Monday, September 29, 2008

What's in a name?




Some time ago (ie nearly a year ago) one of my beautiful girlfriends - Guinness - from the Stoutino Inn and Foster Kennel, interviewed me.

I thought it would be helpful to reproduce this particular question (and answer) because I have made lots of new dogpals since then.

Lots of you will not have had chance to read back and some of you probably still think I am a girl because of my silly name. I am not of course, as you can see if you look rather too closely at some of my more immodest photos.

Here is Guinness's question and my answer:


1. Darling Handsome Pippa, we have heard how you master & mistress found you and took you in, but how did you get your very interesting name?


Guinness, this one is just so embarrassing. Master and mistress could not decided what to call me. Because I am Spanish they thought about a Spanish name. But José or Pepe or Antonio just didn't really suit. Besides, the Spaniards that do give their dogs a name (apart from Perro = Dog) usually choose English names, like Jack and Lassie.

So then they thought along different lines. After all they had no idea what I was called before. Neither do I. Their other dogs at the time were called Paddy and Prince. So mistress thought about something beginning with P. Then she remembered the little polar bear she had seen in London when she was young.

He was tiny and white and furry and very cute. He was called Pippaluk (or Pipaluk) and his name meant "the little one" in Inuit. So mistress thought it was a good idea to call me that.

I wasn't little, although I suppose I must have been at some time, and I wasn't totally white (although I was more white than any other dog they have had), and she thought I was cute and furry and it was a unique name. She has a strange sense of humour. But then I ended up with it being shortened to Pippa and now everyone thinks I am a girl dog. Well, apart from my girlfriends hopefully.

One day she will find her souvenir book and scan in some pix of him. She has done a little search, apparently he died aged 22 in Poland. He had been moved from London when they closed the Mappin Terraces for bears. Mistress does not think moving bears around who should not be in captivity in the first place sounds very good so she does not want me to write any more about this. Or she will get on her soap box. This is not advisable.

................



So there you go. And to bring us rapidly up to date, some of my new pals, the Desert Pups, at Life Inside The Fence have given me the following awards: Gold Paw, Kick Ass Blogger, I am an Awesome Blogger Friend, Rusty's Best Bud Award, and Este Blog a acredita na proximidade.




Thank you very much pups. As usual there are rules which we have not followed, but the Desert Pups said we should throw a big party and invite them. Now that sounds like a good idea and I will bear that one in mind.

.................

Finally just a quick heads-up to remind people that Ben the Rotti has started his week of fund-raising for Nowzad. Head on over to his blog and join in the fun.


23 comments:

BenTheRotti said...

Wow, so you are named after a Polar Bear? Does Huffles Mum know.. maybe you shouldn't tell her, she may get confused and think you ARE a polar bear and then you are in very real danger of being kidnapped and loved to death!

How did I end up with Ben? Well its a far less interesting story, My original owner named me Bruno, when the rescue took me in they felt it was too brutish a name for a dog that was injured, looking for a home and was of a breed that was getting some seriously bad press attention at the time, so for a reason I don't actually know they changed it to Ben.
My Bridge Brother had been called Ben, which led Mum to randomly find me looking pretty darn sorry for myself on the charity website.
They did think about changing my name to Sam.. but then decided that fate led them to me because of my name.. so Ben it was..

doesn't really have the same sparkle as your story does it??

Thanks for the fundraiser promotion, you handsome studmuffin you! (who on earth mistakes you for a girl???)

Ben xxxx

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Nice story!

I had wondered - my mom kept thinking of Pippi Longstokhking and I know THAT is wrong!!

I used to be Whitney -

Sorry, so NOT a Siberian name!

I do think you, Ben, and I realize how furtunate we are to have snagged these bipeds fur our own!

Khongrats on the awards and khongrats on your furever people!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

One Little Birdie said...

Darling handsome Pippa! Thank you for reminding us about your name. A handsome dog of any other name could not compare to you. As to my name (and everyone thinks that I am a boy!) is that I am black and tan, our last name is Stout, and my dad has a bad sense of humor, so they called me Guinness after his favorite beer. sigh, silly, silly humans, but we do love them anyway

Love and Snoses always,
Guinness

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

We love your name and the story makes it even better, but our Mom is notorious for mixing up her he's and she's so forgive us if we have done that to woo in the past. We will try furry hard now to be sure that we address woo as Sir Pippa.

