animal – Opportunity Unleashed

If I Could Name All the Guide Dog Puppies | A List of Names Beginning with G

It’s 2022, and so far as yet this year you have not heard any of my puppy name ideas, and that is an absolute travesty. I know that you have been waiting eagerly, the way my dog is currently waiting for her dinner, that is, drooling and dancing around my feet while I try to get other things done. Calm yourselves then, sit, good readers, sit and listen, for I have a whole list of G names for you to enjoy.

Guppy (Masculine, or neutral?): I always thought this was just a nickname for a baby fish, but apparently it is an actual type of fish, the most popular sort of fresh water tank fish, also called a rainbow fish. How cute would it be to call them Guppy Puppy?!

Geansí (Neutral): pronounced Gan-Zee. This means jumper in Irish, as in sweater, and it sounds ridiculous to call your dog Jumper or Sweater, but for some reason the same word in Irish is my top name for a big fluffy doggie if we ever got a second one.

Gabbro (Masculine): a crystalline, blue tinged rock. Reminds me of Gabriel in sound.

Gaither (Masculine): a second name name, but also apparently a Scottish variant of the word gather… go figure.

Gala (Feminine): a fancy party, but could be a fancy puppy.

Galaxy (Feminine): a name for the puppy with stars in her eyes.

Gallagher (Masculine): Irish, meaning “eager helper”.

Galahad (Masculine): English, meaning pure or selfless.

Godric (Masculine): Old English, meaning God’s power. Notably the first name of the founder of the Gryffindor house in the Harry Potter series.

Gulliver (Masculine): as in Gulliver’s travels, which I have not read, but reminds me of Oliver without being quite so common place.

Gondor (Masculine): here’s our LOTR reference for this list… the greatest kingdom of men in Middle Earth.

Gossamer (Feminine): as in light, delicate, gossamer wings.

Glimmer (Feminine): a glimmer of hope, the glimmer of starlight on the surface of the water. I like it.

Gazelle (Feminine): another lovely delicate choice for a sweet girl.

Galatia (Feminine): a region in the ancient world that eventually became part of the Roman empire, Saint Paul wrote a letter to the Galatians, now a book in the New Testament. Definitely worth a read, by the by.

Galen (Masculine): 129–199, a Greek physician that advanced the field of both anatomy and physiology, and also a cool name.

Galena (Feminine): a dark-colored mineral.

Galway (Masculine): a town on the west coast of Ireland known for its bay and talented street musicians.

Gardenia (Feminine): a bush or tree native in warm areas with fragrant, yellow or white blooms.

Gecko (Neutral): as in the lizard, known for being very vocal and active at night. If you’ve read my lists, you know me and naming dogs with other animal names. I just can’t help myself at this point.

Genoa (Feminine): a city in Italy, and also the name of one of my friend’s guide dogs and I thought it was pretty.

Well, are you satisfied? What would your picks be for a litter full of G puppies?

For more puppy names, you can find all my ideas in the “Guide Dog” tab of my blog, or find my list of A names here to start at the very beginning.

If I Could Name All the Guide Dog Puppies | A List of Names Beginning with F

We’ve gotten a few puppy name posts in this year, but we have time for at least a couple more! Looking for a name for a service dog or just a pet in general? Here’s a list of ideas beginning with the letter F. You can find my other lists, A through E, in the Guide Dog section of my blog.

Fauna (Feminine): the companion name to flora. I thought about using Fawn but I actually like the A ending here and I think it adds something to the name… namely, an “Ah” sound. Haha.

Fiorella (F): Italian, meaning little flower.

Feodora (F): Similar in sound, but a version of Theadora that apparently derives from Spain. Also means, “One who trusts another.”

Freesia (F): a flower that represents thoughtfulness, liberty, friendship, and innocence

Frodo (Masculine): I’m always bringing up the LOTR names, but really, how cute!

Frost (Neutral): perfect for a pup with a winter birthday.

Francie (F): One of Prim’s canine pals has this name and I think it’s adorable, though I am not sure exactly where it comes from.

Ferrari (M): as in the car. Particularly for guide dogs, I think car names are fun because they are your aid to transportation.

Flossie (F): a short form of Florence, this name has a vintage feel, but is not that common for people at the moment so seems like a name that could work well for a dog also.

