I like to think that the Sakkestads are clever when naming their dogs. We don’t choose silly names like Spot or Oreo, or normal names like Tim or Bella. But those are beautiful names that I’m sure are attached to the best dogs. What I’d like to do, though, is share with you the short story of how my dogs each got their names.
There’s Daisy, our 15-year-old Dachshund. She came from a litter of my father’s friend from work; and after his first daughter poked, prodded, and begged for a puppy, he caved. Daisy came as a surprise around my sister’s 10th birthday. Arriving home from school, blissful in her young days of birthday celebrations and probably thinking about playing with her cake later that night, my parents guided her outside. They told her they had a surprise for her.
She turned the corner and there, in a small cardboard box, with the top open wide, was a Dachshund puppy. The puppy was only a few months old, and she was a playful, teething little thing. They played in the kitchen, where three little girls were as careful as they could be with this tiny little puppy.
In all the excitement, we lost the fact that this beautiful little thing needed a name. And of course, being a birthday present, my sister had the sole responsibility of picking out a name. At 10 years old, most kids only have a few ideas of pet names: food, real names, adjectives, and flowers. Thus, in a few minutes, it was decided: Daisy. Just like one of the many flowers our neighbor grew every year... Daisy.
Now fast forward 6 years. The same little girl is now 16 years old. She decides that parties are ridiculous and unnecessary, so there was no "Sweet Sixteen" that year. But what is the best birthday present that anyone can ask for? She knew the answer well but also knew our parents weren’t too keen on another barking blob running around the house.
Being probably the most studious of all the Sakkestad girls, she did what any 16-year-old would do. She wrote a persuasive letter to her parents on why she should get a puppy for her 16th birthday. It was only a page long, addressed and signed correctly too. In it, she argued that while she didn’t have a party, a good alternative is, of course, a puppy. She already had him picked out. Through hours and hours of research, she found him, a litter rescued from a kill shelter in North Carolina that was brought up to New Jersey. And how could our parents say no? There was a picture from the rescue website, an essay, an argument, research, and the idea of not giving this rescued puppy a home.
His mix was interesting, where half of him looked like a Dachshund and the other half a Jack Russell. His name was Sholi then.
We knew from the start we weren’t keeping his name. Sholi? We can do better than that. So when we finally brought him to the house and met his energy full force, we remembered our new task. One wanted Max, another wanted Scooby, and my mother even wanted Doodles.
While the reason is silly, it finally clicked. In the Mario Bros. video games, there is Mario rescuing Peach and Luigi rescuing Daisy. So why not bring the pair to life? Daisy and Luigi. Best friends, partners in crime, practically brother and sister. It was perfect.
Even though the origin story may be silly, the Sakkestads are far from disappointment when choosing names for their furry friends. Besides partners in barking crime, Daisy and Luigi, this family and its extensions have founded creative names like Jazz, Beauty, Guinness, Boo, Conga, and Loki. No matter the name they answer to, they always have furry smiles on their faces.
