Gretchen DeMoss & Kendall

Who is in the photo at right?

I'm Gretchen DeMoss. I'm a scientist by day and a blogger by night. Kendall's my 3 year old, female, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We're a registered Pet Partner team with the Delta Society, and we visit at a local assisted living facility as well as volunteer for the library's Read to the Dogs program. I blog about the Adventures of Kendall. When Kendall can't travel with me, I take Flat Kendall along.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We have coffee at home together every day. A cup of coffee means it's time for Kendall to climb into my lap.

What's brewing?

Our favorite coffee these days is Black Butte Gold coffee from Sisters Coffee Co. They're a small outfit out of Sisters, OR who have delectable coffee. We buy it in bulk so we're sure not to run out. We brew it in our Starbucks coffee maker with the insulated carafe. We don't want it sitting on the burner to get burnt.

Any treats for you or Kendall on this occasion?

No treats on this occasion, but Kendall will do just about anything for a sweet potato treat. She loves anything and everything sweet potato.

How were you and Kendall united?

We picked Kendall out of the litter when she was four weeks old. It's hard to tell what kind of dog they'll be like when they're that small, but we had a great feeling. We had the pick of the litter, and I think we chose right.

How did she get her name? Any nicknames?

Kendall's named after Henry Kendall, a Nobel-winning physicist from MIT. All of our pets have been named after physicists. It all started with Dinger (Schroedinger) the cat. Kendall also lives with Heimey (Oppenheimer) the cat and Rico (Enrico Fermi) the cat. When we were looking for a dog name, we searched through lists of physicists to see what name rolled off the tongue. Calling, "Here Tesla," just doesn't work.

Does Kendall have a favorite place to go for walk?

Kendall loves to go for a walk at the Greenway Park near here. She knows we're there as we approach in the car. There's a creek that runs through the park that has a lot of wildlife living near it. The smells in that park must be wonderful for a dog because her nose is to the ground the entire time we're there.

Squirrel, postman, cat…?

Definitely squirrel. She gives them chase in the back yard every chance she gets. I think she's given up hope that she'll ever actually catch one, but she sure loves to try. Her best friend is Rico, the cat, so she doesn't tend to pay the cats much attention.

Squeaky-toy, tennis ball, stick?

Kendall's not much of a chaser. She likes her bully stick or a dried sweet potato now and then, but she's not one to chase a ball or a stick. She's a pretty low energy dog.

What is Kendall's best quality?

Kendall's best quality is her ability to bring out the smiles in the people she meets. Her big eyes elicit smiles from everyone. Her tail wags from the moment we arrive at the assisted living facility to the time we leave. It's so much fun to watch peoples' reactions.

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

If Kendall would change one thing about me it would be to make me someone who worked from home. She loves to be next to me whenever I'm home. I don't think she likes it much when I leave to go to work or when I travel.

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

Wow! That's a tough one. It would need to be someone with a sense of humor and fun, young voice.

Visit The Adventures of Kendall the Cavalier blog.

--Marshal Zeringue