originally published 3/24/24
When Banker came along, he was already named. His breeder preferred names that began with “B”. To quote Sheldon Cooper, “What is life without whimsy?” I first thought it silly, then it became fun to use B names, except that after a lot of effort, I didn’t find one to fit Parker, and Jade had her name before she even came home with me. Carrying this whimsy further, our bulls have “B” names, including the next (probable) one that isn’t here yet. When Banner came along, her name was (yes) predetermined, to follow the next name that I could use in Wordle style following “Banker”. Banker was one of those who leave a strong mark, and it could have been a challenge for any Newf to take the next position in that naming process, but Banner is strong in personality and will leave her own very large footprint.
So, yes, the next one also had a predetermined name. Alphabetically, “t” comes after “n” (of course skipping “g” earlier in the sequence), so I was looking forward to meeting Banter, who isn’t even a twinkle in an eye yet, to my knowledge. One of the important aspects of this whimsy is that the name be unique. “Banker” was unique. But his name was copied. “Banner” was unique for a few years, but now there is another Newf named “Banner”. And this morning! Author Percival Everett has a poodle or poodle mix dog named “Banter”! That is a good name for a writer’s dog. Yes, whimsy can be silly. Actually, I think it is supposed to be silly. But I’ve been planning this one for a while. Oh well. There is plenty of time to change course.