Nicole & Jet and Abby

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Nicole AKA MinnChica from The Book Pushers Blog. My two dogs are Jet (the black lab) and Abby (the mutt). Trying to get them to sit still for a picture is virtually impossible… But I tried.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Honestly, just you! I’m not a big coffee drinker, but every morning when I sit down with my juice or water to catch up on email from the night before, both Jet and Abby sit and relax in the office with me.

What's brewing?

Again, I’m weird and don’t like coffee. So this morning I have a big glass of OJ.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

No treats. Just breakfast in a little bit.

How were you and your dogs united?

We adopted Jet back in 2005 from the Humane Society. He and his litter were only 6 weeks old, and found behind a dumpster somewhere. He was the runt, and now weighs in at about 85 pounds! Abby was adopted from a no-kill shelter in 2006. She was an adult dog and looked so sad and pathetic in her cage. She sucked me in with her big brown eyes.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Jet got his name from my husband who loves the band Jet. We also call him Jet Blue or Stinky Breath! Abby got her name from me. She is also known as Abby-Cakes. When we first adopted her, her name was Lacey. My husband could not remember that name at all and would just make up stuff to call her when he wanted her attention. After about two days of listening to him call her “Stacey” or “Macy” I gave up and we re-named her. Abby was something he could remember.

Do your dogs have a favorite place to go for walk?

We usually just walk around the neighborhood. Abby doesn’t do so well around other dogs, she is very skittish. So we try to walk the backstreets and avoid streets we know have multiple dogs.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

We have our very own cat, and she and Abby get along so well. They cuddle and can usually be found together. Jet not so much… Abby is also part greyhound (we think) and she loves to chase bunnies. And she usually catches them too.

Tennis ball, squeaky-toy, Frisbee?

Jet loves his squeky-toys. Footballs, thin stick-like things. Anything that squeaks and he is in doggie heaven. Abby isn’t much of a toy girl. She doesn’t play with anything we put in front of her. She does love her beds though. We have about three around the house, including one my mother-in-law made for her.

What is each dog's best quality?

Humm… that’s a tough one. Abby’s is probably the fact that she is so sweet and such a lover. She is the most gentle and kind dog on the planet. She loves to be petted and cuddled all the time. Jet is very well behaved. He can learn commands quickly and rarely gets into mischief.

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

I think they would want to make us more active. My husband and I aren’t super outdoors type (and living in AZ can make that very difficult!). I think they would probably wish we took them out and about more, especially to the pool during the summer.

What's each dog's proudest moment so far? The most embarrassing?

Abby’s would probably be when she passed her basic training class. She was a little scatter-brained and it was somewhat hard for her. Her most embarrassing is whenever a new man comes to the house. She is very skittish around tall men for some reason, and tends to run and hide. Jet’s would probably be when he learned to swim. Although he’s a lab, he was scared of the water for some reason. So when he finally jumped in, it was a big deal. His most embarrassing would probably be after he got his doggie dental surgery as a pup. He was all sorts of out of it when we brought him home. It was funny (and sad) each time he ran into a wall.

*The bad dogs photo [above left] was taken around the time of our wedding when someone *cough abby cough* decided to chew up one of the groomsmen’s rental tuxedo shoes….

Follow MinnChica's posts at The Book Pushers Blog

--Marshal Zeringue

Kathy & Sophie

Who is in the photo at right?

It's me, Kathy aka Frau, and my Sophie.

Sophie is a five-year-old Wire Fox Terrier. We have recently returned to USA after living abroad in Germany for two years.

In Germany Sophie was a rock star, everywhere we went she drew attention -- they love their dogs and especially their Terriers!

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Sophie is an early raiser so by mid day I need a pick me up!

What's brewing?

Grande Chai Latte Skinny.

Any treats for you or Sophie on this occasion?

Bow wow whip introduced to us by a good friend Joyce. Sophie's favorite little cup of whip cream.

How were you and Sophie united?

Sophie was my daughter's 12th birthday present.

Now at 17 my daughter realizes Sophie is really mine.

How did she get her name? Any aliases?

Katelyn named her, Sophie just fit her.

She is mostly called Sophie, sometimes SD short for Sophie the Dog, and while in Germany our neighbor called her Tophie so we sometimes called her that to joke.

