So I went to kitty prison after gardening, and brought them all some fresh catnip, and then spent the next two hours with the dog I think I am going to adopt next week. It isn’t for sure, and I’ll explain why in a bit, but here is a picture of her:
Currently her name is Missy, but she doesn’t answer to it, so that will likely change (in fact, if you have any better ideas throw them in the comments. I really can’t think of any names I like other than Viola and Fiona, and I’m not sure either fits her). At any rate, here is her story.
According to Dana (the pound lady who I trust on anything pet related and who got me hooked on Tunch years ago- she still remembers him because he has such strange markings), she was rescued from some crazy cat lady who had four other dogs and some ungodly number of cats (in the 20’s) who all had to be put down. I wasn’t even there to look for a dog yesterday, and was actually there to get another sense of Shayla (the cat we talked about last week). As I was leaving, though, I saw Missy through the glass door looking at me, and she just looked so lost and terrified that I did an immediate u-turn and went back in to check her out.
She is terribly timid, and was in a bay with two howling hounds (one is part bloodhound part beagle, the other beagle and something else), and was just shaking horribly. I got them to take her out, and she has a nasty rash on her back (you can’t see it in the pictures) that we think is from fleas, and obviously has just a lot of anxiety from being in the pound. I don’t know if it is separation anxiety from her old home, or just the chaos of the pound, but she is just miserable. You can see it in her eyes.
I spent some time with her yesterday and after about 45 minutes in a quiet room, got her to stop shaking and actually look somewhat relaxed. I decided then and there I would come back and check on her today.
Today, I got her out and spent another couple hours with her. I took her outside, and it is immediately clear that she has never been leash trained. She simply has no idea what to do with it on. She sort of walks around in circles, and then when you start to follow her, she hears you, looks back, and starts to move in another direction. She really is going to need a lot of work with that, but that is what obedience school is for, I suppose.
After I got her outside and away from everyone else, she was a lot better. It only took several minutes for her to stop shaking, and she looked much happier. According to Dana, she is 4 1/2 or thereabouts, and she really, really needs a bath (the dog, not Dana). They can’t bathe her though, because of the rash, so she still smells like cat urine and the other nastiness from her original home. The other thing that is really weird is she simply does not bark. I have spent several hours with her now and not heard a peep out of her.
So, to recap, she smells like cat urine, is not leash trained, has an open rash on her back, probably is not house trained, is suffering from horrible anxiety, I’m not really fond of the name Missy, and I think she is perfect. I scheduled an appointment with the vet on Tuesday to take her in to make sure she does not have any diseases that will harm Tunch and to see if we can get the rash fixed, and I will probably take her home next week.
So that was my afternoon. They have no idea what she is, other than having some terrier in her. Her markings look almost yellow lab-like to me (although surprisingly, because of lighting, she looks more reddish in the pictures than she does in person). Should we keep the name Missy or do you have any other suggestions?
More pictures after the fold.
Devon Cole
She looks like a shiba inu/lab mix. If you don’t get her after that description…
Poor little girl. You have to give lots of love.
Ash
Oh god, be careful, Tunch migh smush her.
Of the names you like, Fiona seems to fit her the most. I think.
Death By Mosquito Truck
She sorta looks like a basenji. FWIW, Basenjis are known as the “barkless” dog.
Robertdsc-iphone
She’s pretty. She’ll be in good hands.
“Hooked on Tunch” is perfect, hahaha. That’s us, too.
Joshua James
May be part basenji, she’s got the look … they don’t bark, though in an emergency they will yip a bit, like a coyote … they’re great dogs, if she’s part of that breed.
Have you considered the name Summer, or Sarah?
Nicole
She’s adorable- I’d name her Scout, as, for all her current timidity she looks a bit more tomboyish than a Missy.
My aunt and uncle adopted a 4-year-old rescue who had a lot of anxiety issues, too- little Rusty. After he settled in he was a devoted member of the family for the rest of his life, as well as their fearless Scottie terrier’s bestest friend ever.
Colette
Somehow, she looks like a “Dinah” to me.
I still think yer nutz.
Laura W
Do we not like “Jillie” for her?
Very sweet, and barkless is a blessing right there.
Patrick
I have always liked the name, Bridget. I was unsuccessful in convincing my wife (ex-wife) to name a daughter this and have hinted to my children that Bridget was a wonderful name. So far we have eight granddaughters none of which are named Bridget. We have another on the way but Bridget has already been ruled out. If I can’t be successful in naming daughters and granddaughters maybe a dog!
khead
“Not Tunch”
It’s a fine thing you are doing.
lr
She looks like my neighbor’s dog, Butter. Just throwing it out there…
Catsy
She’s /beautiful/. And provided the barklessness is from breed and not trauma, I’d agree that that’s a real blessing right there.
greynoldsct00
She looks so sweet! Her face is just precious, I think fate put you two together… I like Fiona as a possible name.
Comrade Darkness
You know it’s a wonder you didn’t switch to voting democrat sooner, clearly you are a sucker for lost causes.
Paddy
Yep, I’d agree with the basenji** guess. We had one living in Miami years ago and she was one of the most loyal, dependable dogs ever. Not very exciting, but consistent and placid. I’m sure with the proper care she’d be a wonderful dog.
**Sherry didn’t bark, but it came in handy when our house was burgled- they never saw her coming.
Dave C
She is gorgeous (of course, I think that about 80% of dogs!). I have a friend who has a dog that looks kind of like her, and my friend named her “Moxie.” I think that would be an apt name for this dog as well; it may not describe her personality as you know it today, but it is a statement that you hope she has a brighter future ahead.
Amanda
Awww — adorable. Barkless is a major blessing.
I like “Scout” a lot for a name
Nicole
@Patrick: Heh. I have a friend who also desperately wanted to name a daughter Bridget but she had only one child, a boy. So she did actually give the name Bridget to their last dog, a little Yorkie.
I think Bridget the Yorkie made out much better than the previous dog, which was named by their son when he was three- Love Puff.
Death By Mosquito Truck
I usually keep a pet for a few weeks to get a sense of its personality before naming it. Otherwise, we’re not really naming it, we’re just calling it something.
Comrade Darkness
How about Persephone? Going from hell and back and all that.
Ugh
How about “Sadie”?
lemma
Scout’s good, but I like Molly – she’s lovely and I hope you can help her
R-Jud
Awww…
I would call her “Hope”. The suggestion above, for “Scout”, wasn’t bad, tho.
Edit: You also brought all the cats fresh ‘nip? You’re a sweetie, John Cole.
Martin
Looks like a winner – and I agree, a gorgeous dog.
Hire a good trainer. Remember that your dog will obey you as well as you obey your trainer. But I understand that dogs never get harder to train, that only seems to apply to dog owners.
geg6
OMG, John, she’s gorgeous! She definitely has some yellow Lab and, with no bark, I’m guessing some Basenji. She looks like Henry’s younger and much smaller step- sister. I like Maggie as I used to know another yellow Lab with that name. You are wonderful to rescue her. She’ll love you to death.
John Cole
@Ugh: Already had a Sadie once before.
@Death By Mosquito Truck: I think you are right. I just know from her personality already that Missy does not fit.
Plus, any name has to withstand the yell test- “How stupid am I going to sound in my boxers on the porch yelling this at the top of my lungs?”
I kind of like Gertrude/Gerty for short.
MazeDancer
Fionna McCool. (Though Tunch is the coolest of all, of course.) From that Gaelic lineage, a translation of “Fionn” is “the one”. Also “bright and shining.” The Fianna were warriors, I think. With the famous Fionn leading them.
Though “Abigail” can mean “brings joy.” And you’re going to bring joy to her life, and vice versa. And Abigail Adams admonishing her John to “remember the ladies” was way cool from our country’s earliest soap-boxing. She could be an Abigail.
Original Lee
Scout is nice, but I think it sounds a little too close to “Out” unless you never plan on using that command. Also consider names starting with “H”. The dog trainer teaching the class that our last dog and I took said that dogs pay better attention to those kinds of names, although he didn’t explain why.
She looks kind of like Hala (Hahlah, not Hayla or Haylay) would be a good name, to me.
Chuck Butcher
I have no names, but I want to warn you that a 4.5 yr old dog with fright issues may be a real problem. Shaking is fright or illness or overly highstrung, not dislocation or sadness. If she pees when shaking you may be in for an uncorrectable condition you don’t want to deal with.
Not to be harsh, but sometimes the best solution for animals and owners is for the animal to be put down. It is no kindness to continually attempt to correct something beyond correction and unacceptable. Fear is a potentially dangerous condition in a dog, fear reaction is finally fight or flight.
I’m not offering advice, only information. I’ve had dogs from about age 3 so I do have some experience at 56 yrs. I have had to put down one dog because correction was devolving into no more than cruelty and stress for both myself and the dog and she simply could not get it. I refused to either abandon the dog or pass on unacceptable problems to an unknowing adoptee. It still makes me sad.
Fulcanelli
With so much in common, she’ll fit right into Casa Cole nicely. Seriously, this is a fine and noble thing you’re doing John. Your karma cup will overflow.
She looks so sweet, I’m sure you’ll pick a sweet handle, er, name for this deserving little pooch.
You may want to give her a few weeks to acclimate before you introduce her to to her devilish cousins Guesly & Ginny though…
jean
She looks like my german shepard mix from years ago, with a heart shaped creamy face marking. Honey was a pound mutt from Detroit, she was about 6 months, and she didn’t have a clue either. She turned out to be the best dog ever. People offered me money for her ( on the up and up) and she was MY dog, like no other dog has been.
I too am looking for a dog at the local pound and Humane Society, and it’s just been so difficult. I had a very difficult and heart breaking experience with a rescue German Shepard, so difficult I am pretty gun shy of another dog. But I really miss the companionship. Uncle Wiggly, while quite attached, is not a dog. He doesn’t chase the deer out of the yard. And he whines A LOT.
I chose Chloe for my shepard and then I found out that Chloe is the most popular female dog name EVER. A well, so much for exclusivity. I like Sirius the dogstar, Dogster, and Zola. I guess I relive my childhood with Uncle Wiggly. They were my favorite books for a while. But, you know, at some point a good name will just be there.
Good luck with her, I have a good feeling about her. I hope you have a long and wonderful relationship.
John Cole
@Chuck Butcher: Fortunately, that is about the only thing she doesn’t do. And I’m really not too worried about the anxiety. She calmed down as soon as we got away from the madness of the pound.
She is still going to take a lot of work, but I trust Dana and I trust my instincts on this one.
SpotWeld
Mary Todd?
jacy
I’d agree with the possibility of part basenji, as my parents had two basenji/Brittany spaniel mixes and she looks similar. They never barked, but had the yippy little yodel like full basenjis.
When and if you do get her home, at the vet clinic we used to swear by clear tar shampoo for both rash and smell, and then once the skin clears up some nice mild doggie shampoo with tea tree oil in it.
The best dog I ever knew was named Shelby, after Carroll Shelby, and I’ve always been fond of that name.
Good luck!
sarah in brooklyn
today you are again my favorite person. what a lucky dog.
don’t like missy. scout is good. my friend rescued a dog who had been through a hellish experience and named her percy, short for persephone, which i know someone else suggested.
good luck. she looks like a total sweetheart.
ed_finnerty
We got a rescue dog like this about 7 years ago when her then owner was going to have her put down – she was older – about 8 we and the vet think (the owner either didn’t know or care). She hadn’t been well treated – not really abused just sort of ignored and not had her ailments treated and stuff. Timid as f**k and extremely cautious. She will still not go into any basement for example and even after 7 years really checks out any food handed to her before eating it.
Her name was sophie – we didn’t like it but kept it.
wouldn’t trade her for the world.
Anne
She could be part shiba inu, though with her coat and the straight tail I wouldn’t put money on it. I doubt she’s part basenji, she doesn’t have the neck or the face and she’s too stocky. Her frame suggests part lab to me.
Basenjis, by the way, don’t just yip–they also yodel, sort of similar to what huskies do.
I think she totally looks like a Fiona.
Ming
She’s so sweet! Fiona fits her, I think. or Grace. Máire (Gaelic for Mary).
This is a good thing you’re doing there, Mr. Cole.
And it’s always nice to have color-coordinated pets.
Michael D.
@John Cole:
A la Bill Cosby, you could name her, Jesus Christ.
“Jesus Christ would you get back here!”
“Jesus CHRIST, how did you get so dirty!?”
gbear
She’s a cutie. I was expecting to see a teenier dog from your description of her lineage.
I wouldn’t answer to the name ‘Missy’ either. Good plan to change her name.
I changed the name of my jail kitty because she had the same name (Chewey) as the cat belonging to my moronic neighbors across the street, who would stand outside their door and bellow the name for 20 minutes every night about 11:00.
PS: I should have been clued in by the name Chewey before I brought her home. She’s been here now for 8 years and I still can’t get her to not bite. She doesn’t continue doing it because she’s mad, but because she’s a really dim bulb (also discovered after bringing her home).
I recommend the name Snarly Grumble just because there was a band with that name in the Twin Cities in the late ’60s. I always loved that name.
NutellaonToast
You are an awesome man. Get the dawg. Name it “cat piss” in some language in which “cat piss” sounds nice.
TenguPhule
Go for the classic “Lassie”!
Death By Mosquito Truck
@John Cole:
You seem to be inclined towards using female names. So if the dog is shy, something like Shyla might be your choice. I prefer non-name names. For instance, we named our cat Chopper because he used to take off vertically when he was a kitten. We had another cat named Lightning because he was so fast, although we generally called him Goose because he couldn’t stop in time and kept colliding into the wall.
Egilsson
Cute, but Tunch is going to react very badly to this I suspect.
It’s all good to laugh about Tunch, but moving in a new animal to a settled cat can be some serious trouble. My mom has a cat who is still traumatized by the arrival of another cat. They’ve been hissing and spitting and charging each other for a couple of years now.
It’s actually fairly unpleasant, and one is clearly very anxious about it now.
Mary
Poor little angel. She’s beautiful. My neighbor’s new rescue dog bit me last night. It takes a lot of love to rescue these precious creatures.
R-Jud
@MazeDancer:
Mr. Jud picked Abigail for our daughter’s middle name because one of the meanings is “my father is joyful”.
