I caught endless affectionate grief from a friend lastnight, because our dog's real name is "Mr. Hobbs", but - as he put it - "every time you turn around you're calling him something different."

My names for him include: Hobby, Bobbins, Bobbly, Hobby Lobby, Swiss Family Hobinson, Hobinson Crusoe, Hobbynero (think habanero), and many many others... not to mention a variety of "Something McSomething" names that I make up as I go including Muttly McFattbutt, Jigglypuff McButt, Muttly McCrackhead, Bobbly McDealybopper, Jigglydoodle McPuffyhead, etc. I can't list them because they're constantly changing.

... and really, whatever strikes my fancy at the given moment.

So is this really that unusual? My friend's point was, "Why name your dog when you don't call him by his name?" But I do, and he only really answers to one of those names, but when I'm playing around with him I'll call him whatever.

Do you call your pet by its name, or do you have a surplus of other names you use for it?

Our Bailey Boots is called Bebo, Pup pup, thunder but, stinker, and all kinds of names in fact....

the ONLY time I use his real name is when HE IS IN TROUBLE!!

This is so funny. We have three cats and a dog:

Cats:

Ditz, named so because she isn't very smart-- Ditz-a-roo, diddle, diddle-roo

WeatherBee--weather butt, weather bottom, fat cat (he is about 16lbs!).

Oliver--Olivia, Featherbutt

Our dog Clover is a bearded collie. We call her fuzzy dog or Cloverdean. We even made up a song: "Cloverdean, beauty queen. Prettiest dog I've ever seen". We are such dorks!

My kitty's name is Ginger.

and....

Ginger Butt

Ginger Spice

Baby Ginger

Baby Kitty

Little Baby Ginger Butt

KeeKee (kinda shortened from kitty kitty)

Beer Kitty

Kitty Face

Stripper Kitty

Ginger Face

Ginger Britches

Pretty Kitty

Ginger Paws

I guess anything I think up at the time...she answers to it all. :mad:

Both of my schnauzers have cropped ears. Both of my kids have Min. Schnauzers too (3 dogs, Abby, Stella and Dora) and none of them have cropped ears. The youngest, Abby's ears are hysterical. They behave independently from one another and she looks really silly sometimes. She has very cute markings and is sort of chocolate colored with tan and silver markings. She isn't AKC so there could be some non-schnauzer mixed in (but don't tell her that!)

My DH always gives ours their baths in the shower. I do the brushing and he uses a hair dryer to fluff and dry them. Their coats are longer this winter because of all the cold weather and they sure get gamey sometimes!

My son and daughter used to think that a bigger, less yappy, dog was what they wanted in their households. DS got a well-trained and beautiful Pit Bull. She and I became friends but I never trusted her (and neither did they). My DD had a Weimeraner (drop dead gorgeous) and a half Wimey half Lab. They ate them out of house and home and when they had a daughter, they were too big to have around such a tiny toddler. Once the kids spent some time with Min. Schnauzers they decided they couldn't live without one too. So we're a 100% Miniature Schnauzer family!

I have a cavalier spaniel called Penny, she gets called Penn, Penny wenny, Woobie doo and various others ( mainly when I thnk no one else can hear) she answers to anything really but faster if there is a smile in the tone of voice- if that makes sense

Dexter (my dog) is called Dex.....or Doodyhead.

i nickname everything and everyone to death.

my dog's name is quincy. i call him fuzzhead, fuzzbutt, fuzzface, q-face, naughtydoggie, sillyface, handsomehandsome, mister handsome, fuzz nugget, nugget, quince, fur baby, silly boy, and there is a noise i make that sounds something like 'oobah' that he responds to as well. LOL.

i won't even get started on what i call my husband. HA!

My DH always gives ours their baths in the shower. I do the brushing and he uses a hair dryer to fluff and dry them. Their coats are longer this winter because of all the cold weather and they sure get gamey sometimes!

Both my Schnauzers have had "curly" coats, but my friend Sue has a silver female whose coat is straight. She keeps her cut in a long "skirt". Jackson looks silly in the skirt cut.

I have two cats, Sunta and Tigger. One is a girl, one a boy. Here's what I call them:

Girl cat:

Mommy's little baby

Tiny tiny princess

Mommy's pretty princess

Little princess

Tiny little baby

Mommy's tiny angel

Itty bitty little poopsie

Boy cat:

Handsome fellow

Handsome boy

Foo foo

(lots of variations on Foo Foo like Tiny Foo Foo (for the girl cat), Handsome Foo Foo, Mommy's little Foo Foo, etc)

Big handsome boy

I realize I am pushing my cats into gender-stereotype roles by what I call them, but since they are only cats and can't understand what I'm saying, it's ok. LOL.

I have 7 animals. My dog Jasper is often called Jaspito (I have a thing for Spanish names), Wooter is Wootito, Sergeant is Sarge (he's named after Sergeant York) and Ozzie is Oz much of the time. He is named after Ozzie Nelson of 50s sitcom fame. They know their names so I don't want to get carried away, but Wooter is getting so fat I call him Bear sometimes. The cats go by their names which are Nose, Minnie Kate and Spot. Nose has a fancy name--Cyranose--but I really named him Nose because he has half of a Hitler mustache on his nose and I didn't want to call him Hitler though he is sort of like Hitler. He's a terror. He's also called Noseola. Minnie Kate is named that because the neighborhood kids brought her to me and wanted to call her Katie, but I already had a cat named Katie, so we compromised on Minnie Kate. Minnie is skinny and always has been, but I also call her Minicita. Spot is named that because I just wanted a cat named Spot. She's nearly 17 now and cranky and mean. She eats pounds of Laxatone which tastes sweet but is supposed to keep hairballs down. She doesn't throw up much so it must work. I also call her Spotwin. Nose eats a little Laxatone but throws up hair everyday. Ozzie has mange. Sarge can run about 25 mph when he's chasing my car. Jasper has arthritis (he's about 14 years old which is old for a middle-sized dog). Wooter just lays around. That's my idea of a good dog but he drools when someone is eating--sort of like Hooch -- long strings of drool like shoelaces. I also call Minnie Kate the Heatilator because she's really hot when she gets under the cover with me. With a cat like her, people in the past wouldn't have needed a warming pan. I also have mother whom I call Mother. I got over calling her mommy in my teens. My brother calls her Mom. She doesn't care what we call her as long as it's not something bad. I don't have a nickname and never have except for the summer I was known as "Hocks." I just lend myself to a nickname. Alas.

We have 2 welsh corgis, male and female

Our Female, Patches..aka.. Patchi, Apatche, Pretty girl, Pretty, Tons of fun (yeah.. I'm sure shes thinking "yeah, like you have room to talk".. haha)

Our Male, Bailey..aka.. Bail, Bell, Ball, Ball-e, Jack@ss, D@mn dog, goofball

3 ferrets:

Cash (Male) ..aka.. Cashman or Man

Zoey(Female) ..aka..Psycho, Dumb@ss

Mitch (Male) ..aka.. The new one, The little one, The cuddler, Face, Mitchell

We also had 1 ferret who passed in March (due to eating the recalled Iams kitten food)....

JoeDirt..aka.. Dirt or Dirtyboy.. sometimes The dirty one

Our dog ( a shepherd-redbone mix) was named Happy Jack (she's actually a girl) when we got her from the shelter.

She's still Happy Jack, but she's also hap-hap, Spazzy Snacks, puppy bear, sweet baby, furbaby...and on it goes.

Although "Ride in the car?" and "get the toy" always gets her full attention.