Finian (M): Finian’s Wake, Finian’s Rainbow, deriving from an Irish name meaning “fair”

Frisco (M): I suppose this is a masculine name, although I had a Beanie Baby called this as a child that I always referred to as a girl, so take your pick.

Fabian (M): Latin, meaning “Bean grower”.

Fiesta (F): the best title for a dog who is a total party animal.

Foley (M): for anyone who has read Artemis Fowl, this was one of my favorite characters from the series. It is also a sirname and the word used for sound effects created artificially for movies and radio.

Friar (M): we’ve had Abbot, Bishop, and Chapel on previous lists. This is another religious order name. I think of Friar Tuck from Robin Hood a jolly brother, but evidently also a fierce fighter.

Do you have a favorite F name? Let me know, and check out my other name lists for more ideas.—

If I Could Name All the Guide Dog Puppies | A List of Names Beginning with E

Well, it’s been a while, so I thought it was about time we added another list of dog names. Here are my ideas for a litter of E’s.

Ephie (Feminine): Greek, meaning well-spoken.

Ellory (Masculine): meaning island of elder trees.

Elowen (Feminine): meaning elm tree. I think this name is gorgeous and would love to use it for a child, but am absolutely positive it would be shot down by my husband hahaha. If you’re in that situation too, maybe you can use it for your pup instead.

Esther (Feminine): Meaning star. Biblical, a heroine of the Hebrew people, chosen for her beauty to be the new queen of Babylon. Rescued the Hebrew people from geniside at the hands of the king and his adviser.

Ezrah (Masculine): Biblical, apparently means helpful person, a prophet from the old testament.

Echo (Neutral): nice and short, a similar vibe for me to the name Shadow.

Emerald (Feminine): could go either way really but it feels more feminine to me. Emmie could serve as a sweet nickname.

Elias (Masculine): Greek and Hebrew origins, meaning “Jehovah is God”.

Everist (Masculine): for a mountain of a dog.

Everra (Feminine): my made up feminine version of Everist. Maybe it’s a real name somewhere? If not, maybe you could make it a real name by choosing it for your pup.

Estella (Feminine): derived from the Spanish word for star.

Eragon (Masculine): okay, here’s the thing. I wanted to include Aragorn, because I am an LOTR fan, but didn’t realize Aragorn is spelled with an A, not an E… so here’s the Christopher Paolini name equivalent that does start with an E.

Elf (Neutral): here’s another E word with fantasy vibes.

Elm (Feminine): because I like nature names.

Elite (Feminine): I met a dog once with this name and I thought it was a unique option.

Elysium (Neutral): from Greek mythology, heaven, paradise.

Ember (Feminine): as in a burning ember.

Empyrean (Masculine): paradise.

Epic (Neutral): My dog is Epic… no really, that’s his name.

Eulalia (Feminine): the war cry of the anthropomorphized hares in Brian Jacques’ Redwall, this word also refers to a flowering ornamental grass and a patron saint of Barcelona… careful about looking up her story though… it’s not for the faint of heart.

Do you have a pet or service animal with a name beginning with E? What would you add to this list?

Seasonal Shedding — Is There a Solution?

Labradors are many things… oversized lap dogs, excellent workers, enthusiastic playmates, and yes, constant shedders. There are a few dog breeds that don’t fit into that category, but often, being a dog owner means vacuuming up fur from the carpet and off the furniture, wiping it off your kitchen counters, dusting it from your shower ceiling (I still don’t know how fur gets up there), and wearing it on your clothing on a daily basis. I was told early on in my dog-ownership journey that brushing would help, but often I find that grooming doesn’t do much other than encourage the fur to loosen up so that even more of it can come out all over my newly washed floor.

Still, while labradors, and other breeds like them, shed year-round, their seasonal shedding during spring and autumn can be intense and thus harder to manage. So what’s the solution?

Spend More Time Outside

Less time in the house equals less time for your dog to shed in the house. Getting out for more walks or allowing your dog some off lead time in the garden or at a dog park does make a difference in the amount of fur on your floor.