“Abby” is a nice name for a sweet dog.
Anne
Btw, is not hearing her bark within two visits really indicative of a total lack of bark? Seems plausible to me that she just might not be a very vocal dog. I’ve known dogs who only yipped when someone accidentally stepped on a paw or tail. I wouldn’t rule out barking breeds based only on a few hours spent with her.
Perry Como
If her tail curls when she’s not nervous, I’d guess she’s a shiba mix. Shiba/lab has similar coloration.
Death By Mosquito Truck
That makes one of us.
kris in boulder
Name her Bo Too, even though she’s a poor mutt rescue and not an exotic pedigreed gift from a dissolute hack political prince.
Fern
She’s a pretty girl, all right, but you are sure going to have your hands full.
Personally, I learned the hard way to adopt the healthiest, best adjusted animals I could find, especially for a multi-animal household. but maybe you have more patience than I do.
Sadie? Sounds good to me.
Anne
@NutellaonToast: sauvignon blanc is said to smell a bit like cat’s pee and/or a gooseberry bush. In fact, there’s a wine called Cat’s Pee on a Gooseberry Bush. You could name her something along those lines. No, not sauvignon blanc, but maybe Bianca or gooseberry.
Ovid
Our next dog (coming soon) will be named Scooter Libby, an all-purpose name for a dog. The Scooter part works for a male and Libby is nice for a female, so yell either one in your boxers on your porch with pride.
Dog is My Co-Pilot
She looks like a sweet dog. My husband and I have three adopted dogs – two golden retrievers and a Pomeranian. We’ve had the Pom for over 1-1/2 years and the rescue group think she came from a puppy mill. When she came to us, she had many fears and could not relax; acted like we were going to do something to her. The other dogs helped her recovery more than we did, I think. We could tell she’d been through hell and back. She’s come a long way since then. I don’t think there’s any more rewarding experience than seeing a traumatized dog (or cat) come around and become fairly well-adjusted. You are a kind-hearted person to consider this dog. How about ‘Mae’ for a name? Good luck with your decision – look forward to staying updated!
asiangrrlMN
Aw, bless you, John. I know nothing about dogs, so I can’t help you there. I like Comrade Darkness’ssuggestion of Persephone, though. Or Isis.
Chuck Butcher
@John Cole:
You’re a smart guy and obviously a good owner so I think trusting your instincts is the way to go. I have always trusted my instincts regarding animals and the one bad one wasn’t acquired by me and my instincts screamed no – you don’t tell your wife to take the dog back, should have.
This dog will require inordinate amounts of attention and reassurance and socialization which Tunch will not care for. You’ll deal with it, I’m sure. Dog’s have an astonishing capacity to respond to bonding but can have real difficulty spreading that pack thing out to the rest of humans.
Keep in mind that adult dogs are a completely different thing than puppies.
Dave Trowbridge
I’ll vote for Moxie, as suggested above.
IMO, a good dog name has two syllables with a strong consonant in the middle and contrasting vowels (dogs seem to pay more attention to that combination), and Moxie fits that perfectly.
Dave Herman
She totally looks like Maid Marian!
Jamie
She sounds perfect. I took in a rescue that we found on the side of the road who was mostly hairless, toothless, and smelled absolutely awful! I promptly named him “Kerouac.” (yeah yeah, nerdy lit reference) I have to tell you that taking him in was probably one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. His hair grew back, though not his teeth, and the smell has lessened (though he’s still stinky regardless of how much we bathe him).
Here’s the thing, though. He’s the sweetest, most appreciative, and loving dog I’ve ever encountered. He, like Missy, never barks and has a very timid nature (though he’s gotten braver over the years but is still afraid of gun-shaped objects and cameras). Here’s the funny thing about Kerouac, even our friends who are dog owners profess that they wish they had a dog more like him. It kind of blows my mind to think of how unlikely it was that he was taken in (he was seriously ugly and vile smelling) and what a loss it would have been if he stayed on the street or was put down.
I can’t recommend a rescue dog enough. You should definitely adopt Missy. And then spoil her.
TimO
First, three syllable dog names are a no-no. You’ll end up shortening it anyway. (Rin-Tin-Tin? I rest my case) Two Syllables max.
Nicole had a good one, Scout . . . . or Rumer (or whatever the hell Willis named his kids)
Rosey?
gbear
If she doesn’t bark, can she be Marcelle?
2th&nayle
@Comrade Darkness: How about Helen? As in ‘hell and back”? Much better, don’t you think? Helen. Yeah that’s good!
demkat620
You are a very good man John Cole. A very good man. Good luck! And I think Scout is a great name.
Notorious P.A.T.
A dog not knowing what to do on a leash isn’t that bad. My mom has a dog that is the diametrical opposite: you put her on a leash and she runs in whatever direction she wants to go, straining and pulling at the leash until she starts to gasp and choke, but still straining. I’ve been working with her for months and she’s gotten better, but still isn’t completely with the program.
As for not barking? Well, enjoy your full night’s sleep, Mr Lucky Dog Owner.
TheFountainHead - 'Easily Led'
@Michael D.: “But Daaaaadd, My name’s Jesus Christ and HE’S Goddamnit!”
Oh yeah, and there’s no Shiba Inu in that dog. Basenji, certainly, but no Shiba Inu.
Anne Laurie
Cinnamon, the little Cinderella dog! (with the two wicked noisy stepsisters.) Cindy is affectionate, and SIN-A-MONN gets her attention without making you sound antisocial. (Says the woman who once named a little black kitten Puck. Hey, I was 13, and he was an indoor only cat.)
If the shelter will let you, can you give Tunch one of your dirty socks or an old t-shirt to nap on & then give it to ‘Missy’ next time you visit? She will get some ideas about Tunch just from the clothing you wear (& Tunch will have his suspicions even if you’re washing your hands after each shelter visit). But the one thing we know for sure about canine/feline olfactory skills is that we DON’T have any idea of how much information they can garner, except that scientists keep finding the answer is always ‘More than we can possibly imagine’.
MikeJ
Buñuel is always a good name for un chien. Best if it’s Andalusian though.
ed_finnerty
as to name – I had a dog named Virginia once
great dog and the name can be one (Verge) two (Virgie) or three syllables
Cain
In the Mahabharat, the Hindu holybook (well more like a metabook, the core stuff is a big conversation between God (Krishna) who is the charioteer and one of the big guns of the war. (Think Legalos but more bad ass)
There was a bit in there after the war where the monarch gets to go to heaven in physical form, but he didn’t want to leave the dog who ended up as a companion on his journey to heaven.
Check it out
cain
Jager
Take the advice of a life long dog guy…get her. Don’t worry about the name, something will pop into your head. BTW stick with simple names, two syllable names work the best for dogs. Straka my GSD, (his german name is too complicated to use) comes to any of about 5 names. We call him, every thing from Dog Man to Dumb Shit!
The Germans use a neat system, male GSDs get a non-human name like Ergo, Zeus, Kaptan, or a hockey player’s in our case…females get human names like Hitler’s Heidi.
While Mrs Jager and I were doing our test drive before we got married she was worried we weren’t going to be able to blend our pets. Her Persian cat was 10 years old and had ruled the roost forever and now a German Shepard was moving in…it took about 60 days for the cat to calm down and 11 years later (yes, she just turned 21) she out lived the initial dog and has raised the 2nd to her personal satisfaction. Her personal satisfaction, BTW, has been the cat’s life long pursuit!
Genine
She looks so sweet, John. It’s wonderful you’re giving her a home.
Like Laura W. I think a “J” name suites her. Jillie is good, but I like Julia as well.
Mary
John,
Bless you for adopting this sweetheart. With the trauma in her past she will no doubt present you with some challenges, but I have absolutely no doubt that she will pay you back a hundredfold for all of your love and patience.
Sorry for the gushing. I’m a crazy dog-rescue person and I’m already having an emotional day!
Wonk
@sarah in brooklyn:
I named my last dog “Lucky” – because she ran in front of my brother’s truck on the way to my sister’s wedding rehearsal. Back in the day there was a dog food named “Lucky Dog” and the jingle from the commercial went “Make your dog a lucky dog today,” which my sister-in-law insisted on singing over and over on the way back to my apartment.
Just saying.
Hope you get to bring her home and Tunch doesn’t kill you both. :)
Froley
Since it will probably be a couple of years before I get a dog, you can have the name I was going to use: Professor Emily T. Barksworthy.
ford powers
I just melted inside. Congratulations. May you have many years of love, snuggles and fur balls with that precious babe.
I would name her Maya.
or matilda/matty
or delilah
:)
bookwyrm86
John, I echo everything that got said above regarding what you’re doing. Thank you so much for helping to save this dog from “kitty prison”. Generally my criteria for names is something that has at least two syllables but isn’t overly long. The last dog we named was for her color, and wound up being called Ruby. So in that spirit the name Peach came to mind (you’d also get geek points for Princess Peach). Another good one might be Ginger.
Before that, we had dogs whose names started with the same letter, before the pattern broke and we followed a theme. So you could call her Tricia, or Trixie. Or perhaps Tammy.
And still more name suggestions… Although it doesn’t necessarily fit, “Dumia” is the only name I could find that means silent.
Best of luck as you prepare to bring her home. Again, this is a wonderful thing you’re doing.
Perry Como
Yeah, but then when Timmy falls down the well the dog will sit there and say her recollection is fuzzy.
AhabTRuler
I have been fond of the name Brigida (pronounced Bree-hee-dah) of late
Ugh
Already had a sadie? How about Ella? Or even Steeellaaaaaaaaa?
Cat Lady
Good on you John Cole. I like Scout, perhaps Callie. The suggestion to wait until the name is obvious is also good – she might end up being a Baby or a Sweetie or something.
I also vow never to be a scary cat lady. I have adopted my limit (5).
mey
She’s so beautiful! And you with your “empathy.” For a dog of all things. Pfffft. No Supreme Court position for you. (Hmm, maybe you should name her Sonia.)
Anne
@ed_finnerty:
I’m partial to Ginny as a nickname for Virginia, but I’m not sure that it suits this particularly pup.
BB
A definite Bridgett.
passerby
What a sweetie, and the dog too.
She’s got a nice golden color like something out of the oven. How about Biscuit or Cookie or Madeleine or Fishstick, no wait…
Or,
“How stupid am I going to sound in my boxers on the porch yelling this at the top of my lungs?” If this is of major concern, you can always go with HearYe. [hits submit and runs away]
shelley matheis
Hmm, how about ‘Olivia’, as in Olivia de Havilland. She makes me think of Melanie from ‘Gone With The Wind.’ Initially timid, but with surprising resiliance.
tde
Good for you!
Laura W
@Genine: “Jillie” was John’s favorite name for the cat who is still Shayla, and he’s already given it a test drive over the previous weekend, deciding he likes to say it.
While I don’t like Julia much at all for a human, I think it’s very lovely for this particular girl dog. It’s soft and tender. It immediately makes me think of the Beatles’ Julia:
Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you Julia
(I really dislike Gertrude a lot, FWIW. Total great-grandmother name. Ick.)
Chuck Butcher
@Notorious P.A.T.:
Do not use a choke collar on a frightend or confused dog, this is strickly an emergency control device, not a training device. Several of my dogs have been very large and quite capable of overpowering an adult male but only one required the use of a choker for emergencies, not because he was anything other than a wonderful dog, but because once his line was crossed the results would be horrific. His line was always entirely reasonable, but he was also entirely fearless and with the chips down a ferocious 135 pound dog. You don’t take chances with a loaded gun.
His name was Demian
Carrie
Oh she is just precious.
Don’t know about the mix but she looks alot like the dog
I had growing up, a stray we called Peanut.
She looks like a Lillian to me.
Brian W
Good on you for considering an adult dog. Shelters usually have to keep them for a long time – most people just come looking for puppies.
She might start barking again when she’s comfortable in her new environment. Dogs that have a submissive reaction to a shelter frequently won’t bark at all initially, but then find their voice once they feel secure.
It can take a long time for the timidity to fade. The sooner you find a trainer who can help with that specific problem, the better. It takes a somewhat more specialized approach, so the average PetSmart/Co obedience class might not do the trick.
I’m no expert, but I’ve adopted or fostered quite a few shelter dogs, so this is just based on my experiences.
dmn
Daisy
Johnny Pez
Speaking as a basenji owner, I’m guessing there’s no basenji in there. That’s not a basenji head, and the tail’s too straight.
She is a sweetie, though. I think she looks like a Wanda.
Paul
She looks like a dog we used to have named ‘Campy’, named by my brother the bicycle mechanic after his favorite Italian derailleur, Campagnolo. She was a great dog, if always a little skittish. She’d had her tail lopped off before we got her, which may explain part of the skittishness.
Personally, I’ve always liked the name ‘Aiko’. I like it because it’s easy for a dog to hear, with two strong vowels separated by a hard consonant. I also like the song Aiko Aiko.
Good luck! It’s a good thing you’re doing.
Betsy
Yaayyyy for pet adoptions! I’ve thought of lots of names but none sound quite right. She needs something that’s gentle but dignified. Rose, maybe. or Jenny? Whatever you name her, it will be perfect.
South of I-10
She’s a cutie pie, I want to scritch her ears. How about Rosie?
magisterludi
I like Viola. Which would shorten to the occasional Vi.
“I need to get home to Vi and Tunch.”- nice ring to it.
North Dallas Thirty
Prudence.
Don’t know why; she just looks like a Prudence. And it abbreviates well; Pru, Prudi, etc.
And major kudos for adopting a shelter dog. As long as you go in with eyes wide open, as it seems you are, things will work out.
Good luck!
asiangrrlMN
@gbear: Heh. I like this. Marcelle.
As for the non-barking thing, I was overjoyed that my boys didn’t mew much when I first got them. Two and a half years later, one is quite the noisy little thing.
JL
John, My Moxie was over two when I brought her home. She was very easy to train but I made one big mistake. Since she was nervous at first, I let her cling to me. During the big move last year, I left her with friends that she knew and loved but because of all the household boxes packed up, she thought she was deserted again. Make sure that you introduce her to other adults so she knows she is safe with other people also. Your pup could also have mange which is often treatable but sometimes not.
