For now her name is Puppy
.....
UPDATE: Just talked to Carol (Monday afternoon), and they have narrowed it down to a couple of names. She assures me they will have a decision by tonight, and I will let you know the minute she tells me. If she doesn't choose one by tonight I'm going to go over to her house and pee in her orange juice.
.....
Last week I started volunteering for the Humane Society of Utah, something I've been wanting to do for years but have never kicked myself hard enough in the butt to do. I announced this to Jon, just like that, hey, I'm going to the Humane Society, I'l see you in about three hours. And I thought it would go in one ear and shoot right out the other because he was reading political websites, and when he gets in that mode the only thing that can distract him is the sound of the dishwasher opening because that signals I am either loading it or unloading it and within seconds he's in the kitchen groping me.
But he instantly shook his head as if a fly was stuck in his ear, and he was all, you're what? And I was all, but the dogs, they need me! And he was all, WOMAN, IF YOU BRING HOME A DOG I'M MOVING TO MONTANA. BY MYSELF. So I promised him I wouldn't, and I had no intention of doing so, except I fell in love with a dog. In fact, I fell in love with the first dog that I walked. And I wanted to adopt that dog right then, but then I thought, hmm... I kind of like Jon. I would miss him if he moved. Who would leave computer cables all around the house and buy hundreds of dollars worth of unnecessary crap when allowed to shop at Costco alone?
So I didn't adopt the dog right then and instead spent the next three hours being knocked over by 120-pound boxers and pit bulls who were more than a little bit excited to be let out of their cages. I'd open a cage and it was like a humpback whale would fall right on top of my head. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and one dog was so out of control that he worked his way out of the leash and headed for Montana. I had to chase him a half-mile down the road, and I was losing steam when it suddenly occurred to me to yell out in my high-pitched dog voice, the Make Coco's Head Explode voice, and it worked because the dog did a 180 and tackled me to the ground. The cuddling we did for the next five minutes right there on the sidewalk made me feel like I had cheated on my husband.
Yesterday when I showed up to do a few more hours of work I noticed that the dog I had fallen in love with was still there, had not been adopted, so I dove into her cage to take her for the first walk of the day. Bad idea, because my love had only deepened with the distance. Trying not to fall over in a bawling mess I took her out to one of the dog runs and let her play while I made an important phone call. Not to Jon, no, this story does not end in our divorce. Or with a long legal battle over custody of our espresso machine.
My friend Carol mentioned that they had been thinking about getting a dog, and did I have any advice since they'd never had one before. Advice? STAY AWAY FROM MINIATURE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERDS. Also, I'd be doing some work at the Humane Society and I'd keep an eye out on a dog with a temperament and size similar to Chuck's. And this was that dog. A 27-pound black lab mix, one year old, submissive, adorable, cuddly. Doesn't jump up on people. Great with kids. Loves to play with other dogs. The only way she could be more perfect was if she could balance a pitcher of beer between her ears.
She made a few phone calls to her husband, called me back, I called her back, and six hours later I had her and her three kids in my truck on the way to the Humane Society. Luckily the dog was still there when we arrived, and I tell you what, she could not have put on a better show for that family. She snuggled up to each kid, jumped around the dog run happily, ignored all the other maniacal barking dogs nearby, and basically stole all their hearts. Within the hour she was in the back of my truck and we were all trying to figure out what to call her:
When she was dropped off two weeks ago she did not have a name and so the Humane Society just called her Blackie. None of the kids liked that one, so they started throwing out their own ideas: Isabelle, Pepper, Charlie, Dusty, B.B. Carol's eight-year-old son is pretty sold on the name he came up with and insists that no matter what the final name is he will call her Car.
No one could agree on anything, and this morning when Carol brought the dog over to play with Chuck and Coco she revealed that they still did not have a name. And I said, you know what? I bet I know some people with a few ideas and asked her if I could take this dilemma to you.
Internet, we need a name for this dog.
Carol has only a few criteria. It has to be two syllables, shouldn't be too girly or too hard to say, and it should definitely roll off the tongue. Carol's husband suggested that maybe the name should reflect their lifestyle. They're very outdoorsy people, love to hike and bike and ski. They love the blues (thus B.B. that was suggested above). Also, they're from the Midwest and pronounce everything the wrong way, so maybe it could be a name that would allow me to make fun of them endlessly when they say it.
Any ideas?
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Heather talks about public tantrums (from kids) on today's Momversation.
- RIP Louis Mortimer Armstrong: http://bit.ly/1R4tv6
- Hugs and kisses to you, too! RT: @Monkey_Tree: @dooce he probably committed suicide because he was tired of LISTENING TO YOU WHINE.
- Our fish just died. And I'm sitting here crying. And it wasn't even my fault!
1. Jen said:
Harry.
2. Anonymous said:
We are partial to the name "Sadie" around here. :) Best dogs we have ever had are named Sadie.... Molly is a good one too!
3. Anonymous said:
Tahoe
4. Anonymous said:
Ryan, her name should be Ryan :) Such a cute dog!!!
5. Carol said:
From the Midwest, eh. Ya don't say, der now, do ya.
How about FARGO!
6. aj said:
Johnny Cash? The man in black. Sure, it's 3 syllables but it's definitely not too girly.
7. Anonymous said:
Hazel
8. lisame said:
Molly!
9. Anonymous said:
Ivy.
Katy.
Hippie.
Hedgepig.
10. Marty said:
She looks like an Annie to me! How wonderful that she found a loving home!