Does Sophie have a favorite place to go for walk?

Sophie is not much of a walker, she is more of a car girl.

She loves to go bye bye and stick her head out the window; it is her idea of heaven.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Birds, rabbits, squirrels ... and an occasional leaf.

Squeaky-toy, tennis ball, stick?

Sophie's favorite toy is a stuff-less bunny or raccoon -- we call it her baby. If you tell her to get her baby she comes back with one of the two, shaking it.

What is Sophie's best quality?

Sophie best quality is her personality: she loves people.

She just wants to say hi with a quick jump up and a kiss.

She is like to sit on laps and soak up lots of hugs and petting.

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

I think Sophie would love if I never left her home alone.

She has separation anxiety and wants to go everywhere with me.

If Hollywood made a movie in which Sophie could talk, who should do her voice?

If Sophie could talk she would probably sound like Estelle Getty from The Golden Girls. Sophie is a five year old with a 80 year old's body!

Visit the West Family Adventures blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Gerry Bartlett & Jet

Gerry Bartlett, in the photo at right I recognize you and Jet from the last time you appeared here on the blog.

Back then you were drinking diet soda and eating a fruit and granola bar, and Jet was enjoying Liv-a-Snaps treats. What's new, and what are feasting on today in celebration of your latest Glory St. Clair, Real Vampires book?

Jet and I are very happy that I have a new book out—Real Vampires Don’t Wear Size Six. It hit the bestseller list at Barnes & Nobles and earned him a bag of new chews. He’s eating it inside since it’s been over a hundred degrees outside every day for the last few weeks. He’s sticking close to me these days since I went on a two-week vacation and left him at home with only his Aunt Jackie for company. Yes, she spoils him, but he was not happy that I wasn’t here for him. He knocked over the plant by the front door and the day before I came home he did something disgraceful to the Oriental rug in my hall. Bad dog!

Glory has a canine bodyguard/shapeshifter named Valdez: does he figure prominently in the new book?

Valdez was my main character Glory’s dog, a shape-shifter, for the beginning of my series but now he’s shifted back into human form and has become one of her love interests. Yes, that’s a big change. I have some regrets about making that happen. Rafael Valdez was a great comic character as long as he was her doggie sidekick. Now he’s an intense Latin lover type. Still faithful, but macho. What can I say? Our dogs are much easier to handle. Right, Jet? Oops, he’s heading for the hall rug again.

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

If Jet could change one thing about me, it would be to make me stay home more. Between my shopping for my antiques business and my love of travel, I’m not sticking around the house much these days. He really likes it when I am chained to the computer. But with my netbook handy, I can write anywhere. If he wasn’t such a fast runner and a nervous pup, I could take him with me more places, but he’s too big and actually uneasy around strangers. Luckily I do have an elderly aunt who likes to keep an eye on him when I’m gone.

Finally, I think Jet would like everyone who reads this to know that he was a rescue dog. Yep, a lady who raised him from a pup had to give him up because of her illness. He landed in a loving home. He was lucky. He hopes that anyone who needs a pet will look at a shelter before they buy an animal. He’s a purebred whippet with papers, fixed of course, but that’s okay. He’s come to terms with it. He just hates to think of all those dogs and cats out there who need homes and might be, gulp, euthanized. Okay, off the soapbox now.

Visit Gerry Bartlet's website and blog.

Coffee with a Canine: Gerry Bartlett & Jet (November 2009).

The Page 69 Test: Real Vampires Have More to Love.

Writers Read: Gerry Bartlett (December 2010).

My Book, The Movie: Real Vampires Have More to Love.

Writers Read: Gerry Bartlett.

--Marshal Zeringue

Melanie Sue Bowles & the Proud Spirit dogs

Who is in the photo at right?

That's me, Melanie Sue Bowles and four of our dogs, Penny (in the background), Tucker, Gunny and Chloe. Our canine family actually consists of a "baker's dozen" so there's nine more who aren't in this picture. And they're all in the house, all part of the family and all over the furniture.