We could always vote on a few names. Scout is cute and so is Molly. She looks like a Molly to me. Since my Moxie was named after the bittersweet soda by the same name, I’m not sure that would fit her. She’s too pretty.
Emma
John, she is gorgeous. Rose, I think. Or Lily. But this comes from someone whose first pet was named Petunia!
Bill
John,
If she ends up at your home, I say her name should be Lucky.
I bet Tunch can teach her to bark. I also bet Tunch can take her, as svelte and rugged looking as Tunch is. Pow, pow, pow !
Good luck John. You are a kind soul.
MikeJ
I’d go with emacs, but ed is the standard editor.
And since the dog has Impossible Hair, here’s a dog song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ppd4ClNSj0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Felbo.ws%2Fvideo%2F6Ppd4ClNSj0%2F&feature=player_embedded
Anne Laurie
If she’s under 25 pounds or so, I’d guess
Cindy“Missy” is a chihuahua-pug cross, or possible a chihuahua/bea***. Both common “impulse purchase for idiots” breeds right now, her coloring is a dilute version of a popular chihuahua color, and that crumpled not-up, not-down ear carriage is what happens when the ‘erect’ chihuahua ears meets the pug ‘drop’ or b***** ‘hound’ ears.(Of course when she’s happy & healthy her ears may start sticking straight up. Or out. Our first rescue papillon Flash carried his ginorous ears stuck out sideways like airplane wings. Our current rescue Sydney, a puppy-mill/petshop survivor, has one ear that stands up proudly & one that hangs gracefully like a hound’s. Either one is ‘correct’ for a papillon (phalene) but not both on the same dog! )
EEH
For some reason Ingrid pops into my mind. Inga for short.
She’s lovely and has a very sweet face. I think your instincts are right on this girl.
Ramalamadingdong
Definitely the one. The bond between the two of you will make Tunch nauseous. I give my pets lots of names, they sort of evolve over the years. I have a cat I named Hillary (she has canckles). Now her name is Hillary-Marie-Charlotte-Jeanie-Rose. It rolls right off the tongue. Recently found out that she is a he. Oh well.
Sasha
You can borrow my dog’s name:
Nellie.
Louise
I got my dog, Mackenzie, from the SPCA when she was about 1 year old. She was traumatized and terrified. She didn’t bark for 3 months.
7 years later, she barks just fine. :-)
Go get this darling dog! (I vote for “Abby/Abigail”)
Jager
Its a cold and rainy day in So Cal and the old kitty girl just walked into my office, jumped on the desk, walked across the keyboard, jumped down and curled up next to Straka the dog. They are both sleeping on the rug at the moment, doggy snoring and kitty purring. I’m praying they don’t start farting or I’ll never get this project done!
Lunaris1013
Two years ago I took in a stray beagle mix. He was timid, frightened of his own shadow, not trained at all – not even housebroken. He’s also the most adorable thing on four paws. It soon became evident that he’d been treated cruelly in his former home, if not outright abused. It was nearly six months before I heard him bark; he decided it was his job to protect the homestead.
It took a lot of patience and love, but my fearful foundling is now friendly, playful, and outgoing. The other dog and two cats (all adoptees) that were already here made him part of the pack.
Also? I like Viola. It’s my mom’s name. Vi for short.
Amy J Wolf
First, do you think that Tunch is part Turkish van? Look it up. We adopted a kitten with similar markings–white, symmetrical pattern on head, striped tail and learned that he must be part Turkish van or Van-alike. Ours is a terrible biter.
As for the dog, she looks great. How about Emily Dickinson for a name?
Emily
But beware that Basenjis can be incredibly mean and incredibly stubborn. Just so you know… They are hard to train and have a reputation for being “cat-like,” which with a dog means standoffish and bullheaded.
But she is adorable, and who knows, maybe she isn’t a Basenji.
The best dogs come from the pound.
Nicole
@Ramalamadingdong: Props for the evolving names. I knew a cat who started her life as “Princess Leia” and 18 years later ended it as “Schwee”
Tithonia
How about Judy? Tunch and Judy. What, no?
JL
This is ot but I actually find this article humorous.
Svensker
Gertie was my favorite great-aunt’s name, so I’m all for that.
If I weren’t happily married I’d propose to you, John Cole, after reading this story.
The boxer next door that I walk is a loved dog, but had never been for a walk or on a leash until we started taking her, age 3. She was completely clueless about the leash, didn’t even know how to sniff dog pee, knew no commands, and was a total airhead…and never barked. A year later, she knows a few commands, sniffs and marks with the best of ’em, is pretty good on the leash and finally started to bark — I think she learned from actually seeing other dogs. She’s still an airhead tho — that’s not curable in boxers.
The Other Steve
I think that dog in the pics looks like an Annie, or Little Ann.
And as for barking… our dog Roxie never barks when she’s at the kennel or around other people. She only barks when she’s at home and hears something. She’s a good watch dog that way.
She looks nice, but being that old and not trained will take some work. Also check how well she socializes with other animals. Sounds like she might be scared, and scared dogs get into trouble.
cleek
Sugar
A Mom Anon
Maddie? She looks like a Maddie I think.
She’s lovely John,give her a home.
JG
Gertie is cute, though Gertrude sounds like an old lady…I also live Olivia as someone suggested, and Ollie is a great short version.
Others I like…Callie, Annie, Hayley (or Hailey or Haley)
FWIW, while Fiona sounds good in theory, it doesn’t work that well to call or affectionately. And calling “Fifi” while standing on your porch in boxers might be a bit emasculating.
Heather
you are an angel! I work at a shelter and good dogs always need great homes. We’ve found that once a dog gets into a comfortable environment they can quickly relax and enjoy life. The shelter is a very scary place for most dogs as it is noisy and busy.
Good luck! I like the name Missy.
jakethesnake
Cat Workout !!!
http://catworkout.com
smiley
@TimO:
That is exactly right. The fewer the syllables, the better the “yell test” results.
Mary Jane
I got a cat once, from a similar situation to you, probably an animal rescuer (who tend to be crazy). He was very calm (Mr. Mellow), but turned out to get asthma attacks due to separation anxiety. After a series of steroid medication rounds, I got him a companion, and he never had an attack after that. So, I think that if Tunch and your new dog (and I vote for waiting and discovering the right name) get along, that she will probably be fine once she feels safe and secure.
asiangrrlMN
@The Other Steve: I was actually going to say Annie, but I didn’t want to insult any Ann/ Anne/Annies who read this blog.
KRK
@John Cole:
Why are you letting her run loose in this scenario? If she’s made a break for it, shouldn’t you put some pants on and go find her?
Gertrude is a great name. I prefer Trudy as a nickname for it, over Gertie. But either is good. I recall hearing somewhere that pets respond better to a name with a long E sound at the end, but I don’t know if that’s really the case.
It’s great that you’re wanting to do this and I do feel sorry for the dog and all she’s been through. But my first reaction was “poor Tunch!” The dog is evidently used to cats (her most likely reaction would seem to be “only one?”) but Tunch is used to a lot of attention from you, on his terms. Could be traumatic.
edit: Tithonia menations Tunch and Judy, which would be another reason why Gertrude would be a good choice: Tunch and Trudy!
smiley
@asiangrrlMN: I was going to suggest Laura W. but thought better of it.
Anne
@JG: that’s why you use Fi (sounds like fee) instead of Fifi. At least, that’s what I’ll do with the cat or dog that I will eventually adopt and name Fiona.
Anne
@asiangrrlMN: I, for one, take no offense to someone naming a dog Anne/Annie.
JadedOptimist
Do it. Looks like you are following the same system I’ve always used: Let the dog choose you. That means the dog is responding to something she senses about you. That will probably make training and socializing her easier.
Re: The Yell Test. Very important. Many years ago, my aunt (fifty-something, single) got her first dog and thought the name “Mister” was just SO cute. Until he got out, and she found herself walking through the neighborhood calling out, “Mister! Come here Mister! Where are you Mister?” and the like. She found him, brought him home and changed his name.
I named my current (older, rescue) dog Pax, as in Peace. Well, that’s what I tell people. His name is actually Paxil, because he’s the most effective anti-depressant I’ve ever tried.
Lynn Sutherland
Watch a few episodes of the Dog Whisperer. He deals with timid adoptees all the time and rehabilitates them in an afternoon. Just do it!! I imagine myself in your life all the time–good food, lovely garden, crazy cat, interesting books, open mindedness–can only be enriched by a dog. How about Frieda–sound, basic, no nonsense name. Lynn
bago
I will go to my grave without understanding the impulse to shout random names at a random dog shaped blob of pixels.
Violet
I vote for Abigail/Abby. She looks like such a sweet dog. John, you are a good person. She’s lucky to have you.
I hope the timidity thing is fixable and she doesn’t pee all the time when she’s nervous. I had a friend who had a dog that peed whenever she was nervous or excited – when he came home from work, when a new person showed up, when it was time to go for a walk, etc. Despite training, she never did overcome that issue. Fortunately, he had wood floors so it was easy cleanup.
blondie
I’m a fan of the Peanut or Moxie- although I like Stella, I always vote to stay away from names of troublemakers, because for some reason, for every normal (for a cat or dog) “Sasha” “Jackson” or “Viola” that I know, there is a rabidly crazy “Puck” the cat who chews through underwear straps and power cords, and is on kitty prozac becuase he won’t stop licking his belly bare.
She’s adorable though John- Best Puppy Dog Eyes Ever.
Tithonia
@KRK:
No more menations for me. I’m fifty six.
Violet
@Tithonia:
Tunch and Judy! I love it! Yes! And Judy is a lovely name. Dignified, but has the two-syllable/y-ending, so it’s easy to call her.
path
I’ve always let my pets name themselves. Put three suggestions on pieces of paper, crumple them up and toss them to her. The one she sniffs/plays with/pees on first wins.
She’s a cutie.
Milo Johnson
She’s beautiful and she has gentle eyes. I think she will be a loyal and loving companion for you, and will probably turn into a happy and trusting family member in no time at all.
bogart
No people names. Dogs especially should have crazy names.
I like to name dogs after my favorite characters from literature. Scout from “Mockingbird”, Bokonon from Cat’s Cradle, and so on.
jamfan
W/r/t my currently theoretical next cat, the leading potential name of the moment is Amazing Larry. As in, “Is this something you can share with the rest of us, Amazing Larry?” from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Missy totally could be an Amazing Larry.
tinat
My first Jack Russel was a female and I so wanted to give her a proper british name like Fiona or Viola or Phillipa or Winifred but after getting to know her I named her Muggsy because she had much mischief in her and not a whole lot of femininity, LOL
This poor soul of a dog needs a calm old fashioned name.
Tunch and Judy is pretty funny but if you can’t pull that off without a grimace, LOL, maybe Susie or Katie or Emme or some sweet quiet name
The Grand Panjandrum
I don’t have time to read the entire thread but she looks like a Heidi to me. She has that sweet little orphan girl look about her.
Raenelle
Buffy or Joan. Unless you plan to get a male dog also someday. If so, name her June and the male dog Johnny.
Trollhattan
She has a sweet look about her, despite the miserable story. I can’t get a handle on her size from those pictures, but will guess somewhere in the 40-pound zone?
The lack of a bark may not be “barkless” but rather, that she simply hasn’t yet. When we adopted our Dal Gracie (out of the rescue lady’s van in the Denny’s parking lot off of I-5–yeah, another story) she was nervous, pleading, silent and remained silent for probably a week after we got her home. Today she’ll bark at any squirrel, invading dog or postman who dares enter her sensor range. What I’m saying is this little girl may not be barkless at all, but too traumatized and likely not the alpha dog of that mess she comes from.
(If she appears to bark but only makes a little squeaky noise then the Basenji theory may carry the day.)
Have the shelter folks screened her? They should do something like this:
The SAFER Test process consists of:
The Stare Test gives clues regarding the dominance and submission of an animal.
The Sensitivity Test assesses social skills, sensitivity levels and level of fear.
The Tag Test determines dominance aggression and fear aggression.
The Pinch Test determines sensitivity, dominance and lack of bite inhibition.
The Food Aggression Test determines food aggression
Dog-to-Dog Aggression Test determines sociability with other dogs
The SAFER Test uses standard grades A through F.
A & B dogs are easily adoptable.
C & D dogs may need behavior modification or be only appropriate for experienced owners.
F dogs are clearly unsafe dogs and not made available for adoption
I really hope this works out for you and **** (I’m fresh out of names here). These stories kill me and there are so many like her. You’re a good man, that’s for certain.
gil mann
Anybody know how to reattach heartstrings?
John Cole
So far, I like Abby, Moxie, and Prudence.
@Trollhattan: No way she is 40 pounds. She is very tiny. I would say 20-25 pounds.
Anne
@Raenelle: LOVE the name June(bug) for a dog. And she totally looks like a June(bug).
asiangrrlMN
@smiley: Funny!
@Anne: I didn’t think many people would, but I wouldn’t know. My real name is kinda odd, so there’s no chance an animal would be named after me.
Steve V
My wife and I adopted a dog based on our gut and she spent the entire time she was with us trying to kill our cats. Poor old cats have had to deal with a lot of change in recent years and it always creates anxiety. Anyway … sorry to concern troll you but I agree with those who are a little worried for Tunch.
BTW there are some great name ideas on this thread.
Loneoak
My adopted dog came with the name Misty, with a leopard print pink color. So we changed her name to Turnip (which was just an obvious choice) and we now refer to Misty as her stripper name.
As for the dog whisperer, it’s bullshit. He might be a miracle worker with an intuitive sense of dog behavior, but you are not. Watching a couple episodes of Mr. Macho Pack Leader will not do you any good at all and probably give you bad ideas. Get yourself to a good dog behaviorist that emphasizes positive reinforcement through clicker training. If they want you to yell at her or use a correction collar just leave. The worse thing for a timid dog is get yelled at or jerked around by their new guardian—it will just look like arbitrary violence from her perspective. The best thing is to form a bond of trust and clear expectations, shaped by positive reinforcement for the desired behaviors. The Human Society should be able to hook you up.
And books by Pat Miller and Karen Pryor are good choices.
eglenn
No way you can keep the Steeler’s All-Time Team thing going?
Swann, maybe?
Chum
Looks like a Ruby to me. Good for you for saving this lovely pup.
