Five Dog Names

I’m trying to train my girls, ages seven and three, to think outside the box.

For example –

Yesterday, over lunch, we were discussing dogs. The wife wants to buy one, the little ones want to buy one, but I want to hold off a little while longer. At least until the girls are a bit older, so I ain’t the only one walking him. Anyway …

“What would you name our dog?” I ask them. “Let’s say we got five dogs – ” their eyes light up – “what would you name each one?”

After some whispered consultation, they come up with this:

Sweetie

Buddy

Shadow (for a black dog)

Marshmello (that’s the correct spelling)

and

Wednesday.


Hmmm. Okay. Now let’s think outside the box.* “Those are all great names,” I say with much grandiosity. “Do you want to know what I’d name them?”

Groans.

“I would name our five little puppies …”

Maximillian

Boris

Guillermo

Empedocles

and

Wallace.


While I think these are different, “fun” names for pets, the girls, sadly, do not agree. In fact, I don’t think I even got all five out over their chorus of BOOOOOOs.

Oh well. The training continues …


* One day I’m going to brainstorm a list of terms to replace that old cliché, “outside the box,” and post it.