Puppy

[ritaxis]

So you know I've been angling towards getting a dog. Yesterday Robin, for whom I need a better title than "the mother of my son-in-law" or "my daughter's mother-in-law" took me to the County Animal Shelter and we looked at the dogs and I saw a dog with the characteristics I want so I put down the money and tomorrow she's available.

It was not love at first sight. It was "I can fall in love with this dog."

First, the things about her that are not what I was looking for: she's a puppy! I was looking for an adult dog. I was also looking for a dog who, if she turns out to be a ratter, could kill a rat with one snap of the jaw instead of having to mess around: she has a smallish muzzle (but not small in proportion to her size, not a tiny face or a mushed-in snout: it's a normal dog muzzle and she will breathe normally). But she won't be a puppy for long, and I have no idea whether she'll be a ratter. She's part chihuahua, which shows in her bark (though she isn't a big barker). She does that weird little howly chihuahua bark. But mostly she just huffs.

Now, the things about her that are what I was looking for: she's lively, energetic, playful, independent-minded and yet friendly and affectionate, engaged, and smart. At six months she will chase a ball and bring it back, and that's special. She jumps a lot, which I'll have to teach her not to do, but it's not a bad sign in a six-month-old, from my point of view.  A puppy who jumps a lot has energy, is eager, and is just asking to be taught tricks.  So I figure I'll give her some jumping tricks to do and teach her not to jump just for sheer exuberance.She almost comes when called, which is great considering she hasn't been taught that yet. She orients to the person she thinks is "hers" before a stranger, but she pays attention to anybody. I'm not looking for a one-woman dog.

Notice the only things I mentioned in terms of appearance so far was her face, and that only in terms of function. I wasn't looking for appearance, though I knew for sure that any dog who reminded me of Truffle in looks as well as behavior would have an edge,. And she does, a bit. She doesn't have a barrel chest or a broad head, but she has a long body and half-flopped ears and expressive eyes. She's blond, with amazing red-orange eyelashes. Of course she sheds a lot. I'm resigned.



She comes with the name Nala, which Keith points out is from the female lion in The Lion King. And so therefore I think I'd like to change her name to something not Disney. I also prefer names that are not human names. Any ideas?

edit:What do you think of Žlutá? It means "yellow" and it is not a human name, unlike Zlata. It is pronounced "Zhluta."

Comments

[pameladean]

She's awfully cute. The ears and that tongue just cracked me up. Do you think there's some beagle in there? I think your suggested name is lovely, and with luck it sounds enough like her current name that she can switch over.

P.

[karinfromnosund.livejournal.com]

What a gorgeous little puppy!

Will she grow more? She's very nicely lap-sized in that picture.

[davidgoldfarb.livejournal.com]

Hebrew/Yiddish has a word for Robin: she is your machatonister. (Alas, if you use this word not many people will understand you.)

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

maybe half again more at the most depending on hr ancestry (which is unknown)

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that is exactly what I want. Is there also a word for the parents of one's sister-in-law (for example)?

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

The name I'm leaning towards, alas is not much alike-- Zhluta v. Nala.

[pameladean]

Same number of syllables and they both end in a schwa. I'm not actually sure what dogs hear and notice as unique; we did once have a dog named Posey who responded to "honey" and "cutie" but not "goofball" or "curlicue."

P.

[davidgoldfarb.livejournal.com]

There's a one-word term for one's in-laws; I'm not sure about the example you give. I suspect you'd just call them "Aunt" and "Uncle". I'm not an expert on the topic, I just remembered Debbie Notkin mentioning that Yiddish had that specific kinship term and googled for it.

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

Growing up I had a dog named Stupid because he wouldn't come to anything else. He was actually pretty smart except for when it came to picking fights with larger dogs and young bulls.

[al-zorra.livejournal.com]

Congratulations on leg + bike and now dog. She's a pretty one. She looks like a happy one too, which is all good.

C.

[pameladean]

Maybe he just liked the sound of it.

A friend of mine had a cat named "Turkey" because that was what they kept calling him when he did goofy or destructive things.

P.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

She looks like a most excellent dog. I like her alert face and half dropped ears. Also the size is good. Neither so small as to get under one's feet but not so big as to end up too strong for a small female to handle.

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

I will be tempted to simply scoop her up when she's doing something I want her to stop. I'll have to resist that if I'm to teach her properly.