11. Jess said:
Shadow
Bella
Grace
Dora (just kidding)
Minnie
12. Kris said:
Velvet.
Our good friends have a dog that looks just like that one! Her "original name" was Asia. (Bleugh). They renamed her Velvet.
13. Shell said:
Dakoda.
14. laura said:
stella.
15. Jill S. said:
Izzy. She looks like an Izzy. God, she is SWEET looking!!
16. Anonymous said:
Our rescue dog--a great dog--is Shasta.
17. destiny said:
Lola...
18. kourtney said:
she looks like a maggie
19. Cindy said:
I think her name should be Shadow. That is what she will be as she follows Carol from room to room. And it's a cute name for a cute puppy!
20. Tracy said:
I've always like Delia, from the Johnny Cash song. Oh, Delia, oh, Delia, Delia on my mind....
Our Husky was a boy-dog, so he got Porter, from another Johnny Cash song.
21. Kristen said:
How about Lola or Mica?
22. Jenny said:
We have a Millie, but I love Molly. I also quite like Tiggy and Luka.
23. katie said:
Sawyer is very perfect, even for a girl dog. (although I really like "fargo" too.)
24. Jenn said:
FUGGLES!!
25. Stella said:
Stella. HA!
No, really. I have always wanted to have a black dog and name it Jet. Jet is not two syllables, but it is awesome.
Shadow
Tiger
Timber
Cricket
I'm all out.
26. Lyndsay said:
Tallulah (which I love, but may violate the too hard to say)
or
Charlie
27. Robin said:
I totally second "Fargo". It's fun when Midwesterners say "Chicago", "Minnesota", and "Wisconsin", but those are all too many syllables.
Fargo!
28. Sarah said:
Based on the next-to-last picture, I think you should name her Kanga.
29. Court said:
If they love the blues, I'd suggest Satchmo. And I don't know why, but when I look at her, I think Piper.
I once had a dog named Ulysses Everett McGill (who went by Everett), though, so I could be out in left field.
30. Melissa said:
Lena.
You know, as in the Norwegian couple Ole and Lena who people mock endlessly and claim all midwesterners sound like.
31. Ledlie said:
I like Sadie too!
Also River, Mojo, Iris, and Whisky.
32. Domestic Extraordinaire said:
Coleman.
33. jennchez said:
Radar!! Totally looks like a Radar! :)
34. Andrea Spamdrea said:
Georgia. Only they should spell it Jorja, like a stripper.
35. Heidi from NJ said:
Boden (pronounced 'bow' - as in tie a bow; 'den')
36. Morgan said:
Lulu!
37. Jessica said:
Gretta
38. Anonymous said:
Betty - just Betty !
39. Sara said:
My favorite dog name is DOG (dee-oh-gee). One of my parents' friends named their dog that and I laughed every time I heard it!
40. Amy said:
Kimba
Niko
Kaya
Rocky
Scouty
Nala
Chloe
41. Sara said:
How about Keeper?
Because they are going to "keep her"?
42. kimmjo said:
Stoney
43. Rachel said:
Bailey
Beryl
Brady
Berta
Betty or
Dotty
44. Emily said:
She's beautiful! I think she should be called:
1) Boston
2) Sierra
3) Rhoda
45. Kimberly said:
D-O-G...say it fast! Like Dee-o-gee!
46. Jenn M said:
Elsie, or maybe Skyla.
Such a cute dog!
47. Anonymous said:
Roo
48. amy said:
I'm so glad you don't have my home phone number, because if you had called me, I too would have taken that puppy home no questions asked! How cute!!!!
how about... wasatch
49. Shelley said:
Shelley
50. Anonymous said:
SCOOTER
51. Anonymous said:
Dorre (pronounced DOOR-E)or Salty
52. Anonymous said:
Scout seems like it would fit
53. Karen said:
Indigo.
Crayon. Or Crayola.
Guinevere (Gwennie for short)
54. lily said:
She looks like an awesome dog! dadgum i want a dog now.
roxy
rita
honey (sweet honey in the rock and the sugar don't stop...)
maya
mia
maybe (arrested development shout-out!)
sadie
sally
billie
nina
i'm tired now.
55. Lea said:
Maybe Aspen or some other tree name. All I can think when I look at her is...sweet girl. She's precious!
56. Anonymous said:
Sassy!
57. Anonymous said:
I was also going to suggest Sadie...I love that one for a female dog. It's spunky, yet not cheesy.
58. Anonymous said:
Call her mine because I WANT HER! Have to have her! Please?
=D
What a cutie! Glad she has a home!
59. christelpistol said:
Elgie.
pronounced Eljee. like those Life's Good shirts/stickers/hats for the outdoorsy types.
60. Meg Glover said:
She looks kind of like a Maisy to me. Though my first inclination is always to name something after alcohol: whiskey, baileys...
61. KKane said:
Earnest. as in the adjective. She looks so very earnest and full of good intention... her eyes are so deep and lovely.
62. Chamberlain said:
Dina
Bella
Missy
and my favorite
Lola
63. Anonymous said:
Sheba
64. Buffy said:
I am partial to Arthur B. Ablabab... my husband and I like The Simpson's. But since she's girl, I'll go with:
Ginny, Hallie, or Poppy.
65. Josh said:
I second Luka.
66. Jess said:
Ok, so in the grand tradition of commenters, I'll suggest something that doesn't fit with your request.
Merle.
One syllable, means blackbird in French. It is also unisex.
67. Margaret said:
Maya after Maya Angelou--black and resilient.
68. Amy said:
Marley?
