My new family member - can you help?
40Today the kids and myself decided to go to the Humane Society to look at a couple dogs we saw on their web page. Both of those dogs were in surgery so we couldn’t see them. Instead we decided to look at all the other dogs available and noticed one little fella - Alvin - who was not on the website.
So we decided to take him for a long walk and playtime. I am glad we did. This dog immediately impressed us with his fearless of people and other animals. He walked with us and always looked back to make sure we were keeping pace. He was able to play fetch and return the ball instead of running away, and he showed such lovable interactions with my children that I was humbled.
Here is the little Shit tzu we adopted.
You will notice the healed scar along the length of his back. The humane society workers said they have no knowledge of how he received it as he was found as a stray, but that it is well healed and does not bother him. His hair (I was educated that this breed is one of the few that actually have hair and not fur) surrounding his scar is a dark brown and different from the rest of his hair. It is quite bizarre and I don’t know if it will grow back lighter eventually or if the area is somehow just different now. In fact, his scar was one of the first reasons my daughter wanted to adopt him - I love her. I like him because scars are cool, and he scarred like me.
Sometimes life just brings special people, or dogs into your life. I feel this little animal who is around a year old is meant for us, and us him. This little gladiator deserves a good home.
We can’t pick him up until after his snipping surgery and we are trying to think of a name for him. My daughter says “Beau”, I said, "No, no, no! My son says, “Squishy Paws” or “Tiny Elvis”, which is at least better than BEAU.
So can you help? Can you try to help us discover the perfect name for this guy?
And if you say “Shitty”, it’s already been suggested. Lol 
- 44 comments, 113 replies
- Comment
Pooch.
Puppy!!!
Congratulations on the new family member! And good for you, adopting a shelter pup. Extra stars for you!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Names… I’ve never been good at naming pets. I had a budgie who spent his entire life named “Bird”. Currently have a RES named Mr. Turtle. It’s only by the grace of the exes kids my pups aren’t named “hey you” and “no, not you, YOU”.
His coloration reminds me of a Scottish Ayrshire cow. In homage to the early days of Apple, how 'bout Dogcow? Or the sound the Dogcow purportedly makes “Moof”.
/image Ayrshire cow
@ruouttaurmind In Scotland they’re coos. Cooshoo? Tiger, because striped?
@OldCatLady Cooshoo is a shoe store in the UK. They specialise in children’s shoes.
@ruouttaurmind That would be Clarus the Dogcow! It does indeed go “moof”!
And it later inspired the name of Apple’s software spinoff Claris (note the different spelling).
@curtise Excellent! You are absolutely correct. But of course you knew that already.
Was that from memory, or is there some dogcow wiki out there somewhere?
scar
@Yoda_Daenerys
Scarsy McScarsback, but yeah!
Gristle. Tough and inedible. Enduring
Ok, I found a question online that someone asked about a bald spot on their shit tzu growing hair a different color and a vet saying it was from ringworm,
Here was the reply:
Dogs that have damage to deep skin layers do grow this stiff “emergency” hair. Often, if the skin heals completely through, the natural style, soft hairs will recover.
I have seen this “emergency” hair most often associated with “hot spots” on dogs. This is a bit of skin that was irritated and festering (either from insect stings, allergic irritation, chewing an impacted anal gland under the tail, knot of hair too close down to the skin, etc.). When the skin is healing, the bald spot grows thick dark hairs as an added protection.
Dog breeds with soft skin types are more prone to skin damage, even from “light” scratching or chewing.
Ringworm lesions are a bit scaly, and if not treated with medications, spread along the skin…making several moth-eaten spots.
Keep checking her closely for signs of other balding scaly skin.
If the skin under the “emergency” hair is not scarred, she will probably grow her regular hairs as these stiff ones shed out.
Not sure ring worm would cause a scar along the back like that, but I have an answer about the hair color.
@mfladd My dog Thor grew darker hair over his hot-spot locations. It take a long time, but his regular coat is slowly taking that over.
