I really enjoyed the post asking for help naming a lab - it reminded me of my mother's dearly vanished (most likely departed in some fashion or another) black lab - especially the responder who suggested naming the dog Dammit, because that what you'll be yelling at it. My mother's dog was named God, for exactly that reason (she's a fractious old coot). Within days of "G----, get down off the couch!" and G----, come here!", the dog soon began to answer to the initial phrase and was thereafter known as God, the dog.

As you might imagine, this led to many humorous moments, living as she does in a conservative, Bible-belt area. Favorites include the phrases (fill in the piercing stares of by-standers with your own imagination):

At the local fast food joint - "Did you remember to get a hamburger for God?"

At the supermarket - "Did either of you let God out to pee before we left?"

At the library - "That dog looks just like God."

Me, to my co-workers - " I can't believe God ate one of my brand new sandals!"

The all time, last hurrah favorite, though, some few months before God left us, was when my dear, terrified driver mother was struck during a winter day when some teen-agers spun across an icy road into her path. Mom was not badly hurt, but was knocked a little loopy (loopier, anyway). Now, to get the full punch of the event, you have to remember that my mother traveled with God quite a bit of the time. God loved to go for rides. God was good, and so Mom kept God close to her. (okay, okay, I'll stop! Quit throwing tomatoes!) As the EMT's wheeled mother's gurney into the ER, the faces of those around her quickly turned from concern to outright confusion and many were flummoxed completely. The reason?

My dear, sweet, concussed mother was repeating (over and over again, in a loud voice): "Thank goodness God wasn't with me!"

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), June 05, 2001

Answers

And to think I worried about giving my dog the unusual name of "Ki".

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), June 05, 2001.

Don't seem so strange to me, what's God spelled backwards?

-- Willy Allen (willyallen2@yahoo.com), June 05, 2001.

so i guess you did hear about the dyslexic agnostic who wandering around wondering "is there really a dog?"

lol laughter is good for you, smile and have a great day

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), June 06, 2001.

Soni, thanks for the laugh this mornin! Now I know who you get your sense of humor from! Reminded me of my husbands grandfather, who called all short haired dogs, "sooner" dogs. His reasoning? They'd sooner show their ***, than not.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), June 06, 2001.