Life From The Dog Side

Name - What is in a name?

I was in training class the other day, and the first thing we did was introduce ourselves. First up is the prettiest French Bulldog named Cher and boy could she sing. Her voice was deep and sultry. Along side of her was a Pitbull named Mylie, wow, could she twerk her booty! The best though was a Dalmatian mix called Stinker. Yup you guessed it! We had to open the windows, and no one looked around, we all knew who the culprit was! Next entertainer to arrive was Blue with his sidekick Red... two cattle dogs, one reddish colored, and one grey-blue colored. Care to guess? Nope you are wrong! They reversed the names for humor and they both answered to each other's name. Talk about confusing! The saddest newcomer was a Basset Hound named Speedy. Poor guy, he told us he never moved fast and everyone laughed at him. He even ate slow, and hated his name because it was so not him. And finally here comes Killer! Killer is a Chihuahua, a very little dog who came in barking and growling. He almost fell out of his owner's arms trying to get to us. He told us his owner said because he was so little he had to be mean and make everyone afraid of him. Killer hates his name, because it is a lot of work being nasty and threatening. When they put him on the floor he was very afraid, because now he is not bigger than us.

See what is in a name? Everything that may define the dog or its life.

You think training class is boring? No way, just look at the information I learned during the first class. You wonder why I get so excited when we get to THE road? I get lots of treats, smelly butts, to read the pee mail, sniff out all the scents left by the other dog owners from previous classes, and learn lots of cool stuff about the other dog's life and people.

Hi, I am a dog. My name can be anything except Dog, because Dog is God spelled backwards, and I don't want to be in competition with God. So when you name me be careful of what you impose on me for I must live with it and live up to it. Other dogs and many people can be really cruel about a dog's name.

For instance... Demon, Killer, and Kujo are all names for bad-behaved dogs. Can you imagine how hard that would be to live up to if you were a Cavalier King Charles? What about Lover or Kisser if you don't like being kissed, or just don't like licking hoomins? Jet, Boomer, or Zoom if you want a calm dog; Or Slug if you want a fast Agility dog name.

Sheesh, see what I mean?

A Name is a personal thing. Take a few days or visits before you pick a name. And speaking of which... if you have a registered name, it can be way different than your every day name. Just because your registered name is Seaside's Running Bull doesn't make your name Bull or Bullet, but it could. It also could be Josh, Pepe, or Milo, so take time to find the right name. It could make all the difference in how your dog turns out.

If you have a new rescue or an adopted dog, give them a totally new name. This is a new life so rule out miscommunication by associating a new name with my new life. I am no longer that homeless stray. I have a home and a family now!

Please, don't expect me to know my name right away. Yesterday I was Max or green collar puppy, but today you want me to come to Pepe! When you pick a name try it out a few times and give me an opinion. If I give you the stink eye or ignore you, try another name until I give you a happy response and come running. Keep in the back of your mind that yesterday's name may not have meant good times!

Now you have a name, but how do I know it's my new name? Just call my name every few minutes, and when I look up, toss me a cookie or take me for a walk. If I ignore you, let it go—no reward. But after a few tries, if I hop up or just act interested, reward reward reward. Almost anything can be a reward as long as it is good times related. (Actually I probably figured it out right away, and just wanted to glean a few extra bacon bits, but I will never admit it!)

Speaking of training, that is my next topic.

See you then!