Marathon-supporting Retrievers, an unexpected cruise ship passenger, and popular pup names

It’s getting hot out there!

Please be aware that pets should never be left in vehicles. Dogs can quickly become overheated and hyperthermia can lead to organ failure and death. I have a temperature monitor in my Class A so that when I leave the coach (with the AC on), I will be alerted via text when the temperature rises. I use Waggle, reviewed here by Tony Barthel.

A salute to Spencer at Boston Marathon

Spencer stationed himself at Mile 3 along the Boston Marathon’s route to support the runners. He was the Boston Marathon’s official race dog, and died Feb. 17 at age 13 from an inoperable cancer. I wrote about his passing a while back here. The marathon was run last week and Spencer was honored when 250 Golden Retrievers converged on the event. In Spencer’s best spirit, the Goldens’ drooling, barking and soft fur gave the Marathon runners a warm-hearted boost.

Rich Powers, Spencer’s dad, said the family received a huge outpouring of support with sympathy cards and donations to The Morris Foundation after Spencer died. But this gathering of gorgeous, gallivanting Goldens was special. They even posed for a group shot.

It’s worth checking out the Morris Animal Foundation, a non-profit organization that does amazing research to benefit the welfare of animals, including a Golden Retriever Lifetime Study that includes more than 3,000 dogs. A donation to this outstanding organization is a lovely way to honor Spencer.

Unusual stowaway on a cruise ship

Whoooooo are you kidding? Social media posts alerted wildlife professionals about an unusual passenger on a Royal Caribbean cruise. A burrowing owl took up residence in the ship’s “Central Park” and spent two weeks in vacation heaven. I love burrowing owls and have a pair nesting just outside my door in a desert wash here in the Coachella Valley, CA. They also hang out in Florida, so it is likely this little guy “boarded” there. He was enjoying his vacation, so it took a huge effort to capture him safely and release him back into the wild. Kudos to Ricardo Zambrano of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), who safely captured the owl.

The most popular girl dog names of 2023

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the top 15 girl dog names are:

• Luna
• Princess
• Zelda
• Bella
• Harper
• Freyja
• Daisy
• Oakley
• Gigi
• Lucy
• Sage
• Holly
• Willow
• Skye
• Libby

If you want an original name, and this applies to both girl and boy dogs, the AKC suggests the following:

• Choose a name with one or two syllables. These are easiest to say and short enough to keep your dog’s attention.
• Consider a puppy name with hard consonants, which may be easier for dogs to hear than sibilant sounds, like “Gracie” or “Bailey.”
• Try not to choose a puppy name that sounds similar to a command. Avoid names like “Kit,” which sounds like “sit,” or “Poe,” which sounds like “no.”
• When a dog hears her name, it’s a signal that whatever is coming next is meant for her. So use her name frequently in a positive context so she doesn’t associate it with punishment or anything negative or scary.
• Don’t name a dog something that sounds a lot like the name of another family member. If your daughter is “Annie” and the dog is “Franny,” the dog (or your daughter) may be confused and not know when to respond.

What’s the most original dog name you have ever heard? Me? It was Dioge, pronounced “Dee Oh Gee.”

##RVT1101