Rover, come over

My nephew got a new dog. Half the fun of getting a new animal is naming it. We have spent hours, even days, trying to think up the perfect name. We have asked around town for advice and have yet to find one Fido or Rover.

Living on the north side of town is an Irish setter with the name of “Major.” He was given the name when the owner noticed the dog’s eyes resembled that of her late uncle who served as a Major in the army.

There is a cocker spaniel over on the west of town that actually has a middle name. You can hear her being called for: “Taffy Lynn”. I wonder if she spells her middle name with one ‘n’ or two.

Over in Dugger, there is a cat named “Chance.” The children couldn’t believe they had a chance to keep the stray kitten they found. There is a pekingese in Linton by the name of “Troubles.” There is a little yellow canary near Jasonville that it’s owner named “Buzzard.”

Can an animal be named out of spite? There is a dalmatian in Linton that is called “Stripe” . There is a cat named “Blackjack” because they found him in their yard after returning from the riverboat.

You can state your professions and name your favorite pet. There is a nurse at the hospital that has a cat named “Clara”. Clara after Clara Barton. There is a retired policeman who no longer drives a patrol car yet named his gold lab “Cruiser.”

I wonder if a few animal names are self-explanatory. “Combination” was the name of a dog in Dugger. It was obviously a mutt of the 57 varieties. Living on the same street is a dog with the name of “Chocolate Chip.” Yes, it has brown and black spots on its coat.

The dog, the newest addition to our animal family, still hasn’t acquired a name yet. The latest suggestion was to name it simply “Dog.” I don’t think so.

Nancee Harrison is a past columnist for the Greene County Daily World. Visit www.blondeladywithdarkroots.com or email her at blondeladywithdarkroots@gmail.com or send comments to Nancee, Daily World, box 129 Linton IN 47441.