Aside from being a doggie mom, I'm also a published author, and I'm very passionate about animal welfare. My writing reflects that passion. And together, my husband and I are the founders of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary. This is one of the most successful, longest existing facilities for horses in the United States; we're currently caring for nearly 60 horses, donkeys and mules. And that aforementioned baker's dozen of dogs.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Oh, boy... I hope this doesn't get me banned, but I don't drink coffee. I'm more of a tea kind of gal. And every day is an occasion; my pups and I always start off every single morning together. I brew my big cup of super-strong tea and then we all go outside for a stroll around the yard. They do their thing, which includes the obligatory potty, while I sip my tea, but there's also lots of high-jinks and shenanigans. So my day usually starts off with quite a bit of laughter.

What's brewing?

Celestial Seasonings green tea, double strength. And, as odd as this may seem, I like to add a splash of pomegranate juice. It's a tart, refreshing pick-me-up.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Not usually first thing in the morning... we're trying to concentrate on taking care of business, if ya know what I mean.

How were you and your dogs united?

Whenever you open your heart and your home to animals in need, it sort of becomes like a "field of dreams"... build it and they will come. All of our dogs were either strays who showed up at our gate or homeless and living in a shelter. So in addition to rescuing horses, my husband Jim and I have also rescued dozens of dogs. We adopt out as many as we can to approved homes, but these are the ones who ended up becoming part of our family.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Our dogs names are Gunny, Bessie, Tucker, Penny, Lucy, Kirby, Cricket, Daisy, Trixie, Trudi, Chloe, Winston, and Louie. Who knows how or why they ended up with the names they did! But aliases and nicknames? They each have about ten apiece. And what's so funny is, they all seem to know their nicknames. There's a terrific story about this very subject in my book, The Dogs of Proud Spirit.

Please tell us about your "Proud Spirit" books and sanctuary.

I have three nonfiction books out: The Horses of Proud Spirit... Hoof Prints: Stories from Proud Spirit and The Dogs of Proud Spirit. All three tell the inspirational, heartwarming and (sometimes) comical stories of the horses and dogs who have found their way to the peace and safety of our sanctuary. The best part? Proceeds from book sales help us continue our rescue work. So when you buy a book you're doing double duty, so to speak. You get some unforgettable stories to read, and you're directly helping the sanctuary. YAY!

You've rescued pigs as well as dogs: do they get along?

We got our pigs, Sally and Harley as babies, many years ago. They lived long, happy lives with us, but sadly both have since passed on of natural causes. Their story is in Hoof Prints... a very funny story, I might add... and they were wonderful additions to our family. And yes, all of our dogs got along great with them.

What is each dog's best quality?

Gunny is loyal to the extreme. Bessie is a most-excellent sleeper. Tucker has "cute" down to an art. Penny is...um...let's just say that Penny is busy. Lucy is ultra-confident, thank you very much. Kirby plays well with others. Cricket likes alone time. Daisy loves to snuggle. Trixie is trouble, but in a good way. Trudi is the peace-keeper. Chloe is simply sweet. Winston makes us laugh. And Louie is "The Man"... aka HRH King Louie.

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

My bank account...

What's each dog's proudest moment so far? The most embarrassing?

You'll have to read the books!

Visit Melanie Sue Bowles's website and the Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Steve Hockensmith & Amy

Who is in the photo at right?

That’s me with my dog Amy. She’s a 3-year-old (we think) Chihuahua-terrier mix (we think) we adopted from the East Bay SPCA (that we know for a fact) in January (again: fact).

My name is Steve Hockensmith and I’m a 43-year-old purebred WASP who’s been adopted by discriminating mystery and horror fans (thanks to my Holmes on the Range and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies novels).

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We’re toasting the release of Amy’s new book. Not that she wrote it. It’s a collection of mystery stories and humorous essays that I’ve written over the years. But Amy was the inspiration for the collection. She has a condition called luxating patella that affects her hind legs. Basically, her knee caps don’t like to stay in her knees, which (as you can imagine) doesn’t feel so great. It can also lead to debilitating arthritis. Luxating patella can be corrected surgically, but Amy doesn’t have the money for it and unfortunately neither do I. So the collection’s called My Dog Needs Surgery and it’s available as a 99 cent ebook via Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. If I sell enough downloads, Amy can get her surgery sooner rather than later. Not that I’m trying to hold my dog’s health hostage to drum up sales. I’m not National Lampoon!

What's brewing?