Comrade Dread
You could always name her Puma, so you can get a bit of mild catharsis by rubbing Puma’s nose into the messes she makes.
And yes, people, it’s a joke.
I have two rescue puppies of my own.
Steve V
@Loneoak:
I pretty much agree with you re Cesar M. He has an amazing way with dogs, but it can’t really be taught to other people too easily.
John O
You’re a good man, John Cole.
As for introducing cats to other cats, and dogs to cats, it’s always a bit tense at first. Cats HATE each other. I’ve done it several times, and the key is to make sure everyone knows who’s boss in the house, and they’ll eventually work it out. 100% for me, though the degree to which they worked it out does vary. My last stray into the two settled cat household did very well after a while, though was never allowed to join the pile of the original two cats while sleeping. (He may have had no interest either, honestly. A very independent cat, even for a cat.)
Don’t care what you name her. That’s your problem. But she’s beautiful, she’ll be a lot of work for a while, but I’ll be damned if dogs can’t learn to love with enough love given to them.
Did I mention what a good man you were? Good.
The Grand Panjandrum
@Comrade Dread:
.
Just make her wear blue pant suits, that should be enough punishment.
REN
We always take the dogs no one else wants. They always turn out wonderfully for us. Dogs will return all the love they receive times two, so she will be just fine in your hands John. I’d call her Hoover as that best describes the sound that dogs make when eating.
Chuck Butcher
@John Cole:
Heh, Gus’ head outweighs her…
Susan
You wont regret it with a little patience. I have two adult rescue dogs, one was very twitchy and nervous, which he got over after about a year of patience, but no major problems. The second was abandoned with a bad leg and submissive urination, but he got over it in about a week with the other animals. It took about 3 weeks of regular bathing to get the smell out, but it was worth it. Great dogs both of them.
As for names, I have always like Sharon.
Good Luck!
John Cole
The other thing I’m not sure is coming through in the pictures is she is small and really rather dainty. This will sound silly, but she has a rather feminine vibe for a dog. She kind of reminds me the sort of dog you would see around the neighborhood patiently dealing with 5 puppies and her name would be “queenie” or “lady.” I’m probably not doing a very good job explaining her, for lack of a better word, aura.
Lily, maybe. I need to have her for a while, I think.
abo gato
I’m with Bogart, dogs should have funny names, not people names. Our two dogs are Smarty and Jambon…..cat named Honker. I vowed the next cat I have will be named Ching Gato, so I CAN stand outside and yell out “Ching Gato!!!” at the top of my lungs.
She is a lovely looking girl. Her name will come to you once you get to know her.
You’re a nice man, Mr. Cole.
Wolfdaughter
John–
Lots of good suggestions here. I could see naming her Honey or Sherry because of her fur color. Try different names with her and see what she seems to respond to. You don’t have to name her right away–spend a few days with her to get a better sense of her personality (or should one say caninality?) to see what fits.
Also, since she doesn’t respond to the name orginally given to her, are you sure she is hearing okay?
Bless you, and bless her. She will have a much much better home now.
Chum
What about Lady. Sounds good to me.
martian
She’s a sweetie. Who wouldn’t love that face.
I put in a vote for living with her before naming to get a better sense of her personality. Gertie’s an awesome name, though — just very friendly, cheerful, and a little old-fashioned (in a good way).
I don’t know about Basenji, or Lab or whatever, though. She could just be a whole lot of generations of good old mutt. Left to themselves, dogs tend to breed back to a kind of dog archetype that’s basically medium sized, medium to short in coat, and often yellow. Australian dingoes would probably be the purest example of this, so far as I’ve heard, since they went feral at least a few thousand years ago, but you see it all over the world. I think I first heard about it when watching a documentary on India, actually. There was some footage of the countless street dogs – mostly medium sized, yellow, short-hairs – and they said it took about 14 generations to get from dog (of whatever breed) to Dog.
Ha! I just googled to check my memory and some kennel clubs group Basenjis with Pariah or Primitive Dogs. Maybe commenters here do know what they’re talking about, heh. That’s not a Basenji face, though, in my not so expert opinion. Closer to a Carolina Dog, aka Dixie Dingo, if we’re going for barkless primitives.
That said, maybe she’s not a barker because she isn’t used to having a person to talk to. We have a rescue Papillon that we never heard bark for probably the first six months she was with us. I think her previous owners mostly ignored her. Now that we’ve been together for five years, she’s chatty, but her vocalizations are more like pigeon sounds than anything. We still only hear a bark once every few months, if that.
Tattoosydney
Doggie!!
@AhabTRuler:
@asiangrrlMN:
@Laura W:
Hello all from chilly Sydney.
I’m really liking “Junior“. Mind you, I’ve only really listened to the first four song, because I like them so much I got stuck… onwards to track 5!
Chum
My husband thinks she looks like a ‘Foxie’.
jvill
“Sally Shotgun”.
Or just “Sally”.
Or just “Shotgun”.
Jill
John,
Please, please, please do take her home (you won’t regret it), proving once again you are one of the sweetest men on earth. And I vote for naming her Scout. Definitely not Missy.
gbear
@John Cole:
Well then you’ll have to provide endless Pictures of Lily.
plaindave
Cleo or Ginny. Both yell easily.
Trollhattan
How about “Ayn” for when–you know–she goes Galt?
Or, since she’s literally half the size I thought you might go for something appropriately dainty, like Daisy. Provides a Gatsby reference at no additional cost.
Annie
She is beautiful….Tunch has been around dogs before — your parents and friends. How does he do?
I like Swan (very Steelerish) or Nada (which means hope)….A very strong name.
CaseyL
I like Abby as a name, and you’re an angel to adopt her.
Really, from the description it sounds like she had practically no socialization at all – you’re lucky she’s housebroken – and you will have a rare old time teaching her, essentially, How to Be a Dog (and How to Live Peacefully with Other Species). That could be a lot of fun, esp. when you teach her how to have fun. I can just imagine the revelation that ball tosses in the back yard will be for her. (Better start with ball rolls, though, so she doesn’t freak out.)
Jeannie, the pregnant cat who turned up on my doorstep last summer (and who I adopted, along with Oscar, the last of her kittens) couldn’t have been older than 2 at the time; and I think she lost her home even younger than that. I don’t think she knew what ‘play’ was until she moved in with me and discovered the joys of feathers-on-sticks and fur-dangles-in-cat-trees.
Are you still going to get Shayla as well? Tunch will be in total shock, going from an only-critter to a first-among-many-critters. Don’t forget to give him extra lovies when you bring the rest of the menagerie home!
LanceThruster
She looks like a “Ginger” to me. Nice that she’s been pulled into your orbit.
Max
STELLA!
How big is she? Hard to tell with her lying down.
Anne Laurie
Never name a dog Biscuit or Cookie. It’s funny the first dozen times, but you’ll get waaaay more attention than you want when you’re both at the local dog park / training class.
I once knew a dog named Gerdie (a German shorthair). Her owner joked it was because she gave him such GERD (gastro-esophogeal reflux disease).
And incidentally, both E’s in my name are silent, and the consensus is that if I were a dog I’d be a white bull terrier, like Spuds McKenzie (who was a girl) or the dogs in the Target ads.
eric
@John Cole: Isabell is a great name by itself and depending on if her personality shifts you have the dainty option of Bell and the less dainty Izzy to scream from the porch. Plus, it has a princess feel to it as well.
eric
Skepticat
I need a couple of days of getting acquainted to choose a name that’s really appropriate.
Love the eyebrows!
daryljfontaine
@blondie: My mom named her new cat Mischief after her 17-year old Siamese died, and Miss Mischief spent much of her first year living up to the name. Seems to have mellowed out by now.
I always shudder in dread when I hear of people who’ve named their cat “Loki”. Seriously, do you people not read? Or not read enough?
As for the gorgeous girl in your photos, John, I say that Fiona (or Fi) is a fine name, better still if you can train her as an explosives expert.
D
martian
If you want a feminine name, Viola doesn’t seem quite right but how about Violet?
And Honey, which has already been suggested, is very nice.
I had a dog with close to her colouring that we named Butterscotch. Got to admit I was always a little embarrassed to tell people my dog’s name. Very twee. His middle name was Sunday, too, because he came to us on a Sunday. So, twee and a pun. Poor thing turned out to be the butchest alpha ever, too. I know he felt the insult.
bellatrys
Rescue dogs can work out really well, in a good home with proper training and patience. It sounds like she doesn’t have the dangerous sort of scared, the one that attacks because of being overwhelmed with fear, and that she’s willing to move out beyond already in spite of it is a really good indicator of future progress. Routine and mellowness are the important things to provide for an abused/traumatized animal. Since Tunch is pretty laid back, not a hyperactive adult kitten, that’s a good thing too!
gbear
Some folks up above were mentioning the word Rose. My first cat was named Rosebud, of course lifted from Citizen Kane. It wound up being a fun name because after a while almost any variation on ‘Bud’ would get the cat’s attention. She got called Budinski a lot.
Tattoosydney
@Anne:
It’s always possible that it’s related to her other fear behaviour – after we rescued Pedro from dog prison, he didn’t bark at all for the first three or four weeks, until he had settled in a bit, when he started barking normally.
rcareaga
Fortune was smiling on the creature when you decided to take her in (oh, you will), so why not pay due tribute with “Tyche?”
kdrtoona
John,
First, off kudos to you man! It looks like you came around just in time for this little girl. Seems like she’s been through a lot. Hope everything works out…
As long as you call her for dinner and when you come home at night, she won’t care what you call her but I’ll suggest some nonetheless.
What about Geusey (pronouced juicy ala Beetlegeuse style) ?
It’s in keeping with your parent’s naming conventions and is a nice little hat tip to the strange little mess you’ve created here…
Or what about Sydney? (Could be good karma for the Pens.)
Whatever you choose, this is a good thing that you are doing… but seriously if you don’t choose mine I’m probably going to have to start commenting questions about your birth certificate and hoping for you to fail…
Cain
Hmm.. let’s see, I decided to discard the american names and go with exotic. The goal is what dog name would piss off Goldberg.
* Ahnna (slavic style)
* Naia (persian)
* Talayeh (persian)
* Siobhan (irish)
That’s all I got.
cain
LV-426
Long thread, TLDR. In case no one has mentioned it yet, watch the Dog Whisperer. Treat the dog like a dog and she’ll be happy. He’ll show you how.
Tunch is going to be very angry with you. LOL
Molly
I don’t care what you call her . . . please take her home! She looks like a sweetie!
MelodyMaker
This is really cool, Mr. Cole. Big move with some non-trivial risks and hard work, but the rewards would be huge!
Bettie!
There, easily yelled and heard. Can be said or hollered by a guy. (yeah, I think that way) And it’s kinda hot.
JenJen
I can’t believe I’m late to such a momentous party!!
TEAM MISSY!
TEAM MISSY!
TEAM MISSY!
For what it’s worth, there has never *not* been a dog in my life, but currently, I have a little mutt I raised from a pup, along with a pure-bred Australian Shepherd who was given up at a shelter, and who came to me via Aussie Rescue. The latter dog is the most loving, cuddly, almost-appreciative animal I have ever known. So, you’re gonna do a good thing here, John, and I wish both Missy and Tunch all the luck in learning to live with each other!
HinTN
I go with bokkwyrm86 except I make it plural, “Peaches” She looks like a sweetie pie and peaches rolls off the tongue very nicely!
satby
John,
You have a good gut. She sounds like she’ll be a great dog, though I’m thinking she’ll end up barking when she’s in her own place and feeling like she has to protect it too. Lots of dogs are quiet and very frightened in shelters, the noise is overwhelming and the environment is so strange.
Some rescuers fall over the line into hoarders, sounds like what happened to her, but I bet she’ll adapt to your home fairly easily once she’s there. I had 2 adult puppy mill breeder dogs as foster rescues once, labs that had never been out of their small pens in 2 years except to be bred over and over. They couldn’t walk on a leash, weren’t housebroken, and had been abused and so were very frightened, especially of men. They housebroke in less than 3 days, walked OK on leashes in about a week, and became wonderful family pets that were adopted soon after, and more grateful, loving companions couldn’t be found. Rescues always know they’ve been saved and pay you back 10-fold.
Evil Parallel Universe
Fidelita/Fidelina? Che is really hoping someone will name their dog after his friend Fidel.
The Revolucion demands it!
What better way to prove your bona fides as a Dem than naming your pet after a Socialist icon? And think of how it would piss off repugs – “Yeah, THAT Che!” (True, Che’s name has only pissed off one person so far, but I live in the quasi-Socialist, if not quite liberally fascistic, part of America).
*****************************************
One syllable names ending in consonants are best – gets the dog’s attention, and shorter is always better regardless whether or not it ends in a consonant.
Regardless, I am going to convince someone, someday, to name their dog Fidel or a variation thereof.
MazeDancer
Lily is a great name. My first cat was named Lily decades ago. (Had two – Dashiell & Lily.) Didn’t know at the time that Lily can be all the “Susannah” kind of names in Hebrew. Susan, Sue, Suze, Suzanne, Suzette, all those also Lily derivatives.
But it is good to live with a dog at least a couple days to see what she’s like. And try a few names, maybe she’ll let you know.
JenJen
Since the dumb editor hates me…
As far as the name goes.. with rescues, I’ve always had great luck by changing the name to something close to the original name. For example, my Aussie Rescue came to me as Rocky, and I changed it to Rocco. For Missy… hmmm… what about “Mississippi” and keep her nickname? Or Mizz, or Myst, or Mystery, or Miss Precious Perfect (h/t Ben Affleck/Keith Olbermann)? ;-)
Tattoosydney
@Tattoosydney:
Urgh. So many people pointing out the same thing I said before I said it.
Oh well – music!
gbear
Is this thread long enough that we can start talking about a million puppies storming the White House?
emptywheel
I’m with Bogart–a dog name, not a girl name.
How about “Pilsner”?
Doug
Lola
Sibyl
Indra
Smurfette
SarahLoving
couple name ideas:
Talula
Jules
Francis
Anne Laurie
Yup, Chihuahua/mumble cross. Puppy-mill Chis are usually much bigger than their “certified” relatives — part reversion to the mean, part tiny bitches don’t survive giving birth every six months alone in a wire hutch. (I once had a pet shop employee assure me that the ten-pound, 8-week-old ‘chihuahua’ in the window was “a *standard* chihuahua, not like those miniatures you see everywhere.”) And she has the dainty toy-dog face, too.
