Choose Wisely!

I once named a sweet-as-pie puppy Scandal. Her registered name was 'Sandalwood What A Scandal.' I wasn't considering her personality or character at the time but instead was reflecting on the trauma surrounding the whelping.

How many times people would comment that she suited her name! From running down the boardwalk with a squirrel she'd just caught, stopping to show her 'treasure' to passers-by, to catching a seagull as it was taking flight, then charging along the sand blindly, its wings covering her eyes, while tourists stared in shock and disbelief.

I think it has alot to do with our voice inflection when we utter their given word (name). The energy and quality behind what that name brings to our mind.

'Boomer,' a black lab, is rough and ready to go anywhere, ingest anything and in his twilight years is unaccepting of his physical limitations (adventurer/construction-worker/hockey-night lad).

'Lacy,' a sheltie, is a gentle, mild-mannered, slightly aloof girl (frilly-girl/teatime/poetry reading).

'Carl,' a great dane, shows signs of leaning toward having OCD, is genuinely fun to be around and kind (living vicariously through others/dependable/a bit needy).

'Ruckus,' a boxer, is always at the center of any disruption at the dog park, not in a nasty way but just wants to be where the action is ( dash and dare/nosey/high-energy).

'Lucy,'a yellow lab, is a fun-loving, high-energy, what'll-we-do-next girl (shopaholic/where's-the-party girl).

'Whiskey,' a beagle, is full of energy, (and himself!) and wants to be the center of attention (the comic-relief/always regale-you-with-a-story type).

Then there's my 'Journey.' An unassuming sort, plodding along, taking everything in, investigative, exhibiting a low-key acceptance of life.

How often have we exclaimed--or heard, 'that name really suits your dog'....or is it the dog who has grown into the name...the subconscious qualities, the subliminal message we send when we utter their name?

So when you bring your new puppy home or decide to keep that 'special one' out of a litter, the first order of the day is to decide on a suitable name.

We can hardly entertain the idea of proudly presenting our newest member of the family without an identity, without a label conjuring up the character and qualities we're hoping the pup will one day embody.

Logically speaking, we should probably wait until our new charge has given us more to go on than the expected accident on the carpet upon bringing it home...it would be more prudent for us to wait for a glimpse into its character and personality.

I believe a dog grows into its name. It will become the embodiment of the name you choose...so choose wisely.