- Listen to the quiet..Ranking for signal to noise ratio http://t.co/GN7JmQea
- These are all GREAT! 7 Of The Most Shared And Innovative Marketing Youtube Videos From 2012 http://t.co/DdQah0GT via @zite
- New Blog Post: Does Your Cat or Dog Need a New (and Unique!) Companion? Check This Out! http://t.co/ZwJEWWfB
- Yummy food comes with a price..Nearly All Restaurant Entrees Exceed USDA Nutrition Recommendations http://t.co/voUkpa7x via @zite
- If you buy large bags of pet food, pour the food into a storage bin, then throw the bag away, take a picture of... http://t.co/85glCiz6
Fun Facts About Names
Did you know today is Fun Facts About Names Day? I found this article online at Vetstreet.com the other day about how and why we pick the names we do for our pets. Here’s an excerpt…..
“Pet owners nowadays are favoring more human-like monikers for their animals — Charlie and Chloe, anyone? — and even pop culture-inspired picks that pay homage to cult movie characters, including Bella from the Twilight series.
It turns out that the names we select for our pets say a lot about our culture — and the fact that we have truly come to view pets as indispensable members of the family.
Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard and creator of babynamewizard.com, explains why less-than-expected monikers, such as Zoey and Bentley, are all the rage these days.
Popular names like Lulu, Milo, Leo and Louie bear a striking resemblance to a current baby-naming trend that Wattenberg calls “Guys and Dolls–style.” These are nicknames that are short and cute but somewhat old-fashioned. “Parents are giving pets the more extreme versions of their kids’ names,” says Wattenberg. “While they’re happy to name their children Leo and Max, they aren’t quite ready for Lulu or Milo for their kids.”
The names we choose for animals also symbolize our increasing connection to pets — and this is particularly evident when it comes to female kitty names, such as Lola, Stella, Zoey and Penny. Not only do these picks have a soft, cozy sound to them, but Wattenberg also points out that “the more human names we give our pets, the more family-like a role they tend to play. These names lend a feeling of warmth and personal attachment to the pet.”
Another popular pet-naming trend that speaks to our tendency to look at pets as children: single-sex picks like Dexter and Gunner. “Classic unisex pet names used to be about physical characteristics — Spot, Midnight, Fluffy — which you might think of as objectifying today,” says Wattenberg. “Now pets are given more traditional, single-sex human names.”
As long as blockbuster books and flicks continue to hit the market, people will gravitate toward pop culture monikers. A couple of hot names for pets today: Bentley, the name of a baby on Teen Mom, and Nala, a main character in The Lion King.”
What inspired your pet’s name?
What’s In a Name? How to Name Your Dog
Bo, the incredibly well-named cat: You know how it goes…you get a new puppy and you go over a long list of potential names for it. You land upon the perfect name, and three months later, you wish you had called it something else. (Trust me, I have called the dog in our house many names before, but I cannot list those in this forum, as this is a family-friendly blog, and I do not want to lose my job or my credibility.) Do you know that in your dog’s lifetime, it will be called by its name over 30,000 times? Better think twice about that perfect name, and here are some tips:
*Embarrassing names are out of the question. Do you want to hear yourself screaming “Stinky, come back!” as you chase your canine down the street after he has escaped once again!
*Some dogs outgrow their names. Sure, your precious little Buttercup is cute and cuddly as a pup, but when that Great Dane is fully grown, she may be the laughing stock of the neighborhood when you refer to her as such.
*Keep the name short…one or two syllables max. Dogs will learn it quickly and it will be easier to use when training.
*Pick a name that matches its personality. No need to call your dog Dash if he sits in one place all day.
*Avoid the trendy names. Do you know of anyone who has a dog named Disco?
*Do not name your dog after Grandma Sadie or Uncle Stu. They might take offense to that moniker. (The dog might, too, depending on the relative!)
*Ask your dog what he or she thinks! Try the name on for size. See how he or she responds. (Funny, Jessie never responds to those other names I call her…wonder why? I think they are fully appropriate.)
*If you have adopted an older dog, it is best to keep the name it already has. No need to confuse it. If you have to change it, however, find a name that is similar to or rhymes with the old name.
After you have given your dog its new name, be sure to pile on the extra love and affection. Those go well with any dog.
And, for an added benefit…if you have to go out of town and do not want to leave your dog isolated in some boarding situation, call the trusted pet sitting experts at Joy of Living Pet Sitting Services in Kansas City. They want to know your dog by name. They will treat him or her just like family, and when you are family, everyone knows your name.
Now, where did that little stink bomb go? Oops, I mean Jessie. I know that dog is around her somewhere. I can smell her!
(Information for this post obtained at www.dog-names-and-more.com)
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