No brewing necessary! As we’re in (appropriately enough) the dog days of summer, I’ve opted for a cool, refreshing glass of coffee milk. It’s basically chocolate milk, only with coffee-based syrup. I first encountered it years ago when I was visiting Rhode Island -- it’s the state drink! -- and I’ve raved about it for years. My brother’s moving thereabouts soon, so when he went up to scout for houses, he picked up a bottle of Eclipse coffee syrup for me. I was pleased to discover that it’s just as delicious as I remembered. Too bad about all the corn syrup in it, though. It’s probably a good thing I only drink it once every two decades.

Any treats for you or Amy on this occasion?

My treat is the coffee milk. Amy’s being treated to crackers so she’ll look happy in the picture. For some reason, she’s terrified of cameras, so it can be hard to get a shot of her where it doesn’t look like The Giant Newspaper of Bad Dog Doom is looming over her.

How were you and Amy united?

It was fate. My daughter had been begging us for a dog for quite a while, but I’d resisted out of deference to my beloved old cat Izzy. I wasn’t going to force a 17-year-old cat to deal with a dog all of a sudden. After Izzy finally passed away last summer, I gave myself a few months to grieve. Then I gave in. We knew we wanted a small-ish dog -- we have small-ish children and a small-ish house -- so we monitored the websites of various rescue societies hoping to find a candidate of the right size. We came close a few times, but nothing ever worked out. Finally, frustrated after months of web-surfing, my wife said, “Why don’t we throw the kids in the car and just go to the pound right now?” So we drove to the SPCA facility in Oakland, started to go inside...and bumped into a volunteer taking Amy out for a walk just as we arrived. Amy was the perfect size, cute as the dickens and sweet with the kids. So it was love at first sight all around.

How did she get her name? Any nicknames?

Amy was a stray picked up off the streets of Oakland with no tags, so what her original name might have been nobody knows. They called her Amy at the shelter, though, and since she responded to it we figured we ought to keep it. I tend to call her “Poopsy-Doodle” or just “Poopsy,” however. (I know -- that’s a pretty embarrassing thing for a grown man to admit.) My daughter calls her “Freak.” Much as we love Amy, she does have her quirks. Fortunately, it’s been months since she tried to hump anyone’s head.

Please tell us about your latest books.

Before My Dog Needs Surgery, I put out two other short story collections -- Naughty: Nine Tales of Christmas Crime and Dear Mr. Holmes: Seven Holmes on the Range Mysteries. My latest novel is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After, which wraps up the PPZ trilogy. (No one knew it was a trilogy when it got started, but now it does seem nice and tidy that way.) I’m working on various projects at the moment, so I’m not sure which new book of mine will make it into the world next. I just hope it’s not Hey, You Guys -- My Dog STILL Needs Surgery!.

Visit Steve Hockensmith's website.

Writers Read: Steve Hockensmith.

My Book, The Movie: Dreadfully Ever After.

--Marshal Zeringue

Peggy Swager & Albert

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Peggy Swager. I’m a dog trainer who has also written dog books and articles. Two of my articles won DWAA awards.

Albert is a male Chihuahua. His estimated age is around four years old. He came from a puppy mill and was probably dumped by the puppy mill because he was a fear biter. I’ve learned a lot about the differences with Chihuahuas compared to other dogs from Albert, and by reading up on the breed.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I have coffee every day. Love the stuff. Al likes to hang out in the house in the morning while I sip my brew.

What's brewing?

I am confined to decaf coffee. Sometimes I have a Columbian, but currently I’m using Community Coffee medium-dark roast. I grind it fresh every morning and love it hot.

Any treats for you or Albert on this occasion?

Albert loves pancakes. So does my husband. So Ken makes some extra pancakes to share with Albert. This morning, I even ate a few pancakes, although I don’t do that so often.

How were you and Albert united?

I went to National Mill Dog Rescue to pick up Al's cage-mate, a Poodle. The Poodle was a very severe biter, and therefore deemed unadoptable. I wanted to see if I could reform him. They asked me to also take Albert who also had biting issues. I’m happy to say that although my husband and I were both causalities in the beginning, both dogs have reformed.

How did he get his name? Any nicknames?

Al is my favorite nickname for him. On his paperwork, his first name at the rescue was Abigail. He was so defensive when he first arrived that the rescue people couldn’t get near enough to him to do anything but toss food in the cage. However, when it came time to spay him, they ended up neutering him and renaming him Albert.