@Thumperchick That is good to know. Either way, I don’t mind that he looks like a palomino pony or a Scottish Ayrshire cow.
he’s definitely a Cujo.
or maybe Costello.
And why is every single dog food on Amazon 4.5 stars?
@mfladd Because Amazon, where giving 5 stars for arriving on time and 1 star because it was one day late isn’t unheard of.
With my (late) doggie, I went by dogfoodadvisor.com for ingredient analysis.
@narfcake
And a few people here (@moondrake for instance) know a lot about dog foods.
@mfladd @f00l I was just going to chime in that you should look at dogfoodadvisor.com for solid, informative reviews of dog foods. You might also Google for Shi Tzu and dog food recommended and see if there are any discussions to read. Some breeds have specific nutritional needs, so you need to examine it from both the perspective of the dog and the food. There also some supplements that will help him grow back his hair coat and may reduce scarring. There may also be topical applications you can use.
Congratulations on your new family member. I love your descriptions, I know he’s found a wonderful home.
@mfladd Oops, and also dogfoodanalysis.com, which is my #1 go-to. It was late, I was sleepy. Both are great but I like the way this one articulates their evaluation.
There are a lot of genuine (not based on extraneous values like packaging and shipping as Amazon’s are) 5 star dog foods for small breed dogs. We big dog owners have fewer choices in the premium foods category.
Some resources on the scar:
https://www.cuteness.com/article/scar-treatment-dogs
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/148886-help-any-suggestion-reduce-scarring.html
I read a couple of other articles and discussions and Vitamin E applied topically appears on every one. You can just buy Vitamin E gels and peel them open, the E is like honey in texture. I’ve used it as a topical application for my nails. If he can’t get at the scar to lick it then it ought to be completely safe but of course ask your vet.
@mfladd add another vote for dogfoodadvisor.com
@moondrake Thank you.
Congrats on the new family member!
Let the kids give the dog a dumb name - they’ll forever remember that you let them name him.
@Thumperchick But then he might be Doggy McDogface…
@Thumperchick Yes I agree. My kid went through a phase where she hated her name and wanted it changed to something weird. I told her adults get to name kids, kids can name pets. The cats all immediately got new names. Wasn’t really fond of one of the names but it made her happy and the cats don’t know the difference.
@Kidsandliz
Do cats not recognise their name? I’ve never owned one. My dogs most definitely know their names, plus a nickname or two.
@ruouttaurmind cats know their names, they just don’t care.
@ruouttaurmind Mine definitely does. He’ll usually just look at me if I call his name, not come running or anything. Because, yeah, he’s a cat.
@Thumperchick @pitamuffin
@ruouttaurmind This shirt sums up a cat’s attitude when called upon.
https://www.threadless.com/product/6035/careless_whisker
@narfcake At 4am I sure as hell wish the neighborhood cats didn’t give a fuck, when their sexual caterwauling is loud enough to wake the dead.
@ruouttaurmind My cats know their name. It only took them about a week to recognize their new names.
Ruff Barkington?
Patch?
Mogwai? He’s got similar coloration.
@djslack
Gizmo!
/image gremlins gizmo
@ruouttaurmind Gizmo was the name of my mother’s Maltese who has passed.
He is adorable and I am happy he found a household that will love him. How about Harry…like Potter…scar and all
@tinamarie1974 ooorrrr because I’m a nerd, he does look like an Ewok…
@tinamarie1974 You are not a nerd. You’re perfect!
@mfladd aawww thanks! But remember I am a Blues fan lol
@tinamarie1974 True, but I can look past this small defect of character. At least you like hockey. Football? Patriots fan maybe?
@mfladd nope! Football might be ok, but I don’t understand the rules.
Now Rugby, that is a sport I can get behind! Use to have a team practice shirtless next to my house on Tuesday nights. Oh how I miss rugby Tuesdays!!
@tinamarie1974 Harry Pawter.
