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Naming your pet when Spot just won’t do!
Naming your pet when Spot just won’t do
By Helena Oliviero
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
12:41 p.m. Friday, March 5, 2010
The day care roster includes Hannah, Cameron, Sophie, Henry, Tucker and Emma.
They are the same names you’d find at just about any day care center in town.
The only thing that might raise an eyebrow — or in this case, a whisker — is the fact that these names were plucked from an attendance sheet at Wag a Lot, a day care for dogs.
Hannah is a German shepherd. Cameron and Henry are lab mixes. Sophie’s a poodle; Emma, a boxer; Tucker, a goldendoodle.
Not one of the 43 dogs playing and fetching at the doggie day care answers to Spot, Rover or even Pepper.
Pet names have changed.
Many people are choosing family or celebrity names for their furry friends, considered a reflection of the deepening bond owners have with their pets.
Seventy percent of dog owners (and 65 percent of cat owners) said they consider their dog a full-fledged family member, according to a recent survey by the American Pet Products Association. Dogs and cats get dressed up for Halloween and buckled up in the car during drives. About 7 percent of dog owners and 5 percent of cat owners throw birthday parties for their beloved pets, according to the association.
The attachment doesn’t even loosen at bed time. It’s estimated four of every 10 dogs sleep in their owners’ beds, according to the association.
So, when it comes to names, pet owners nowadays ruminate much like an expectant couple.
Among the most popular dog names are Lucy, Jack, Bella and Charlie, according to an analysis by petfinder.com, an online database of hundreds of thousands of adoptable pets.
The trendiest cat names also include Lucy and Molly, though some perennial faves — Shadow, Smokey, Tiger, Tigger and Precious — are holding their own.
Rachel Shedd of Atlanta waited until she met her German shorthaired pointer before naming him because she wanted to select a name that fit his personality. When she first laid eyes on him at an Atlanta veterinarian office, she was struck by the puppy’s seemingly easygoing personality.
“He was uncomplicated,” she said of her now 4-year-old dog. “And he needed an uncomplicated name.”
So she went with “Gus.”
But not before considering a bunches of names, including Jack and Max.
“He absolutely fits his name,” she said. “My dog likes to lie in the sun. He’s a very laid-back, happy kind of dog, and a high-maintenance, frou-frou name would not fit his personality.”
Dr. Linda Light, who practices at Ark Veterinary Hospital in Buford, said she has noticed a shift away from Grover and Pepper to more Stellas and Charlies.
She said it’s perfectly fine to change a name of a newly adopted dog or cat. The animals learn their names very quickly, she said.
“Just be creative and have fun with the naming of your pet,” she said. “We laugh at our office because it’s so funny how the pets fit their names.”
So what about the pet’s perspective?
Angie Woods, a dog behavior expert and owner of U.S. Canine in Buford, said a name is irrelevant to dogs since they don’t understand words — only sounds. Still, simpler names with only one or two syllables are easier for dogs to recognize.
“We wouldn’t want to yell ‘King Charles’ across the lawn,” said Woods, who extensively researched Dutch names for her Belgian Malinois before settling on “Dirk.” “Keep it short and simple.”
Meg Flynn of Atlanta had always wanted to give her dog an Irish name and decided on Murphy. Before she got her dog in 2008, during a visit at Piedmont Park, she met three Murphys in less than an hour.
She immediately changed her mind, even though she had Murphy tags already printed. She agonized over a replacement name and eventually chose Huckleberry for her deep-caramel colored furry companion. In the end, she likes the way Huckleberry goes with Flynn and gets a kick out of sending annual St. Patrick’s Day cards saying, “Wishing you the Huck of the Irish.”
“I swore when I first got him I wouldn’t be one of those crazy dog people, but I am,” she said. “When I first get home after work, it’s the best five minutes of my day — easy.”
They go on walks together. When she stops for a coffee, he patiently waits outside. In warmer months, she gets together with other dog owners for Friday night “Yappy Hours.”
For Brianna Brown, a dog walker and pet sitter with about 150 clients, the warmer relationship between people and pets is good for business. It means more people want to hire a caretaker instead of boarding them at a kennel.
“I have Sam and Abby and Charlie,” Brown said. “And I have some funny names like Blacky and Decker. People can have a good sense of humor when it comes to naming their dogs and cats.”
A couple of years back, Brown had clients who named their dog Sophia. They loved the name so much that, two years later, when they welcomed their first child, they named her Sophia, too.
Georgia’s Top 10 …
Dog names
1. Buddy
2. Lucy
3. Jack
4. Daisy
5. Bella
6. Bonnie
7. Lady
8. Molly
9. Sadie
10. Charlie
Cat names
1. Lucy
2. Shadow
3. Smokey
4. Molly
5. Tiger
6. Tigger
7. Midnight
8. Emma
9. Precious
10. Jake
Source: petfinder.com, an online database of some 300,000 adoptable pets across the country, including almost 10,000 in Georgia.
Find this article at:
http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/naming-your-pet-when-349961.html
My Dirty Little Secret
My Dirty Little Secret
As a single parent, I foolishly thought that my house was the only one on the entire planet that
was an absolute pit. My dust bunnies were so huge my kids named them and kept them as pets.
I?m really choosy about who I invite through my front door. For one thing they have to be
up-to-date on all their inoculations.? My next door neighbor makes life even more difficult. She?s
an absolute ?clean freak.? She sweeps her driveway and sidewalks every day.? After that she takes
a turn around her front yard.? I TRY to shovel the snow off my Chicago driveway once a winter,
whether it needs it or not. Another neighbor who?s been in her house tells me she even cleans her
spice jars inside and out once a month.? This makes me feel like a pitiful housekeeper. I don?t even
OWN spice jars.
Pet Peeves, Solving Pet Problems
My name is Chairman Meow (aka Kitty). I live in a dog-eat-dog world, but I rule my household with an iron claw. Let me introduce you to the cast of characters.
Number One Rule Offender: Dutchy, (aka Stinky). He looks innocent, but he’s devious behind those ole’ blue eyes. He can get in more trouble in a couple of minutes…just saying.
