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20 September 2007
She needs a new name→[More:]
Ok, so I may be adopting this girl next month. The shelter has named her Mary Beth, but I keep thinking about Billy Bob Thornton in A Simple Plan. I've narrowed it down to two.
When we adopted our dog, she was being called Boston. She didn't answer to it, but that's what they were calling her. First thing we did was start calling her Lucy. It only took a day or two for it to stick.
I have a theory about pet names: 1. They should have phonetic sounds which are easily recognizable to a pet's ear as their name -- in the case of a dog, something that can be called out across a field and still be recognizable. 2. They should sound happy or positive if you want a happy, positive pet.
So while I initially thought Carmen was better, I'm leaning toward Shelby. Carmen could probably me shouted across a field, but long vowels work better for that -- it's hard to draw out a schwa or flat /i/ sound for long -- and I think the "Car" part sounds a little harsh. The name lends itself to a scold more readily than a purr, to my ear.
Cuuutee Dooggie! Mudpuppie, I lived with a dog named Bosco. He was a black lab and a good dog.
When I renamed our dog, I went with something that sounded like her first given name. Sasha to Masha, wich went with my artistic sensibilites. (Masha is a running character in Checkov who always wears black, and she's a black dog, and we're theatre folk.) So. . .Mary Beth to Merribell? Totheleft? Merrypants? Mariel? Meatbreath? Orient? I kind of think it's important to keep as many sounds as possible, but who knows, depends on the dog.
I wouldn't have it any other way. The dog I already own, Billy, is a 9 year old mostly English Pointer that was found in a box on Brentwood Boulevard. I got him from the APA in 1998.
I live in Missouri and it's of the biggest cesspits for puppy mills. As an extra bonus, I live in the city of St Louis and, well, north side and pit bulls and you get the idea. My former bosses spent 5 grand to have Labradoodles imported from Australia. All of these things seem pointless and sad and excessive when there are perfectly wonderful dogs like Billy and Shelby/Carmen in shelters that need homes.
I agree that Shelby is a happier sounding name. There were a few dogs I had in the past where after a while I just fell out of love with their names and called them by nicknames instead. So this time I decided to try something simple when I named my adopted puppy Zoe (her original name was Nelly. She is SOOO not a Nelly). Anyhow, I've found that her name is just a lot more fun to say than most of the dog names I've used before. I do think it's the simplicity and that it really is a happy sounding name. I agree... I think it does make a big difference.
Definitely Shelby.
(There's a boxer named Shelby that comes to the dog park where I take Barney and she's such a sweet dog!)
That is one adorable dog! Yay for shelter rescue dogs! (Barney is a Welsh Terrier, adopted from a local shelter and my sister has a terrier mix she adopted from the St. Louis Humane Society.)
Lori, when I was in highschool we had a dog named Rosie. She was named by 3 year old sister who insisted we name her Roosevelt Franklin (from Sesame Street), so we did, but it was immediately shortened to Rosie. She was half Springer Spaniel and half Irish Setter, a beautiful sweet natured soul of a dog. She looked like a smaller black version of an Irish Setter.
Wait until you get her...she may not be a Shelby or a Carmen!
I'm saying this because when I got Binky I said beforehand that I was going to call him Pork Chop and then when I got him he just wasn't a Pork Chop and some people (hi EJ) on this fine site still refer to him as Pork Chop.
To be fair - I also refer to him as Binkyboo, Boo, Boo Boo, Fucker, and Yogi.
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