Speaking of mispronouncing names, anything will be better than what my brother-in-law and his wife did. She's a doctor, so they named their beagle Hippocrates (Greek father of medicine), and call him Hippo.
Except they say it HippoCRAYtees, rather than HipPOCrates.
Drives. Me. INSANE. But it's not like I can just say, Hey, do you know that you're saying your dog's name WRONG?
Can I?
68. Heather said:
Layla.
I'm a big believer in having a song that you can sing to your pets. I don't know why. But that's a great song for a great dog.
69. Jenny said:
FiFi.
Or is that too girly?
70. Laura said:
She is definetely a Nina.
71. Anonymous said:
Pebbles!
72. Barb said:
Trixie
73. Amanda said:
I second "Molly", and throw in "Rosie" too.
"Pepper" because she is black maybe? Its cute and double-syllabled without being too girly.
"Duchess", just for shits and giggles.
Lovely dog!
74. Annie said:
What a sweet face! I'm so glad she has a home now.
Maggie
Lily
Molly
Lola
Rosie
75. Erin said:
Zoe (pronounced zowee)--2 syllables, and it means "life" in Greek.
76. Erin said:
Ebony.....Ebby for short.
BTW - I love that you are volunteering for animals. I volunteer at the Michigan Humane Society. You will have many other wonderful memories like this one with Carol's family.
77. Jodimichelle said:
Sveva
Pronounced "sVEH-VAH" - it's an african name meaning "Joy" - I've always wanted to name my daughter this, and it was the name we had picked out until the delivery room. Everything changes in the delivery room.
Good luck! She is a beautiful dog, I can see why you fell in love :)
78. kourtney said:
ok, two more and i'm done.
ella, fritzy
79. Cass said:
Lulu?
We have 2 dogs,a Sophie and a Molly - and if we had more room, we'd have more. My boyfriend says he was put on this earth to make dogs happy...
80. Brian said:
Mogul. That would sound great with their Midwest accent.
It's too bad that Coco is already taken.
81. Anonymous said:
Black Jack- I know, right- gender bending
Lucy
Bella
Easter
Ginger
(4 of these were actually dogs that I owned, one was my vote for the cat that was named something else... something stupid I might add.)
82. Robin said:
Also, please don't name this poor dog Shadow. Please? Shadow is pretty much the lamest name you can possibly give a black dog.
83. Brittany said:
Cheyenne.
84. mj said:
We named our cats after our two favorite ski runs on Vail Mountain - Whistlepig and Zot. What about naming her after a favorite hiking trail or ski run?
85. Cindy said:
Reminds me of the best dog I ever had... Sadie.
Or maybe name her Buttons or Nadia.
86. Elizabeth said:
Maggie
I also liked Josh's suggestion of Luka
87. Stephanie said:
WOW So cute, I want one, ok another one, and I fell in love with Coco, but after the trials you have, maybe not such a good idea.
So here are my suggestions:
Bella
Piper
Codi (for girl or a boy)
I am mind blanking, I may be back when my brain starts functioning at a normal level.
88. Kerrin said:
Snickers
Smuckers
Abby
Libby
Addie
Oakley
I love rescue dogs! We have a rescue lab named Jack :)
89. Amy said:
Cody
Driggsy
Sasha
River
Maybelle
Luna
Wild (MN hockey team!)
90. Lauren said:
Fargo is genius
91. Michelle said:
Mascara
92. Desiree said:
Our black lab is named Jett (short for Jett Black Gem) and our blonde lab is named Jaden.
Other good ones:
Shadow
Dusky
Midnight
Lexi
Sunny (the name of my first lab when I was a kid)
If I come up with more, I'll be back :D
93. Krees said:
Margie? Because, you know, Marge is only one syllable.
94. Lizzie said:
Ooo, I like Tahoe.
95. J said:
how about
"leave it" or "out"
Seriously though - she looks like a bailey to me- don't know why
96. Anonymous said:
Someone suggested Dakota and I think that's an awesome name!!! Also had never heard of Dee-o-gee!!! That's absolutely fantastic!
My suggestions:
Dakota
Dee-o-gee
Rescue
Shyla
97. Floyd said:
How bout Miley?
I had a black lab named Stella - best dog ever so the name might have some good vibes attached to it.
98. JennStar said:
Heather how could you...I can't wait to read about the next dog you fall in love with next weekend.
This dog is gorgeous looks like a "Lucky" girl to me!
99. Anonymous said:
Lulu
Ella
Emma
100. Anonymous said:
Ivy
101. Beck said:
Lucille - after BB King's guitar...Lucy for short of course!
102. Mysh said:
In keeping with the family's love for the blues how about:
Etta, Lucille or Aretha?
She IS a beautiful dog! :O)
103. Jen said:
Cricket or Junebug!
104. Amanda said:
I'm gonna go with Rudy. I know it's kind of a boy name, but if you know the movie, it would fit. A little puppy who isn't given a chance all her life and then all of a sudden someone comes by and sees something in her. So they give her a chance. And then she scores a touchdown and everyone chants her name. :)
105. Nicole said:
Elsa
106. Catherine said:
Ms. Gussie
107. Anonymous said:
Just thought of another! Venus - like Venus Williams.
108. Kristie said:
Daisy!
109. Sybann said:
BeBe.
So close yet much better and feminine without being overly girly.
And she does have nice legs.
110. Kori said:
How about Maple? Sorry, I live in Canada.
Poppy? (midwesterners and Canadians most likely will prounounce it Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappy, and then you can make all the fun you want)
111. Randi said:
i say night b/c she is so dark- she looks like such a lovely puppy
112. Theresa said:
My husband's family is from NW Minnesota and I love it when they say "Fargo"- that would be the perfect name! That gets my vote!
