Naming Pets
My first dog's mother was a Norwegian Elkhound. Her father was a traveling man. She was just a puppy when my Dad finally gave in and brought to me the pup I had begging for.
I was 14 years old. This little blonde creature with black muzzle and dark brown eyes was the answer to my dreams. Of course I named her Princess. What does any romantic young girl name her pet?
Dad named all of the cows. That was mostly for identification purposes to keep records on their milk production, breeding history etc. Mother came up with some of the names. There were the usual- Star for the black cow with a white star on her forehead, Babe for the gentle Guernsey who would let us warm our cold hands between her udder and her rear leg on bitter winter mornings. Clarabelle was a tall, rangy, wise, old, mostly white Holstein with a pendulous udder. She was always being treated for a damaged teat which she had stepped on.
Clarabelle was a character, a fence jumper, leading the complacent cows into trouble. Her name just fit.
The cows were not pets. We did not name the two baby pigs which arrived each Spring. They would be in the freezer come Fall. Not pets.
Mother had a cat she called Cookie. A calico who had 109 kittens in her lifetime. (Mother kept track.) Mother did not, however, keep many of the kittens. This was in the days before pets were commonly neutered. And no matter how far out in the country one lived, there was always a tom cat within call.
When I worked in the veterinary hospitals I heard some wonderful names people came up with. One stately elderly white-haired gentleman had a tiny white Toy Poodle. I don't think we ever saw that Poodle stand on his own four paws. He was always firmly "attached" to the gentleman's shoulder. The Vet took his temperature, checked his teeth, swabbed his ears, and gave the vaccinations all while the tiny dog clung to his owner's shoulder. The dog's name was Boutonniere.
One day a very good client came in with a nondescript , thin,
young tiger female cat. This lady and her husband had a hobby farm nearby. (He was a judge.) They had two beautiful
Samoyeds, a toy Poodle, a Great Pyranees and numerous cats.
Because cats were always being dropped off in their area, the man built a two story house in the back yard to shelter the strays. They fed them and when they were able to catch any newcomer, they would bring it in for vaccinations and neutering. So I greeted her with-"And who do you have with you today?" "Another new one", she replied. I made out a card with the cat's description and asked if they had chosen a name for her. "Hooker", was the response. I looked at the cat again expecting to see a tail with a kink in it. Nope-straight tail. Unusual name. "My husband named her Hooker because he found her in the cat house", she said- deadpan serious.
I don't think it matters what name you give your cat. Cats respond to anything that sounds like food or company. Every cat I have ever known, even some of the ferals, will respond to
"Here Kitty, kitty." My cat, Susie, certainly knows her own name. But it would not matter if I called her Lady, she would come running if I rattled the treat bag.
Dogs are different. It is a good idea to give your new dog a name that does not sound anything like a command you are apt to teach her. Short names are best too-two syllables at most. If you adopt an adult dog from a shelter, it will likely come with a name-probably not it's original name, but one the staff gave it. The dog might have connected that name with herself if she had been in the shelter any length of time. Probably not. So if you don't like the name, do not hesitate to change it. A few sessions with repeated name and treats when the dog looks up at you and she will respond to the new name.
The dog I have now was 10 years old when she came to me. Her name, I was told, was Stella. She did not look like a Stella to me. I renamed her Hannah. Quite a different sound; however, she knew very quickly that when I said "Hannah" it meant something good was about to be forthcoming. I have no idea what she may have learned with a previous owner. I have to say she has one of the best recalls of any dog I have had.
I believe she likes her new name.
I was 14 years old. This little blonde creature with black muzzle and dark brown eyes was the answer to my dreams. Of course I named her Princess. What does any romantic young girl name her pet?
Dad named all of the cows. That was mostly for identification purposes to keep records on their milk production, breeding history etc. Mother came up with some of the names. There were the usual- Star for the black cow with a white star on her forehead, Babe for the gentle Guernsey who would let us warm our cold hands between her udder and her rear leg on bitter winter mornings. Clarabelle was a tall, rangy, wise, old, mostly white Holstein with a pendulous udder. She was always being treated for a damaged teat which she had stepped on.
Clarabelle was a character, a fence jumper, leading the complacent cows into trouble. Her name just fit.
The cows were not pets. We did not name the two baby pigs which arrived each Spring. They would be in the freezer come Fall. Not pets.
Mother had a cat she called Cookie. A calico who had 109 kittens in her lifetime. (Mother kept track.) Mother did not, however, keep many of the kittens. This was in the days before pets were commonly neutered. And no matter how far out in the country one lived, there was always a tom cat within call.
When I worked in the veterinary hospitals I heard some wonderful names people came up with. One stately elderly white-haired gentleman had a tiny white Toy Poodle. I don't think we ever saw that Poodle stand on his own four paws. He was always firmly "attached" to the gentleman's shoulder. The Vet took his temperature, checked his teeth, swabbed his ears, and gave the vaccinations all while the tiny dog clung to his owner's shoulder. The dog's name was Boutonniere.
One day a very good client came in with a nondescript , thin,
young tiger female cat. This lady and her husband had a hobby farm nearby. (He was a judge.) They had two beautiful
Samoyeds, a toy Poodle, a Great Pyranees and numerous cats.
Because cats were always being dropped off in their area, the man built a two story house in the back yard to shelter the strays. They fed them and when they were able to catch any newcomer, they would bring it in for vaccinations and neutering. So I greeted her with-"And who do you have with you today?" "Another new one", she replied. I made out a card with the cat's description and asked if they had chosen a name for her. "Hooker", was the response. I looked at the cat again expecting to see a tail with a kink in it. Nope-straight tail. Unusual name. "My husband named her Hooker because he found her in the cat house", she said- deadpan serious.
I don't think it matters what name you give your cat. Cats respond to anything that sounds like food or company. Every cat I have ever known, even some of the ferals, will respond to
"Here Kitty, kitty." My cat, Susie, certainly knows her own name. But it would not matter if I called her Lady, she would come running if I rattled the treat bag.
Dogs are different. It is a good idea to give your new dog a name that does not sound anything like a command you are apt to teach her. Short names are best too-two syllables at most. If you adopt an adult dog from a shelter, it will likely come with a name-probably not it's original name, but one the staff gave it. The dog might have connected that name with herself if she had been in the shelter any length of time. Probably not. So if you don't like the name, do not hesitate to change it. A few sessions with repeated name and treats when the dog looks up at you and she will respond to the new name.
The dog I have now was 10 years old when she came to me. Her name, I was told, was Stella. She did not look like a Stella to me. I renamed her Hannah. Quite a different sound; however, she knew very quickly that when I said "Hannah" it meant something good was about to be forthcoming. I have no idea what she may have learned with a previous owner. I have to say she has one of the best recalls of any dog I have had.
I believe she likes her new name.
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