Emily McClelland & Dante, Daisy Boo and Sampson

Who is in the photo at right?

Hello, I’m Emily McClelland. I recently graduated in Aerospace Technology but somehow fell into working for my local newspaper. To the right is Sampson, my 17-month-old Great Dane; the handsome jet black man is Dante, the 4-year-old Labradoodle; and the gorgeous blonde is Miss Daisy Boo who is 2.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I try to take at least one member of the pack out each weekend for coffee, or a meal. We are quite lucky to live in a fairly dog friendly part of the UK; I even took Sampson to a dog friendly car museum last month!

What's brewing?

I’m partial to a nice milky latte; the dogs, however, if they are lucky and after cold wet walks, might have a nice bowl of hot sugarless tea.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Unfortunately not this time. Dante is on a diet, much to his disgust- so we don’t treat the others when he is around. When they get a treat it's normally in the form of a big fat juicy raw marrow bone from the butchers or some homemade ‘pup cakes’.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Dante was named by my younger brother after one of his favourite video game characters at the time, it was either Dante…or Leon. I preferred the former! Dante is called ‘Dants’ or ‘Allamants’.

Miss Daisy Boos name came out of the blue on my 7 hour journey back home with her. I was trying to think of floral names to suit her and Daisy seemed the best for her personality--the Boo was added shortly afterwards! We called her ‘Lil’ Boos’ or ‘Boo Boos’ the most often.

Sampson’s name came after a few days with him; I originally was going to call him Dufresne but after I picked him up his name didn’t fit him. Sampson spent the first few days with me down at my Uni in London before I moved out, so me and my house mates just called him ‘Pupster’. I eventually decided on Sampson after my late rabbit who had gone to the bridge a year early. Sampson actually wears the rabbit Sampson’s British rabbit council foot ring on his dog tags. His nicknames are ‘Sana’, ‘The Sana-Man’, ‘Sampy Sana squashed Banana’and ‘Butt-butt’…don’t ask.

How were you and your dogs united?

Dante was my first dog and I was suffering terrible allergies at the time so we opted for a ‘ hypo-allergenic dog’ but we were adamant we wanted a large sized one, so I travelled 2 hours to the border of Scotland to pick him up. After 2 years I wanted to get Dante a brother or sister and after a few months of deliberation and when I was working in Southampton at the time, there was a local advert for large labradoodles--I went to have a ‘look’ and as they say the rest was history!

Sampson was actually a gift from my Mum; I had wanted a Great Dane for some time and was planning to get one after I had finished my degree. Whilst I was studying for my final exams I had a phone call from a Great Dane breeder saying she had been given my number by my Mum, a very nice surprise. The mother pups were born a few days later and I was given pick of the litter, so I chose the only harlequin boy, my Sampson!

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Definitely each other, but they do have a lot of other doggy friends we meet for walks too.

Squirrel, postman, cat....?

Cat, cat cat!

Squeaky toy, ball, stick...?

All of them, preferably at once!

What is each dog's best quality?

Dante is the most caring, well-mannered relaxed dog I have ever met, nothing ever phases him--I often joke he is everyone’s dog because he loves every stranger he meets.

Daisy Boo is insanely sweet with a tail that never stops wriggling; along with that she has a everlasting smile plastered to her face.

Sampson is a perpetual pup; I honestly don’t think he will ever grow up. His daft antics always brighten up my day.

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

I think they would change the fact that I work full time; I think they would love it if I was at home constantly. I also think Dante would love it if I took him off the diet he was on and fed him a bit more!

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which your dogs could speak, which actors should do their voices?

Dante would be voice by Christopher Lee: there is something old and wise about it that would seem to suit him.

Daisy Boo would be voiced by Mellissa Rauch-- but her in voice in the role of Bernadette in The Big Bang Theory: it definitely suits Daisy Boo’s sweet yet shy nature.

Sampson would be Adam Sandler every time.

If your dogs could answer only one question in English, what would you ask them?

I would ask them if I was doing right by them and if I could make them happier.

Visit Emily McClelland's Smile With Your Tail blog.

--Marshal Zeringue