113. Lyndsay said:
Okay, Fargo IS GENIUS.
I also do love Piper ...
114. Kelly said:
How about Lily or Jersey?
115. Anonymous said:
Grandma. It's fun to say 'grandma, stop that' when she misbehaves.
116. Anonymous said:
Karma Carlyn
117. dahnks said:
Mattie (short for Matilda)
or perhaps Maddie
118. Lisa said:
Guinness.
Charcoal
Ebony.
119. Hf said:
Weiwei.
Means HELLO! in Chinese if pronounced the right way ;) How cute!
120. Claudia said:
I just got Bixby as one of my random words...so how about that?
121. Emma said:
I would love to have a dog, but my current living situation does not allow it, alas. If/when I do get a little canine friend, I'd like to name it after one of the Russian space dogs - Laika being the obvious one, but I also love Mushka. So, these are my suggestions; they roll off the tongue easily, and they're pretty adorable names, plus, astronauts are sporty, outdoorsy people, right?
122. Erin said:
I work in a dog rehoming centre in England. I do mostly admin stuff and some days work in kennels, but I get to name any of the dogs who come through the door without a name (which is about half of them). Some of my favorite names we've had:
Bungle
Rummie
Skye
Della
Darcy
Lola
Margot
Phoebe
Lottie (short for Charlotte)
Good luck with the naming!
123. Jen said:
I love all the references to Montana in this post, because as a proud and silly Montanan, I would happily host Jon with a beer on the porch looking out at the Clark Fork river and the Sapphire Mountains while we waited for you to come get him.
Common Montana dog names are Bridger and Madison.
Although, I have to say, the Fargo suggestion cracked me up.
124. Audrey said:
Luna (two syllables and it means "moon" in Spanish, which is kind of outdoorsy)
And can I just say, I am not even a dog person and that dog melted my heart. Wow.
125. Amanda said:
Spencer?
126. Julie said:
I like Sadie or Cricket.
127. Pepper said:
As soon as I saw that pic of her hopping after Coco, the first thing that popped into my head was Rocket. Cuz she surely looks like she's set to launch lol
Side note...I was THRILLED to read your post. Having been involved in animal rescue for years, I can't even stress enough that volunteers are the heartbeat of all things good. They are THE MOST valuable commodity any rescue or shelter can have. It's a tough road to follow, b/c you're absolutely going to fall in love and have your heart broken a thousand times, but knowing that you're helping give a dog a chance at a life many of them have never had makes it so totally worth it.
I always thought you were a class act, but that just increased ten-fold :)
128. Sarah said:
Fargo is good.
Bella Blue came to mind also...
129. Anonymous said:
My suggestion, name the dog Ask Her.
What is the name of your dog? Ask Her. I think this is rather funny.
Or, the name of the town they are from in the Midwest...
130. Sub-Studio said:
I second/third/fourth (whatever the count is by the time my comment posts) FARGO!
131. GG said:
Might be kinda stupid, but since you did find her how about Deuce, or since she's so happy and riled up--Riley.
132. Mollywog said:
Oooo, Keeper, she's a keeper. And Sweet Thang!for all greetings.
133. Krissa said:
I'm going to loan you the name of my future adorable black lab mix that I'm going to get one day when I move out of Brooklyn and have a yard, because I figure I can share it with a family all the way over in Utah: Tally.
If you're feeling extra geeky you might as well know it's the heroine of the excellent Uglies trilogy, by Scott Westerfeld.
134. Laura S said:
Towser (t-ow-zer)
135. Sarah said:
How about Runner?
136. Patti said:
I got nothing, but I LOVE that picture of her and Coco running and laughing.
(my captcha seems to be succtal discharge - I didn't know the blogger could program these!)
137. Heather said:
Bella. That dog should be named Bella. I agree with anyone who has put it already.
Seriously, Bella.
138. Daisy said:
Wasatch or Dixie
(Or I second the vote for Etta or Lucille/Lucy)
139. Jacinta said:
A teacher of mine once named her lab Kimber and I always liked the sound of it.
140. Paige said:
I love the name, Lucy. That way, every time they proclaim their undying love for this precious pup, they'll be saying, "I LOVE LUCY!"
Cheesy, I know. But I named my dog "Maggie" just because I wanted to sing that Rod Stewart song to her every morning. And when she gets in trouble, it's always, "Maggie Mae!"
Good luck to your friends. Adopting a puppy is the BEST!
141. Jessica said:
Iris, Ivy, Poppy, Kaya (like kayak without the k), Maple, Venus, Stella, Autumn, Chinook, Delta, Lyric, Minnie, K.C., Muddy, Sippie. Ok that's all I got. Good luck to them!
142. Deb said:
If you're going bluesy:
Etta (James) "At last, my love has come along..." (that's the way I felt about my rescues)
Billie (Holiday)
Bessie (Smith)
Do your friends like sports? Peyton (Manning) is cute.
143. dahnks said:
How about "The Other".
I used to also have two cats named This and That. We always thought it would be funny to have a dog called The Other.
144. Cheri said:
Nemo
Liscious
Sparky
Parker
SeaRay
Woodsy
145. Jody said:
How about Bluebell? It is a beautiful flower (outdoorsy), has two syllables, and her coat is so dark it almost has that blue-ish tint to it.
She’s a beautiful puppy, I’m jealous!
146. Beth said:
Boo Boo - as in Yogi Bear's friend.
