Danielle and Jim Beaudoin & Nola

Who is in the photo at right?

Mr. and Mrs. of M&M&NK are Danielle and Jim Beaudoin. We work and live in Portland, ME. We started our blog in March of 2012, after we decided to start fostering pit bull type dogs to help change stereotypes about them. We wanted a place to share more information about our foster pups to get them adopted, as well as stories about and photos of our dog, Nola. Nola is a 2 ½ year old female boxer mix who loves to give us kisses, which is how the blog got its name.

What's brewing?

I’m a New England girl, so it’s Dunkin’ Donuts for me. French vanilla with skim milk is how I drink it.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Nola and I enjoy coffee together almost every day, whether it’s sitting at home on the couch, or in the car on the way to a walk. In fact, the Mr. just got me a Life is Good t-shirt with a woman drinking coffee with her dog, which is perfect!

Today, we got breakfast from one of our favorite Portland diners, Becky’s, and stopped for coffee on the way home.

Any treats for you or Nola on this occasion?

Nola gets treats on every occasion. Today, since we got breakfast take out, Nola got to enjoy some of the Mr.’s ham.

How did Nola get her name? Any aliases?

Nola was named after the city of New Orleans (its nickname is NOLA: New Orleans, LA) because that is where the Mr. and I got engaged. We wanted to name our dog something that had meaning to the both of us.

Nola has a million nicknames, including, but not limited to: Nola Muffin, Muffin, Pumpkin Muffin, No-No, Nols, Wiggle Butt and Baby.

How were you and Nola united?

Nola was a rescue from Alabama. The Mr. and I had been talking about getting a dog for years, but we were nervous since neither of us had ever had one. When we felt like we were finally ready we applied to several rescues here in Maine, but we were denied because we both worked 8 hours a day. We finally found a rescue that would give us a chance, and we are so grateful. The day before Halloween in 2010, we met a transport truck at a rest stop in New Hampshire and they handed us 12 week old Nola. The instant I saw her and got my very first Nola kiss I fell in love. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into raising a puppy. But after two and a half years, two obedience classes and dozens of ‘how to’ books, we have the best dog we could have ever asked for. She has brought so much joy to our lives that we can’t image what it would be like without her.

Squirrel, postman, cat....?

She used to be very interested in squirrels, but she’s outgrown that. She is not sure about cats; she wants to play with them but they always run away. In fact, she has taken off down the street after the neighborhood cat Sammy on a couple occasions. Good thing she has decent recall! She loves our mail lady. She’ll gruff when she sees her coming, but as soon as she gets close it’s all butt wiggles and kisses.

Squeaky toy, ball, stick...?

All of the above with the addition of Frisbees, she loves those.

Who is Nola's best pet-pal?

Nola’s best pal is Payson, a lab/boxer mix who is 50 pounds larger than her. They had Tuesday night walk dates all last winter and they love to walk in the Evergreen Cemetery together. Payson recently underwent two ACL surgeries and is just getting back in shape. Nola missed him and can’t wait to start her regular walks with him again!

What is Nola's best quality?

Nola’s best quality is her easy going personality. She loves everyone and every dog. We have taken her everywhere with us since she was a puppy; so she is happy doing anything as long she is with her people. She enjoys exploring and is great in new places, crowds, etc. She greets everyone with so many kisses that you just can’t help but smile. If she had a tail, it would always be wagging, but since it’s cropped, her whole butt wiggles when she is happy. Because she is so easy going, she is very tolerant and submissive, and these are the main reasons we have been able to bring other dogs into our house to foster. She is such a good foster sister, and really puts up with the pups that generally have no manners when they first come to our house.

[photo left--Nola & Anna]

We’ve had two fosters so far, Laynie and Anna, both female pit mixes. Nola tolerated their attempts to cuddle with her, sit on her, sit in her spot, take her toys and their all-around pushy personalities like a champ!

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

I worry, a lot, and a good amount of it is directed to Nola. Does that bump feel normal? Is she hungry? Do her nails need to be trimmed? Is she limping? Why doesn’t she want to sleep in our bed? So, I would have to say, if Nola could change one thing about me I would think it would be to worry less about her. (I also think the Mr. would agree with her!)

If Nola could answer only one question in English, what would you ask her?

I would love to add another permanent four-legged baby to the family, so I would ask her if she wants a brother or sister. Something tells me she would prefer to be an only child for a bit longer!

Visit the Mr. & Mrs. & Nola Kisses blog, and follow them on Facebook.

--Marshal Zeringue