Speaking of names, Maura Tierney, who is adorable as well as a good actor, spent a decade on ER playing Nurse Abby Lockhart, who was notorious as the writer’s Misery Sponge. (Bipolar mother — Sally Fields got an Emmy for that — missing father, failed marriage to an adulterer who used the money he owed her under their divorce settlement to buy himself a BMW so she had to drop out of medical school, alcoholism, doomed relationship with another alcoholic, carjacked at gunpoint by gangbangers, failed her medical boards on the first try, on-&-off relationship with a hot doctor who Had Issues, accidental pregancy, assault while pregnant by a different set of felons, emergency hysterectomy after giving birth prematurely, the near-death of her son to a NICU infection… and that’s just off the top of my head!) So I think Abby (or Maura) would make a perfect name for your new little housemate!
iluvsummr
I know it’s not particularly feminine, but when you said she stopped shaking when you took her on a walk, Walker popped into my head. When I look at her face though, I see a Sandy.
I don’t think she’s a basenji; her tail’s bushy & not curled up, and her ears a bit floppy. She looks absolutely adorable.
Elizabeth Lyne
I think Fiona is great and it’s “Fi” (fee) for short. I watch very little TV but “Burn notice” is one of my favorites. “Fiona” on that show is a survivor but is tough, smart, and a real female. I think it would be a great name and passes the owner “yell” test.
Good luck! Loved your descriptions of your time checking her out and knowing she was perfect!
Doug
“The other thing I’m not sure is coming through in the pictures is she is small and really rather dainty. This will sound silly, but she has a rather feminine vibe for a dog.”
Definitely Smurfette then. Forget my other suggestions.
Ella in NM
Que cute!!
John, just go bring her home and the rest will work itself out with lots of love, nurturing and patience. You have been brought into her life for a reason: she needs you.
Our family was blessed with a really sweet abandoned dog (“Doober”) my oldest son found wandering in the desolation of South Dakota a couple of years ago. Aside from being emaciated and covered with ticks and fleas, he had significant anxiety and shyness issues. I’m glad to say he is now the most outgoing, confident, loving and well-behaved dog we have ever had! He has brought so much joy into his and our lives. It can be done!
My one piece of advice: I’d highly recommend that you crank up her nutrition, especially EFA’s and protein to help her immune system recover and her brain to produce the right levels of calming neurotransmitters. I would bet she’s been terribly deficient in those nutrients where she came from. My brother’s vet recommended over the counter Sam-e, too, for their anxious dog.
Oh, and as for a name, I vote for “Molly” or “Lucky”.
Anne
@Tattoosydney: Agreed. Especially if it’s already obvious that she currently has anxiety issues, she might open up and regain her voice once she gets settled in a good home.
And now that John’s mentioned her size, I’d definitely say part chihuahua. She has the face.
Bob In Pacifica
After her husband died my Girlfriend adopted an Akita from the pound to watch over her two girls from after school until she got home from work. The animal control people had found Kirby living in the county dump, eating cheetos and garbage. He had heartworms. He was already at least five and he seemed to have no training.
But Kirby turned out to be a wonderful dog. Oh, he was untrained and untrainable, a great big one-hundred pound doofus, but he watched over the girls. No one would have been foolish enough to get into the house with that huge dog looking out the front window. Not that he ever bit anyone. The first time I met him he drooled all over my shoes in a most disgusting manner. He tended to stick his snout into strangers’ crotches as a way of saying hello and sticking his snout into strangers’ butts as a way of saying see ya later.
When I came onto the scene he was still pretty frisky. He’d view any crack in the front door as an invitation to take off on an adventure. Once you found him he was easy to bring home because he loved car rides.
He lived to be around 12, we estimated. The last couple of years were a long slow decline. My Girlfriend and her remaining daughter at home were up in Portland visiting the other daughter when he died. He was in my arms. A big ol’ wonderful dog.
I spent most of my working life as a letter carrier so I got a different view of dogs. I never would have thought about owning a dog, but he was a joy to be around. It has been an honor to be able to share my life with Kirby. He’s been gone for about three months now and sometimes I imagine hearing him around the house. I miss him.
Little Dreamer
I have to say, some of these standard human female names seem awfully strange to me. I’m more in the habit of naming pets due to circumstances. My cat, for instance, was found during a hurricane, so I named him Stormy. I’d have a hard time naming him some human male name, like William, or Herbert.
John Cole
I hate to say it because there have been so many suggestions, but I’m really starting to think the name “Lily” is going to be the best fit. It sounds right, it is feminine, yet two syllables ending with an “eee” sound and still playful.
Most important though, it fits with my mental image of her. She has the essence of Lily, if that makes sense.
Rachel
She looks like a sweetie! You’ve got to take her home and love her. She’ll adapt to Tunch or Tunch will adapt to her. Props to you for rescuing this poor baby girl. She’s going to be a fortunate dog when you take her home! My pets (dogs, birds, cats and a pot bellied pig) include Fiona, Ari, Avi, Kaiser, Caine, Griffin, Suka, McKenzie, Levi and Beau.
Little Dreamer
@John Cole:
I like Lily. I think it fits her. She’s a beautiful dog btw.
JGabriel
I like Fiona as well, Fia for short. Lily is nice too, but I think you just like the idea of calling posts about her, “Pictures of Lily”.
.
Jamie
I like Tunch and Judy.
SrirachaHotSauce
I can tell by the way you write about the dog that she’ll be fine, relax, and be a great pet. Sounds to me like this dog has been mistreated. Those days are now over. Congrats, you have a lucky dog.
MelodyMaker
@John Cole:
Hard consonants, man. Hard consonants. :)
Lily does pass the yell test, regardless. You rock.
Anne
Lily sounds great. I think it suits her. Congrats to both you and the pup, and good on you for giving her a loving home.
tammanycall
@Dave Herman:
We are the same age.
@John Cole:
She’s very foxy. She looks like a Ginger or Dinah.
ETA: oops. Should have refreshed first. Lily’s great, too.
Evil Parallel Universe
Lily is a fine choice.
And it will give you the option of titling posts of pictures of Lily taken while “Pictures of Lily” was playing – “Pictures of Lily,” (if you can embed “Pictures of Lily” to play in the “Pictures of Lily” post, well, GENUIS!) and if the universe doesn’t explode or implode from that harmonic convergence, then we’re all simply stuck here for the duration.
LarryB
John,
I’m late to the party, but let me introduce you to your newest, bestest friend: The SpotBot. Seriously.
Annie
I love Lily. However, if you want to continue the Steeler mode you could consider:
Franco, Rooney, Terry, or Ben
Genine
Has anyone mentioned Daisy? Daisy would be a good name as well.
sgrAstar
John, four years ago I adopted a gigantic (130 lbs) lab mix from our local humane society. He’d been there for ages and was set to be euthanized. He was depressed, shaky-scared, and, it turned out, neither house trained nor really acculturated in any way. He and I had a few weeks of mutual incomprehension before things started straightening out. At his size and weight, the leash was a theoretical instrument, at best- he snapped ’em repeatedly, had no idea how to behave, and was a hazard to himself and all motor vehicles- it was just such a fiasco at first! He wasn’t my first dog, so I had some experience training and loving pups to fall back on, as well as some friends in the shelter/no kill movement who understood my new dog’s psychology and had useful advice. The upshot is that Sirius Black is just a fantastic companion now- fun, loyal, and super affectionate. Figuring out how to help Sirius adapt- how to understand his communication, how to help him feel less frightened and nervous, how to socialize him to strangers- took a while, but it’s been a really gratifying journey. Shelter dogs can come with some pretty heavy baggage, but they’re totally worth it!
Geoff Hughes
She looks a lot like my old dog, Iva. (Short for Ivanova from “Anna Karenina”) A friend insisted she had “The soul of Sylvia Plath” She was a good dog, kind of weird, but very loyal.
MelodyMaker
@Genine:
Snatch?
Lesley
What do you think of ‘Tess’ for a name? Or Tessie. She looks like a Tess to me. (Bonus: “Tess and Tunch” has a nice alliterative ring.)
I am thrilled you are adopting her. You and Tunch will work wonders, I’m sure, and think of the couch potato videos you will be able to make with the added pet (who appears to have lounging around skillz).
If she has extreme anxiety, you might want to hire a dog whisperer who can train it out of her. Just don’t convey any anxiety, yourself, around her or reward her when she displays anxiety (or she’ll think that’s what you want and keep displaying).
Pretend she’s confident and treat her accordingly and she’ll soon realize she’s in a safe place.
People who rescue animals are saints. Bless you.
Anne Laurie
Get her a nice harness, not a flat collar, and a line long enough that you can tie it to your belt for at least the first 24/48 hours when you’re both in the house. (Of course, she’ll be in a crate when you’re not in the house, and I assuming you’re already looking for the perfect little “den” for her?) Keeping her literally within arm’s reach not only ensures she can’t get herself into trouble when your attention drifts, it’s reassuring for timid dogs to know that their “pack leader” intends to keep them safe. I’ve used the Buddy System very successfully with our two most recent rescues, but any strong 10ft. cord/rope that you can fasten securely at both ends will do the job.
Rather than ‘leash training’, when you want to take her out, just coax her to follow you & the ‘attachment bond’ by offering her treats & praise. If she’s (understandably) nervous & submissive, trying to make her ‘lead the way’, especially if you’re staring at her, is counter-productive. Some submissive dogs literally *can’t* “do their business” when the Alpha is watching them, and dogs who’ve been punished for soiling indoors may be understandably shy, too.
Stacy
Mara, Zoey and Yvette have always been my favorite pet names. She actually kind of looks like my dog, Mara.
If she still shows signs of anxiety when you get her home, you can try using a Kong for her. Best dog toy ever. We fill ours with canned food and freeze it or put peanut butter in it, and give it to our dog when we leave for work in the morning or when we have company. Really helps take their mind off things and relax.
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: Hi! Sorry. Nice to see you. How’s our Pedro? Any new photos?
Lesley
@Jamie: Absolutely love this suggestion, too.
Dave in ME
She is beautiful and I look forward to the introduction between her and Tunch – good times!!
kid bitzer
you are one affectionate, good-hearted dude, i gotta tell you.
the way you have fallen in love with this dog just says a million good things about your capacity for love. it sounds like lily is going to be a bit of a challenge at first, but definitely worth it.
i hope tunch also has a little extra room in his heart.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
Aww, she’s adorable, and it’s great that you’re giving the little girl a stable and loving home. Lily sounds like a very good fit, but all the way through the thread, I was calling her Maudie for some reason.
maddie
Ginger!
Zuzu's Petals
@Death By Mosquito Truck:
A quick warning for John, if she is part Basenji.
My son and his wife picked out a lovely young dog at the pound about 2 1/2 years ago. Given her looks and coloring, they assumed she was mostly Boxer. She did have a different snout, a funny bark, and a curly tail.
After several escapes over the fence, dashes down the street, near-murder of cats (the prey instinct is strong), they concluded that she was part Basenji. DiL says she should have paid a little more attention to the comments by the prior owners (yes, plurarl), especially the one who said: “I just couldn’t chase her anymore.”
They still have her, but have spent tons of money and lots of time on obedience training. No fence is high enough for her, so she has to be on a long leash in the back yard. And walking her is an art.
It sounds like Missy gets along with cats, though…
numbskull
We call this dog “SHITHEAD!”
with apologies to Steve Martin….
Laura W
@JenJen:
LOL!!
John Cole
She is not Basenji. If I had to guess, a mutt mix with dominant strains of terrier and chihahua and some (SIGH) beagle and the rest just whatever.
John Cole
@JenJen: I already had a cat named “Mr. Purr Puff.”
And sadly, I am not kidding. Best cat evah, though. Besides Tunch.
Laura W
@Ella in NM:
Excellent pet food advice as always, Ella.
gex
Supposedly it is easiest for a dog to have a 2 syllable name that ends in a long “ee” sound. It’s easier to call them and hold the last syllable.
If it weren’t for that, my dog would be named Jake, because that is the best name for a dog ever.
Anne Laurie
P.S. John, make sure the vet checks her kneecaps. “Luxating patellas” are to small dogs what hip dysplasia is to the big guys, and random-breds get the bad genes along with the “hybrid vigor”. Mild (Grade 1, even 2) luxation isn’t a serious medical issue, but you want to know about it before Abby starts climbing stairs, jumping on Tunch’s futon, or chasing frisbees.
Our boy Zevon has Grade 1 patellas, but it’s only noticible when he’s doing the Happy Dog Dance — he keeps his knees tucked under his center of gravity, doing a version of the ‘boot-scootin’ boogie’ which always makes people laugh. No trouble racing up & down the stairs of our split-level, getting into the people bed, or wrestling with other dogs, but we knew when we brought him home that he wouldn’t be a good agility or flyball prospect.
MelodyMaker
@Anne Laurie:
Wow, you really know your stuff. I need some cat advice, but I’ll let that go for here and now.
Your quoting JoCo reminded me to go ahead and share a YouTube link to Soul Coughing with a song about walking around in circles. Remember that St Louise is Listening, uh.
Sasha
Also:
Goldie
Throwin Stones
My parents had to put down their 13-year old Weimaraner, Kloe, last week.
Gina
@dmn: Daisy is my vote too. I’m hoping it’d bring good juju, as my late dog was also a Daisy and she was, hands down, the bestest doggie EVAR.
TuiMel
I agree on the two syllables max thing. I offer up Ella – although Stella certainly passes the “yell” test. Good for you. My nephew rescued a beagle from a lab – never been out of a cage and afraid of the sound of her nails on the floor. She’s coming along. Dogs are incredibly resilient. Good luck!
Zuzu's Petals
When I was little I insisted on naming one of our dog’s puppies “Taxi.”
gex
I mentioned in the open thread, but will repeat here, that a seat belt harness should be purchased as well.
Casey must be the luckiest dog ever. First the Xylitol thing, then he was with me when a young punk rear ended me and totaled my car. I did not have a seat belt harness for him, and I’m lucky he wasn’t hurt.