@Thumperchick
@Thumperchick Awesome
@Thumperchick @tinamarie1974 @mfladd yes this. You can just call him Harry. Or Scar McScarback (@therealjrn) and again you just call him Scar. We do that all the time: full name but only use part. It’s fun as a family "in joke."
I also agree kids should name (with guidance so you aren’t hating the name), not us. So you can run these up the flagpole but listen to the kids.
And awwwwwwwww, so cute!
Waffles
Elwood. And congrats on your new family member.
Many good names here.
Burt there is a rule about these things, you know. Unless you are set on a name, or the animal already had a name, the kids get to pick the the name
Tell them they have to keep coming up with names until they agree.
Or if you intend to get more than one pet, one kid gets to name the first pet and the other kids names the second pet.
You get to veto names you hate or can’t live with or are too stupid or jokey or offensive or whatever. .
Tho I do like “Beau”. This one looks kinda like a “Beau” to me.
@f00l The kids named the turtle everything from Hulk to Cinderella and a hundred other things between. When they left, they abandoned him here, and I couldn’t remember whatever they called him last, so now he’s just “turtle” (or Mr. Turtle when I’m feeling formal).
@ruouttaurmind
I guess one of the rules is that they have to pick names and then stick to one of them after the final decision.
2 days consideration for any name, say. But only x (finite) number if names. They they have to decide for real.
How old are these kids? With younger kids, what yours did is fine.
@ruouttaurmind My tortoises don’t have names, I refer to the two of them as My Jurassic Pets.
@f00l The youngest was 5. It was technically her turtle since her father gave it for her fifth birthday gift. Her brothers were 8 and 10 then.
@moondrake, 5 year old girls name everything. Even her hairbrush had a name.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Gladiator names?
Spartacus (Sparty)
Maximus (Maxim)
@daveinwarsh Maximus is one that is being tossed around.
@mfladd Just don’t shorten it to Maxi. That’s a feminine product I think.
@daveinwarsh @mfladd
Max is one of the most common dog names, so I’d probably skip Maximus because it would inevitably get shortened by someone.
Unless you say:
His name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife.
every single time.
@mfladd When I first saw the picture, I was going to suggest Maxwell. Looks like a Maxwell to me.
@mfladd Charlie for Charlton Heston. I love Ben Hur.
@macromeh Good name! We had a good farm dog named Maxwell Smart (Max). He was a very smart dog, but… spent too many of his hours trying to get to our chickens. We double-fenced the hens & that worked. That dog ran off anything on the farm from coyotes to deer to bunnies.
Monty (for Indigo Montoya, not Hall)?
@mfladd That would be Inigo Montoya (indigo is deep blue, not a person’s name). Why not just Inigo?
“My name is Inigo Montoya; prepare my food.”
Please.
@mfladd He’s got the hair, the 'stache, and the eyes.
@Shrdlu LOL My bad with the typo.
@mfladd
The Monty Hall Problem
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem
Goat Alert! Goat Alert!
The advice above about kids naming him is sound. Especially when you inform them a pre-req for getting a pet is the responsibility they are signing up for to care for it. Good lesson.
Think about how it will sound to others when you call your dog.
The name that spoke to me: Cutty
Ambiguous meaning - the obvious due to his scar, Cutty Sark scotch, or the dictionary definition: short shortened stubby.
@RedOak
It’s a huge commitment and buy-in for them if they do the naming.
Instantly strengthened attachment.
Like Cutty tho.
@f00l yep, and it’s also one of those baby steps to building confidence and showing them you trust them to make the right decision. Another element of responsibility.
Do yourself a favor and get a second dog about the same age. Shi tzus don’t handle alone well, and tend to tear up the house if left alone for any length of time. Just sayin. Generally neato dogs though.
2 x the dog = 2 x the fun!
Congratulations! Our poor little rescue guy is called Mungo (the patron saint of Glasgow). Americans can’t pronounce it, and call him Mongo (the guy in Blazing Saddles?), which is fine with me, because he’s a little daft.