Clean Your House Regularly

I know this sounds obvious, but when your dog is shedding their winter or summer coat, it really is not overkill to be vacuuming once or twice a day until the shedding settles a bit and isn’t so extreme. Speaking from experience, it REALLY IS worth vacuuming frequently, even if it sounds like a lot of work. It Is far quicker and easier to suck up fur that has accumulated over just a few hours, rather than a few days, and it will be less overwhelming in the long run.

Don’t Bother Sweeping!

Maybe I just have bad sweeping technique, but I’ve never found brooms to be effective at dealing with pet hair. If that’s been your experience, too, don’t bother! If you have hard floors, try Swiffer products, or just get a vacuum

Get Yourself a Cordless Vacuum

As I was saying… Seriously, this will change your life. Choose a quality, cordless vacuum that has shown to be effective for dog fur. We have the Dyson Animal.

Popping the cordless vacuum off the charger and zooming around with it for a few minutes is SO MUCH EASIER than plugging the darn thing in, hoping the chord will reach wherever you need to go, realizing it won’t and having to unplug it and plug it back in somewhere else, getting tangled up in the chord while you are trying to get into an awkward corner, your dog getting tangled up in the chord while they try to chase your vacuum… you get my point.

If you would rather not do the vacuuming yourself, get a robot vacuum and let it do the work… just keep in mind that this can be a bad combination

if you have a puppy that is still toilet training. If you plan to use a robot vacuum, check your house before each use to make sure there aren’t any messes that would not be vacuum friendly.

Bathe Your Dog

I find that baths have a tendency to knock much more fur loose than brushing on its own, so when you notice the shedding is getting real, pop your pup under the hose for a good rub down or bring them to a professional groomer if you’ve got the cash. As always with bathing your pets, choose dog-friendly products, make sure the water is a comfortable temperature (particularly not too hot), and avoid doing it too frequently so as not to dry out their skin.

Care less

I’m not joking. Your life will be simpler and easier if you just care a little less about seeing fur falling around the place.. It’s the price of having a dog that sheds, and there’s no point in getting up tight about it. Relax, enjoy your furry friend, accept that having a furry friend in the house means there will be fur there, and move on with your life.

Grooming Tools that (May) Help

As I’ve said, I’ve never found brushing particularly helpful in keeping the shedding at a minimum, but you may have a different experience. Here are some tools that could aid you in your quest. This list includes a slicker brush, nylon bristle brush, silicone massage tool, and brushes designed specifically to remove dead undercoat, such as the Furminator. The Furminator may prove especially useful during heavy shedding seasons, but be sure to read the instructions attached, as such tools are usually recommended for weekly or by-weekly use, rather than every day.

So, no, there’s no “solution” to seasonal shedding as far as I can tell. It will happen no matter what you do, but staying on top of house maintenance, spending more time outdoors, and trying a few grooming options can make a difference… and if all else fails, just care a little less. 🙂

If I Could Name All the Guide Dog Puppies | A List of Names Beginning with “C”

If you’re a dog-lover like me, you might consider naming your canine pal to be a pretty weighty task. This is especially true if the pup in question will be a working partner, as well as a best friend. The following is my third post in a series dedicated to listing some of my favorite potential dog names. As a service dog handler myself, I’ve chosen names that I think are particularly suited to give to a working dog, taking the length, ease-of-pronunciation, meaning, and associations all into account. Check out my list of A names or B names for more ideas.

Dog Names Beginning with “C”

Cruise (Masculine): I like this one for a guide dog particularly because “cruising” is such a great way to describe what it feels like to walk freely with your guide. It is also clear, short, and distinct from most English commands that I can think of

Callum (Masculine): Scottish derivative of “columba”, meaning dove

Clemintine (Feminine): these little citrus fruits are bursting with flavor. Good for a little girl with a lot of personality.

Conan (Masculine): this comes from an Irish word meaning little wolf, which seems appropriate. It is also the name of a U.S. special forces military dog who was awarded a medal of honor at the Whitehouse in 2019. Notably, Conan was named after TV personality Conan O’Brian.

Chloe (Feminine): I think this name is fairly widely-used for dogs already. It is a Greek name that means “green shoot”, and refers to Demeter, goddess of aggriculture and fertility. Appropriate for a dog with a youthful attitude.

Corin (Masculine): containing the Latin route for “heart”, this is the name of a prince from C.S. Lewis’ The Horse and his Boy.

