Monday, January 18, 2010

Angela & Lois Lane

Who is in the photo at right?

Lois Lane aka "Laney" is a female Sharp Eagle (Shar Pei/Beagle Mix). She's probably almost 4 years old now. I'm Angela aka "SciFiChick." I'm a proposal analyst for a wellness company by day, but run SciFiChick.com on the side.

What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?

On Saturdays, I love sleeping in with Laney, and having a slow cup of coffee and sharing breakfast with my Super Pup.

What's brewing?

Millstone Gingerbread flavored coffee.

Any goodies to go with the coffee?

On weekends, I tend to take time to make better breakfasts. This morning, I'm having French Toast.

Any treat for Laney on this occasion?

Any time eggs are involved, you can bet that Laney will score some!

How did Laney come to be united with you?

I was looking at my local Humane Society to see if they had any dogs that caught my eye. I wasn't too serious about getting one. But when I came across this incredibly cute stray that had already been trained, that happened to be my two-favorite-breeds-in-one, I couldn't pass her up!

How did she get her name?

I had already decided that a cute name for a female dog would be Lois Lane, since I'm more than a bit of a geek at heart. But when a volunteer at the Humane Society heard what I was going to name her, she said, "Laney would be a cute nickname." And when I got her home and saw more of her personality come out, "Laney" just kind of stuck.

Cat, squirrel, postman...?

Laney loves to chase small animals: cats, bunnies, birds, etc. But she barks ferociously at the mailman and any delivery men that come to the door. She takes her guarding job seriously!

Stick, ball, Frisbee...?

Laney really isn't into toys too much. But when she's in the mood, she likes stuffed, squeaky toys the best. And she usually brings her toys to me to play tug.

What's an ordinary day like for Laney?

Wake up with some tummy rubs and a kiss for mom, a sniff around the yard, watch mom get ready for work, sleep, a walk or trip to the dog park when mom gets home from work, sleep, maybe play tug for a while after a sniff around the yard, a patrol around the house when mom gets in bed, then jump into mom's bed for the night!

Where is Laney's favorite place to go for walk?

A local nature preserve and state parks... pretty much anywhere with new smells to smell!

Who is Laney's best pet-pal?

Laney has lots of great pals at the dog park; but Sandy, a sweet Bassett Hound and Gizmo, a Golden Retriever mix are her oldest and dearest friends. Lately, Laney loves to play with a new best friend though, another Shar Pei/Beagle Mix that never lets her rest! They play for hours with only short breaks in between.

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

That I would work from home, and never have to leave her.

What's Laney's best quality?

Besides her cute, wrinkly face? She is great with people of all ages. My little niece takes Laney's leash and drags her all around the house, and Laney is a trooper. I've also taken her to a nursing home several time and she is great with the elderly as well. At the dog park, she'd much rather sit up on the bench and get attention from the human owners, rather than get down and play with the other dogs!

What's her proudest moment so far? Her most embarrassing?

Proudest: Last year, we participated in Mutt Strut, an annual fundraiser for the Indy Humane Society, where we had to walk around the Indy 500 racetrack in 80 degree heat and humidity! I was exhausted and sweating from head to toe. But Laney never tired, and practically had to pull me across the finish line!

Most embarrassing: Because of Laney's Shar Pei side, she has super sensitive skin and the most accident prone dog I have ever known. She has gotten into a few fights, but sometimes its simply an accident. Once, she was trying to play with a Old English Sheepdog who doesn't realize how large he is. Laney was jumping at him, while he was playing with another dog, and he pushed her away with one of his huge paws. I heard a yelp at the same time, and she came cowering over to me. I thought she had just been scared. Instead, I saw blood pouring from her ear. It seems that one of his nails must have caught the tip of her ear, and made a clean slice. It was actually just a little nick that stopped bleeding soon after. But she gives him wide berth any time he's at the park now.

Does Laney have any favorite tricks that she likes to do?

Laney will almost always automatically sit and raise her paw in a "shake" for any food that smells appetizing to her. But our favorite "trick" is dancing. When Laney gets super excited, she'll jump in the air and walk around on her back legs, front paws way up in the air, swishing her rear end back and forth. I'll hold her front paws and we'll dance around the living room!

Learn much more about Laney at her blog, Adventures of a SuperPup, and visit Angela's website, SciFiChick.com.

--Marshal Zeringue