Danielle Banas & Cooper

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Danielle Banas, author of the young adult novel, The Supervillain and Me, which was recently released from Swoon Reads and Macmillan. The little guy with me is my best buddy Cooper. He’s a five-year-old Cavapoo and the best boy ever.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

This picture was taken on Coop’s 4th birthday right before I had to leave for work, so we unfortunately didn’t drink coffee together, but we did have cupcakes! It’s our birthday tradition. He eats a few bites of yellow cupcake, and I eat the rest plus the icing. My family has been trying to teach him to blow out his candle, but we haven’t mastered that trick quite yet.

What's brewing?

I consume most of my coffee while I’m at my office job (2 cups of Chock full o’Nuts original blend with vanilla creamer). When I’m at home, I stick to tea or hot chocolate. Cooper is a big hot chocolate fan – well, I should say he’s a big whipped cream fan. As soon as I pull out the can, he comes running and begs me to share.

Any treats for you or Cooper on this occasion?

All Cooper does all day is eat treats. Green beans, yogurt, chicken, carrots – and that’s just the people food!

How were you and Cooper united?

My family saw an ad in the Pennysaver. A guy in Ohio bred his dog with his mother’s, and he was trying to find homes for the puppies. We went back and forth for a day or two about whether we wanted one because we had lost our Shih Tzu about two years prior and didn’t know if we could potty train another puppy, but once we emailed the seller and got pictures of the pups, we were sold. My parents drove over an hour to the house in Ohio, and Cooper was the last one left. They literally saved the best for last.

How did your dog get his name? Any aliases?

We brainstormed a lot of names. Some of them were golf-related because my dad is a golf fanatic, but we shot those ones down. I don’t remember who, but one of us suggested the name Andy, after Anderson Cooper, and then we decided that Cooper was a more suitable name. He has so many nicknames though. Coop, Mr. Coop, Coopie, Cooperdo, Cooperman, Super Cooper, and Monkey. One of those names is definitely not like the others.

Does Cooper do more to help or hinder your writing?

Cooper loves to snuggle. Cooper also loves to snuggle on my lap while I’m trying to write, so then I have to move my laptop onto the arm of the couch and turn awkwardly to type while he’s sleeping – then my back starts to hurt. So he definitely hinders more than helps, but I still gave him a shout-out on the acknowledgments page of my book. If nothing else, he’s good for moral support.

Has Cooper inspired the creation of any fictional dogs?

Yes, actually. I wrote a draft of a story with a dog named Cooper. The fictional Cooper was a black Standard Poodle, so he resembled my little guy in name alone. Maybe I’ll write the real Cooper into a story one day.

Cat, postman, squirrel...?

Friend, friend, friend. Cooper loves everyone and everything. Cats and squirrels confuse him a bit because he doesn’t see them often, but he still likes them. Postmen are his buddies. He loves anyone who comes to our house.

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

Cooper plays fetch with tennis balls and he gets so into it. We used to play outside, and he would crouch down really low and chew a blade of grass like he was a baseball player or something. We stick to playing ball inside now because he has some issues with his knees, and he was getting way too enthusiastic outside. He would slide across the grass and do somersaults and stuff. As for squeaky-toys, he’s not a big fan. He likes stuffed animals so that he can rip them to shreds. Sticks are bad because he’ll try to eat them.

Where is Cooper's favorite outdoor destination?

He loves the park! In fact, he loves the park so much that we can’t take him there very often because he goes nuts and pulls really hard on his leash, which is exhausting. He looks small, but he’s 40 pounds of pure muscle.

Who is Cooper's best pet-pal?

The ladies in the neighborhood love Mr. Coop. Pippy across the street rolls over every time she sees him. She’s a Yorkie, and the difference in size between the two of them is too funny. His other girlfriend is Molly three doors up. She’s a Cockapoo and always acts aloof whenever he’s around, but we know she’s just playing hard to get.

What is Cooper's best quality?

I call Coop a baby angel. He would never hurt a fly. We put fingers in his mouth all the time because he loves to eat things he shouldn’t, and he’s never tried to bite any of us.

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

He would make sure that I let him do more sniffing while on walks. I get so impatient that I tend to drag him along – because honestly, the 100th blade of grass smells exactly like the 99 that he sniffed before it.

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

We left Cooper once to go on a family vacation, and the friend who watched him told us he cried all night the first night. I would ask him if he knows that Momma, Daddy, and Danielle will always come back for him.

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

Michael Keaton all the way.

What advice would Cooper give if asked?

He’d probably tell me to relax and quit overanalyzing everything all the time. Then he’d suggest that I give him a treat.

Visit Danielle Banas's website.

--Marshal Zeringue