Becky Lehman & Boots

Who is in the photo at right?

My name is Becky. I am a sign language interpreter, a blogger, and I’m studying to become a personal trainer and health coach. The handsome fellow next to me is Boots. He’s a 3 ½ year old border collie.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Saturday is Boots’ favorite morning of the week, because we go on a long run, then stretch and have breakfast together. This week, we ran 7.5 miles and he still came home with energy to spare!

What's brewing?

More like “blending!” I’m sipping on my favorite green smoothie (vanilla protein powder, apple, almond milk, spinach, & pumpkin).

Any treats for you or Boots on this occasion?

I’m having almond butter and strawberry preserves on wheat toast and Boots always gets a little bite of crust.

How were you and Boots united?

Boots was found wandering around New Mexico when he was just a year old. The Arizona Border Collie Rescue found him and a sweet woman who owned a ranch fostered him with about 10 other border collies. When I drove up to her house to meet him, all of the dogs were chasing after a ball, but Boots was the only dog that separated from the pack and ran straight up to greet me. I fell in love with him immediately and he hasn’t left my side since!

How did your dog get his name? Any aliases?

The rescue organization decided to call him Boots, because he has white “boots” on his paws. I thought about changing his name, but it just seemed to fit him! I often call him “Bootsy” or “Bootsy Bear.” It’s a good thing he’s confident in his masculinity!

You're an active recipe-tester. Does Boots have role in the kitchen?

Oh, Boots plays a vital role in recipe development! He is always a willing taste-tester, but his primary role is supervisor. He oversees all of the prep work and is always eager to offer a lick, tail wag, or paw shake of encouragement. However, he is not a fan of the harsh sound of vegetable chopping. He tends to scoot into the living room whenever I pull out the cutting board!

When you and Boots go for a run, who tires first?

Me! That dog could probably run indefinitely! Even after running 5 miles, we’ll come back home and he will immediately bring me a toy to throw for him. The dog has boundless energy!

Cat, postman, squirrel...?

Lizards and bunnies! We live in Tucson, so whenever we go out for a walk or run, lizards and bunnies scurry across our path. Boots is a gentle boy, though. Sometimes lizards crawl on our backyard fence and when I let him outside, he excitedly bounds over to them, then he just stops in front of them and wags his tail. He doesn’t want to catch them; he just wants them to play!

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

His stuffed moose toy. When I was in high school, I started liking moose and over the years have developed quite a collection of moose stuffed animals, moose figurines, moose salt & pepper shakers, etc. Whenever friends and family see moose paraphernalia, they buy it for me. Apparently my love of moose has rubbed off on Boots, because a friend got him a moose Kong toy and it is his absolute favorite toy.

Who is Boots's best pet-pal?

That’s an easy one – me! He sticks pretty close to me as often as he can. It’s very rare that he’s in a different room than me. The friends that watched him for me a few weekends ago when I was out of town said that he spent most of the weekend melancholic and staring at the front door, waiting for me to come home.

What is Boots's best quality?

His sweetness. He’s a cuddly pup and kind to everyone. The groomer comments that during every session, Boots offers his paw to him as he works. He loves sitting on laps (which can be quite interesting as he weighs almost 50 pounds!), licking toes, laying his head on your leg, and curling up at your feet. He wants to be friends with everyone!

If Boots could change one thing about Arizonans, what would it be?

He would love if they would make more restaurants and stores dog friendly. He loves to run errands with me and relax on restaurant patios.

If Boots could answer only one question in English, what would you ask him?

What would make your life better?

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which Boots could speak, who should voice him?

Jonathon Taylor Thomas. I think he would bring the same sweet, spunky spirit to Boots that he brought to young Simba in The Lion King.

What advice would Boots give if asked?

Love unconditionally, forgive, and seek joy in every moment of every day.

Visit Becky Lehman's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

--Marshal Zeringue