147. Julia said:
Killeen which is pronounced kul EEN and in Ireland means little woods, or Slaney which is pronounced SLAY nee and means a river, from a Celtic Goddess name.
I'm a total nerd and love names with meaning behind them. My future children don't stand a chance!!
148. Anonymous said:
Carra (pronounced CAR-uh)
149. Sandy said:
Ok--I am a dork--I actually have a list of dog names that I like saved on my computer incase we get another dog (our passed away last spring and our hearts are still broken--we miss you Zoe) Here they are:
Omega
Riley
Apsara (means angel in Hindu)
Lotus
Keeper
Nova
Ava
Zeus
Merlin
Milo
Delilah
Luna
Nala
Kahi (KI)
Poppy
Marble
Gypsy
Viola
Talullah
Micah
150. madootz said:
Smoky?
Dooce, you should have a "pet of the week" on your website. You could save a world of dogs! :)
151. Amy said:
I take it she's a tomboy..
Josie
Charley
Randi
Casey
152. Lily said:
I've never been a fan of naming a pet by a person's name, unless you're using something exotic like your fifth grade math teacher's name, your gynecologist, Doctor Finklestein, or something to that effect.
Anyhow... my suggestion: Rascal (sounds great with a little emphasis on the R).
153. lola271 said:
I love the names Rosie, Lily, and Flora!! I am just now scheming on how to bring home another dog from our local shelter!!!
154. Kate said:
How about the name:
Taylor
after Hound Dog Taylor?
She looks like a total sweetheart: Congrats!
155. betsy said:
Sweetie!!
kinda girly, but if anyone's a sweetheart, it's clearly that dog.
156. Marisa said:
Outback. Congrats to the lucky new family and good luck!
157. Megann said:
- Aspen
- Ivy
- Juniper (too many syllables but it's outdoorsy)
- Hazel
- Holly
- Kaya
- Leila
158. Anonymous said:
Jackie
Louise (but for sure call her Weezie)
Crayola.
159. Becca said:
Midnight.
160. Melissa said:
Mickey
We had a rescue dog that we fostered and we named her Mickey because she was so happy and carefree. This is fantastic that this little lady found a home.
Penelope (penny)
Zoe (it means life)
161. Anonymous said:
My two favorite female dog names, besides Belle of course, are Molly and Lola. But there are so many good ones here! I bet you'll find your winner today! Good luck to the happy family. she's a darling!
162. Andrea said:
Some ideas: Daisy, Sadie, Poppy, Canyon, Kala or Kali (Hindu name that means "black"), Greta, Sally (for La Salle Mts in Utah), Lucy (for BB King's guitar, Lucille). Will post more if I think of any...
163. Shannon D said:
I think she looks like a Jolie (means happy),
a Necie,
or a Leila (could be said Lee-la or lay-la; means dark-haired beauty)
164. Carrie said:
Scout....that dog looks like a scout.
165. Anonymous said:
Veta!
166. Katy said:
Timber
Aspen
Dallas
Nanook
Nani (hawaian for beautiful)
Cozy
167. Michelle said:
Heather,
The pictures of this dog reminded me so much of my dog growing up, it brought tears to my eyes. She was the most amazing dog. Her name was Cinder, and I thought it only appropriate to recommend the name to Carol and her family.
-Michelle
168. Anonymous said:
LeeRoy (as in Brown...you know, the baddest dog in the whole dang town/meaner than a junkyard dog...etc. you get the picture)
or JoJo so you could say "get back, JoJo" ala the Beatles
169. Kate said:
Ohhh, I like Minnie. She looks like a Minnie. Or "Girl". Just plan Girl.
170. Dogmom said:
I didn't mean to post as Anonymous about Molly and Lola. It was really from Dogmom!
171. Rochelle said:
How about Kiki!...it would be disgustingly cute to say that Coco and Kiki were hanging out in the backyard together!
172. elle said:
Hallee... short for Haleakala, a national park in Hawaii with black volcanic rock.
173. Sara said:
Sierra
174. CK said:
Since the dog is black - how about Blanca (pronounced Blonk-a)? Which is french for the word black.
175. Maxine Dangerous said:
A friend had a jet black cat she named Obsidian -- Sidney for short.
I also second (third, fourth, 100th, whatever) Zoe, Izzy, Maya, and Nina. I know, not unisex, but fitting. :)
176. sara said:
I'm pretty partial to Riley, but I REALLY think she looks like a Stella.
And the cutest white dog named Riley on the planet can be found here (not that I'm proud or biased or anything): http://gitzengirl.blogspot.com
177. deb said:
How bout pickle butt (something I call my dog even though his name is Bubba).
I did have a cat growing up that was named skinny pickle...
Whatever it is it should match her personality and cuteness!
178. Del said:
You're a much stronger person than I am. I want so badly to volunteer at a humane society but I know I'd spend the whole time bawling my eyes out. Just thinking about it is making me tear up.
As for a name I'd choose Bailey.
I'd recommend my dog's name but the one in the picture doesn't really look like a ChloePants.
179. Erin said:
Track
Trig
Bristol
Willow
Piper
Hahahaaaaa...
Okay, for realsies, I like Dusty. After Dusty Springfield. Or Dixie, after Dixie Carter.
180. Carrie said:
People. Because it's fun to say, "Stop peeing on the floor, People." or "Sit, People, Sit."
181. Liz said:
Honey.
We stuck with two syllables ending in the "y" sound which I have heard helps them distingush when they hear their name. We have two dogs, Halle and Mosley and that theory worked perfectly. If you scream one of those names, only the one you said will come running.
