Oh, the names we give to our dogs

In my 22 years of practice, I have come across some of the most innovative and amusing names that people give to their pooches.{{more}}

Most interestingly is the reasoning people give behind these names.

Some people just pull a popular name up, while others have serious discussions and deliberations with their loved ones to arrive at a name for the new addition to the family.

Some animal owners have peculiar principles, like my daughter, who will never name a puppy after a dog that she had before, believing that it is an insult to his memory. Others would re-use a name over and over, e.g. Rover; Rover II; Rover III etc, in memory of the others that have passed on.

Some dogs are given names that are sweet and gentle, while others given names that are intimidating; but the irony of that is, sometimes I would come across a “Samson” and I would expect to see a Samson of biblical proportions, when in reality I see a little toy breed that barely emits a squeak for a bark.

On the other hand, I might see “Angel” and expect an angelic doggy, only to behold a 140 lb monster.

Most of the dogs that are imported and belong to a famous blood line of show dogs come with seemingly ridiculous names like “CH Leatherneck Packer Backer;” CH Armada’s Boatswan Helmis Alee;” CH Excalibur’s Sticks n Stones.”

Others prefer to give them names that satisfy their own fantasies, that reminds them of some famous or exotic place encountered in their travels around the world, like Paipo or Mundaca.

Sometimes, I encounter dogs with strikingly human names. Maybe an old boyfriend or girlfriend or even in one interesting case, the name of a mother-in-law.

Some dogs with names that are impossible to forget are: Mr Frudo Sir; Sweet Bubble; Bad Mind; Bad Money; Birthday Puppy; Zanginef; Winky; Toute Noire III; Tino “Little Dan Marino”; Tiger Jinx; Teahuppo; Blood Bath; Callaloo, Cody Paulo Soup; El Socorro; Foxy Lady; Lil Kwnag; Mufassa III; Twarka.

I have encountered dogs named after countries or very popular US, Cuban, Venezuelan and Russian presidents. After 911, I saw a wave of Bin Ladens, and Al-Qaedas. After the tsunami in Asia, a surge of “Tsunamis” happened to sweep our shores, and usually after a particularly devastating hurricane, the names of the hurricanes also make a surge.

If one were to analyze dog names during a particular period, one may get an accurate account of major events that occurred during that time frame.

Some of the most common names I encounter on a day to day basis are: Rover, Zeus, Terror, Zena, Thunder, Taz, Susie, Bandit, Betsy, Blackie, Whitey, Brownie, Buddy, Bubbles, Buster, Fluffy and Max.

Also popular are names of deadly diseases like “Anthrax”; “Pox”; Polio etc.

Website: www.uniqueanimalcare.com