Con Lehane & Lola

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m Con Lehane, a mystery writer. I live in Kensington, Maryland. But my books are set in New York, where my heart is. My pal here is Lola, an almost eight-year old Rottweiler, whom my son acquired when he was in college. Even so, she’s been with me over the past eight years more than with anyone else, since I’ve been retired and writing full-time for almost as long as she’s been around. We take a walk around the neighborhood early in the morning after everyone else in the household—except for the cat and the chihuahua—have gone to work and gotten out of the way. She’s friends with the kids at the bus stop and most of the dogs in the neighborhood. She’s picked up a touch of arthritis since she’s gotten older and doesn’t play in the park or with her friend the lab next door as much as she used.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We have coffee at home after the walk, at least I do. I feed her and the rest of the crew and then me breakfast. After breakfast, I finish the newspaper and my coffee, and Lola chews a rawhide strip. Then I get to work and she goes to sleep.

What's brewing?

Free trade French roast coffee, black, no sugar.

Any treats for you or Lola on this occasion?

Her rawhide and an occasional dog treat.

How were you and Lola united?

My son got the dog near the end of college and began leaving her here as he traveled (to law school for three years, for example). I was actually worried when he got a Rottweiler, based on their reputation as fearsome dogs, so I demanded that everyone in the family get to know her really well when she was a puppy, so she knew her place when she grew up to be ninety pounds or so. She turned out to be the sweetest dog imaginable, as I said, friends with kids, dogs, everyone but the mailman.

How did your dog get her name? Any aliases?

My son named her Lola.

Does Lola do more to help or hinder your writing?

When things get bogged down in my writing—fairly often—I like to walk. Lola’s pretty good at helping with that. We’re both the poking along, as opposed to the brisk, sort of walkers, though she does a lot more sniffing than I do.

Has Lola inspired the creation of any fictional dogs?

Actually, in my latest book—not Murder at the 42nd Street Library, which comes out in April—the one I just turned in, the second in the series, a dog enters the story near then end and he’ll stay around for future episodes.

Cat, postman, squirrel…?

Lola lives with a cat. She used to chase him once in a while. He’s an older, ornery sort and put her in her place early on. They’re not friends but they get along. The chihuahua has more battles with the cat. The cat’s pretty much undefeated in those also.

Ball, squeaky-toy, stick…?

She did all those in the old days, not so much these days. She’s content with her rawhide.

Who is Lola's best pet-pal?

I mentioned the lab next door whom she played with as a puppy. Later on, she fell in love with a really big lab named Murphy, who visited the neighbors frequently. She’d always know when he arrived next door. She’d run to wherever I was, whimpering and hopping around. At first, I had no idea what was going on with her. After a couple of times, I realized she only acted like that when Murphy arrived next door. Sure enough, I’d look out the window and there would be Murph, the true indomitable spirit. They’d growl and snarl and throw each other around the (neighbor’s) yard for hours. Fortunately, everyone—the neighbors, Murphy’s owner, me—was okay with their friendship.

What is Lola's best quality?

She’s absolutely loyal and amazingly protective, as gentle and sweet as she is. She’s also a peacemaker among dogs. Next door or in the dog park, if a couple of dogs start going at each other, she jumps on them and breaks up the fight. She’d make a good bartender.

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

She would have me give her more treats, more often and have me go the way she wants to go when we’re walking, rather than the way I want to go. The way she wants to go is always through the park and up the street to Petsmart, where she gets treats from the cashiers.

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

Does something hurt? Where does it hurt? She never really lets on if she’s in pain. You sort of have to figure it out because she’s being quieter than normal or something like that.

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

I really don’t know on this one, maybe Kate Winslet.

What advice would Lola give if asked?

Be nice to everyone, sort of walk softly and show them your big teeth.

Visit Con Lehane's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Holly S. Roberts & Dizzy and Duchess

Who is in the photo at right?

This is Dizzy, she’s a nine month old Rottweiler. She’s my sidekick in just about everything.

I’m Holly S. Roberts, a retired police detective, and now a full-time writer as well as Dizzy’s mom.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

We are celebrating my twenty-fourth book, Slam. This our favorite old bench to enjoy any sun we can find.

What's brewing?

My Fang Chronicles’ mug holds almond cappuccino with a dollop of coconut cream. Dizzy’s mug has water with a sprinkle of love.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

This outdoor excursion is Dizzy’s treat. She thinks I spend too much time in my office writing and not enough time outside enjoying the beauty.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Somehow when I hold a puppy for the first time, their name appears in my head as if by magic. She became Dizzy a minute after I wrapped my arms around he fluffy body.

How were you and your dogs united?

Dizzy comes from a litter of eight. She was the only puppy not spoken for due to her timid nature. She’s packed full of anxiety issues and needed me as much as I needed her.

[photo left: Dizzy at five weeks]

Have any real dogs influenced fictional dogs in your writing?

My Rottweiler before Dizzy was Charlie. I lost her when she was six due to cancer. Like Dizzy, she was perpetually by my side. Her loss was extremely difficult and I wrote the book, The Forever Team (under my pen name Suzie Ivy), in remembrance of her incredible but short life. The Forever Team is part of the 10-Code Anthology, books written by cops to honor officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

How do your dogs help--or hinder--your writing?

Well… as a rambunctious nine-month-old very large puppy she requires lots of attention and enjoys hindering my writing as often as possible.

Cat, postman, squirrel....?

Most definitely squirrels. We’re surrounded by them and Dizzy thinks they were put on earth to drive her crazy.

Squeaky-toy, ball, stick...?

Her weasel squeaky-toy is her favorite. She carries it, tosses it in the air, and loves a good game of tug.

Where is your dogs' favorite outdoor destination?

The dog park where she cowers from any dog that gets near her. She hides behind any human she can find. We never explained to her that she’s a dog. I’m hoping no one ever does.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

My husband’s Chihuahua, Duchess, is Dizzy’s best friend. Duchess doesn’t agree though. She’s old and fat and just pretends to like Dizzy so she can steal the occasional kibble.