I vote for Nibbler. I wanted to call Mungo Nibbler, but kids had the last say.
Hand Banana?
@AdmiralDave Chiquita…Banana…
he looks very brave and has that cool scar to prove it. plus we love the GOT.
so Tyrion. it is…
@mick
Love the name. But that involves GOT explanations.
Kids …
@f00l kids learn lots on the bus…
we can go old,old school… now a “new cool name” for a dog… i like it:)
@mick This made me laugh, and my son was singing along.
Shi Tzu means “Lion Dog” in Chinese. They are the dogs on which the familiar Chinese lion sculptures are based. Between that and his intrepid nature I’d call him Lion, Leo, or let the kids pick a name from the Lion King. (Scar would be a little too on the nose I think.)
On a completely different note, my friend adopted a Shi Tzu and named him Ewok, which is pretty apt.
@moondrake In keeping with the theme, my mother in law’s shih tzu is named Wicket.
/image George Lucas’ dog ewok inspiration
@RiotDemon Haha…love that pic!
@moondrake We held up a pic of him next to the ewoks and it was definitely a match.
@mfladd I was hoping to find a photo of George’s actual dog that was an inspiration… But then I got busy and forgot. Oops.
/google George Lucas dog inspired the ewoks
Did Shih Tzus inspire the Ewoks from Star Wars? | Polite Dog
http://politedog.com/did-shih-tzus-inspire-the-ewoks-from-starwars/
Good info there. It wasn’t a shitzu, it was:
/image Griffon Bruxellois face
@RiotDemon Thanks for that info. Loved the pics.
@mfladd thank Google for finding something relevant.
@RiotDemon If it was Siri I would be learning how to cook with a wok.
Should have said this before:
Adorable!
/giphy "automated adorable"
Congratulations on you and your family being adopted by this adorable pup! The difference between hair and fur is hair keeps growing and he needs to be groomed about every six weeks but he doesn’t shed. You don’t want my ideas on names, I had a dog named Fluffy and cat named Baby.
@callow He can’t be bathed for 10 days, but we will see a groomer asap.
That dog looks like a Barney to me.
Rescued dogs are the bestest. Congrats on your new doggie.
@Barney not purple enough
@CaptAmehrican Hmm… Purple collar, purple sweater, and purple booties screams Barney to me.
@Barney I will see what I can do
@mfladd
@daveinwarsh I am NOT showing my daughter this!
Theodore Roosevelt aka teddy because he looks like a teddy bear but is tough like Roosevelt
@CaptAmehrican My teddy bear was named Barney.
@CaptAmehrican Teddy is in the running for your description, Barney’s Teddy Bear, and for me:
You should name it Smitty.
Congratulations on the new addition to your family!
This sounds silly but you need to “test drive” the name. Some names that are clever and look good on paper simply don’t roll off the tongue. You will be calling this dog dozens of times a day. In public. Over the symphony of noise in your house/neighborhood/dog park. Practice calling the name out loud. Seriously. Make sure it “works.”
As for the pool of possible names, my wife and I thought of favorite literary characters, sports figures, searched lists of dog names, asked friends and coworkers to submit ideas.
Also, I have a friend who swears the dog will take on the characteristics of the name. He named is dog “Rascal” and the pup was just that. He wishes he would have named him “Angel.”
@huja That’s how Simba ended up being Simba. He came to me from the rescue named Xenon. When I needed to call him I just couldn’t think of that word. He’d been called Brownstone in his previous home, and I didn’t think that was much of a name either. He was colored like a lion and flipped his feet just like lions do when they walk, hence Simba. Tempest is on her sixth home and sixth name in her short life (21mos) but she’s Tempest forever now.
@huja Our youngest pup is named Roux. Maybe I should stop calling her Rougarou, which is my nickname for her.
