Get Flip Coffee and Help Dogs Here: https://www.flipcoffee.com

WeRateDogs founder Matt Nelson joins Rocky and Kelly for a hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about how a joke Twitter account became the internet's most joyful dog brand.

Matt shares how it all started long before the followers, back when he was a kid who couldn't calm his emotions, but the golden retrievers in his house could. In college, he fell in love with comedy, noticed that almost all of his viral jokes were about dogs, and launched WeRateDogs from his tiny dorm room. Four days later, the account had more followers than he did… and by year's end, it had a million.

Today, the brand is a full-time operation, a charitable foundation, and home to one extremely confident dog CEO: Javier, Matt's newly adopted, totally deaf, low-rider boss.

Matt breaks down how he and his team choose dogs for the viral Top 10 lists, why only around 60 dogs in 10 years have ever earned a perfect 15/10, and what really qualifies a dog for the highest rating. He also shares the chaos of being recognized in public ("Can you rate my dog?") and the story behind the first autograph he ever signed- which someone immediately cared less about than the rating.

PLUS! Rocky and Kelly get deputized to rate dogs. And yes… Rocky breaks the rules.

Matt Nelson Coffee Order: decaf vanilla latte with oat milk
Dog: Javier
FOLLOW MATT! @WeRateDogs and @thedogsweregoodagain
Support 15/10 Foundation: 15outof10.org
Get YOUR: 2026 We Rate Dogs Calendar: https://weratedogs.com/pages/2026-calendars
Submit YOUR Pup Here: https://portal.weratedogs.com/

Thank you for sharing to help get our adoptable dog of the week a loving home!

Dog: Pumpkin!
To quote Rocky & Kelly, "We are ALL in on Pumpkin!" "Pumpkin! Pumpkin! Pumpkin!"
Age: 2 years old
Breed: Husky/Chow Chow mix
Location: Flip Farms - San Diego County
Go here: https://rockykanaka.com/adoption/pumpkin-for-adoption/

Get New York Times Best Selling Book Sitting with Dogs https://amzn.to/4hE9qxx

Connect with Matt on Instagram: @officialdogfather | @weratedogs | @dogfeelingsig

Follow Rocky: @rockykanaka / https://www.instagram.com/rockykanaka/#

Follow Kelly: @kelly.kanaka / https://www.instagram.com/kelly.kanaka/#

---

Dogs and Coffee Podcast by Rocky Kanaka and Kelly Kanaka where they talk all things dogs and coffee. This podcast covers comedy to heartfelt moments talking about the state of dog rescue, how to handle difficult dogs, some of our favorite coffee drinks and more all while Rocky tries to be a barista. We serve Flip Coffee at local cafes and will hopefully do this around the country.

Get Flip Coffee and Help Dogs Here: https://www.flipcoffee.com

Dr. Kwane Stewart aka The Street Vet sits down with Rocky and Kelly for an honest, funny, and deeply emotional conversation about dog shelters, homelessness, and what it really means to be a good pet parent.

From the childhood moment he chased an injured golden retriever through his neighborhood in Brownsville, Texas, to announcing at seven, fresh off watching The Black Stallion, that he would become a veterinarian… to eventually becoming a high-end vet serving wealthy clients in San Diego before the recession hit and pushed him into municipal shelter work in Modesto, where he was euthanizing dozens of animals by 10 AM. Dr. Kwane shares every chapter with unfiltered honesty about how it shaped him.

How a quick 7-Eleven coffee stop became a $3 act of compassion, and man's "thank you for not ignoring me," became the seed that grew into Project Street Vet.

Through it all, Dr. Kwane stays grounded, compassionate, and funny, even when the stories get heavy. And yes, we get into social media, misconceptions about homeless pet owners, and why walking an encampment in Oakland became "one of the best days" of a veteran journalist's life.

Dr. Kwane's Coffee Order: Straight Black Coffee
Dog: Cora

Thank you for sharing to help get our adoptable dog of the week a loving home!

Dog: Pumpkin
Age: 2 years old
Breed: Husky/Chow Chow mix
Location: Flip Farms - San Diego County?
Go here: https://rockykanaka.com/adoption/pumpkin-for-adoption/

Get New York Times Best Selling Book Sitting with Dogs https://amzn.to/4hE9qxx

Connect with Dr. Kwane on Instagram: ___

Follow Rocky: @rockykanaka /https://www.instagram.com/rockykanaka/#

Follow Kelly: @kelly.kanaka / https://www.instagram.com/kelly.kanaka/#

Get New York Times Best Selling Book Sitting with Dogs https://amzn.to/4hE9qxx

Connect with Dr. Kwane & Project Street Vet:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkwane/
https://www.instagram.com/thestreetvet/
Website: https://www.projectstreetvet.org/

Follow Rocky: @rockykanaka / https://www.instagram.com/rockykanaka/#
Follow Kelly: @kelly.kanaka / https://www.instagram.com/kelly.kanaka/#

Dogs and Coffee Podcast by Rocky Kanaka and Kelly Kanaka talks all things dogs and coffee. This podcast covers comedy to heartfelt moments talking about the state of dog rescue, how to handle difficult dogs, some of our favorite coffee drinks and more — all while Rocky tries to be a barista. We serve Flip Coffee at local cafes and will hopefully do this around the country.

Get Flip Coffee and Help Dogs Here: https://www.flipcoffee.com

Cesar Millan. YES, The Dog Whisperer himself sits down with Rocky and Kelly for one of the most raw, inspiring, and surprising conversations we've had on Dogs & Coffee.

From growing up in Sinaloa where choosing "dogs over drugs" was a literal decision, to crossing the border alone at 21, spending Christmas and New Year at the border, to becoming the guy who walked 40–60 off-leash dogs out of an old Astro Van, to the LA Times article that created a line of TV producers outside his door the next morning.

Cesar opens up about everything- including the moment he came closest to giving up, and the faith, energy, and instinct that brought him back.

He talks pack positions, raising front/middle/back-of-the-pack dogs, his 43-acre Dog Psychology Center, and how a kangaroo ended up being part of his healing journey.

And through all of it? He sips exactly what we should have guessed: straight espresso - the same thing he's been drinking since he was five years old.

Cesar Millan Coffee Order: Straight Espresso
Dogs: Sophia, Alfie, Snow Monkey

Thank you for sharing to help get Wally our adoptable dog a loving home!
Name: Wally
Age: Young adult
Breed: Mixed Breed
Location: Animal Haven, NYC
Rescue: Animal Haven
Go here: https://rockykanaka.com/tears-as-neglected-puppy-spent-8-months-chained-to-a-radiator-but-what-happens-next-changes-his-world/

Get New York Times Best Selling Book Sitting with Dogs https://amzn.to/4hE9qxx

Connect with Cesar on Instagram: @cesarsway / https://www.instagram.com/cesarsway/#

Follow Rocky: @rockykanaka / https://www.instagram.com/rockykanaka/#

Follow Kelly: @kelly.kanaka / https://www.instagram.com/kelly.kanaka/#