182. Tuli said:
Billie (as in Holliday)
Celie
183. Erin said:
How about Radar or Piper or Indy? Those are all our cats' names. Or Harley? (our Great Dane's name) I like Fargo, too. And Kanga. Or just Roo, although that doesn't follow the rules.
184. e. said:
i've always wanted to name a dog moose.
185. kcbelles said:
My first thought was Dakota, but I loved someone else's suggestion of Sierra - such a pretty name for such a cute puppy.
I also like Piper - I think that's an unusual name.
Kudos to you, Heather, for doing some much needed work at the HS; and also for finding a home for this little girl.
186. Julie said:
Callie
187. Cricky said:
I second Michelle's (Comment 167) suggestion - Cinder
188. Karin said:
Bella
Penny
189. faq said:
Did you know that more news reporters are from the Midwest than anywhere else in the country? Why? BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE LEAST DETECTIBLE ACCENT! (Unless you're from the south side of Chicago of course) No lie.
Jilly
Harley
Zulu
Hoho (I think I see a little white on her neck, yes?)
...or Oreo
Is Spencer a gender neutral name????? :)
190. Why Mom Drinks Rum said:
I vote
BARKLEY
Trees have bark...and are outside for the OUTDOORSY people.
Dogs bark. I've heard anyway.
I think Barkley was the name of that dog on Sesame Street who I used to wish I could find. I was a dumb kid.
191. Julie said:
Ruby
192. Tracie said:
Well we have a dog named "Joe" and my son wanted to get another one and name him "Sloppy". but we didn't.
I like the name "Shakespeare".
By the way I've been meaning to e-mail you and if you would schedule a meet and greet for Chuck and Coco.
Their fans would appreciate it.
193. Anonymous said:
I was once knew a dog that looked just like this one. Her name was Koda. Or Kota, her owner was from the midwest and I could never fully understand what he was calling her. It's like Dakota, but only 2 syllables.
194. deb said:
Baby Girl.
195. Rosemary said:
I say Sierra (for the mountains), or Sundance, or Aoife (pronounced EE fa, means beautiful radiant and joyful)
Pick Aoife or Sierra!
196. Sweetherald said:
I've been a lurker, but you won me over with this post.
I like the name Annie since she was an orphan. Pepper is cute. Pickle is cute. I seem to be partial to the P names. Snort!
My kid's suggestion was Ben Ten.
Good luck.
197. Spants said:
Phoenix, since she's rising from the... oh you get it.
Memphis is known for the blues.
Clover, since she's lucky.
198. J. Bo said:
Fargo is pretty darn good, but if we're goin' the blues route, how 'bout:
Sippie (for the late, great Sippie Wallace)
Bessie (for Bessie Smith)
Billie (for Billie Holiday)
Rickie (for Rickie Lee Jones)
Ella (no explanation needed, I would hope)
And, as previously mentioned, they could go with Lena, for both the Ole & Lena jokes AND Lena Horne.
199. Rosemary said:
I say Sierra (for the mountains), or Sundance, or Aoife (pronounced EE fa, means beautiful radiant and joyful)
Pick Aoife or Sierra!
200. Anonymous said:
Comet (for the little white mark on her chest, against the black outer space of her fur)
201. helmetnona said:
Lucille like B.B. King's Gibson.
It's black, too.
202. Zdub said:
My contribution...
-Racecar (for their son)
-Deuce (get it?)
-Lucille aka Lucy (in honor of B.B.)
Adorable doggie!
203. Amy Jo said:
She looks EXACTLY like my dog, Lola, so I second that name.
204. Judy said:
Her name should play off the word "dooce" somehow, don't you think?
205. Anonymous said:
Thumper
206. Anonymous said:
I know that its 3 syllables, but if you say it fast enough it kind of sounds like 2.
Allegra
207. Anonymous said:
Keeper
208. Julie said:
Frankie
209. Valerie said:
My suggestion is "Awesome".
Of the names I saw above, I liked Stella and Luka, and D-O-G was clever and original until I read some more comments and realized how common it actually is.
Tell them to go with "Awesome".
210. Stacy said:
Wow! I'm not the only one who thought of Izzy. =D
211. Meg said:
Shirley
212. Katie Hyde said:
Roxy?
213. Sally said:
My good friends had a black lab who was very special. They named him J.D. (stands for Just Dog). Was a very good name to yell for him to come. He died last year and my brother got a black lab and named him JD in his honor. :) I think its cute, JD.
214. Adrian said:
Autumn.
215. Katie said:
Ella (ella fitzgerald)
Second Etta, and Lucy (for BB's guitar)
My nine year old would like to suggest Summer, because she was adopted right as summer ended.
Love, love love Andrea Spamdrea's stripper-type spelling!
216. Mandy said:
I like Hazel or Millie :)
217. leslee said:
Shasta
Ollie
Augie
Daisy
218. Lisa said:
Porter. Like the delicious Wasatch brew (which happens to be roughly the same color as that dog's coat).
219. Anonymous said:
Moxie. That is her name.
220. Hazel said:
Do they like beer? As in "Porter?" or "Guinness?
Or maybe "Ouzo" since it tastes like licorice. I have a one track mind, apparently.
221. Jacquie said:
When I saw that 2nd to last photo, I called her Gazelle. I really think it's perfect, and I'm just going to ingnore those hundreds of other commenters with their so-called ideas :)
222. Anonymous said:
Wow, there are some great names on here!
