All dogs registered with the American Kennel Club are given unique names, which can be quite involved. Day-to-day, however, they are called whatever short names seem to suit them best.

The following excerpt is from an article entitled “Name That Puppy” by Jeanne Nonhof, which appeared in the April, 1990 edition of DOGFANCY magazine:

“Bette Isacoff, a Finnish Spitz and Siberian fancier, bought a pup out of a bitch named Hedda Lettuce. She named the Siberian pup The Iceberg Cometh. The last I heard she was planning Lettuce Play for the next generation. Isacoff and her husband, Richard, are real punsters, coming up with such gems as Gopher the Gold, Frosty the Showman, James Fenimore Pooper, Jason’s Golden Fleas, Sweet Cur Named Desire, Crate Expectations, and Bone Au Petite.

“The Isacoffs also had what they called their structure litter, which included Louis Pastern, Withering Heights,,and Gene Croupa. For a pup that gets carsick, they’re considering Queasy Rider. They also have Attila the Honey and Amelia Airhead.”

All of the dogs we bred carried the registered Kitsuna prefix; the Champions and Obedience-titled dogs were also designated as such. One of my all-time favorite pun names was – ready?

     Ch. Kitsuna’s Ella Spitzgerald (she was a Finnish Spitz, naturally)!

Other names we had — minus prefix or titles but including call names where relevant — were:

Tarantula Downpour (“Spider”)                                   And the “Flea” litter:

Italian Scallion (“Leeks”)                                              Philadelphia Fleadom

Helena Handbasket                                                     Let Fleadom Ring

A Pack o’ Lips Now                                                     Flea for the Asking

Look Who’s Stalking (“Hunter”)                                   Flea ‘N’ Easy

Woofman Jack (“DJ”)                                                  What Price Fleadom

Curl Up ‘n’ Dye (named for my hair stylist)                 It’s A Flea Country

Cinnamon Styx                                                            *********************

Oblivious Newton-John                                                Bathroom Humor:

F’s Codfish Gerald                                                       Poupon Dijon

Guinea Little Kiss                                                         Pate Chere (pronounced potty chair)

Stacia Porpoise                                                           Ascot Upside Down (“Fanny”)

Grand Finn Allie (a Finnish Spitz)                                *********************

Lucinda Woods                                                           Catch Her In Your Eye

Gone with the Win                                                       De Sire Under De Elms

Estee Louder                                                              Try This for Sighs

Pair o’ Dice Lost                                                          Kissimmee Kate    

Rob Her Pen Warren                                                  Ghengis Con Man

Fall Snows (Say it aloud a few times!)                       Call Me A Cab (“Taxi”)