What’s in a name?

When we first started looking at OMHS* for a possible dog to adopt, the first one that was of potential interest was a large hound called Hank. It was not long after that when we contemplated a dog named Ray.

After Ray there was a Husky named Coltrane who was never a serious contender as we were not looking for an escape artist which, apparently, was one of his strengths, but he certainly was a lovely looking dog!

Given that a significant number of dogs in their care have no identification when picked up, we started wondering just how they came up with the names. These were just idle thoughts on our part until we had decided to adopt Ray and were thinking about what to call him. Ray was already responding to his name so our first thought was to come up with a name that had the same vowel sound. In effect we were trying to make a name change easy on him! After proposing a few ideas, we both kept looking at him and decided that he really does look like a Ray! Hence we kept his name!

During one visit to see Ray, we had been told it was Mike who had named him. We had seen Mike a number of times when visiting OMHS and so the next time our paths crossed, we asked him about the origin of Ray’s name. Mike was a music lover, and played guitar, so musicians were his immediate resource when asked to name dogs. He decided to call him Ray, after Ray Charles!

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Mr Ray (Charles)

2013 10 20 20CR3

Coltrane? Of course …………….. John! Hank? Presumably either Williams or Snow!

*Oakville & Milton Humane Society

13 thoughts on “What’s in a name?”

  1. Perfect name for a dog and I think that when a dog has been named previously, it’s good to keep the name providing it’s not something that sounds outrageous or stupid or does not fit. Ray is a handsome dude and that’s a clever photo of him. You could not have done better when you chose Ray or he chose you as his human.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well he has good vocal chords and quite the range of sounds projecting everything from a peaceful sigh, to an excited “Food!”, to a warning growl, to “I’m in pain”, to “I dare you!”. His keyboarding is rather handicapped by the size of his feet so his first album may be awhile coming! Stay tuned though because one never knows!

      Like

  4. Maggie selected her own name by responding when we mentioned she was a ‘people magnet’, her ears pricked up, she looked straight at us and wagged her tail! Voila, and the rest as they say, is history.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Ray has a perfect name! When we rescued our first dog as a puppy, it did not have a name. Since she was part German Shepherd and Akita, we decided on Nikita. Then we got the chance to meet the foster Mom a while later that told us that her kids named her Nanuk. She definitely does not look like a Nanuk, but she does look like a Nikita!

    It’s not easy some times finding the perfect name for a pup, but you just sit there looking at them, watching them, and a name will always just come to mind.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.