Michelle & Bodie and Magoo

Who is in the photo at right?

Hi, I'm Michelle, we live in New Zealand, in between lounging about as much as possible I work in an office, you know the deal, airconditioning, computer and coffee. With me are Bodie (m) and Magoo (f) - 8 and 8 1/2 respectively. They are Border Terriers, a hardy little breed that originated on the Border of Scotland and England.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

In summer weekends this is the best way to start the day; I usually eat breakfast out in the back yard.

What's brewing and any treats for your dogs on this occasion?

Usually home ground plunger coffee: I think this brew is called Screaming Turtle. Flat white no sugar. The treat for the dogs is a bit of our training food, Superior Chunky, so that they will sit nicely for the photo. I don't think they are really into what I am reading here.

How were you and your dogs united?

Bodie [photo left] I got as a pup at 7 weeks. I had seen his Dad at a terrier dog show, till then I had never even heard of Border Terriers but I liked their no nonsense look and the long legs.

And Bodie's dad Stan was just a gentle adorable guy so of course I put my name down for one of his pups.

Magoo came to us when she was 2; this is a photo of her [at right] the first time we saw her. She fit right in straight away. Bodie couldn't believe his eyes when he woke up the night after she arrived and she was still there; he bounced all over the bed.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Bodie was named after the 70s show character in The Professionals. His nicknames are Bodes, Wodes, and the Bodester.

Originally the intention was that the second pup would be Doyle of course, but when we got Magoo I just remembered a childhood character called Mr Magoo and thought that was a cute name for such a wee dog. She's usually called Goo, or the Goose.

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

Our favourite place at the moment is a wild west coast beach just out of Auckland. Bodie's a pretty independent wee chap with a really good recall so he's happy to go mooching off on his own investigating and I know he won't be too far away.

Magoo never stops and only has one speed -- 100 miles an hour. Here [photo left] she's just towed me for the past hour up and down a steep hill and she's still got energy to burn.

Rabbit, postman, cat...?

Magoo will chase anything that moves. Bodie's usually too busy leaving peemail to notice anything that moves; he's not too keen on skateboards though having nearly been run over by a couple of them and doesn't like noisy motorbikes.

What is each dog's best quality?

Magoo is always up for an adventure and will come out with me for hours on a walk. On the other hand Bodie is happy to come out with me to friends' for dinner and just mooch about with the people or investigate their garden and take their couch for a test drive.

Squeaky toy, ball, stick...?

Goo's favourite toy is a rock. I keep confiscating them cos she keeps burying them in my bed, but we must live on top of a quarry as she keeps digging up more. Last weekend I found a 1kg lump of dirty concrete buried under my duvet. I don't know how a 6kg dog got in in her mouth, through the dog door and up onto the bed? This photo [at right] is of a cleaner more genteel rock than the latest lump.

Bodie is obsessed with the rubber milking teats that we get off the farm. And he doesn't shred them, which is pretty good for a terrier.

If your dogs could speak in the movie about your life, who should do their voices?

Danny DeVito for Bodie and Princess Fiona (is that Cameron Diaz?) from Shrek for Goo.

Visit the Bodie & Mrs Magoo blog.

--Marshal Zeringue