Throwin Stones
John,
I have to say this is really cool. We have three canine rescues, two of them are mutts. Tally, the Irish Setter is a handful. We’ve had her two years and I still work with her quite a bit. She’s quite gun-shy for being a sporting breed. Any gunshot, backfire, or lightning strike could send her hiding to the bedroom for a few hours. She is still pretty leery of most men. I’m fairly sure she was abused, and it’s not just the breed thing.
Looking forward to more pix. Maybe you should get the cat, too.
Tattoosydney
@sgrAstar:
@Lesley:
@Anne Laurie:
While the open threads are packed with doggy goodness, I’d like to ask the assembled minions for advice about my dog, if I may. (With apologies for the longish post, but I know it is important to get this information right when asking this question.)
Pedro is a rescue dog. He’s a three and a half year old Australian red cattledog, currently on anti-depressants to enable us to train him out of his fearfulness.
He lives with me, my husband and our flatmate in a house with a big back yard. With the three of us, he is doggy devotion and love personified. He would never think of aggression towards any of us – we are his pack. Pedro is happy to be below hubby and me in the pack power rankings (for want of a better phrase) and always does what we tell/ask him, although Pedro often seems to think he is 3rd dog because our lovely flatmate (exasperatingly) seems incapable of not doing what Pedro tells him.
Pedro is anxious but easily controllable when there is an outside disturbance (a dog barking, someone walking past the front gate), and our yard is secure so he has never gotten out.
However, Pedro’s first reaction when dealing directly with any other people, however, is rapidly escalating fear, moving to attack very quickly. When we first got him, he was skittish, reserved, easily scared but interacted well with strangers. After about six months, when he had settled in, quite suddenly (to our eyes) he moved into his current behaviour. This may or may not have related to an incident where someone was in our house while Pedro and Bradley were at home – I suspect so. He is perfectly behaved at the vets, but otherwise when out in public he must be controlled very strictly. Cats cause blinding and immediate rage. He freezes but doesn’t attack if other dogs come near him, unless they try to smell his butt. He has bitten one person, back in the very first days when he started being aggressive. Since then we have carefully kept him separate from other people – walks mean walks in a big park, where there is room to keep other people more than 10 feet away, when visitors come over he stays outside (early experiments in introducing people to Pedro through the fence were not a success).
The vet says (and I think her right) that he is fearful. His aggression is aimed at protecting the members of his pack. The anti-depressants are to lower his anxiety, so that we can train him with strict enforcement of behaviour. He must sit before he does anything – getting a pat, going from one room to another – and sitting is rewarded, usually with a tiny bit of food, otherwise with pats and a higher voice.
I think that my husband and I can train him out of at least some of his anxiety with our vet’s help (and that we can train our flatmate to train him – I’m using the same techniques for the flatmate as the dog (less the antidepressants)).
However, any advice from other dog parents who may have dealt with something similar would be gratefully received.
Zuzu's Petals
@John Cole:
The sibs and I subscribed to a magazine in my dad’s dog’s name so we’d have something to read when visiting him.
Every time I get a piece of junk mail addressed to “Tofu Jones” I know exactly who to blame. Thanks Vanity Fair.
Tattoosydney
Hello there. Sorry we haven’t chatted for a while. It seems every time I come on here, you have headed off for the night. Hope you are well.
Pedro is well – for an exhaustive outline of his behaviour see above. Embarrassing photo here.
How’s Leah?
Tattoosydney
@Tattoosydney:
Block quote fail.
maye
God bless you for rescuing this dog!!
I rescued a four-year old Dobie who couldn’t walk on a leash, had the worst case of kennel cough anyone had ever seen, and had a laceration on her foreleg that wouldn’t heal. She was a mess. Turned out to be the best dog I ever owned and lived to be 13.
Good luck.
(A good dog trainer can fix the leash think in a couple of sessions.)
lee
Take her off the leash and see what she does.
We had a dog (austrailian shepard) that could not walk on a leash. She would get tangled up to a point of immobility every time we put her on a leash.
So on walks we just carried the leash. She never went more than about 10 yards from us.
Fern
@Tattoosydney:
You can train him out of behaviour, but you cannot train him out of anxiety.
Some Guy
Great dog-she will love you so completely once she has learned her troubled days are over.
From the names mentioned, I like Persephone, Lily, and Clio.
Some other ones to consider:
Sunny
Ms. Wags
Rosie
D’oro (Italian for “of gold”)
BigSwami
Welcome to the other side. Everything in life is better with a big dog.
Dogs & People were meant to be together.
Tattoosydney
@Fern:
True. I think the idea is to have his training so ingrained (while his anxiety is reduced by the pills) that when he stops taking the pills his training will kick in when he becomes anxious, and he will just sit and wait until he is told what to do.
He has some trauma in his past and/or a little circuit that is wrong in his head and which kicks from fear to aggression very quickly. We’re never going to fix the underlying anxiety problem, but I hope we can make him less prone to the aggression bit.
Bob In Pacifica
Great story, sgrAstar. Enjoy that dog.
Some Guy
@Zuzu’s Petals:
Love the name “Tofu Jones.”
Reminded me of a favorite naming game of mine. Take any word and put it in front of Jones and it makes a cool name. Hard to find a word that doesn’t work.
Freeper Jones
Sauvignon Jones
Clock Jones
Diethyl Jones
Phalanges Jones
My other favorite name game it to make a person’s first name into a possessive for their last name. That is the name of that person’s junk.
Barack’s Obama
Angela’s Merkel
Rush’s Limbaugh
Sarah’s Palin
Fern
@Tattoosydney:
I think you are taking an enormous risk.
Evil Parallel Universe
The Dog Whisperer’s basic tenets of firm, consistent correction, tiring them out (a cattle dog especially) seem to have merit. There are plenty of episodes on fear-based aggression, so I’m sure there is one that will be spot on for Pedro. If you have to put Pedro on his back to get him to submit when he acts up, do it, and as often as necessary.
Che started acting dominant-aggressive towards some people and dogs in his “territory” at 9 months (he’s fine at the dog park and daycare), and now at 18 months, since I’ve actually tried to discipline him for the past two, he’s getting better in the territory using the Dog Whisperer techniques to achieve detente if I’m paying attention to what he is doing. I’m more than happy if he simply walks by another dog that I know he doesn’t like.
2 things about the Dog Whisperer – dogs act differently (usually less aggressive) when someone other than the owner is on the other end of the leash, and also, and more importantly, at least with the aggressive dogs, “success” often seems to be detente – your aggressive dog not reacting – rather than happy puppy playtime with all other dogs – and if you shoot for detente I bet you can achieve it.
Some of Che’s issues, like aggression to cats, are, IMO, just the nature of his mom’s breed, and I’ve realized (or rationalized if anyone disagrees) that he’s never going to be friendly with them, but I can try for detente there too with the same techniques.
Gratuitous world’s cutest dog pic http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2426/3567771276_d28cc0bcba.jpg
Tattoosydney
@Some Guy:
Sexy.
Joe’s Biden.
Also (oddly) sexy.
Gordon’s Brown
Kevin’s Rudd
Not sexy.
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: Hi. Sorry, had to eat.
Things are great here. About to move into a very busy few months with the household move in late July and lots of intense stuff at work building momentum and headed for launch over coming months. It’s all good, and I’m grateful, so no bitching. (tonight.)
Leah’s insane and loyal as always. I leave her home now every other day when I walk. After 10 years of near-daily 3-mile (off leash) power walks, she’s starting to lag a bit. I find if I let her rest every other day, she is more spry and able to keep up on the walk days. She’s great. I leave her on the driveway and just say: “Stay”. She does. Best trained dog ever, for the most part. Lives to please me.
Pee Ess: I can’t tell you how loudly I laughed when I saw Pedro and his chapeau.
Just caught this above me and to that I say WORD! The very few times Leah has been aggressive to any of the cats, or to me, which is very rare, I immediately command her DOWN! She invariably rolls over to expose her belly, as well she should in submission to me, Alpha Bitch Supreme. Seriously, I’ve worked since day one to let her know that she was submissive to not only me, but every single cat that comes into this house. So far so good. It’s really imperative you maintain the power balance insofar as they fear you, in a good way. Respect
Tattoosydney
@Fern:
May I ask why?
We would never put him in a situation where we did not think we could control his behaviour entirely, or which would risk his safety or the safety of other people. If it means that he is never put in a situation where he has to interact at close quarters with anyone outside his pack, then that’s what will happen – it’s what we have done for the last year with good success.
He’s happy and joyful 99% of the time. If training him can make his anxiety manifest itself less often, I’m not sure what the problem is.
Bad Horse's Filly
Geez, go out to dinner and come back to this. We love our pets here, don’t we?! John, I trust your instincts, too. I think Tunch has been waiting for a friend and has the instincts to know this dog needs him, so will not feel threatened. I vote for Scout, Abby and want to throw in an Andi or Annie.
I have friends who have a rat terrier mix, whose face looks just like hers. He’s timid as well (rescued after his owner died and several foster homes) but loyal, loving and sweet. He’s actually a terrier/chihauhau mix and they tell everyone he’s a terrahuahua (terra-wa-wa).
Fern
@Tattoosydney:
I was reacting to the fact that he has bitten someone. If you are confident you can control him and his environment – I don’t see a problem.
Tattoosydney
@Evil Parallel Universe:
Not at all. He always does what he is told with gentle and friendly but firm correction. I can’t imagine needing to put him on his back.
Definitely. If his training means that he can ignore other people and dogs most of the time, and not want to attack anyone, then I will be happy. This is not a dog who is ever going to be romping with children, or running around at a crowded party, or playing with other doggies at the park. I wouldn’t expose him or anyone or anyone’s dogs to that danger.
Yep. Cats will always send Pedro mad.
cay
Viola–she’s a beauty who survived a shipwreck!
Tattoosydney
@Fern:
Thanks. We never forget that is (deep down) a dangerous dog when anyone else is involved. We have considered whether he should be put down, but decided that we could control his behaviour and his environment, and so he deserved the right to live and be happy 99% of the time.
wonkie
I sure hope you adopt Missy.
I volunteer at a dog rescue. Sometimes i can hardly sgtand to be there–all the dogs barking, “Love me, love me, love me!”. I m the apprentice dog trainer and tright now I’m taking a little pit bull girl, a collie/chow mix, and a great big golden retriver/newfoundland through obedience.
I do love them all but i can’t bring any of gthem home because of the one eared nearly blind arthritic corgie/terrier mix who is snoring on the couch as I write this.
Anyway I hope Missy does go home with yu and I hope you are happy together.
gsp
Make it political. Call her Sonia. Though careful of allegations the dog might be a racist towards other species. Check her history thoroughly for statements such as her saying things like stray dogs are more loyal or make better pets than purebreds, etc. Further, does “Missy” refer to herself as “the wise Canine-ia”. If the answer to any of the above is “yes” then be careful of the folks at Red State, Michelle Malkin, etc. Or you could avoid the onslaught of conservative/right wing hit pieces of “Missy” (does Jeffery Rosen read this blog?) and just call her Ginger. But if you really want to get in the wingnut good books name her after Dick’s daughter, Liz.
Regardless, good job.
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
God to hear.
= cattle dog.
I’ll remember this if he is ever agressive to one of us (though I can’t imagine why he would). Pedro will usually roll on his back and grovel at the least sign of disapproval. I’m not sure if he would go straight to on his back when he is barking at a stranger through the fence though.
That’s the plan. Train Pedro + Train flatmate. Pedro number 4 dog in pack. Pedro happy.
Tattoosydney
Why edit function not work?
Zuzu's Petals
@Some Guy:
Well actually, his name was just Tofu…my dear mom thought it would be cute for a little Llasa Apso. We just put my dad’s last name on the subscription. But yeah, it does make for a fun name.
Like the name game too.
tim
LUCY!
Wini
Jillie. (But Lily is close, and super cute. Such a great thing you’re doing).
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: I didn’t even catch that. And I should clarify as I was hasty, Leah has never been aggressive to me. There have been a few moments when she was “willful” and “reactive” to me when I was trying to discipline her, which requires me to escalate my alpha bitch mode a notch and command her down and over.
I think it’s more a case of her being anxious and all keyed up when I am trying to control her and she just snaps or reacts. (Yes, it is most often when someone has come onto her property, occasionally in the presence of other dogs when she feels overwhelmed and cornered.) Then I just down her and let her calm a bit, rewire her brain, or whatever Caeser would want me to do.
Calm, submissive, blah blah blah.
2liberal
congrats to john on a great decision to get a dog. i hope all turns out well and that Tunch and Lily hit it off well.
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
Yes to everything in that post.
matoko_chan
Lavinia.
Because she cannot speak.
:(
Kristine Smith
She’s lovely. Someone above mentioned the name Lily. That would be pretty.
It may take some time for her to come around. It took about a year for Mickey, my shelter dog, to get back in touch with his essential nature. He was very quiet for months. I wondered if he would ever bark. He found his voice eventually, at which point he started barking, snoring, and clearing his throat like an old man trying to bring up a lung. But he was always very sensitive to mood, and would leave the room if I swore. I had him for 4 1/2 years. Lost him last summer. Wished he could have had more time.
Wisdom Panel is a mixed-breed dog DNA test. I had the test run on Gaby, who came to me by way of my vet, who found her tied to the front door of the office one morning. Gaby has a Benji face, but it turned out that she was mostly husky/American eskimo.
Loneoak
no, No, NO! Do not roll you dog over! This is a sign of aggression and that training advice is based on ancient, and ridiculous, wolf ethology. Canines roll THEMSELVES over as a sign of submission. Canines forcefully roll OTHERS over on their backs to KILL them. This is terrifying to all but the most passive dogs. You are seriously lucky if you do not f*ck your dog up doing this.
@Fern:
Christ, this is just not true at all. Sorry, but I’m passionate about dog rescue and I take this very seriously. Anxiety is state of distrust towards the world and in many cases it is the accurate and appropriate stance for a rescue dog to have. Strictly speaking you cannot ‘train’ away fear, but you can train in non-fear. It will take awhile. It will take work. But the more your dog trusts you as a source of confidence, as a source of security, and as a steady rock that will help them find their way in this awful world, the less reason they have to be anxious. Anti-depressants will work just like they do with humans: they will not cure the state, but will provide the opportunity to rearrange their approach to the world. You cannot do this by rolling them over, by being forceful, or by being arbitrary. You can only do this with positive, consistent training that gives them skills and confidence.
