Friday, February 12, 2010

Love Bucket

This shot was an accident. Imperfect, but I love it.

The things that could be said about this shot, a dog-lover knows: A dog is fine company. Ushering a dog through life is a privilege. There is no joy like that of a happy dog. Et cetera.

We have about forty nick-names for Boz. Today it might be fun to share dog nick-names in the comments. I'll start us off with a few here. Let's see...

Pooh-Dawdle. (Boz tends to lag behind at every opportunity.)
Bark Gable. Gary Pooper. (Boz has movie star looks.)
The Poo, the Pooper. (Well, everybody uses a variation on those.)

28 comments:

Chuck Pefley said...

I like this "accident" too!

Your canine nicknames brings to mind one we bestowed on our cat, Sebastian. During the constant CNN coverage of the Gulf War the term "bogey" was bandied about often. Finally, Arron Brown I think, took the time to explain that a "bogey" was something that popped up into view and then dropped back down. That was Sebastian ... curled up in the folds of bed comforter, you would often see his ears and eyes rise above the top of the quilt ... only to disappear again when he'd determined that it really wasn't a tuna can being opened in the kitchen. -:)

Volmon said...

An is-perfect shot, Petrea.

Shell Sherree said...

I love so much about this, Petrea, not the least Boz's toenails. I've not yet shared home with a puppy dog, but if I do, I shall duly note the need to include 'poo' in some of his/her nicknames.

Chuck, I also love your Sebastian "bogey" story!

Jilly said...

Oh yeeeeeees! Love it Petrea!

Petrea Burchard said...

Love the "bogey" story, Chuck! I often see Boz's ears poke up here and there, but I don't think it's intentional on his part.

Where are you now, Lucio? Barbados? Antarctica? Spain?

Shell, you have excellent taste. Boz has the most attractive feet.

Jilly, I'm glad you saw this one!

Cafe Pasadena said...

The nickname we K9's prefer is Master.

Vanda said...

Do you have empirical proof that you are walking Boz, and not the other way around? I mean, there is one of you on either end of the leash.

Linda Dove said...

Love the picture.

When Gus was a puppy, I slipped into calling him "Guppy" and that has rather stuck.

Anonymous said...

Boobie. Gramma Moses. Babushka. Feebles. Albert Einstein. Ursostupid.

TheChieftess said...

Fluffybutt...twinkletoes...Daisy Mae...(driving) Miss Daisy...

then there's Osama bin cat (our calico youngster who's been known to race around in the bedroom leaping onto the bed and off again)...bimbo kitty (our lovey, dovey, but not too bright grey and white tabby)

Unknown said...

I LOVE this picture.

Susan C said...

It's that way with our little guy "Baby Joseph" too. The other day I kept calling his name. He wouldn't respond to Joseph or JoJo or Joey or any variation of that. Finally, when I yelled out Junie Bug, he turned around and burst into giggles.

pasadenapio said...

I often called my dog Kate "Katie Bird." I don't know why. Maybe she's flying free in doggie heaven.

Eleonora Baldwin said...

I love this accidental photo! "Every day life" art. The leash, the shoes, the dog nails... perfection.

When I had a dog many years ago I actually named him COTOLETTA, Italian for schnitzel, due to the shape and color of his cutlet-looking ears. With a name like that, nicknames were superfluous. Imagine me calling his name in the park? People thought I was crazy. Or very hungry.

Bean said...

We call our dog, Scout, Scoobert, and The butter bandit.

TheChieftess said...

Did I mention how much I like this picture???

Eleanora triggered a memory...HuChi, my little golden tabby, sister of Sophie...she was named HuChi because she looked like a tiger, and of course, I was taking Tai Chi...so she became HuChi...my version of essence of the tiger...which consequently morphed into my "little hootchie kootchie girl"!

Volmon said...

Hee hee! I wish! ... I'm back in Melbourne, Australia (until June). Well, most of me is. My heart is always elsewhere. ... Elsewhere.

