As long as we stick to her walk-play-food schedule, she’s pretty content to let me work, and just having her physical presence in the room makes me happy. She wants to know where I am at all times, and she hangs out in the same room with me, but she likes her personal space.

In the book Quiet, Susan Cain mentions that animals can also be introverts. Once Stella made it through her teen dog angst, she became a pretty low key dog. I call her Stellar or Stells sometimes.ĭoes Stella do more to help or hinder your writing? So, I suppose she’s actually named after software.

Then my husband was telling me about Stellarium, which is an open source desktop planetarium, and suddenly Stella seemed like the perfect name. She didn’t answer to the name she had when she came to us, so we started making a list of possible names. How did your dog get her name? Any aliases? The depth and breadth of Stella’s heart never cease to amaze me. All of her anxiety and young dog hyperactivity faded away, and she was calm and careful for him.

When Argo got cancer, Stella was the most brilliant comfort to him. But eventually, they settled in and became best friends. Stella was a holy terror when we first got her and Argo was miserable about it. The people who ran the boarding facility knew of a thirteen-month-old German Shepherd who needed a new home and called to see if we’d be interested in adding to our family. When we had to travel, we used to board him at a great place just outside of Rochester. We had a German Shepherd named Argo (who was actually the cover-dog for the hardcover version of my first novel, Stay). She also loves Checkups dental bones and Zukes Mini Naturals.īefore we moved to the Bay Area, we lived in Rochester, NY. She eats Natural Planet kibble and is endlessly excited about it. It feels like the equivalent of giving out raisins on Halloween, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Stella is just getting over a tummy ache, so I’m doing the lame thing where I pretend her regular kibble is treats. My two favorites are Philz Philharmonic roast and Caffe Appassionato’s Organic Shade Grown Emperor’s Blend.Īny treats for you or Stella on this occasion? I have a folded futon mattress in my office that makes for an excellent meditation spot/dog bed, and we like to sit there while I drink my coffee. What's the occasion for Coffee with a Canine?Īfter she’s hit the yard and eaten breakfast, Stella likes to herd me over to sit with her for our usual quiet time. I’m having coffee with my friend, Stella, who is an eleven-year-old German Shepherd. I’m Allie Larkin, author of the novels Stay, Why Can't I Be You, and Swimming for Sunlight, which all include lovable literary pups.

Stay by Allie Larkin