You want some idea about how to rescue a dog from death by bad behavior, watch Dog Town on NatGeo, not the Dog Whisperer. Those people train dogs out of every kind of fear and aggression (they saved Michael Vick’s dogs, almost every last one of them) through positive reinforcement, patience, and trust. And look up Patricia McConnell: “The Other End of the Leash”, “How to be the Leader of the Pack”, and “For the Love of Dog.” She really helped our dog.
Carnacki
When we adopted Lucy, a lab-shepherd mix, she was 9 years old and 100 pounds though he looked skinny. We hadn’t planned to get a dog that old or that big, but I knew from the moment I saw her at the shelter, she was for us. A week after we adopted her, at 2:30 a.m., she barked fiercely and charged into my 9 year old daughter’s bedroom when a burglar attempted to enter the bedroom window. She scared off the burglar and I have no doubt saved my daughter.
Lucy is the best dog in the world and though we spent $15 to adopt her, I wouldn’t trade her for all of the money in the world.
Best of luck, John. I like the name Scout mentioned above.
Tattoosydney
@Loneoak:
This.
I assumed though, that Evil Parallel Universe and Laura were not talking about physically putting your dog onto its back, but rather having the dog trained that in an extreme aggression state the dog will roll onto its own back when commanded.
gex
@Loneoak: Positive training, clicker training are much better than dominance training.
Yes, you want to be an authority figure to your dog. But “It’s Me or the Dog” is a better guide to dog training than “the Dog Whisperer”.
Lesley
@Zuzu’s Petals:
re the yell test. I named my (now over the Rainbow Bridge) basset hound Beatrice Lilliput. She soon came to be called Beatle for short, but whenever I was annoyed with her, I’d call her Beatrice, and when I was really peeved, she got the full first and second name treatment like any naughty kid.
Ditto for our sheltie rescue, Tessie McTavish (my mom takes the credit for that name).
Here they are (or were) in their prime.
Tattoosydney
@Loneoak:
Thankyou. This is exactly what our vet (who I think is very good, and it has taken us a succession of bad trainers and bad vets to find) says, and what I was unsuccessfully trying to convey.
You want some idea about how to rescue a dog from death by bad behavior, watch Dog Town on NatGeo, not the Dog Whisperer.
Thanks. I will look at this.
McConnell is a goddess. I am rereading “The other end of the leash” at the moment. It should be compulsory reading for anyone with a dog. I suspect our vet has every Patricia McConnell book ever published, thank god.
Laura W
@Tattoosydney: Yes, Leah rolls over to expose her belly to me if I command her down in a very firm tone. She is very sensitive to my tone and every eye contact. She knows she needs to submit. I don’t hit her, I don’t bully her. I do remind her that I am boss because cattle dogs are WILLFUL, Scary Smart, and can kill a cat in a heartbeat. They are not Poodles, Labs, or Goldens. They herd and control by nature.
We did positive reinforcement from 6 wks through her entire 2nd year. She was WORK. Daily work. She is nearly perfect now. Neurotic, but perfect and neurotic are not mutually exclusively, amirite?
There are many, many ways to train a dog, as there are ways to raise a child. You go through life with the dog you rescued because your heart told you THIS ONE, not the pretty dog you wished you’d picked off a web site. We do our best, right?
Lesley
@Tattoosydney:
I’m no expert, but have been an avid addict of the Dog Whisperer show and what’s called the “calm assertive” approach. Cesar Millan demonstrates proper handling and training for the kind of situation you describe; though it’s probably a good idea to have an expert come out and train you guys on the technique.
What the show seems to demonstrate over and over again is that animals, unlike humans, live in the now; but like humans they can carry a lot of baggage or habitual behaviours. One of the big mistakes people make is showering a dog with affection when it demonstrates anxiety. In the human’s mind, the affection is reassurance, but dogs interpret it to mean approval.
A.Political
John, I think that’s great. Gives me a warm feeling to think of what you’re doing for her.
I’m also thinking of adopting again, my cat Leroy who you posted a picture of a couple of months ago passed away at the end of April after being my best friend for 13 years…
Leroy is the one in front of the keyboard
https://balloon-juice.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/difficult_working_conditions.jpg
I’m torn between moving on and trying not to fall in to the trap of subconsciously trying to replace him and/or ticking off Hannah (she’s the one between the monitors and the keyboard in the above photo).
Anyway, I miss Leroy very much….
Evil Parallel Universe
Dog Whisperer v Dog Town.
Though I don’t work with rescues, and Che is not a rescue and hasn’t had a bad experience yet in his life to be fearful, I have some very good friends, including Che’s godmother, who not only regularly foster and adopt rescues, but spend most of their spare time working for and with rescues, and they have no issue with using the Dog Whisperer’s techniques with their dogs – including those with fear-based aggression.
If they are misguided or ignorant in their understanding of dogs – or the advice they get from the professionals they work with – I think they would be surprised.
Of course, YM obviously MV.
Lesley
@Tattoosydney:
I’m no expert, but have been an avid addict of the Dog Whisperer and his “calm assertive” approach. Cesar Millan demonstrates proper handling and training for the kind of situation you describe; though it’s probably a good idea to have an expert come out and train you guys on the technique.
What the show seems to demonstrate over and over again is that animals, unlike humans, live in the now; but like humans they can carry a lot of baggage or habitual behaviours. One of the big mistakes people make is showering a dog with affection when it demonstrates anxiety. In the human’s mind, the affection is reassurance, but dogs interpret it to mean approval.
Kristin
Sadie.
My horse was named Missy when I got her, and she became Shady (and loved it). That pooch looks like a Sadie to me.
Lesley
@Tattoosydney:
I’m no expert, but have been an avid fan of the Dog Whisperer and his “calm assertive” approach. Cesar Millan demonstrates proper handling and training for the kind of situation you describe; though it’s probably a good idea to have an expert come out and train you guys on the technique.
What the show seems to demonstrate over and over again is that animals, unlike humans, live in the now; but like humans they can carry a lot of baggage or habitual behaviours. One of the big mistakes people make is showering a dog with affection when it demonstrates anxiety. In the human’s mind, the affection is reassurance, but dogs interpret it to mean approval.
I tried to link to the site, but the comment wouldn’t take. Googling will bring it up though.
Carrie
Lillian (Lily) Cole……luvs it.
You know, the last time I looked at her pics I thought she might be a Corgi / Rat Terrier mix.
Whatever she is, she’s adorable.
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
I suspect all of them are a little bit mad. Dingoes.
Correct.
I wouldn’t trade him for Lassie or a busload of half naked AFL players.
slag
Matilda. Tillie for short.
And yes, she’s perfect.
Ella in NM
@John Cole:
“Lily”: Fresh, sweet, new beginnings. Yes, that is definitely her name.
Bless you, John. LIke my husband says,”I really wonder about people who can’t love animals. I really wonder about their humanity. ”
You pass the test. : )
Ella in NM
@Laura W:
Why, thank you! It’s the breastfeeding mom of grown children/nurse in me. I’ve been obsessed with “perfect” nutrition since 1984.
Now I found a new obssesion: pets. :-)
Hope your family (human and non-human) is doing terrific!
Bill B
I got a large American Eskimo the same way – I was looking for a little dog and ended up taking her when she stared at me with her eyes as I was leaving the pound. Claire and I had 10 good years together until bone cancer took her from this life. Good luck with this one.
cathaireverywhere
My shy kitty girl is Zinnia, Zinnie for short. My shy dog was Lily, also known as Lillian Josephine when she was bad, or Lily Jo for fun. I sang “The Ode to Lily Jo” to her. Your girl looks very sweet. A friend of mine rescued a very shy dog and even a year later still carries a baggie of dog treats in his pocket. He gives one to everyone he meets to give to his Roxy. Those treats have really changed Roxy’s view on strangers- she is much more social now. Simple, but effective way to help with socialization. How was the other kitty girl? I have worried about her. She seemed so adorable. Sure you don’t need both….?
Ella in NM
@tim:
We just named our black and white fox terrier cross Lucy. It’s such a fun name for a spunky, lovey-dovey dog, don’t you think?
Shell Goddamnit
She needs you.
It’s good to be needed.
Fiona is a perfectly fine name. Looong o when calling.
“Feeooooooohhna!”
Dee from Texas
Trudy!
As in, “Tunch and Trudy!’ A lame joke but a decent name.
It’s sad how many pound dogs resemble this one. I know, not anywhere near as perfect, but…!
Kristin
She’s adorable! I like Jenny, Lucky or Molly as far as a name.
My own rescue dog is Maggie, a German Shepherd Mix. I adopted her when she was 8 (or, that’s what the shelter said she was; now the vet tells us that there’s no way she’s as old as we thought), needed to lose a ton of weight, was suffering from an ear infection and kennel cough and had possible hip dysplasia, which turned out to be a degenerative knee problem. But, she has been the best pet I could ever imagine. The kennel cough and ear infection went away after 3 rounds of antibiotics, and she’s lost 17 pounds, regularly takes an anti-inflammatory prescription for her knees, and has the most beautiful coat. My advice? Find a great vet.
She didn’t bark for almost two weeks, and even then she only barked because she heard a doorbell on the TV. It might have been from the kennel cough, though. Overall, her personality turned out to be stronger once she got over the illness, but she is the sweetest, funniest, most adorable dog and has given my whole family so much joy.
Anyway, good for you John. Adopting a dog is such a wonderful thing to do, but I suspect you’ll be amply rewarded.
Phoebe
She is ADORABLE!!
Dora for short.
renegademom
her name is Ramona.
Anne Laurie
@Bob In Pacifica:
If you haven’t already read it, look for a copy of Daniel Pinkwater’s
Uncle Boris in the Yukon , especially the chapters near the end where he reminisces, with love & humor, about the feckless & irresistable Akita-cross Pinkwater & his wife rescued because, well, who else would take such a big goofy dog?
It will make you cry, but in a good way.
Steeplejack
Cole!
Her name should be Daisy.
Annia
Here name was Danielle. Call her Danni
The Raven
What a charming animal! I’m glad for the pets, personally. A good break from politics.
Carnacki
@NutellaonToast:
“Cat piss” in Swedish is pronounced “The Republican Party.”
Chi-city
She looks like a Lucy. Good luck.
auntieeminaz
@eric:
Isabell, Isadora or “Izzy” for short was what I wanted to suggest. I’m glad I saw your comment before I jumped in.
John, high praise for taking on the challenge. I hope you go through with it this time. I have too many images in my mind already of rejected cats and dogs.
Irony Abounds
Think ironically – Cujo
That’s what I call my wife’s effin Maltese
Anne Laurie
Tattoosydney:
You are doing the right things, TattooSydney (and bless you for taking the time & trouble to do so)! Patricia McConnell is an excellent guide to help calm your ‘fear-aggressive’ dog. Karen Benjamin, of “Don’t Shoot the Dog: Clicker Training for Beginners”, publishes a great free e-newsletter
A Climate of Abundance
With patience, hard working & training, it’s amazing what can be accomplished. My dear friend Tee, after years of rescue work (cleaning up other people’s ‘broken’ dogs), decided to “reward” herself with a healthy puppy, the grandson of a Westminster winner, bred & raised by experienced professionals out of two sound parents with beautiful temperments. What she did *not* know, unfortunately, is that Flaming Arsehole (not his real name) and his second-generation fellows would become notorious for having great looks and seriously flawed temperments. (All five of Flamer’s male littermates ended up being euthanized before their second birthdays; one of his litter-sisters ended up in the breed’s Registry of Merit.) Flamer grew from a slightly skittish puppy to a fearful adolescent to a fear-aggressive adult. His list of Scary Things kept expanding: men, children, assertive women, people in hats, people in jackets, vans, pickups, just more & more things that would throw him into Aiiee! ATTACK! mode. And he was (sorry, Tee) dumber than any living organism this side of Jonah Goldberg, although unlike the Pantload, Flamer was gorgeous & eye-catching & effin’ *fast.*
Tee committed herself to spending the first 6 or 7 years of Flamer’s life throwing her body between Flamer and random strangers screaming “OOOda-pretty-puppy-wanna-hug-n-squeeze-him!” (and I’m talking grown-ups, here; obviously, Flamer was never allowed with a football field’s length of children). She spent most weekends driving to every dog show, agility trial, flyball competition & horse show within a two-hour radius (places where people knew not to pet strange dogs & wouldn’t freak out if Flamer did), armed with a sack of cheese tidbits. At first she just walked Flamer around the perimeter, feeding him cheese, getting him used to the idea that these noisy stinky events meant FREE FOOD & LOTS OF IT. Eventually, very gradually, when people expressed their admiration for Flamer, Tee would ask them if they would offer Flamer a piece of cheese. There were baby-steps forward, and then he’d slip back & start tantruming at things he’d previously accepted. Nobody in their right minds would have spent the time, money, viligance & endless patience required for this routine (as her friends did not hesitate to remind her). But not only did Tee patiently take Flamer out of his personal Scary-World Hell, he eventually finished first his conformation championship, then his CD (basic obedience), and shortly after his eighth birthday he was certified as a Therapy Dog, safe to go to the local library & let small children pet him after the reading hour!
So, yeah — you are doing a hard job, but it CAN be done, especially since Pedro does not sound like a flippin’ moron, just slightly… non-neurotypical.
Noah Brand
I’d go with Ginger, after the heroine of GINGER SNAPS, one of the two best werewolf movies of the past 20 years, and the only one that explored lycanthropy as a metaphor for female adolescence.
Seriously, that’s my reason.
asiangrrlMN
@gbear:
Late to the thread, and you will never see this, but I laughed hard at this. Thanks, man.
Blue Raven
I favor Abby, Lily, or even Libby… you want a solid, plosive consonant to go with the ending vowel or it’ll be too soft to make it past some traffic noises.
And ZOMG she is a darling! I agree on the part-Chihuahua. That tail has me wondering so much what else is in there. It looks like an abbreviated fox tail.