Coco (Neutral): the delicious stuff we put in cakes.

Clodagh (Feminine): a popular name in Ireland associated with a river in County Waterford as well as a saint.

Chico (Masculine): meaning boy in Spanish. I just think it’s cute.

Ceili (Feminine, pronounced “Kay-Lee): a social event or step dance traditional in Scotland and Ireland. I attended a Ceili with my friends for my 16th birthday (I know, make fun of me all you want) and had a blast! Great memories associated with this word and I think it makes for a great name.

Cooper (Masculine): an English occupational name associated with those who made buckets and barrels

Chapel (Masculine): this one could maybe go feminine too. Just draws to mind beautiful places with stained glass and I liked the sound of it.

Cherry (Feminine): as in the fruit. Might be a good one if your dog’s coat has a reddish hugh.

Cheer (Masculine): a similar one for a male, denoting happiness.

Chess (Masculine): as in the game. Good for a clever or somewhat mischievous dog.

Chesapeak (Neutral, Chessie for short): a similar sound, named for the bay on the east coast of the U.S. between Maryland and Virginia.

Chaucer (Masculine): as in the English author, for a scholarly type.

Coral (Feminine): a lovely shade of orangey-pink, the tiny sea creatures that grow in reefs, and the mother from Finding Nemo.

Calypso (Feminine): from Greek mythology, meaning “concealing the knowledge”. A nymph who kept Odysseus prisoner on her island for 7 years.

Celtic (Masculine): beginning with a hard “C” sound, this refers to a cultural and linguistic group of the British isles. Use with caution if you plan to spend any time in the UK, though, as it is also a football (soccer) team and could get you into some trouble.

Cove (Neutral): a small inlet or bay in a larger body of water. Might be associated with peace and calm as a more sheltered place along a coastline.

Clue (Feminine): only thing with this one is you could never say “I have no clue” without lying 🙂

Castle (Masculine?): I just think this makes for a cool name

Carolina (Feminine): a region, but also a wild dog breed

Chip (Masculine): reminds me of the little china cup from the Beauty and the Beast

Camberra (Feminine): the name of my stuffed koala bear growing up, and the capital city of Australia.

Cornflower (Feminine): a European bloom associated with growing in aggricultural fields. Blue, white, or pink in color. Can be used medicinally for various ailments.

Do you have a dog with a name beginning with C? What would you add to this list?

See you next time for “D” names, and don’t forget to check out the “A” and “B” lists if you haven’t already.

Thankful for Birdsong

I’m a musician, and melody is a constant presence in my life. My roommates can attest to that. They often comment, or tease, about my humming, and singing, and piano improvising at all times of the day, and occasionally the night. I think maybe that’s what makes me appreciate birdsong so much. They are participating in the same music-making that fuels my energy from hour to hour, and it’s life-giving, enchanting, even.

It reminds me of all the Disney princesses that make friends with birds. Cinderella, Snow White, Mary Poppins (although she’s not exactly a princess), either way they all have this magically musical relationship with winged whistlers of various varieties, and in a way it’s quite representative of the reality. There is something magical about it, an animal that can produce music at will, and does so as a regular part of their routine. There aren’t many other animals like that. May it serve as a reminder to make magic with our own music in our own routines.

Guiding Eyes Training (September 2017), Day 12|Yorktown…1781

We visited Yorktown on Friday. No no, not Yorktown like from Hamilton, Yorktown, New York. I know. These things can get confusing. Friday was our day for night travel, so we did the route in the daylight early in the morning, then repeated it after the sun went down that night. In between we had our visits with the vet.

Prim was very excited about the new route, so we worked on, you guessed it, steady. She did the route very well, only overstepping one curb and not at all distracted by the grass and street furniture that we passed. We encountered one loud truck that she stopped for, even though we were on the sidewalk. She was just being a bit cautious, I think leftover from our traffic check activity on Thursday. The night route went similarly, other than the fact that it was dark, but that didn’t change much about my perspective really. Our trainer huffed and puffed behind us like usual, and we had a blast.