Thanks for sharing the story of your name.

Woos, the OP Pack

Lorenza said...

Hola Pippa!
Yo era una de las que pensaba que eras niña! Tonta de mi!
Felicidades por todos tus premios!
Besos
Lorenza

Anonymous said...

Darling Pippa!

I think your name story is so sweet.

And I quite agree with not following the rules.

It makes life much more fun. The party sounds a much better idea.

My Mistress had much trouble with bloglines, very much trouble.

Your friend, Oooooonie.

Simba and Jazzi said...

Dropping by to say hello.

Simba x

Islay said...

Congratulations on your awards, Pippa - and don't worry; you have a great name. Lots of animals think I am a boy because of my name, but I'm not - I'm a girl named Charlie!

licks & slobbers
-Charlie

JB's Big and Small Worlds said...

That is a great story about your name! You are a little (uh, big) polar bear!
Congrats on your awards!
--JB

DESERT PUPS said...

Woof Pippa

That is a really great story and we love your name. Toby is doing a little better today, thanks for your get well wishes, we really appreciate them.

Desert Pups

Lola Smiles said...

you are way cuter than a polar bear. Gotta say you have the most beautiful eyes sweet Pippa. Muah! xoxx

wally said...

I do think that the story of your name is quite lovely and I happen to agree with your mistress on the bears thing.

wally t.

p.s. FROM ETHEL: Pippa! YOU ARE ALL MAN! Smoochsmooch.

Opy - the Original GruffPuppy said...

hey pippa,

re the "DWB what it means to me" blog, there is no real time limit on it - probably just over the next month or so :)

love

opy

JAZZ AND DIXIE said...

Hi Pippa,
So that's how you got your name hey. Mum was so happy as polar bears are her favourite animals, but like your mum she doesn't think they should be kept in captivity and she too would get on a soap box! People here tend to give their dogs food names like chocola, mocca, cocoa, purin(pudding), mellon, maron (chestnut), pan(bread)kuri(walnut) momo (peach) etc etc. Mum thought it was strange when she first moved here and found so many dogs with food names! Anyway we love your name!
Licks
J&D

The Army of Four said...

How can anypup look at that handsome face and not know you're a very handsome boy puppy?!!?
What's in a name, anyway? Did you see on our blog Tuesday that apparently Oswald's real name is Osvaldo? Maybe he's really Spanish!
Love,
Ammy

Georgeous said...

Oh Pip, I'm a new reader and I'm ashamed to admit I thought you were a girl, what with the elegant comment on my post and your piano playing paws??? Please forgive me. I still think you are very elegant too and I love you just the same - thats a dog thing...BOL
Love George
x

Kathryn and Ari said...

Pippa,
We love any excuse to learn more about you!

Chef said...

Pippa, what an interesting story. I love knowing about the early times of my friends... makes me know them better... you should put that story in Autobiography Week (see my blog).

I have to admit I thought you were a girl at first but then realized you were a mandoggie!

Anyway, I have name problems too - somedogs think I'm a cook!


xxoo
Chef

Huskee and Hershey said...

Gee... at least you had a grand name cos you were named after a polar bear.. Me? I don't know what I am named after (thanks to my dad).

Have a great weekend!

DESERT PUPS said...

Woof Pippa

Just stopped by to say woof and see what's happening in your part of the world. Hope all is well.

Desert Pups

test said...

being named after a polar bear is pretty cool!!

By the way.. I LOVE your ears!!

Deefor said...

A good story about your history and your name. I think you found yourself a nice family. Nice name.

Deefor

Crikit, Sparky, Ginger! said...

Oh Pippa we sorry we believe we referred to you as purdy girlie once or twice. Me Sparky sometimes get called Sparkles and that's not manly at all and Crikit and Ginger always get the reference of 'he' sheesh huumons get so confused but we must say you are a handsome pup with the most gorgeous eyes. Love your name story we gots ours posted somewhere on our site too.

Lots of love licks

pee ess: hope your tummy feels better uh you should not eat pizza anymore cos we use to and VET got ruff with mommy fur feeding it to us sumtin about pancreitis and no way garlic it lowers doggie immune things xoxo