JayMi
What an awesome thread. And to think, it has nothing to do with music, film or politics. LOL. @ any rate, good on you Mr. Cole. Dogs ROCK. Suggestions: Rocci (pronounced Rocky-yeah, it is pretentious but cute), or Nina (a great name to shout when calling the dog in your underwear).
@Cleek, cheers for the non-Western names. If I ever have a kid, Naia is now officially on the list!
Twisted_Colour
Mighty Fangor is a good name.
harlana pepper
John, she’s precious – just make sure if you get her to watch “The Dog Whisperer” religiously — I’m serious, you may need it, never know
Jill
I like Mike J @ 67’s idea, only I’d take it a step further and call her “Andelusia”. Then she can be “Andy” if she becomes a confident scrappy dog, or “Annie” if she stays sweet and shy. A nice name with a twisted and snarky origin. What could be better?
Blue Neponset
Good for you John! Rescuing a pet from a shelter is an awesome feeling.
How about Keiko after frequent Iron Chef judge Keiko Saito?
patty
how about Darwin? that’s what we named our female border collie.
MMM
I think you should call her VA
SGEW
325 comments without mentioning Israel or Sullivan? Must be a pet thread.
Beautiful dog, tho’!
Damned at Random
Might as well name her Cookie as in “Wanna cookie?”
They all answer to that after a while
cathaireverywhere
I also like Butterscotch.
Sid
I have problems respecting the gender of animals and their names, but I think she is a Chaplin if I ever saw one.
Tom_23
I haven’t looked up thread but if you want a name that will pass the “shout in your underwear” test.
Stella, Stellaaaaaa
Joy
My daughter rescues animals all the time and fosters for our local Animal Protective League. She fostered an old beagle with a case of bad heartworm that she was nursing and her big fat cat took to that dog like crazy. He would lay down with her (she stunk too because of where she had lived and couldn’t be bathed because of the heartworm treatment). It was very soothing for her after the treatments. She was way overweight and her food was hidden in the closet. The damn cat figured out how to open the closet and get food out for her. Maybe Tunch will be good for your new baby.
Anyway, I like the name Honey because she honey-colored and sweet! Good luck to you. I know it’s rewarding to work with these animals and at the same time heartbreaking. I wish I could take all of them home with me. It breaks my heart to see their sad little eyes when I leave.
grumpy realist
*very* late to the thread but just a tidbit on Shiba possibility:
She’s got a bit of the Shiba head and the Shiba colouring. I felt impelled to jump in because of your mentioning not-barking. My own Shiba mix would bark when confined with other dogs, but as an adult with me, was totally silent, to the point of friends disbelieving he could bark, period.
Does she have a double coat? Then more likely to have some Shiba–and she will shed like crazy.
(For anyone thinking about a Shiba, they are a) *very* intelligent, b) escape artists, c) definite hunting dogs, d) very much inclined to make themselves the leader of the pack no matter what size the other dogs are. Don’t be fooled by the sweet face; we’re talking devious cunning little bastards here. I still haven’t figured out how Tycho got a marmalade jar off the table and unscrewed the screw-top lid. So much for lacking opposable thumbs.)
Stephanie
She’s a beauty! I like the name Lyla.
Introduce her to Tunch slowly. I adopted a 2 year old dog from the schnauzer rescue a couple of years ago. Rescue organizations are great because they foster the dogs several months before they put them up for adoption. I wanted a dog that had lived with cats, so I adopted Boris (I thought about changing his name but he knew it and he is definitely a Boris). I have two cats who are 15 and 14, one female and one male. The female, Miss Kitty (think Gunsmoke) is an alpha and a terror. She was livid when I brought home Boris the schnauzer. I kept them separated with a baby gate the first few days and she would sit and glare at him across the gate. When I did introduce them he was leashed. She hissed and swatted him, and it’s dangerous because she has her claws. He was completely cowed. So now I have a 25 lb dog who is feisty and ferocious with other dogs but completely avoids a 10 lb cat!
The best dog training advice can be found in the books by Patricia McConnell. http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/
Good luck!!
Jager
A few thoughts on what I’ve learned from long experience with dogs, mostly GSDs, a couple of super charged Cockers and a Benji type, large cocka-poo.
Most people over feed their dogs and most dogs will eat everything you give them. Straka is a healthy, in-shape GSD and he eats one can and a cup and a half of dry once a day, he has been at 78-80 pounds since he matured. No table scraps and we only give him bones under supervised conditions…we watch him closely, since he can crack a porterhouse bone with one chomp if he feels like it and I hate the thought of a sharp bone fragment in his doggy gut!
His treat is beef, unflavored jerky. I rip it into small pieces, enjoy some of it myself while he enjoys his.
Get a leather leash, 6 feet long, they are soft and get softer with use, make sure it is naturally tanned leather, the dyed styles are too stiff. They last forever and you can shorten them by looping it. any other leash is bullshit, especially the stupid fishing reel kind!
A light chain choker is the only way to train a dog. Watch a mamma dog discipline a pup, she goes for the neck, a good trainer will tell you a dogs neck is the home of love and discipline. A light chain and a tight leash and keeping the dog close to you (left side, please) will quickly get the dog to the point where it won’t pull or choke itself and the choker is an emergency brake in case the jackass gets distracted by a snapping, yapping out of control “well loved” pet. In a very short time you’ll be walking your dog on cruise control, slack leash, etc. Last thought on the choker…take the damn thing off when you get home, it is for walks only. Straka goes nuts when I pull his out of the drawer. Get a 25 foot or longer training lead, snap it on the choker and work on the sit, stay, etc.
Socialize your dog with other people, kids, bikes, noise and other dogs. When you walk up to an intersection, make the dog stop, sit if you like and when you cross the street I always say “quickly”.
Dogs usually sort things out between themselves, it blows me away when people pick up their dog when they see another dog coming up the street. We have a couple in the nieghborhood with a boxer and they run across the street when they see Straka and I coming…the boxer goes nuts, barking and pulling on his fucking ‘fishing reel” and usually ends up dragging them down the street…on the end of my leash is a dog who looks on with total distain. They are morons and the goddamned boxer is in charge!
Dogs love discipline, consistency and follow through, give them that, along with exercise,, “eargasms” and lots of playing around, at home, in the park . What they really love is running around with other dogs!
…don’t ever buy your dog any clothing, if the weather is shitty take the dog out for a quick pee or poop and get back to your book…I bought a pair of sled dog boots for one of my GSDs in Boston in an attempt to keep his feet free of road salt, he chewed them off his feet in minutes…I taught him to jump in the tub when we got home and his feet got a freshwater rinse after every urban stroll. We also got him to jump in the tub if he had to throw up…saved the persian rugs more than once!
Bad dogs are bad because their owners won’t take the time and effort to train and discipline them…they need an “Alpha” if you don’t become the Alpha the damned dog will take the job, dogs love a pecking order, you better be on top! BTW, Straka’s eargasm is acheived by me holding out a fist and he does the work by rubbing his ear against it…makes my hand smell like doggy ear wax but fun, none the less! I’m going to the park for around 100 ball throws, I think I need Tommy John surgery because my “doggy-dick” never quits!
fluffybunnyfeet
Wife likes Margy – don’t ask.
Daughter likes Biscuit OR Cookie. Heck, she likes anything that reminds her of baked desserts.
Geeno
Because of the Catpiss reference I offer up
Pika / Pikaya – “piss” in bulgarian
Kusta – finnish – technically KOOS-tah, but feel free w/ pronounciation
Chanky – czech
Siki – Polish
As for the leash thing, my black lab knew exactly what to do with a leash. Grab it in her mouth so the collar couldn’t choke and RUN!
She – Sam – was a great dog.
The Pale Scot
I like to check out the mythos of the region my pets genes come from.
going central african from the basenji hypothesis above, I think Mawa/Mahu is nice.
http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/african-mythology.php?deity=MAWU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawu
x
A woman I know in Honduras named her dog “Cabeza de Raton”, (Head of Rat, or Rat head).
And a friend’s 150 lb girl’s name is “Baby”.
Missy looks like a “Honey” to me.
Calling “honey” will endear you to all but the most cynical, and when she gets up her doggie courage, “Hun” would be easily translatable to match her persona.
Edgar
The Wise Muttina
GlenInBrooklyn
Re: the naming
You won’t name her. She will.
My last two adopted/outcast cats arrived with hideously inappropriate names. (Beaucoup? Pumpkin? Eww.) Within weeks, they named themselves. Accordingly, Grace (there was a big Jefferson Airplane riff going on, given her “taste” for anything plastic; and she was the most graceless cat I’ve ever owned); and Furrdie (short for fur demon; long story).
Unnamed dog looks very sweet. Hopefully, Tunch will agree. (And where the hell did he get his name?) You’ll figure it out.
Shell Goddamnit
Actually I’ve been working with a “pet name theme” – singers & musicians. This was started by cats that I named, pretty much at random to differentiate them, Sam & Dave. Sam Moore, Dave Prater. Then George Clinton came home from the pound with us. Later, Edith Piaff arrived.
When we started adopting grown rescue animals with existing names though, we started to have trouble. Sure, Teddy is now known as Uncle Ted, and “Jezebel” (ick, and completely inappropriate to her personality to boot) became Bela Fleck (as a dilute tortie, she indeed has flecks), but what the hell could we do with Storm the Rottweiler? And Meggie? There’s never been a music person named Meg to my knowledge. I suppose I could dig up a Margaret, but… I surrendered. No more theme.
Except I can’t seem to stop myself. The latest rescue is named Iggy.
James J. Hare
@Comrade Darkness:
Good name — I named my cat Persephone because it seems like she spends half her life hiding underneath things in the dark.
DaBomb
I don’t know if you are still deciding on a name but I think Bella is nice.
p.a.
Feminine names but not much associated with canines: May or June (was it still May when you first saw her, or already June?) and their transformations May/Mary/Maria/Maya June/Junette/Junelle (stretching it a bit I think…)
Sweet looking dog. Good luck.
Moe Gamble
John, check out Patricia McConnell’s books on dog training and psychology. I agree with all the Dog Whisperer fans, but McConnell’s books have some great additional tips on body language and posture for natural communication with your dog. Her stuff on teaching your dog to come, for example, is fantastic and will work right away, even in difficult situations. I have two rescued dogs, an Entlebucher and a German Shepherd Dog, and McConnell’s tips really worked.
I have four cats and they all hid for a month when I brought home the first dog (Muddy). Just establish that Tunch is your family (let the dog see you playing with him and petting him and feeding him, etc.) and stop the dog from chasing him or coming after his food (classic Dog Whisperer stuff) and you’ll be all right. My cats and dogs all sleep together now.
Re: names. Muddy’s initial name was Scarlett. Initial name lasted less than a day. Whitey’s first name was Clancy. That lasted two days. Same thing with the other four. Give it a day or two after you bring Lily/Gertie home. Cesar Milan took a couple of months to name his dog Junior.
JaneAustin
I’d say her name is “Lucky”, because she found you.
Anything to keep you from spraying some antiseptic/cortisone spray on that rash? BTW, washing the bad spot is be the first thing the vet will do, so how come she can’t have a bath?
A really good way to give confidence to a dog in a new place (or to rein in a misbehaving dog) is to tether them to you. With a carabiner or something like it, clip her leash to your belt or belt loop.
Then when you move, she has to move; when you don’t, she can’t range more than the length of the leash.
She will learn quickly to anticipate your every move which should serve her well when she walks on a leash.
Do this around the house – when you’re blogging, cooking, doing the laundry – whatever you are doing, she will be right beside you.
A wonderful tool for giving confidence is the Anxiety Wrap. Most people use if for thunderstorm anxiety, but it works for car sickness and separation anxiety, too.
We have a real diva of a dog who is just a little more tightly wound than our others. She wears her Anxiety Wrap for thunder storms, but really likes it any old time and it seems to give her considerably more confidence.
Anxiety Wraps are here .
A snug fit is important, so you have to measure to get the right size.
We’ve rescued dozens of dogs from all over, so feel free to write me directly if you have any other questions.
Oh, and bless you for rescuing her.
Litlebritdifrnt
“Lily” is perfect IMHO.
Laura W
This sounds an awful lot like bundling.
Colleen
Keep in mind that traumatized dogs don’t act like their “real selves” when you first meet them, especially not in a shelter environment. Our adopted rescue dogs and the parade of fosters have always been interesting surprises as they get to know us and relax more. If she’s not a basenji or basenji mix, you may be surprised by her bark at some later date, as well as other outgoing aspects. Our dog Joey, who as a foster was a quiet, sweet cuddlebug, has come into her own as the yapping, bossy terror of the pack 2 years later. And I would swear that she didn’t shed when she first lived with us but now–we find hair/dustballs we could name “Joey Jr.”!
And congrats, John, you are doing a very cool thing! I hope she works out great for you!
JaneAustin
This sounds an awful lot like bundling.
Same principle, I believe. It was developed by people from the Tellington Touch™ system, originally for horses.
My link for the Anxiety Wrap didn’t come through, so I’ll try again.
http://www.dogstuff.com/antianxietywrapsizeminiplus-p-17124.html
Deb T
I adopted Jasper, a very young, traumatized dog, many years ago. He was a real challenge. He bit me twice the first week I had him. He was afraid to go outside, afraid of trash trucks, helocopters and if you held a bottle or big stick in your hand, he would slink away and hide. He was a fear biter.
But he was also intelligent, affectionate, fiercely loyal, the most playful dog I ever had. He was perfectly house trained (after I learned to walk him daily) and the star of his obedience class. The trainer could teach him commands almost instantly and sometimes silently. He was a great watch dog and at 40 pounds managed to scare off a 200 pound potential mugger.
He grew out of a lot of his bad behaviors, but I always had to be careful with him, not let him get into situations where he could get into trouble.
I never had to use physical methods to correct him. He was so sensitive to tone of voice a mere, “Bad dog” was all that was needed.
He wasn’t easy, but I loved him dearly.
As he got older, he suffered from dimensia and many of his old fears returned not unlike some people with Alzheimer’s.
It was a relationship. I never owned Jasper. I kept him safe and healthy and loved him. I’ve had dogs that were easier but none I loved more.
Good luck with your dog. She will teach you a lot.