Sadie, Piper, Lottie, Lola, Luna, Maisy, Nina, Mia... I'm taking notes for my future dog's name. Congratulations on placing an adorable dog in a great home, Dooce.
Please let us know what name they decide!
223. thecandyqueen said:
Sushi
Queenie
Fozzie
Gwynnie
Royal
224. Vanessa said:
She looks like a Midnight to me :)
225. Jen said:
Trixie
Roxie
or
Wingnut
226. Anonymous said:
bentley
pyper
simone
koko
riley
227. Dawn said:
What a cutie pie!!!!
How about calling her Lulu -- short for Lulu Lemondrop
228. stephanie parnell said:
Fargo and Tahoe are my favorites.
229. Elizabeth said:
How about Aspen or Juniper?
230. Elena said:
I agree with Lisa,
Guinness.
Charcoal
But also Pitch, Smokey, Kohl, Raven, Midnight, 8Ball, Magic.
Any pound puppy could be called Lucky or Chance.
231. Zoë said:
Blossom
232. Malissa said:
What a cutie pie! I'm not great with the girl names since my rescue pups are boys (Cooper and Dudley), but how about:
Pippa
Avery
Charlotte (Lotti)
Keenan
Kaia
and, of course, DOOCE!
Also, has anyone suggested naming her after our favorite 4-year-old, LETA?!
Welcome home, girl!
233. tbooty said:
i like either tasha or onyx.
anything but shadow.
234. V said:
I agree with the Izzy contingent.
235. Anonymous said:
Licorice?!?
236. Ali from Oregon said:
I think Etta as in Etta James is great
237. Sarah said:
Marley! That's the name we picked for our new kitty but the kids didn't like it. But it's a great dog name!
238. Anonymous said:
Douché Bag. DB for short.
239. sara b. said:
Aww, she's adorable!
Ella
Bebe
Lucy
Chloe
Fiona (three syllables, i know but...)
Chrissy
Gracie
Nora
Annie
Alice
Gemma
Emmie
Piper
Pippa
Tori
Rory
Sophie
Riko
Sawyer
Riley
Ok, this is too much fun. I could go on forever!
240. Rachel said:
That dog is definitely a Daisy.
241. guilty noodles said:
Either Kangaroo (Roo) or Wallaby (Aby) because that photo of her leaping at Coco's butt makes her look like a hopping kangaroo.
242. Jacquelyn said:
Luna
243. Kim said:
How about Phoebe "The Car" Snow
244. Kelly B said:
River
And you know you are going to have collect families who need dogs if you are going to continue to volunteer.
Or get a good divorce lawyer.
245. Ellen said:
I don't have any name suggestions, I used to work at our local Humane Society and I've named enough animals in my life to have plum run out of good ideas! But I wanted to say "YAY!"
YAY! to you for volunteering at the Humane Society!! And YAY! to your friends for adopting a dog from a shelter!!!
Honestly and sincerely, this post just made my day. YAY!
246. Saracoug said:
A lot of my favorite dog names have been listed already (and don't necessarily fit your criteria) but here's a couple others:
Skylar
Keisha
Ryder
Mika
Marley
Keely
247. Sheri said:
We had a black lab mix athat looked just like her, down to that white spot under her chin. We named her Molly and she was the best dog ever for 14 long years!!
248. Giovanna Diaries said:
I vote for Snuggles since she snuggled up to everyone immediately!
249. Kristen said:
Olive
Larkin
Raven
Emma
Seconding Fargo and Sadie.
250. Elena said:
Crayon/CROWN? :-)
I think any of Sarah Palin's daughter's names make excellent dog names. Piper is great. Willow. Bristol. Sarah is a great name for a dog too!
How about Canyon?
Sierra
Maisy
Macy
Cedar
Lucky
Lucy
Lucky Lucy.
This is a great story. I hope she has found her forever home.
251. MS said:
I like Fargo! And:
Paris
Wong
Texas Ranger
252. Jennifah said:
i can totally see why you wanted to take her home - too cute!
Roxy
Poppy(suggested by someone else)
Tipsy (our dog's name until we changed it)
it will come to them
cat-shit-eater (my dog's name)or
ass-licker
253. Tina said:
I second (or third or 11th) Poppy. That said, we've always said we'd name our next puppy Dammit, for reasons obvious to anyone who's ever had a puppy.
254. Janet said:
Ember
LuLu's cute also.
Congratulations to the family!
255. Wendy said:
Scully.
If her adoptive family also likes X-files.
256. Groovymarlin said:
OMG Dooce, isn't it obvious? CRAYON!
257. Susan said:
We have four rescue cats, the last two come from care-cats.org who only foster and you have to pass a background check, even though we already had two (older) cats. So while we waited (only took a day for the background check), we made a short-list of names.
Well, the two litter mates, already names, Murphee and Pepper (one male BRIGHT orange calico and a female sable-black). We kept the name Murphee, but quickly changed Pepper to Petra, cause she's a stone cold fox and quite a sassy one at at that.
Murphee, aka Duuuuuuuuude, no offense, but he's a laid back one who likes his catnip; and Petra knows where I hide it.
My suggestion is give it a few days and see what fits. All above suggestions are great. (If we knew Murphee was so cool and all, we probably would've named him Spicoli -- showing my age, Fast Times at Ridgemont High). Duuuude.
Man, now I want, no, no, no. NO. WAY.
You go Heather. Please don't make Jon move to Montana.
258. Anonymous said:
Wrigley.
259. Michele said:
How about naming the dog Dakota?