At the vet, I learned Prim’s weight, birth date, and health history. The vet gave her a full physical, and pronounced her healthy but for a slight ear infection in one ear. She will be on medication for that for the next several days and we will visit the vet a second time before we leave to make sure it is all cleared up… which reminds me. I need to choose a vet for Prim in Nashville. If anyone has any good recommendations, please let me know. Oleta had a vet in Nashville that we loved and appreciated, but I would be interested in looking into others. Crazy, but I do need to start thinking about getting settled in at home. Only a week left of training now!

Guiding Eyes Training (September 2017), Day 8|A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White Plains Building

There are days I just have to step back and marvel at the incredible phenomenon that is the guide dog team. Dogs don’t naturally walk in straight lines. They don’t naturally refuse to chase other animals or deny themselves food lying on the ground. Most dogs don’t want to spend their days forging a path through pedestrians on crowded sidewalks, locating curbs, and playing in traffic… and yet these dogs do. They love their job, and most, if not all guide dogs, seem to realize at one point or another that they aren’t just doing this for the food reward. These are the sort of dogs that Guiding Eyes breeds, raises, and trains, and I feel so blessed to be able to experience life with now two of them.

Prim had a number of things thrown at her today. It is only our sixth day together and we had two major traffic checks, plus a skateboard check (yep, skateboard. You read that correctly), escalators, crowded, narrow sidewalks, indoor work, and major distractions in the dog food isle at CVS. That “major distraction” took the form of my class supervisor (who is also Oleta’s trainer and my instructor from 2011) tempting Prim with all sorts of very appealing squeaky toys while we did puppy push ups (sit, down, sit, down, sit, down, sit). It was pretty hard not to look, and she definitely did struggle to listen to a couple of my commands, but we got through it well enough. Honestly… can you imagine trying to concentrate while people danced around you with Chic-Fil-A and gift cards for pedicures and the latest technology gizmos, or whatever tempting treat might strike your fancy, and be expected to keep working at the same high performance without ever lunging for one of those waffle fries or gift cards or iPhones? Mm… Chic-Fil-A… I discovered today that Chic-Fil-A doesn’t exist in this area, bless their hearts. Anyway, what was I talking about?

Prim handled it all very well. I was impressed with the way she dealt with the traffic checks. One was on the left side of the street with a legal right turner. She saw it coming ahead of time and stopped about ten feet away from the car. The second was a car turning very illegally on the wrong side of the road. That was slightly more startling to me as it was completely unexpected, but Prim just came to an abrupt halt, let the car pass, and continued to the curb. It didn’t seem to throw her at all. She got a cookie and lots of praise upon reaching the sidewalk. She did her job very well.

Prim loves escalators. I am sure that her trainers used a great deal of positive reenforcement with them, as they can be scary for some dogs at first, but I think Prim also just likes the ride. She did very well pulling me to the edge of the metal plate and showing me exactly where the escalator started. She is brilliant with targets. When she hears the name of a familiar target (like the steps in this case) and recognizes it, she is there and fast, and she doesn’t stop pulling until we are all the way on top of it. Since I have practically no vision, this is extremely helpful for me, because she makes it very clear where whatever I am looking for is, whether it be the curb, the escalator, the door, etc.

We are still working on slowing down a tad in certain situations. For example, when we entered the CVS in the afternoon, we were moving so quickly the automatic doors didn’t quite have a chance to open all the way, so I got clipped by the still slightly closed sliding door. We also had to slow in the isles so as not to knock any displays or innocent bystanders to the floor. On our way back from CVS, we had a slight sniffing distraction with some trash cans (which, in her defense, did smell very strongly!), but as my instructor observed, Prim seems very responsive to my voice and a “Prim, leave it” was all she needed to get going again.

Shortly after that we crossed a street, made a right, and then I felt Prim angle over to the left a bit toward a building. She approached the wall of the building, then made a quick right and continued along the block. I wasn’t sure what had happened, until my instructor came up from behind to inform me that Prim had seen herself in a glass wall. Apparently, Prim got all puffy and upset like, “who’s that over there?!”, until she realized it was her own reflection, got embarrassed, and quick changed her direction like, that didn’t just happen. We laughed all the way back to the White Plains building. There are days you have to marvel at the incredible phenomenon that is the guide dog team, and then there are days you just have to laugh… and with Prim, that’s every day. This dog cracks me up.