Lauren Miller & Zoe and Phoenix

Who is in the photo at right?

That is me with Phoenix on the left and Zoe on the right. The dogs are both girls and they are around 5 years old. They are mix breeds from the shelter. I'm Lauren and I've worked with dogs and in the pet industry my whole life. I did 4-H dog project when I was a kid into my teens and then went on to become an "all breed" pet stylist. My current focus is on dog training. I'm specifically interested in training dog tricks and behavior modification. I also really enjoy blogging about our adventures together.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We stopped by for a drink on the way to the park.

What's brewing?

I'm not really a coffee drinker so I'm having a strawberry smoothie from Starbucks.

Any treats for you or Zoe and Phoenix on this occasion?

Always! I carry treats on me all the time so I can reward good behavior as it happens.

How did Zoe and Phoenix get their names? Any aliases?

Zoe [photo left] took us a couple of hours to name. We just looked up girl names and made a list. She actually responded to "Zoe" more than the other names so that's what we picked. Phoenix was harder to name and it took us about a week. We decided to name her after the mythical beast because she survived and was rescued from a house fire.

How were you and your dogs united?

We got both of the girls from the Oregon Humane Society. Zoe was first and we got Phoenix about a year later. When we got Zoe, I told my husband we were just going to the shelter to "look at the dogs". We saw Zoe and it was love at first sight. A year later, my friend told me there was a dog at the same shelter that looked a lot like Zoe so I pulled up the website and there she was! I went to see her the next day and she was so scared and skittish and I knew she would need a very experienced home so I adopted her. We found out that they are actually from the same small town and that they could be related.

Squeaky-toy, ball, stick...?

Phoenix loves all sorts of toys, she would take them all including the stick. Zoe prefers live animals to toys.

Squirrel, postman, cat....?

Both dogs enjoy chasing critters, but I try to discourage it as much as possible.

[photo right: Zoe is on the left, Phoenix is on the right]

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

They don't have many friends right now because Phoenix can be weird with other dogs sometimes. Zoe's best friend is a dog named Marley. He's a big brindle dog that belongs to my friend that we both fell in love with. They get to see each other occasional but I wish it was more often.

What is each dog's best quality?

Zoe is super smart. Way too smart for her own good. Phoenix is a world class snuggler which is saying a lot because when we got her she was so scared and skittish we couldn't touch her.

If Zoe and Phoenix could change one thing about you, what would it be?

They would probably request more hiking trips to new places.

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

Oh my gosh, I've never really thought about this so I'm not sure! I think they would probably not have any speaking parts and it would be more of realistic sort of action film.

If Zoe and Phoenix could answer only one question in English, what would you ask them?

Assuming that they could absolutely understand what I'm saying, I wouldn't ask them a specific question more I would want them to understand some things. I would ask Zoe if she could stop trying to kill small animals and let her know that the scary bangs she's afraid of can't get her. Phoenix [photo left] I would just let her know that other dogs are not scary and that they are not out to get her.

What advice would Zoe and Phoenix give if asked?

I think they would tell everyone to live life to the fullest, eat all the treats and don't worry about yesterday.

Visit the ZoePhee website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

--Marshal Zeringue