What is each dog's best quality?

Dizzy is wonderful with my grandchildren and thinks she’s one of them. All my Rottweilers have been great with kids but Dizzy is the absolute best. Again we haven’t told her the truth about being a dog.

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

They wouldn’t take their dogs to the dog park. They would come just to give Dizzy attention.

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

Lucile Ball for Dizzy and Vivian Vance for Duchess.

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

If you can pull all your toys out, why can’t you put them away?

What advice would your dogs give if asked?

Dizzy would advise me to go outside and smell the roses more often.

Visit Holly S. Roberts's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Barbara Boswell Brunner & Izzy and Morgan

Who is in the photo at right?

Izzy is the star of this photo! Isabella Barkalina to those who wish to be more formal. I, author Barbara Boswell Brunner, am just her supporting cast. Izzy is a 5-year-old, feisty, female Parson Russell Terrier and one of the stars of Dog-Ma, the Zen Of Slobber.

Morgan [below left], an 8-year-old mellow Rottweiler, is our other furry companion. She loves going out to the coffee shop, but folks tend to be a little afraid of her, being a “ferocious Rottie”. Those of you with Rotties will catch the sarcasm here. They are as far from ferocious as you can get. Every one I have ever met has been a big sweet couch potato.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Izzy accompanies us almost everywhere, including to the coffee shop.

She gets to check out her pee-mail and cavort with her buddies.

What's brewing?

Today we are sipping on La Colombe’s Corsica blend, black, over ice. It is hot here today and the ice coffee helps get us our day going.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Izzy cannot have treats. She has super bad allergies. Her constant companion is her Epi pen. If she could, though, she would love a croissant with lots of melted butter. Morgan’s not so picky. Anything that remotely resembles food will suffice as a treat.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Morgan was named when we were in a “car phase” of naming dogs. Her nickname is Greenbean – given to her when she was on a huge diet to get her from 165 to her current weight of 120. Greenbeans were her favorite allowable treat.

Izzy’s name took us a long time to come up with – almost a week after we adopted her. She was always so busy and the name Busy Izzy sort of stuck. She also known as Sweetpea, Peanut and Kujo.

How were you and your dogs united?

Morgan came to us through a friend who knew a home breeder who had just had a new litter. We had recently lost our sweet Sutton. We needed to fill that hole in our heart that any dog lover is familiar with, when you lose a furry friend.

Izzy was a rescue from a puppy-mill pet shop. They were going to put her down due to a bad bout of pneumonia. We took her home, nursed her back to health and the rest is history.

Please tell us about your book, Dog-Ma: the Zen of Slobber.

Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about.
When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves.

Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!”

Squirrel, postman, cat....?

For Izzy it is geckos – those tiny little reptilian creatures Florida is overrun with. She will chase them all day long, although she never catches them.

Morgan loves to chase planes. Yep. And not the low flying ones or helicopters. Her preference is chasing the jets flying at 35,000 feet. She is hilarious and one of these days we will post a video on YouTube.

Squeaky toy, ball, stick...?

Izzy will play with almost anything. She is easily entertained, but her favorite it a 2” orange and blue basketball. She carries it with her everywhere. We have to keep spares on hand if it ever gets lost.

Morgan is not a “player”. The occasional bone or rawhide is all she ever wants. Or a United 747.

What is each dog's best quality?

Morgan’s best quality is her patience and tolerance for Izzy’s antics. Izzy’s best quality is her sweetness when she snuggles at night.

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

Since Dog-Ma is about all of my dogs, here is my list of voice-over candidates, in order of when they came into our lives.

Kashi [photo above right] – an elegant Doberman – Dame Judi Dench

Turbo – a seriously goofy Doberman – Eddie Murphy

Lexington – a wise old man Rottweiler – Morgan Freeman

Madison [photo left] – an insane Dalmatian/Lab mix – Ellen DeGeneres...Ellen are you listening??

Gus – a wanderlust Brittany – Owen Wilson

Cooper – a cerebral Doberman – Seth McFarlane as Brian

Morgan – the “voice of reason” Rottweiller – Helen Mirren

Izzy – a graceful but powerful terrier – Lucy Liu

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

Floridians, as a rule, are afraid of dogs. If I could change anything it would be their acceptance of dogs in public places, especially on the beach.

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

Izzy – “What will it take to keep you from attacking Morgan?”

Morgan – “Since you have solved the problem of peace in our home so well, what will it take to solve that pesky world peace problem?”

Visit the official Dog-Ma, the Zen Of Slobber website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lanier Scott Isom & Sparky, Dakota, and Bear

Who is in the photo at right?

Lanier Scott Isom, author and journalist. Sparky, male, five, terrier/chihuahua mix.

Picture of dogs [bottom right] in back of truck:
Dakota, male, one year, Australian shepherd/golden retriever mix.
Bear, male,13, chow/rottweiler mix. (In the background in the truck.)

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

During the week, I love to go to the Continental Bakery, an eclectic gathering place decorated with velvet art and a hodge podge of different chairs and mismatched tables, known in Birmingham for making incredible breads and pastries that are true works of art. I avoid the Starbucks down the street teeming with the beautiful people---young college students, housewives in lycra and slick business men.

At Continental Bakery you find real people engaged in real conversations---professors and retired men talking politics, professional men and women stopping in as they head over the mountain and down the hill into the city, mothers and children, artists, folks from the neighborhood. But more importantly you find people with their dogs. On the weekends, I like to take our dogs for a special treat. Sparky can hang out with me on his leash while Bear and Dakota stay in the back of the truck as we visit, drink coffee and eat chocolate croissants.

What's brewing?

