Does your dog have a nickname?
I am one of those people that if I have a close relationship with you, I’m going to call you something other than your real name.
At work I manage to keep it professional, but if you’re friends or family, I probably have a special name just for you—even my mother is “Moms” for me.
When it comes to Baxter, I have so many names. Perhaps more names means more love?
I read Lily and the Octopus awhile ago (certain parts of the book I could have done without, but other parts perfectly capture the love, fear, sadness and joy of dogs), and one chapter has stuck with me. It’s a whole chapter on Lily the dachshund’s nicknames. The list is 39 names long.
It made me wonder how many names I call Baxter. So I wrote them down.
- Bax
- Baxter B
- Mr. B
- Mr. Ears
- Baby
- Babydoll
- Buck
- Buckaroo
- Buckaroo-hoo
- Sniffers
- Snoopy
- Goofy
- Wiggles
- Snuggles
- Handsome
- Buddy
- Bud
Seventeen. That’s actually more than I thought. Not Lily and the Octopus territory, but still a lot for one wiggly, sniffy, snugly, lazy, wonderful dog.
Baxter came with his name when we adopted him. If I was naming him today, I’d probably go with Buck for his deer coloured furs and his affection for deer.
For now, I’ll call him Buck, Baxter and 15 other names … and counting.
Does your dog have a nickname?
How did you pick your dog’s name? Have you changed your dog’s name?
Julia Thomson is a blogger at Home on 129 Acres where she writes about her adventures of country living and DIY renovating. She and her husband live on a 129-acre farm in Ontario, Canada.
See her recent post: How to play Find It with your dog.
Puppy Snuggles
Friday 26th of May 2017
My dog's name is Princess. The only other names I call her are "girl" and "puppy" - nowhere near your seventeen!
Sian Thomson
Friday 19th of May 2017
My second dog is a rescue from a shelter in Oregon (I live on Vancouver Island). I found him on petfinder.com. He had been in the shelter for a year because nobody wanted him. He has Addison's disease and has missing fur and is a little morbidly obese. He came with his name, Wee Willie Winkie (Winkie, for short, I was advised). The name doesn't suit him but what the hell, he comes to it. There are better names for someone of his.....girth...like Porky or Big Mac, Sausage-Man, Meatloaf, or Fat Bas***d when he refuses to roll off my pillow and I end up pillow-less, sleeping on three inches of mattress. But I don't want to hurt his feelings so I just call him Wink, Winkle, Mr. Wee, Stinky Winky, and Willie-BumBum. He doesn't appreciate the last one.
Sian Thomson
Friday 19th of May 2017
I have a Pug/French Bulldog whose formal name is Penelope Garcia. We call her Penny.....BUT....her NICKname is "Monster"..because she is one! It took a while but she answers to that now, unless she is busy eating the couch, digging (another) hole in my memory foam Cloud Supreme mattress, gnawing the walls, dribbling on my (sleeping) face, or getting outside and refusing to come back unless I throw a baked chicken at her. yes...I was in a panic because she was "lingering" near a busy street half a block away so I ran back to the house to find something to bribe her with. That was the only meat in the fridge. I threw a whole chicken at her. She still played "dodge dog" with me like some kind of sick, twisted MONSTER!
Valerie
Thursday 4th of May 2017
Born in September, the rescued litter were named after 9/11 search & rescue dogs. Although we changed her name as a puppy from Abby to Pepper, we tell the story whenever we can, in honor of the real Abby. Pepper's coat is speckled just like ground black pepper, hence the fitting name. She has a dozen nicknames but my favorite is Pepperoni.
Steph Scott
Wednesday 3rd of May 2017
I have SO many nicknames for Toby! It wasn't an intentional thing... I suppose I just didn't want to use his actual name unless I really needed to get his attention so when I'm being 'conversational' with him and mucking about, subconsciously talking to him, he'll get called Doglet, Doglet Doggington, Pumpkin, Pumpkinhead, Pickle, Little Pickle, Little Man (even though he's a huge labrador!), Munchkin, D**khead when he stands on my feet or shakes water all over me after being in the rain or jumping in a river, Mr Toby, Mr Tobyness, King Toby, Sweetheart, Ginge, Mr Ginger... the list goes on!! Good job he has absolutely no idea!