Kat said...

Our dog nicknames: Mongoose --" Goosey" "Monnie", Little Grey Face (this has happened recently), and "Please be quiet!"

Alvin -- "Alvin gravy head" (after a gravy spilling incident) "Alpo", "Po", "Albert" and Old Man. :)

Unknown said...

I'm partial to the nickname 'dog.'

Petrea Burchard said...

I'm sure they do, Cafe.

Vanda, I do not have proof.

Guppy! Perfect.

Hiker, I think maybe it's a good thing dogs don't speak English (with the exception of Master).

Chieftess, Fluffybutt is one of my--nevermind.

I'm glad, Jill. Me, too.

Susan, I hate to tell you this but we will only be able to compare Junie Bug and Pooh Dawdle for a short time before one surpasses the other.

I know you miss her, Ann. When Boz goes I'll be in hiding for months. I can't even think about it.

Eleonora, you remind me of a dog I once knew named "The Jowly Lama." That dog needed a nickname. See Chieftess, above--you triggered something.

Bean: did she earn "Butter Bandit?"

Think of it this way, Lucio: all Americans want to visit Australia.

Mongoose and Alvin? Those are already good ones.

Okay, Cliff, now I know what to call you.

Bellis said...

Never mind what we call our dogs - what do they call themselves? I'm sure their real names are much more exalted than our choices. Remember the Gary Larson cartoon from The Far Side about this?

By the way, I do feel that dogs think they're the ones who have us on the leash

John Sandel said...

If dogs had words, they'd all be one syllable. You hear it every time you pass by their kingd—uh, their driveways …

Hey, you! You don't walk by here! I smelled you! Yeah, you! You see me ! I see you! Hey, you come back here! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey … (etc)

Dogs know that we're not dogs, but they don't have a word for us (we're monkeys, if it must be said). I think they sometimes admire us (we can do stupefying things, like put on mascara while we drive a stickshift) & sometimes they tolerate us ("How long must they jabber?"). Very rarely they pity us—it can be profound to be comforted, spontaneously, by a dog, when you're wretched at heart. Occasionally they're sorry they depend on us ("That squirrel was right by your FOOT.")

But mostly, dogs are like us: pack animals who like to nestle in together for the night; who can learn to share but sometimes have to be forced; who fart and grumble and eat wrong things.

After more than fourteen thousand years together, we've rubbed each other's corners round. I wouldn't give up Boz for any of the people I know, except my wife. On my worst days—the days when I f*ck up, or the world is f*cked up—he waits for me happily, wanting his evening stroll. His trust is a badge of pride.

Petrea Burchard said...

I don't know about exalted, Bellis. I don't remember the Larson cartoon but I imagine if they had words for each other they'd be something like "he who smells of cheap kibble" and "she who is in heat."

Yeah. We love our dog. He makes us a family.

Anonymous said...

Awwwww....J+P...right on!!!

USelaine said...

You called it, P. Even when I encounter friendly dogs affiliated with other people, I'm all, "Poooop-perrrr!" or "Pooper Pup!" I don't even think about what it means...

I love this shot, because I know how much you love Boz.

Dina said...

A perfect picture, down to the twirl on the leash.
John says it well (as always).

I don't know any dogs on a nick-name basis around here.
But my cat friends Lara and Shachar I often call Ye-feh-fi-YA (beautiful one), To-va-TI (my good one), Cha-MOO-da (cutie), and Me-too-KA (sweetie).

Petrea Burchard said...

Yes, Kathryn, my J. has a way with words.

Elaine, before J. and I adopted Boz, we noticed that about each other--we would love on the dogs of other people without noticing the people! I learned the word "pooper" from him. (Well, I'd heard it before, but not in that context...) He always met dogs with "Who's the poo?" and they responded to him joyfully.

Dina, I think Me-too-KA's my favorite.

Dina said...

OK, Petrea metooka.