Please tell us about your new book.

My dog training book is called Training the Hard-to-Train Dog. The book was inspired a lot of problematic Jack Russell Terriers-- think every thing from submissive peeing to stubborn and take charge attitudes-- as well as other dogs I’d reformed, including one who attacked another dog in the household.

Does Albert have a favorite place to go for walk?

He loves walks, but when I took him to the Farmer’s Market, he wasn’t so sure of the larger dogs or the small children. But then, if you think about living your life in a cage for the first three years of life, only taken out for breeding purposes, and your captors are abusive....

Albert hasn’t learned to play with regular toys yet, but he will with time. What he does do is play with a dog biscuit. If you toss him one and it doesn’t tempt his nose taste buds, he begins to play with the treat.

What is Albert's best quality?

His capacity to love and to forgive.

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

Sometimes as we grow older, we can become touched with cynicism; we lose hope that things will change for the better. Albert inspires me and reminds me never to give up that things can change.

When you think about how abusive his first three years were, and that in a few months of opportunity he has changed so much, it gives you hope about a lot of things.

What is Albert's greatest need from whomever might adopt him? What would be his greatest gift?

Albert needs his new owner to take things at his pace. He still has some changes to do to fit in and to learn that “at ease about things” attitude we take for granted in other dogs.

But this little dog bubbles over with love and he really wants his own person, or persons, to hang out with.

Read more about Training the Hard-to-Train Dog at Peggy Swager's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kelli & Buster

Who is in the photo at right?

This is our dog, Buster, a male Newfoundland, age 1 yr, 9 mo.

My name is Kelli. I am a registered nurse who worked 11 years as a cardiac RN, and am now a stay at home mom to one almost 5 yr old little boy, and this sweet big dog.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Just returned from Buster's walk around the neighborhood.

What's brewing?

I love the smell of coffee, but never developed the taste for it, so for me it's just water. What's brewing for my husband is usually just good old Folgers medium roast.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Not this time.

Any treat for Buster on this occasion?

Buster just had a homemade doggie treat. Made from a mix.. just add water, mix and roll out the dough and cut the shapes with cookie cutters. My son loved this project. Tonight's treat was shaped like a dinosaur.

How were you and Buster united?

Buster came to us from a breeder, Great Basin Newfoundlands in Fallon, Nevada. We live in northern California so we drove and met them half way and picked Buster up when he was 10 weeks old.

How did Buster get his name? Any aliases?

We originally decided to name him "Tug", but our son was so opposed to that name for some reason. We had just lost our previous dog (a 13 yo Newf mix) about six months prior and he took it so hard. We wanted him to like whatever name we gave our next family member, so after vetoing "Percy" (from Thomas the Tank Engine) and "Corvette" (his favorite hot wheel), we settled on Buster (the name of the dog in Toy Story).

He has all kind of Bustery nick-names. Dust Buster, Busteroo, Bust-a-move.. you name it. My husband sometimes calls him Daggoo, the name of a character in Moby Dick.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Definitely cat, but what drives him really crazy are things with small wheels... skateboards, rollerblades, golf carts. He wants to chase them. We are working on that right now!

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

All of the above. Lately, he is fond of a rubber duck that my son picked out for him. He also loves a giant raw-hide.

Where is Buster's favorite place for outings?

More often the dog park, but once in a while we take him to a lake and he loves it.

Who are Buster's best pet-pals?

He has a buddy down the street, a giant breed Alaskan Malamute named Sasha. They are the same size.

Other than that, he has some canine cousins in the family that he loves to be around but live further away... Skippy, a 3 legged Border Collie, and Calvin, an Australian Cattle Dog, and Chipper, a shepherd mix.

What is Buster's best quality?

His soulful eyes and sweet spirit. He is so patient and gentle with our son.

What is Buster's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

If we're talking from Buster's point of view, when he's most proud would probably be either when he gets a new rawhide and prances around with it, or when he finds the marshmallow we've hidden somewhere in the room for him.

If he's ever felt embarrassment, it would be when he got fixed and had to wear what most people call the cone of shame. We call it the satellite dish.

Visit Kelli's "Seriously..I think it needs stitches" blog.

--Marshal Zeringue