I’m simple when it comes to drinking coffee. I like a decaf with milk and brown sugar.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Dakota likes to bring his stuffed chew toy that squeaks. Just riding in the back of the truck is a treat for Bear, who starts barking and whining the minute he hears the truck crank up in the driveway. Sparky gets car sick easily so no treats for him.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

All of our dogs are rescue dogs. When we brought Bear home from the Humane Society, he was already named. We thought we’d change it, but we never did because he did indeed look like a bear.

Right before Christmas last year we decided to find a dog for my daughter Frances, partly because our beautiful, sweet dog Sophie was declining; partly because my son Clint and Sparky had become a team and Frances wanted her own companion; and partly because she was having trouble sleeping in her room alone and we thought a dog would make her feel safe. It just so happens at Christmas we have elves who visit Frances. When we adopted Dakota, she wrote a note to the elves asking them whether she should name her new puppy Cassidy or Dakota. The elves chose Dakota.

How were you and your dogs united?

I have to go back to the beginning of my married life to set the stage for Bear. My husband and I got married the year after we graduated from college. It wasn’t a fancy ring or amazingly romantic proposal that hooked me: he reeled me in with two black puppies he bought from the Nashville Humane Society when he was supposed to be studying for his last exam. There I was sitting in the living room of my apartment one block off St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, listening to the Grateful Dead, when I look up and two black puppies---named Samson and Delilah---come scrambling through the open French doors and skid across the hardwood floors. We added Bud, Chad and Max (also known as Che Guevara) to the mix and Bear came along when the last of our original dog family, Max, had lost his all of his companions.

Do your dogs contribute to your writing?

Heck yeah. When I have those blissful moments of uninterrupted time to write while my children and husband forge their separate destinies, I hunker down in my home office and the dogs settle in around me, taking a morning nap. All is well until the neighbor’s dog starts barking, the garbage truck rumbles its impending arrival or a woodpecker mistakenly starts pecking the side of my house and then, outside they go, to leave me in quiet solitude. Their presence gives me a sense of protection and even spiritual support as if they know I’m embarked on an important journey I couldn’t take without their peaceful companionship.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

Bear: The squirrels he chases.
Dakota: Dirty socks he steals from the laundry.
Sparky: His neighborhood nemesis, another yappy dog, next door.

What is each dog's best quality?

Bear: His loyalty.
Dakota: Being laid-back and going with the flow.
Sparky: His wisdom and compassionate humor that emanate from his Yoda-like eyes.

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

Bear would insist I take him on more walks and adventures in the creek.
Sparky would ask me to give Clint a break on his homework.
Dakota would tell me to relax more.

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

I’m not sure these actors would be the perfect voice for my dogs, but they could play them in a movie.

Dustin Hoffman would be Sparky. Short and fiesty.
Val Kilmer would be Dakota. Cool but a little goofy.
Robert Downey Jr. would be Bear. Sensitive but tough, and a little bit unpredictable in a frenetic kind of way.

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

Bear: What was your life like before we adopted you from the Humane Society?
Dakota: What was your life like before we adopted you from the Humane Society?
Sparky: What was your life like before we found you, alone and homeless?

Visit Lanier Scott Isom's website and blog.

Writers Read: Lanier Scott Isom.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tanya & Ozzy

Who is in the photo at right?

I'm Tanya. I've been a stay at home mom for many years but after moving to Virginia and having all of the kids in school, I decided to work part time in the school. I love it. I get to get out and do something and I'm home when the kids are. Ozzy is our newest addition to the family. He's a Rottweiler and about a year and a half old. We've owned several Rotties over the years. They are super family dogs!

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I have coffee with Ozzy every morning. Our morning starts out the same way. I get up and make my husband breakfast. Ozzy goes and sits next to him and waits patiently till my husband is done eating and gets up from the table. At that time Ozzy jumps up because he knows he's going to get what is left over! It's a very sad start to the morning when Nick cleans his plate and I have to find a special treat for Oz! Then I let Ozzy outside for a while and I play on the computer a bit while I finish a couple of cups of coffee.

What's brewing?

No fancy coffee here, just whatever I got on sale and a small amount of sugar and cream for me and a clean, cool bowl of water for Ozzy.

Any treats for you or Ozzy on this occasion?

I'm going to be making Ozzy some Frosty Paws. I bought some recently at Kroger and Ozzy loves them. I found a recipe on Pinterest to make our own. Basically it was vanilla yogurt and peanut butter if I remember correctly!

How did Ozzy get his name? Any aliases?

Whenever we get a new family pet, the whole family gets in on the naming process. We put it to a vote and usually the name my husband picks wins, not by majority, just that he likes the name he picks best and declares it the winner. When we got Ozzy, I came up with the name Ozzy and was surprised it won! He is such an Ozzy though so I can't imagine him being named something like "Rampage" which was one of the names my husband was throwing out there...yeah, I know!

How were you and Ozzy united?

We lost our last Rottweiler, Crockett to cancer about a year ago and were waiting to get a new pup. There aren't many Rottweilers in our area so I just started researching and found eBay classifieds was a great source. We found Ozzy in North Carolina and drove down to pick him up one snowy Sunday morning! We got to meet his mom and dad and keep in touch still through Facebook with the people we got him from.

Does Ozzy have any non-canine pet-pals?

Well, he has never met a bug he doesn't like....unfortunately he is too rough with them and it's not much fun for the bug.

Squirrel, cat, postman...?

Our yard is full of squirrels and Oz doesn't really pay them much attention. He likes to mess with the UPS guy though.

Squeaky toy, ball, stick...?

He did have a squeaky pig that he absolutely loved. It got left at the kennel he stayed at though a few months back and I just never got around to picking it back up. He loves sticks and I have to make sure he leaves them outside before coming back into the house or else he will chew it up and leave lots of smaller sticks all over the place. He also loves to steal socks and dish rags/towels and chew. He really needs a new toy!

What is Ozzy's best quality?

His sweetness and his sense of humor. Yes, he does have a sense of humor and keeps us laughing!

If Ozzy could change one thing about Virginians, what would it be?

