Puppies
What do you call your dogs? Do they have pet names? What is is about us humans, that we have to have special names for those we love? (Glenn calls me Babe - which has nothing to do with the pig - I think.)
We call Amy and Bernadette "The Puppies" - they just turned 9, for crying out loud. But that's how we call them - "Puppies! Puppies!" The fact that when we do that they come running might have something to do with why we keep calling them Puppies.
8 weeks old. Bernadette on the left, Amy with the white spot on her forehead.
We got Amy and Bernadette from a friend who always liked to give her girl dogs one litter of puppies before being spayed. Momma was a Labradoodle. Poppa was an Australian Shepherd (as opposed to a Rolling Stone). The Puppies look like Poppa except more slender than your typical Aussie, and they're more mid-sized, about 35 lbs each.
When we first saw them we were deep into whatever season of Big Bang Theory (BBT) was on the air. We asked the puppies what they would like to be called, and when we heard crickets, we asked them if they could be named after two of the women on BBT - their choice which ones. They thought that was a grand idea.
So we told them the three names. Penny. Amy. Bernadette. And I'm sure in our minds, we had an idea of what each character was like.
Here's what we heard first: "NOT Penny!" That came from both of them, practically in unison. I was a little disappointed, since Penny is a pretty cute name for a dog. But they were adamant.
They did a quick conference. "I'll be Amy!" said the one with the white ruff. "I'll be Bernadette!" said the other.
Amy and Bernadette it was.
Curiosity
Now here's the thing, and if you aren't familiar with BBT's characters, let me give you a quick rundown of the two personalities in question. Amy is super smart, and likes it when people know she's smart. She's a little needy about being liked (she got better as the series went on). Bernadette is also super smart, and quite snarky. She has good boundaries and doesn't do anything that would be detrimental to her or her family.
As these dogs grew up, their personalities were almost exactly like the BBT characters. They definitely picked names that suited them! Our dog Amy is super smart, and she loves to do tricks and show you how smart she is, and she is the neediest dog I've ever met. "Pet me" is her mantra.
Bernadette is also super smart, but if she thinks a trick or activity is stupid or not in her best interest, she won't do it. She's spent a lot of time looking at us with a "You want me to do WHAT?" expression on her face. Just a little bit snarky. Bernadette's mantra is "Move over, Glenn. I want to sit next to you." and she will stare at him with big sad eyes until he moves over. The couch gets a bit crowded, because once Bernadette has established a space, needy Amy has to join the milieu.
Amy, Bernadette and Glenn (aka "daddee") on a walk among the Aspens in Colorado
We love these Puppies. They are lively and fun to take on walks. They're devoted to us, to their big brother Niko, and even to the cats, who will sometimes strop against them. Not a snap or growl in sight.
We're happy to have them in our family. Do you have a favorite animal family member?
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The date of our Women Only retreat, Pipes and Ponies, has been changed! It's now July 10-12, 2026. Click here for more INFO about this magical experience with Ashara, Annette, and our beautiful horses: https://www.harmonysheartcoaching.com/pipes-and-ponies-weekend-retreat-june-2026