/image rougarou
@moondrake Awww. Simba and Tempest are lucky. My used cats came without names, and with trauma, but Guinness and Holly are purr factories now. The other one, from a litter I bottle fed, has always been Jeter, because they could be cross species twins. He’s a little entitled.
If you do not already have it, I would recommend pet insurance. We use TruPanion and it is great.
@connorbush I have never really considered pet insurance before. I always thought it was like those home warranty insurances you get that pay for very little and always come up with reasons not to pay. You truly have been happy having the insurance?
@mfladd they pay 90 percent of all qualified services. Took my dog in two weeks back (she ate raisins and cooked chicken bones at same time, long story). Cost would have been about 1800… i paid about 400. I think my pet insurance is 38 ish per month. I’m happy. They don’t cover pre existing conditions though.
My daughter has set down the parameters that we pick one name ourselves, take two from this thread, and go from there. Yes ma’am, is all I could say.
@mfladd
I think you are one heck of a dad.
You and your kids have inspired me. Lady and I are going to the rescue shelters around here and find a friend for her.
@Barney Awwwwww… that’s awesome! I wanted to take them all home.
@Barney as much as you might want to call it Barney that would be confusion. I suggest for ladys companion either
Lord
Tramp or
Cad
@mfladd It’s always good to know who’s in charge.
I think he looks like a Gremlin
@brendles I like that too.
Scruffy
@daveinwarsh He definitely looks like a Scruffy.
@mfladd Of course, there’s also Rin-Tin-Tin, Lassie and Toto.
Good luck with your new pooch. Looks like he got a great home…
T Beaux or Thibeaux. Tell your son the T is for Tiny (Elvis) and tell your daughter you agree with her choice of Beau. They will adore you forever and he will have a cool Cajun name.
@AnotherDawn And…one of the Ewoks was named Teebo! (the kids and I discussed this earlier) Nice!
I just can’t even think about people thinking I named it for Tim Tebow.
@mfladd Ha. Ha. Just put the emphasis on the second syllable.
@mfladd our Crimson is so named because her older sister is named Clover. It’s only happened twice, but as a Louisiana native I hate it when I’m asked if she’s named for Alabama. Thibeaux/Teebo would be even worse in that regard, which sucks because it’s otherwise a very cool name.
@djslack I have a dog named Nova after a supernova. I’ve had several people ask me if I named her after the car. I just didn’t want to call her super all the time… Thought that would be stupid. So Nova it was. Didn’t really think of the car at all when I was choosing it.
@mfladd I would be wary of a name that could be confused for anything else at this point. The people at the vet’s office and the pharmacy can’t even say my cat’s name correctly. It’s Orion, like the constellation. 75% of the time they call him Or e-on.
If you can’t tell, I now have a space theme for my pets.
/youtube men in black Orion’s belt
@djslack Thanks for the Crimson and Clover earworm. EP version, no less. Good memories.
@djslack Yah… I’m in Alabama and that would be the first thought that most here would have.
Congrats on the new pupper! So happy to see you adopted!
It makes me really sad when I hear people got a new dog from a breeder when so many dogs are put down every year for want of a loving home. I could really give a rat’s ass what breed they had their hearts set on or what its fancy pedigree is. Good on you!
@jbartus not to mention, a lot of the time you can actually find a place to adopt that certain breed, either through a breed specific rescue, or my shelter has waiting lists for specific breeds.
@RiotDemon very true. To me, though, having such particular requirements unless it’s a working dog of some sort usually means the people getting the dog have the wrong reasons in mind. Pets aren’t fashion accessories. It’s one thing if you need a particular breed with hypoallergenic qualities or something due to allergies, quite another if you’re in it for looks.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@jbartus All dogs are filled with love, worthy of love. But let me present a counterpoint. A lot of dogs end up in rescue because they were a poor fit for their original home. Too active, too anxious, too aggressive, too destructive. Some of these are just the dog’s personality, but quite a lot are breed traits. Depending on breed, herding group fans expect their ankles to be nipped as their busybody dogs attempt to shepherd them. Terrier people know their garden will be dug up and the little dynamos never rest. Sight hound owners know they are unlikely to win any obedience competitions. The owners of protection breeds know their dog requires additional training and assertive leadership. Folks who just pick out a dog based on it’s size, coat, and immediately visible temperament are taking a huge gamble on what they are really getting and miss out on enjoying the dog to its fullest nature. These dogs sometimes get boomeranged back to rescue, or isolated in a back yard because they exhibit traits that someone knowledgable of the breed would have expected.