I think Ozzy is pretty happy with Virginians in general!

If Hollywood made a movie about your life in which your dog could speak, which actor should do his voice?

Ozzy Osbourne of course!

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

Why won't you go in your dog house when you are left outside in the rain?

Visit the All Ozzy....All The Time....blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ryan Guzman & Boogy and Lily

Who is in the photo at right?

I'm Ryan Guzman, the owner of Hawaii’s Original Taste Coffee or H.O.T Coffee. We sell coffee from our family farm in Ka’u, Hawaii. My two dogs are Boogy and Lily. Boogy is 8 years old male and half Rottweiler, half Pitbull. His little sister, Lily is 6 years old and a pure bred Yellow Lab.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Our large dogs need a lot of space so I take them to the park as often as possible. This time it’s been longer than usual because of the bad weather. Boogy and Lily love the open space and walking the trails as much as I love sipping on my H.O.T Coffee.

What's brewing?

As expected I enjoy my family coffee from Hawaii. The roast I prefer is medium. H.O.T Coffee has hints of chocolate, nutty and tropical flavors with low acidity. I use the conventional drip brewing coffee machine and occasionally us the Chemex.

Any treats for you or your dogs on this occasion?

Boogy and Lily’s favorite treat is the “Bully Stick.” They don’t get it often so they are going to be extremely excited to have one today.

How did your dogs get their names? Any nicknames?

Boogy’s nickname is “Fat Head” because he has such a big head. Lily’s nickname is “Monster” because during her puppy phase she eat everything from shoes to baseboard molding.

How were you and your dogs united?

In 2004, my wife and I were looking for a dog that would help protect us and be a great addition to our family. We were also in search of our first house so we knew we were going to have the space for a family pet. One weekend we were reading through the newspaper and came across an ad for puppies. What caught our attention was the uncommon mix of Rottweiler and Pitbull breed. We had to go take a look. We met his parents and got to know all of the puppies. Once we did that we had our hearts set on taking one home. Boogy was playing with his reflection in the glass door of an entertainment center. He had us laughing and that is when we knew we found our new family member.

In 2006, my wife came home from work gushing about seeing the cutest puppies. Her co-­worker knew a breeder of purebred Yellow Labs. The co-worker had chosen male to add to their family and was sharing pictures at work. My wife wanted to go take a look at the puppies and I knew I had no chance trying to stop her. We went to meet Lily’s parents and fell in love with all of the puppies. Lily however was the one that picked us. She climbed onto my wife’s lap and snuggled up in her arms. My wife didn’t let her go!

Dogs have something like 220 million olfactory receptors (roughly 40 times the number found in humans), so obviously they can detect subtle differences in the aroma depending on what you have brewing at any given time. Have you ever noticed them behaving differently when you have, say, dark roast brewing instead of medium roast?

I can’t say that I have noticed a difference.

Do your dogs have any non-­canine pet‐pals?

Boogy and Lily love our newest addition to our family, our son Ryker. They like to eat up all the treats Ryker drops when he is eating. Recently Lily enjoys her time spend with Ryker because he shares his foam blocks with her.

What is each dog's best quality?

Boogy’s best quality is his ability to make us laugh. Whether he is sneaking up behind us to stick his head between our legs and makes funny faces at us or running into things because he is so clumsy, he keeps us entertained.

Lily’s best quality is that she is so attentive. She always keeps an eye on us when we are on walks. She will scout our surroundings and come back to check on us. She even keeps her eye on Boogy.

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

Boogy would change the temperature in the summer. His coat is black and tan so he is not a fan of the hot, hot sun.

Lily would change the lack of bodies of water. Lily loves to play in water and probably wishes there were closer bodies of water.

If Hollywood made a movie about H.O.T. Coffee in which your dogs could speak, which actors should do their voices?

Boogy’s voice would be Lou Ferrigno.

Lily’s voice would be Renée Zellweger.

If your dogs could ask only one question in English, what would they ask?

Boogy would ask, “Where do you hide the Bully Sticks?”

Lily would ask, “Can we buy a swimming pool?”

Visit the H.O.T Coffee website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nancy Jensen & Gordy

Who is in the photo at right?

This is a photo I had taken of me, Nancy Jensen, with my dog Gordy when my editor told me I needed some new press photos in preparation for the publication of my novel The Sisters. I hate to be photographed, so I took Gordy with me to help keep me relaxed during the shoot. I also took the chance to ask the photographer to take a photograph of me and Gordy together, as I’ve found it very difficult to get my wiggly dog to sit still for any photo at all. Whenever I try to snap a shot of him, he dances around, obviously waiting for me to toss the camera across the yard for him.

Gordy is five years old, a Heinz 57 stray. When he first turned up, everyone assumed he was Black Labrador mix, but I had a DNA analysis done, and it turns out he’s about 40% Beagle, followed by lesser percentages of Afghan hound, Rottweiler, Weimaraner, and several other breeds.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Here [photo left], Gordy is enjoying a break with his beloved surrogate grandma, Mia Culling, who is also the brilliant trainer who had, luckily for me, just moved to the rural area where I was living when 6-week old Gordy turned up at my house frozen and starving in February 2007. This is Mia’s kitchen, one Gordy’s happiest places on earth.

What's brewing?

Today, we’re actually having tea—nothing fancy. I have some, too. But I’m taking the picture.

Any treats for you or Gordy on this occasion?

Indeed, yes! Grandma Mia had prepared some delicious sweet corn muffins, so Gordy could share in the snack!

How were you and Gordy united?

It was a frigid mid-February day, five inches of snow on the ground with more expected. The sun was just going down when I heard a piteous cry coming from the hill sloping down from my deck. I saw a tiny black smudge racing across the yard, so I ran out to my front porch and saw the smudge about to disappear over another hill beyond my neighbor’s house. Very quietly, so quietly I could barely hear it myself, I whispered, “Puppy?” The little smudge flipped around, came racing toward me, leapt into my arms, snuffled with relief and fell asleep. Suddenly I, confirmed cat lady, had a dog.

