian view, which Zoe finds broad-minded and reasonable. When Nancy is out of town, there is a sufficient shift in the balance of power that Zoe gets to sleep where she likes.

What is Zoe's best quality?

This is corny and something every dog owner will say, but love. She has a sense of humor and a joie de vivre, that fills your heart to see. She is an athlete, and in good weather, will run circles in the front yard, pivoting with one shoulder so low to the ground, the grass blades must tickle it. She is very good at sitting and will “stay” most of the time, especially if she has reason to believe there’s a treat involved. But her best quality is love. I defy anyone who has felt the utter, un-self-conscious love of a dog not to feel love in return.

Visit Man Martin's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue