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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Mums offended by my dog?

230 replies

SpareChangeDownTheSofa · 16/06/2017 12:10

I have a friendly, cuddly dog, he's a cross breed but one that most kids want to happily stroke (most adults too). Since he is a rescue he is always on a leash to prevent running off when not in a dog park area (so people approach him to meet him).

He has quite a common name that is being used for boys these days but is also a very common 'dog' name. Alfie.

The other day I was walking him and a mum and son came over, all ''aww he's so cute! can I stroke him?'' It was all good, then the kid asked me his name and I said ''Alfie'' and the mum got this sour look on her face and huffed, ''That's my son's name'' and ushered her son away in a mood.

Now its happened before that kids have had the same name as him and the parents laugh or the kids are quite happy but I was so at this woman's reaction. Would you be annoyed if someone had a pet with the same name as your kid??

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 18/06/2017 19:43

Our neighbour when we were kids had 2 dogs. One had my sister's first name and the other her second. So when they yelled the dogs in for dinner we would be in hysterics "Doris, McDuff, din dins! Come and get it!"

McDuff is of course a great name for a dog if you don't want a person forename. Every time you take him out, you can exclaim 'Lead on, McDuff!' (But the other dog should then be Spot: 'Out, damned Spot'. )

Alidoll · 18/06/2017 19:49

My friends daughter still laughs that my first dog had the same name as her (though different spelling - Ceilidh dog and Kayleigh girl). One Gaelic for "a social gathering" and the other after the Marillion song lol!

user1476641978 · 18/06/2017 20:33

Anyone to be annoyed about such a thing is INSANE.

user1490806299 · 18/06/2017 20:40

My friend got her name after they cat. Her father just said let's call her that because they couldn't agree on anything.

My gerbils had human names. One had same name as my then headmaster.

Is there lots of pets named as Andrew/Andy? My ds is Andrew but never heard it used as dog name.

Offherhead · 18/06/2017 20:51

My cousin has named his daughter the name his family dog had when he was small. It's nice as she was a very widely loved dog. But. I find it very weird as a large number of family members gave that name to me as a child.
The cousin and i are not close (he's sexist i avoid him). Definitely a handful of adults we are related to still use this nickname for me.
It's all very odd and probably something to do with his wife who is very frosty towards me (no idea why).

Debbie73 · 18/06/2017 20:54

Stupid woman!
I once called my beautiful tortoishell cat 'Heather Joyce 'my mum's name.
Knowing how I consider my cats with such high regard,it's a sincere form of flattery!

user1488122513 · 18/06/2017 21:01

Toooldforthisshirt: pmsl

Writermom22 · 18/06/2017 21:22

Just ignore her. We have a dragon called Steeve. Lol.

But if it has upset you, shorten it to "Al" next time.

Shockers · 18/06/2017 21:34

One of my dogs has the same name as one of Jamie Oliver's children's middle names.

SomeKindOfGenius · 18/06/2017 21:46

We have a cat called Dave. My dad is also called Dave. He's not offended.

We are fostering a dog called Rosemary, I'll be sure not to call her name in public in case it makes some old dear clutch her pearls.

The woman who got narky is an oddbod. Ignore her OP.

Squeakymoo · 18/06/2017 21:49

We have an Alan (dog), and did have Bronwyn (cat), Beatrice, Audrey, Monty and chipshop (fish)

Cydonia · 18/06/2017 22:06

I'm a vet nurse and when I was pregnant with DS I ruled out loads of names because they were too "doggy" or "catty" ( especially ones that reminded me of particular clients! ) On my first day back after mat leave there was a cat AND a dog in for operations with the same name as DS! I wasn't offended, though when it happens again it does feel a bit weird talking to them

Wills · 18/06/2017 22:06

My aunt got two rescue dogs, the first with my name, the second with my brother's. Caused all kinds of confusion, but certainly didn't upset anyone, my mum included.

Wills · 18/06/2017 22:08

Oh and we keep chickens. When we got our first batch we all named one each - my dh named his roast. One day it got out and was chased by a terrier that caught its feathers and stripped a large bunch of them out. The chicken recovered well, but was renamed by my dh to ovenready!

MaddeningtheUnhelpful · 18/06/2017 22:10

Mulberry72 I think you are perhaps my sister, my son has the same name as (older) neph-kitty

Benedikte2 · 18/06/2017 22:11

Our cat is James and it suits him. My DD gave DGD our much loved (deceased) cat's name as a middle name. DGD is quite happy about it.
I have always given pets human names -- I think it shows respect to them as individual beings which traditional animal names don't.
FWIW I think Alfie makes a better pet's name than a child's. When the child is grown he may suit Alfred better for formal occasions and prefer Alfie when with friends.

MaddeningtheUnhelpful · 18/06/2017 22:18

I have 3 DCS all with popular 'pet' names. Eldest is Alfie, who incidently actually acts like a over zealous labrador anyway so it suits his as much as his canine counter parts. My DD has an 'old lady' name, popular with cats and westies - and my youngest DS has the same name as my sisters cat... and the cat came first. They're very similar though, hungry and highly strung

cherish123 · 18/06/2017 22:51

No. Lots of dogs have human names - Molly, Ella, Ellie, Poppy, Archie - and Alfie too. These women are ridiculous.

Sprogletsmuvva · 18/06/2017 23:57

My daughter is part-named after a dog i had as a teenager. Most people just assume it's after a member of the Royal Family. Of those we tell the actual reason, none has shown a negative reaction - at least to my face. The exception was a bloke who comes from a culture with a downer on dogs, and who i think generally disapproves with my obsession with them

jacqroberts68 · 19/06/2017 07:41

My dogs are called Nora and Charlie both named before they came to me, suits them both!

cutterbut · 19/06/2017 08:52

My little brown dog is called Clive 😃

Theonethingididntwant · 19/06/2017 11:14

I once had a distant relative get annoyed that I called my cat by a name she was considering for her DC when she was pregnant. She hadn't told us any names or the sex of the baby and i never see her anyway. She found out through social media as id posted a picture of the cat and the cats name (named after a cartoon character).
She didn't take it further than an PA status online but I remember thinking it was a bit silly. People get oddly possessive over names.

Montsti · 19/06/2017 11:56

No I wouldn't be annoyed at all.

I would be though if a close family member called their pet one of my children's names (obviously if my child came first)...

AbstractLucas · 19/06/2017 13:42

My dogs are Eli and Riley (Riley was in fact in the running for my daughter's name, way before we had any dogs) and our cat is Meg. We had chickens with what I think of as old lady names too - Elsie, Hilda etc. I like people names for animals, but then all 3 of my kids have names that are thought of as quite unusual for people or pets!
Before kids I had 2 cats called Porridge and Whiskey. Quite a few times got random things shouted back at me by neighbours when calling them in at night... "Whiiiiiskey, Whiiiiiskey, come on!"

SunsetBoulevard · 19/06/2017 14:33

My son named one of our chickens after his headmistress. She was genuinely absolutely delighted!

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