How did Gordy get his name? Any aliases?

Gordy’s real name is Gordian, as testament to the Gordian Knot—the classical knot so complex it can never be untied—around my heart. He became Gordy right away, because he was too cute for such a formal name.

What role has Gordy played in your writing?

Mostly Gordy flips at my arm with his nose when I’m trying to type. In the spring of 2010, when I was working to meet a deadline for revisions, he also helped by barking madly every time he heard the tiniest movement coming from the five men who were putting a new roof on my house. In The Sisters, my character Grace takes in all kinds of stray animals, and while I think she would have been this sort of person anyway, perhaps if it had not been for Gordy, Grace’s dog Charlemagne would not have found his way into the story.

Please tell us about Gordy's work as a therapy dog.

The amazing Mia, who trained Gordy (and trained me to train him) invited us to join her pet therapy group as soon as Gordy graduated from obedience training, when he was about 12 weeks old, so he has worked as a therapy dog nearly all his life. Our group visits nursing homes and adult day care centers, and the latter are the places Gordy likes most to visit. Many of these centers cater to adults with severe disabilities, providing the care they need during the day while their families work. Gordy has a particular gift for locating and befriending people who are agitated or uncommunicative. As soon as he nudges them, the nervous people start to calm and uncommunicative people—some who haven’t spoken in months or years—will begin to stroke Gordy and murmur to him. Pretty amazing.

Does Gordy have a favorite place to go for an outing?

Aside from visiting his grandma Mia, Gordy loves best to go to Historic Rugby in Rugby, Tennessee, where he likes to walk the trails and visit his many friends in the village. While in Rugby, he also expects to spend a couple hours as the shop dog for our friends who sell antiques and original artwork there.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

When we moved recently from the country to a side-walked neighborhood in a small city, Gordy discovered squirrels, and of course also discovered that he loves to chase them. He lives in the house with 8 cats, whom he is not permitted to chase, so chasing the squirrels gives him a lot of joy and makes him feel important. He has completely fallen in love with our mailman, who is equally besotted with Gordy, so they get to enjoy a five-minute play date several times a week.

What is Gordy's best quality?

He’s very loving and is always eager to make friends with new people—so long as he’s absolutely sure they mean me know harm, since he’s also an exceptional watchdog.

If Gordy could change one thing about Kentuckians, what would it be?

The absurd number of very loud pickup trucks and the supply of badly behaved dogs that so often ride around in the back of them.

What is Gordy's proudest moment?

Once when we were out walking, a strange dog came flying at us out of nowhere, barking and growling and threatening to attack. Gordy stayed calm, body blocked me to protect me, stood his ground and first gave a warning growl, then calming signals to the other dog. The other dog stopped, looked very puzzled, grunted in irritation and slunk away.

If your dog could speak in the movie about your life, who should do his voice?

Oh, that’s a hard one—but I guess I’d have to say it would be the young actor, Rico Rodriguez, who plays Manny on Modern Family because, like Manny, Gordy is enormously sweet, cheerful, and thrilled to be silly, but he’s also very serious about his dignity, and he’s smarter than any other dog in town.

Visit Nancy Jensen's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Sisters.

Writers Read: Nancy Jensen.

The Page 69 Test: The Sisters.

--Marshal Zeringue

Barbara & Trixie and Minnie

Who is in the photo at right?

That’s Minnie and Trixie. Since I’m single, we don’t have any pictures of us all together!

I’m Barbara, a bookkeeper by day, a writer by night and a caretaker for my mom and my brother with Alzheimer’s. Trixie is believed to be a greyhound/spaniel mix and is seven and Minnie is probably a Rottweiler/Boxer and she’s a little over a year old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I couldn’t start my day without coffee. If you cut me, I bleed coffee.

What's brewing?

Plain old Folger’s, although I make it in a 1966 Sunbeam percolator. I use a heavy sprinkling of non-dairy creamer.

Any treat for you and your dogs on this occasion?

All my treats are shared with the pups. They are quite spoiled. We all like sweets. They are fond of Kleenex, however…something I just can’t get into.

How were you and Trixie and Minnie united?

I got Trix from a rescue in Lakeport, CA – she was “mis-aged”. They told me she was about 10 weeks old, but she was only seven weeks. She has always been a neurotic Diva dog. I found Minnie on the lawn across the street from my house, abandoned and very sick with worms. No one came for her, so I kept her. Of course I treated her worms while waiting. She’s always been the affectionate “I wanna be by you” dog.

How did your dogs get their names? Any aliases?

Dad and I named Trixie after trying to come up with truck stop waitress names. My neighbor started calling Minnie “Mousy” when I found her – I didn’t like Mousy, but she responded to “M”, so I came up with Minnie.

Cat, rabbit, postman...?

We don’t have rabbits, but if you substituted “squirrel”, I’d answer “all of the above”.

Tennis ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

Surprisingly, neither cares much for toys. Minnie is into cardboard boxes, dog food bags and digging.

Where is your dogs' favorite place for an outing?

Both hate the car, but Minnie is learning that the dog park is a cool ending to a car ride.

If Trixie and Minnie could change one thing about you, what would it be?

I’m not home all day and that I’m really lazy.

What is each dog's proudest moment? Most embarrassing?

Proudest: Minnie caught a rat.

Trixie can get any toy by name. She just won’t play with them.

Embarrassing? Trixie always poops when there is someone in the backyard.

Minnie jerked me from the front door, across a flower bed and onto the lawn when I had contractors here. It wasn’t embarrassing for her, but for me…well, it wasn’t my finest moment.

Visit Barbara's "If I Didn't Have a Sense of Humor" blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lela Nargi & Jaffa

Who is in the photo at right?

That’s me, Lela, a freelance reporter and book author, and my girl Jaffa, a 10-year-old mix of Rottweiler, Chow, and Lab (best guesstimate).