I choose purebreds because you get predictable personality traits within a certain margin. I researched and picked breeds suited to my lifestyle and personality. After 30 years of having the same two breeds of dogs (Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds) I am very familiar with their specific nutritional needs, behavioral peculiarities, and health issues. Also, I have a staggering amount of gear sized to fit these big guys. And last but far from least, my fences and deck rails were built with 100+ lb dogs in mind, they’d have to be renovated for smaller dogs. Gearing up and securing a small dog would cost me a fortune, lol. It’s easy to find purebred Great Danes in rescue, Irish Wolfhounds are a little scarcer but I’m signed up on a watch list and I don’t mind driving a few hundred miles for a rescue. Since giant breeds are often surrendered because “they just got too big” and to me, the bigger the better, I’m a great placement for outsized adorable monsters.
And yes, I am prideful of these guys’ beauty and power.
@moondrake
I’m so glad you do larger breeds.
I’ve heard that large breeds, and esp large black dogs, have the hardest times getting adopted.
Pacino… as in Scarface. Or… Spot, lol. Jag. I like Jag, I think. A jagged scar.
I think he looks like a Lazlo. Or maybe Lester.
/captionbot
I think it’s a close up of a dog.
@medz He looks like a Jack to me. Kinda’ pirate-y. Make me think of Cap’n Jack Sparrow.
@huja That was first name I threw out to kids! They both nixed it
@mfladd Did you say it in a pirate voice with one eye closed? Gotta’ sell it.
@huja Capt Jack Waffles
@medz Aww man, I just ate oatmeal for breakfast and feel like I missed a great opportunity #WaffleEnvy.
@huja @medz If wasn’t for the kids naming the dog I sooooooooo would go with Capt. Jack Waffles!
Seems obvious to me.
/image Fizzgig
@Al_Coholic That could be him if I withheld the grooming.
@mfladd. So do we have a name yet?
@tinamarie1974 We do
Kerfluffle. Only because he looks like he was in a hell of a fight, plus the wild hair.
Or
Schrödinger. Don’t ask what happened to the cat.
@mehcuda67 Maybe it’s inside me, maybe its not. If you dont ask, both are true.
@mfladd
I sincerely hope that 2017 will suck a little less with this addition to your family.
For you.
For all of you.
@f00l Thank you.
So the kids and I went back over the name. We talked about Teddy, and even tried Wicket for a day. Unfortunately the kids were having a problem remembering this name when people asked so I knew something wasn’t right and my son wasn’t on board with it, saying he was still going to use Tiny Elvis.
My son suggested “Sprinkles”, which I replied.
THEY ARE NOT SPRINKLES! THEY ARE FUCKING JIMMIES!
Ok, I didn’t really, but I explained they were jimmies. I only brainwash my children on two topics - jimmies and Boston sports teams. I do not apologize for this. So Jimmy came into the mix and all I could think of was:
So we decided that all 3 of us had to agree on the name and the winner was:
@Barney I didn’t forget you. He changes colors.
@mfladd Cool!
@mfladd nice, and awesome that the kids got to help!
@mfladd Yoshi works! Now to training.
@huja agreed!
Yoshi just chill’n in his crate with a stuffed puppy that looks like him. He’s happy!
@mfladd Yoshi!!! Awesome selection.
/image yoshi’s wooly world Wii U
@ruouttaurmind
This one is toooooo cute. He is hugging his stuffed animal.
@mfladd Sweet sweet puppy!