A.K.A. or Also Known As

My three dogs are named Ziggy, Winston and Samantha. They also have many other names by which I call them. I'm not sure how this came to be.

Zigfried is the formal name for Ziggy, who got this name because, ...well, he just looked like a Ziggy, small, cute, bouncy, and playful. And he is smart. Smart in a way you don't know until he exhibits the trait through action. He can learn quickly and understand his commands more so than the other dogs. But he is smart enough to be a trickster, faking fear, sometimes shaking his whole body to get my attention when all else fails. He lets you almost put the leash on him to take him to the pen and then suddenly jerks away darting back and forth laughing at you with his prance. Ziggy is also known as Booby, Zigman, and Ziggy-Biggy.

Winston was deliberately named after Winston Churchill. I acquired him as a puppy a month prior to running the London Marathon. So, he is a reminder and a marker for that event (or vice-versa) and no matter how senile I get I'll always remember how old he is. A larger sized dog, I believe Winston to be the dullest one of the bunch, compliant at every word and a hunter of groundhogs. He just does. In his old age he has become the fearless guard dog who is afraid of lightening. Winston is also called Win, Boy, Old Man and Winster.

Samantha Twinkletoes, so named because of the white stars on her feet, is still a youngster. At two she runs circles around all of us, literally. She truly plays with all her toys, Harry the purple Goodwill monkey whose face she ripped off, Weenie the fluorescent green dachshund-like squeeze me and I'll make a noise toy, and Thurston the honking mallard duck. But her favorite is Henry, the seemingly indestructible talking green and blue dragon puppet. Henry and Samantha have great battles on my bed and he verbally retaliates with "Take that you mutt.", "I've got you now, you tailwagger.", and "There is no getting out of this one." Samantha is also called, Boog-Boog, Booger, Boogarillo, and Samantha-Doodle.

It is a crazy thing we humans do, naming our dogs but then calling them something else. But no matter what we call them, I'm sure it is the sound of our voice which they are really responding to, fawning their love upon us.