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

I actually stopped drinking coffee several years ago – I loved it, it didn’t love me. Now I drink 2 cups of strong tea every morning in order muster the courage to face the world out there on the streets of Brooklyn when I take Jaffa out for her morning walk. Or in this instance, a romp through Prospect Park.

What's the beverage du jour?

Barry’s, extremely hot and dark, with a very small drop of milk.

Any treats for you or your dog on this occasion?

Unfortunately, true to her Lab-y nature, Jaffa is completely food-obsessed. She rarely gets a Greenie or a Wellness peanut butter treat anymore, for the simple reason that having been so treated, she will beg incessantly. For days.

How did Jaffa come to be united with you?

We used to live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, back before it was fancy. Every pet owner in the neighborhood hung out at BARC, the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition, and bought food and supplies from its bizarre and hilarious owners, Tony and Vinnie. One day, friends called to say they’d “borrowed” a puppy from BARC for the day, did we want to come down to their shop and see it? The puppy, of course, was Jaffa. Having had no intention of ever owning a dog, we adopted her an hour later.

How did Jaffa get her name?

Being food-obsessed ourselves, we named her after Jaffa Cakes, the English biscuits topped with orange marmalade and dark chocolate, which is what her coloring reminded us of.

Does he/she have any influence on your writing?

Yes, she gets me out of the house for even just a few minutes every morning before I start to write, which ensures that I am actually a part of the world at large and not some misanthropic freak chained to her desk.

What's an ordinary day like for your dog?

Wake up at 5:00AM whining for breakfast; 5:15-5:17 eat breakfast; 5:18-7:00, lie around; 7:01-8:25, whine for my daughter’s breakfast, my breakfast, my husband’s breakfast, get some pats around the ears, wander around with eviscerated fur squeaky toy dangling from mouth; 8:30-8:45 walk around the neighborhood; 8:46-early afternoon, lie around until someone has to go out on an errand, then go out for another walk; 3:30-5:00PM, whine for dinner; 5:01-5:03 eat dinner; 5:04-8:30, whine for other people’s dinners, lie around, bark at neighbors coming home, snarf a few crumbs off the kitchen floor; 8:31-9:00, go for evening walk; 9:01PM-5:00AM, lie around.

Does Jaffa have a favorite place to go for walk?

Prospect Park in Brooklyn – although this is less of a walk than it is a fiesta of off-leash-hours ball chasing until too sore to walk. Uh, her, not me.

Squirrel, postman, cat...?

Oh by all means: squirrel.

What's Jaffa's best quality?

Optimism. Every day offers the renewed possibility that someone will forget to replace the lid on the garbage can.

What's Jaffa's proudest moment so far?

The time she barked at the person who was stealing my bicycle from the hallway; if only I’d listened!

Her most embarrassing?

The time we came home from a walk down by the Williamsburg waterfront and she barfed up a stewed tomato, three rocks, and a cigarette butt.

Visit Lela Nargi's website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue

Linda M. Faulkner & Delaney and Charlotte

Who is in the photo at right?

The human is me, Linda M. Faulkner, and the dogs are Delaney (pound-puppy lab mix, green collar, cute butt), the late Tyson (handsome Rottie on the right), and Patience (headless Rottie on the left). When I’m not hugging my puppies on Christmas morning, I work in the insurance business, write insurance classes for myself and a number of clients, or write mystery/suspense novels.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

To express my request for you to rename your blog: Coffee or Tea with a Canine. Some of us do not drink coffee—we drink tea. (Although we do absolutely ADORE coffee ice cream and coffee icing on donuts.)

What's brewing?

My preferred brew is Irish Breakfast tea, which I do literally brew in either a teapot or in a Mr. Coffee coffeepot. We have two different Mr. Coffees both at home and at the office – and God help the person who mistakenly brews coffee in the tea-maker.

Any goodies to go with the tea?

That depends. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but enjoy a good shortbread cookie or piece of butter pound cake.

Any treat for your dogs on this occasion?

The dogs in my house don’t get fed people food. Dog biscuits (and kitty biscuits) are distributed each evening about 8pm. One of my dogs, Charlotte, suffers from allergies and we have “special” treats for her. Sometimes it’s a juggling act keeping her from scooping up the other critters’ snacks.

How did you and your dogs come together?

I adopted Delaney (lab/pointer mix) from the pound when he was 8 weeks old. He’s 10 years old now, and you’ll see that his chin has whitened considerably from the time he was a puppy. The two Rotties were my husband’s dogs before we were married and, when we blended our families, Tyson, Patience, and Delaney got along famously. (Tyson was also a pound puppy, Patience was obtained from a breeder in PA.) After we moved from Massachusetts to Montana, Charlotte (the German Shepherd/Golden Retriever mix) was adopted from the local shelter and joined the pack. We lost Tyson and Patience within a year of each other between 2008 and 2009; Delaney and Charlotte are the only puppies left in the household. (They get along famously with the kitties, Grace and Max.)

Do your dogs have any influence on your writing?

Absolutely. In fact, Tyson and Delaney were assigned aliases and actually appeared in my first mystery novel, Second Time Around. (Charlotte appeared as herself.) Unlike humans, the puppies absolutely adore the attention and don’t mind the world knowing their secrets. They also share some pretty good plot ideas, as well.

How did your dogs get their names?

Tyson came with his name; my husband figured that he’d need lots of Patience when he obtained her as a 10-week old; Delaney is a Celtic name that means “black;” and Charlotte just seemed to fit.

Squirrel, cat, postman...?

Try bears, deer, and turkeys. None of the dogs ever barked at the wildlife until we adopted Charlotte. Her protective streak is highly developed and she barks like crazy at the wildlife—especially the wild turkeys. It’s funny…we can tell what kind of critter is outside by her bark. Since we see the deer more often, she only gets marginally distressed when they appear. She really hates the turkeys and goes ballistic when the occasional bear strolls by the sliding door in the dining room.