260. belletoes said:
Whoah Black Betty, bamalama. ??? We just got a 10 month old black lab mix who looks just like her! We tried out some new names like Newman but he only responds to his original. Not very original for a black lab mix but, Shadow it is. Good luck Carol and family! I think Black Betty is great!
261. tessa said:
bacon!
or dingo!
262. BettyCrockerAss said:
Since they are the outdoor type, they probably hike a lot. Probably even do some sledding in Logan Canyon at times?
So I would suggest:
Logan
Not sure if you could make fun of the way they say it, but I'm sure you could figure something out!
263. Keli said:
Dori
264. carin said:
Willow
It's sweet like she seems to be, and has a sad/serious note that goes with the Humane Society History, but also is, you know, a tree, and growth and giving and all that...
Plus, we can "reclaim" it, for those of you who have heard it in conjuction with certain political parties...
265. Tami A. said:
Here's mine:
-Sadie
-Tahoe
-Piper
-Kaya
(all mentioned above, just wanted to throw my vote in there)
Glad she has a home, what a sweet face!
266. Stacy said:
Bella
Alice
(I've been reading the Twilight books)
Sedona (beautiful place)
Shasta (lovely mountain)
Denali or just Nali
Harper (I love To Kill a Mockingbird)
Padme
Leia
Layla
Roxanne
267. Vanessa said:
This is tackling me silly, because I have been swearing to the world that I would call my next dog Jamboree. Which breaks the first rule, the two syllables, and possibly even the third one, that it should be easy to pronounce. However, I think she'd be a perfect fit, as it she seems energetic and still fun...
Ciao!
268. Niki said:
We also have a black lab mix, and we named her Ebony. Hey, c'mon, it's better than Blackie!! :P
269. gingela5 said:
You know I posed the same question on my blog yesterday--only I got about 10 responses where you'll get hundreds. If anybody has any good boy dog names throw them my way...PLEASE! As far as girl names go my dogs are Lexi and Sadie and she looks EXACTLY like my friends dog Bailey. They could be siblings. I have a thing for dogs if you can't tell :)
270. jess said:
Bessie
Billie
Mildred
Peggy
Dinah
Nina
271. GlitterGirl said:
I have the answer!
Lulu.
272. Courtney said:
She's just beautiful! I thought of Charlotte, Willow, Maple, Licorice and Jasmine.
273. Jayme said:
Oh I love her!!! How about Snippet?
274. Steve said:
"Beauty"
275. Katie said:
I had a black lab named Shadow.
When I look at her, though, I see Lucy written all over her. She's cute... good on ya for finding her a home!
276. Ashley said:
She looks just like my puppy! I so want to take her home and love her even though I have one exactly the same at home! I named my pup Izzy, nope not short for Isabelle, just Izzy. It fits her somewhat nurotic personality. We also have a Sadie and a Rylee.
277. Sara said:
Elsa
278. Rita said:
Dexter
279. tracey said:
She looks like a Ripley to me!!!!
280. Alexis said:
Stella
OR
Ruby
281. Katie Kuehn said:
Lucky.
282. Kim said:
Also, I wanted to say you're a good person Heather. Knowing you only from reading your blog, the Humane Society, it would seem, could break your heart but you went anyway.
283. MPT said:
Lizzie.
We've adopted all of our dogs (5) and cats (3) over the years. Our Lizzie came from the Humane Society, was a regal, stubborn, intelligent and beautiful Great Dane who was curled up so small in her cage we couldn't tell what she was. She went on to be the best dog in the world. She died many years ago but she is still with us every day.
284. JB said:
Lucy
Oprah (I had a neighbor whose dog was named that!)?
285. Melinda said:
Domino…like Blues ledged Fats Domino. The fact that she is black with a white spot also plays into the name.
Good Karma to you Heather for finding this puppy a loving family!
286. Lynn said:
Millie. It's short and sweet and cute. Just like her.
287. Anonymous said:
Wahoo
Bella
288. margaux said:
i DO like "keeper."
also...
cinder
or
pudding
289. Peter said:
I suggest the name...Hannah or Roxy.
290. Michelle said:
I've always liked Tucker.
We had a dog named Erika - it is a great name for a dog (easy to yell when they are running away from you).
291. Kelly said:
Margie is perfect! That was Frances McDormand's name in the movie Fargo.
Marge Gunderson: Say, Lou, didya hear the one about the guy who couldn't afford personalized plates, so he went and changed his name to J3L2404?
Lou: Yah, that's a good one.
292. Karin said:
Sophie. For Sophie Tucker, last of the red hot mamas. :)
Other possibilities are Nina, Lena (though probably too close to Leta), Simone or Mary Lou, all blues women.
293. Rachel said:
--Ozark
--Ginger
--Louise
--Josie/Josephine (as in Josephine Baker)
--Ghira (like...Ghiradelli!)
Also, CK, I might be wrong, but I think "blanca" (or, actually, "blanche") means white. "Noir" means black in French.
294. Robyn said:
What is she mixed with? It looks identical to mine, which is a mix of border collie and ___? so it must be lab!
295. Emily said:
I like Zulu!!
296. Why Mom Drinks Rum said:
Oh...and
DEEFER
De-fer-dog
I know. I smrt. I mean smart.
297. juneyor said:
Bocephus, very southern and a little bad ass.
298. Ellen said:
--Sedona--
what a beautiful little girl and a lovely story :) always nice when the doggies at the humane society get taken home to a nice, loving family!
good luck with the name game :)
299. Felix said:
Name her Sue...I know it's one syllabel, but if you call her pig style it becomes two...i.e SOOOO-EEY!