By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein
My owner’s friend Stephanie told us recently that when she gets her new puppy she is going to name her Mia. My owner was curious about that, because she thinks it’s important to meet a new pet before deciding on a name. It’s just like naming a baby, she thinks; you look at it and say, “Yes, that’s the name.”
My owner learned that bit of wisdom when I came into her life. When she decided to get a poodle, she thought she would give the dog a French name after someone she admired like Coco Chanel. But when she met me, she realized that name didn’t suit me. I was so tiny, I weighed only 2 ½ pounds at 3 months old, yet so out-going and friendly she thought I needed a name with more spunk.
Then, because she is a librarian and knows lots of children’s books she thought about the character Maggie in her friend and Chappaqua resident Jean Van Leeuwen’s book, “Wait for Me,” Said Maggie McGee. Maggie in the book was the youngest and smallest in the family and was always chasing after the big kids for their attention.
So I became Maggie with Mae for a middle name because my owner liked that Rod Stewart song. And when she told the students at her elementary school how she named me, one very wise fourth grader, Lucas said, “Of course Ms. Diamondstein would name her dog after a character in a book.”
I wondered how other dogs got their names, so I decided to ask some of my canine friends how they were named and was surprised by the variety of the answers. My Boston Terrier neighbor MJ, has a mind of her own and told me she didn’t like her given name Princess, so she never answered to it when she was called. One day at the veterinarian’s office she heard the Tech called “MJ.”
She decided that was a good name, so she started responding every time it was called. Now that’s what everyone calls her. And my good friend Riley, the Staffordshire Terrier, was supposed to be Logan for the Boston airport connection of his owner Brian, but it just didn’t suit his personality. The Vizla next door to us was named Scotch for his butterscotch colored coat. Wilson, a black and white Shi Tzu, got his sporting name because he looked like a soccer ball when he was a little puppy. Harry Houdini, the Wire Fox Terrier, has an owner who is a magician. And my new Yorkie puppy friend Virginia Woof told me she got her literary name because there are so many English majors in her family. Gypsy, a rescue dog, has owners who are big fans of the singer Stevie Nicks and are especially fond of that song. Gypsy also says she likes to run around and lives up to her name. Ranger, the chocolate Lab, was named by his hockey-loving family for their favorite team.
Every time I hear someone say, “Maggie Mae,” I wag my tail with joy because I love hearing my name. So whether you choose your dog’s name based on its breed, its looks or something you like to do, be sure you say it with a smile in your voice!
Contact Maggie Mae Pup Reporter at maggiemae10514@gmail.com
Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant, award-winning photographer and a School Library Media Specialist and teacher who has worked in the US and abroad.