Tennis ball, stick, squeaky-toy...?

Delaney used to love those stuffed toys with the squeaky things inside. They’d last for days. Until my husband and the Rotties moved in. End of stuffed toys, beginning of Nylabones.

Who are your dogs' best pet-pals?

All the dogs get along terrific with the cats. Right now, however, the funniest dog/cat relationship is between Charlotte and Max, our black cat. Max will walk up to Charlotte and rub against her legs, just like he does to my husband and me. Then she leans down and licks him all over the face and head—and he lets her! During the winter, when the woodstove is going, Max, Delaney, and Charlotte lie in front of the stove, lined up like sardines. Unfortunately, they’re camera-shy and we’ve been unable to record that on film.

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

That I go to work every day. They LOVE weekends and says off and constantly beg me to stay home. They especially love when my husband works on the occasional Saturday morning. No sooner does Stephen leave than they all jump up on the bed with me. I usually wind up with a sore back because I become surrounded by animals and can’t move – but I sure do get warm.

What is each dog's most endearing quality?

Delaney tilts his head to the side when I talk to him. Charlotte can be extremely irritating but she’s so needy and affectionate I can never stay irritated for long. She also has those really great German Shepherd ears and face.

What’s the most amusing thing your dogs do? The most frustrating?

The funniest thing they do is sit in front of my husband every night at 9pm. That’s pee-time and, no matter how long ago he took them out—whether it was three hours or three minutes—they still do the sit down and ask-to-go-out-thing at 9pm. Charlotte’s existence can be frustrating sometimes. She’s demanding and aggressive, poking her nose into everything. She thinks she’s the Alpha and has to be reminded, constantly, that she’s NOT the pack leader.

Why do you think so many writers have dogs?

Writers tend to be solitary people, spending a lot of time alone. Humans have a difficult time accepting that someone they love wants to bury her nose in a computer screen for hours at a time or enjoys living with (and talking to ) imaginary people on a regular basis. Dogs don’t find this type of behavior intolerable or weird. They don’t mind sitting beneath a writer’s feet and occasionally receiving an absent rub; neither do they mind when the lights are blazing at 2am. Dogs rock and writers know this.

Visit Linda M. Faulkner's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sonya Chung & Pax

Who is in the photo at right?

This is me, Sonya Chung, and Pax, when we lived in Seattle. (We live in New York now.) I had a garden, and anyone who knows about growing zucchini knows that if you turn your back for a day or two, it grows into a pumpkin.

The second photo [below, left] is Pax the night before we left Seattle for New York in 2003. We stayed with friends, so we bunked on an air mattress with lots of blankets.

Pax is a Rottweiller mix — I don’t know what the other breed is, but definitely something smaller than a Rottweiller. He is almost 10 years old, but still acts like a puppy (says everyone who meets him).

I am a novelist and fiction writing teacher. My first novel, Long for This World, has just been released by Scribner. It’s the story of a female war photographer who is forced to take a break from her workaholic life to face her own emotional and relational life. The novel spans the globe — New York, Korea, Darfur, Iraq, Syria — but is essentially an intimate family story. You can read more about it here.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Coffee is the morning ritual in our house. Usually while the coffee is brewing (French press, because the drip coffeemaker broke), I feed Pax. In about 6 seconds, he’s done, and ready for his cookie.

What's brewing?

When we had a drip maker, it was always Bustelo. Now, with the French press, we get it coarse ground from wherever. I like Porto Rico coffee in Greenwich Village. At the moment, it’s Dunkin Donuts brew. No sugar, a little soy milk (I am lactose intolerant).

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

Jalapeno cornbread with homemade peach jam (my s.o. John makes the jam). Sometimes 7-grain bread with peanut butter.

Any treat for Pax on this occasion?

He loves pig ears. I’m not sure if they’re good for him, though. He’s in his senior years, so I try to watch what he eats. Thankfully, he loves baby carrots.

How did you and Pax come together?

Pax came from a Rottweiller rescue organization in eastern WA state, he was about 5 months old. He lived with a foster family for a long time; because he’s a mixed breed and doesn’t look like a “real” Rottweiller, no one wanted him. Can you imagine? The foster mom said that he and his sister were the only two escapees from a farm that went bankrupt; the farmer shot all the dogs. Pax and Jasmyn were found wandering in the woods. Jasmyn was adopted by a lovely woman who was able to take her to work with her every day.

Does Pax have any influence on your writing?

Hmm... I honestly think Pax got me through the very difficult time of working on Long for This World. It was a pretty harrowing, isolating time. There is something about a quiet, warm, completely uncynical presence that is exactly what you need when you are alone a lot. Dogs provide for us “unambivalent love” someone once said to me.

Also, read here, my essay at The Millions about dogs and writers and Richard Yates.

How did Pax get his name? Does he have any aliases?

Hmm... hard to say. It just stuck. He was very calm and mellow, even as a puppy. Pax = peace, of course. Sometimes (am I really going to admit this?) I call him Cookie, Bud, Poopy, Pups, Doggie, Paximus.

Squirrel, cat, postman...?

Squirrel.

Tennis ball, Frisbee, squeaky-toy...?

Tennis ball, endlessly.

Who is Pax's best pet-pal?

When I lived in Brooklyn, he had a lady friend, a Boxer. When we go to the country, he frolicks with a dog named Ben. In the Bronx, he got beat up pretty bad by a pitbull named Ginger. We recently moved, so we’re finding new pals for him.

What's Pax's best quality?

He thinks he’s a lapdog, when actually, he weighs almost 60 lbs.

Also, he’s a terrific traveler; he’s been cross country twice, camping and backpacking, and is generally used to being on the road. I don’t think I could be compatible with a dog who wasn’t adaptable to various environments, and Pax is great at this.

What’s the most bad-doggie thing Pax has ever done?

