What’s In A Name?
Saturday, April 19th, 2008When my children bought my dog for me in 2002, that year’s letter for pets’ names was the letter T. I went to the vet’s when the puppy was born and picked up a leaflet of suggestions. I settled for Taïga because I wanted a short name, one with Russian connections, and suitable for a white dog.
I found that a few English-sounding names were suggested, and they made me wonder: who on Earth would want to call their dog Tablespoon or Takeout, is beyond my understanding. Only people with absolutely no knowledge of English would use those names, that’s probably why they are suggested. I wonder what kind of funky French names some poor pets have been given in non-French speaking countries?
The name Taïga itself does raise a few eyebrows, so I explain… (but I’ve given up explaining that ‘No, she’s not a poodle, she’s a Bichon Frisé,’ a very different breed).
The first time Taïga set a paw on English soil, the Customs Officer took one amused look at her and said: “Hello Curly, how’s life?” So now Taïga has an English name too. When we are in England and people ask her name, she’s “Curly,” it’s easy and self-explanatory. Sometimes you have to be practical.
She’s got another name too. As I was standing in a queue at the local garden center on December 23 one year, a young guy joked to his girlfriend: ‘Regarde, un chien de Noël (Look, a Christmas dog)!’ I turned round and thanked him for being a poet.
For all intents and purposes, I don’t mind people calling her other names, because she knows only one, the one I gave her. She’s my dog and to her, all that matters is that I’m the leader of the pack!
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