Once, we set a plate that was piled high with a mound of roast duck on the table. We turned our backs for just a minute, and it was gone. Pax ended up having the runs all night long and all the next day and night; I was taking him out every hour, and we lived at that time on the 4th floor of a walk-up.

Among the early praise for Sonya Chung's Long for This World:

“An intricately structured and powerfully resonant portrait of lives lived at the crossroads of culture, and a family torn between the old world and the new, Long for This World marks a powerful debut from a young writer of great talent and promise.”
–Kate Walbert, National Book Award finalist and author of A Short History of Women

Visit Sonya Chung's website and become a Facebook fan of her work.

--Marshal Zeringue

Magazine Man & Blaze

Who is in the photo at right?

I’m the Magazine Man, a semi-anonymous writer and editor who, since 2004 (and despite an egregious three-month absence recently) writes the blog “Somewhere on the Masthead.” Unconfirmed rumors have linked me to a fellow by the name of Stephen C. George, who is also a writer and editor—who is in fact the editor-in-chief of The Saturday Evening Post. But really, how much stock can you put in these rumors?

With me is my dog Blaze. He’s a purebred male mutt: part Rottweiler, part beagle (we think), with a little lab thrown in. He’s about 8 years old.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

Well, this is what we look like before coffee. Blaze is something of an alarm clock, slowly nudging me to the end of the bed until I get up and go make the coffee.

What's brewing?

Whatever happens to be available in bulk from Costco. This week it’s Dunkin’ Donuts’ house brand.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

For me, it’s only breakfast, and the recovery of higher-brain functions, which I would otherwise lose without caffeine.

Any treat for Blaze on this occasion?

Blaze usually spends breakfast hovering around my son and two daughters, who provide a rich and abundant source of treat material.

How were you & Blaze united?

Through a convoluted turn of events, Blaze was abandoned by his old family, staked out in a back yard (with no food or water) in the middle of July. He was found by a friend of a friend. This person already owned a dog and had no room for him, so she put the word out among her female friends (she warned people that Blaze didn’t seem to like men). By this time, my elder daughter, the Brownie (3 years old at the time) [photos, below right and left], had overheard me talking about the dog and lobbied hard for me and my wife to go meet him. My wife bailed at the last minute, so I went by myself, expecting to be torn limb from limb. Instead, Blaze acted like I was his long-lost brother and that pretty much clinched it.

How did Blaze get his name? Does he have any aliases?

His previous owners (about whom I was eventually to learn way more than I wanted) had named him “Blazer.” The Brownie, for reasons known only to herself, started calling him “Blazey Bellow Hoska Boo Boo Ba Doo.” I have no idea what it means. Our youngest, the Éclair, calls him “Bazey.” Mostly, he just answers to “Blaze.”

Cat, squirrel, paperboy...?

Delivermen, repairmen, men of any kind (except me). Also birds. And cats—my brother had four and when we went to visit him, there was a famous fight.

Tennis ball, squeaky-toy, stick...?

Oh, squeaky-toy. But alas, sometimes he steals stuffed animals too.

What's the story behind Blaze's cancer scare?

A year or so after he came to live with us, I noticed he had a weird red spot growing right on top of his snout. Went very quickly from being a tiny dot to a lump about the size of my thumb. Turned out to be benign, but for a couple of days, we didn’t know. I wrote about it (the first time Blaze appears on the blog), then later this George fellow (who I mentioned earlier) took my story and ran a version of it in his magazine (Jan/Feb 2010 Saturday Evening Post, on newsstands now). I hear it was a very popular story.

Where's Blaze's favorite place for an outing?

Despite the cats, Blaze loves to visit my old hometown in New Hampshire. After our parents died, my brother and I inherited 110 acres of hilly timberland there (it’s been in the family since the 1600s) where Blaze spent many happy hours wandering about. But we only get up there about once a year. The rest of the time, he has to make do with the walking trail near our house.

Who is Blaze's best pet-pal?

Before we moved, he enjoyed hanging out with a rather hyper little dog named Gordon. These days I think he harbors a secret crush on the German Shepherd that patrols the grounds near where we live.

What's Blaze's best quality?

When he “guest-blogs” for me, I give Blaze a rather aloof and haughty voice (somewhere between Shakespeare and The Mighty Thor), but the truth is he’s a very laid-back, friendly, loving dog. At least to women and children. And especially to my children. His love and devotion to them is unflagging. I’ve had a few dogs in my time, and they’ve all been faithful and devoted, but this is a whole other order of magnitude. I’ve never had a dog like him (and probably never will again).

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

He would probably tell me to speak less and listen more. He has an uncanny knack for yawning dramatically whenever I’m telling a story at the supper table. And he really doesn’t like it when I scold the kids.

What's Blaze's proudest moment? His most embarrassing?

Well, I’ve been proudest of Blaze whenever he’s leapt to the defense of my family, which has happened about a dozen times. I suspect Blaze’s finest hour (aside from a nasty moment last year with his former owner, which is a story I’m not ready to tell yet) was the time he saved the Brownie from a crazy blackbird that was dive-bombing her (and many of our neighbors). Blaze caught the bird in mid-air and bit its head off. People came out of their houses to watch and made a big fuss over Blaze when it was all over. You could tell he was proud of himself, the way everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed and he stood there, looking off into the distance like none of it mattered (except that he kept looking back over his shoulder to make sure we were all still looking at him). It was a sweet moment.

As for most embarrassing, I’d wager that was the time he ate an industrial-size bag of Tootsie Rolls (wrappers and all), then promptly threw them up.

Or perhaps the time he was being chased by the kids and my son ran into him, accidentally poking him in the rear-end with his thumb.

Neither incident would score high on his list of Good Times, I think.

Visit the Magazine Man's blog, Somewhere on the Masthead.

Watch two YouTube videos—links here and here—both involving Blaze and his interactions with the Éclair, the Magazine Man's youngest. You can hear her calling him “Bazey.”

--Marshal Zeringue