A Canine Name Change

A happy little dog and his new man.

The new dog has undergone a name change: from Possum to Gideon. Of course the dog's registered name will stay the same: Briar Run Pimp Daddy (his sire's name was "Hustler").

Gideon, of course, is in reference to the Biblical General who defeated his crop-raiding enemies by making a mighty noise in the dark in Judges 6-8. Of course, Gideon won despite his much smaller force. It seems the sound made by Gideon's small band of of troops intimidated his enemies into giving up and running away! Of course isn't that exactly how a Jack Russell terrier successfully wages battle nine times out of ten?

Perfect!

Adding a bit to the story is that Gideon chose his small band of warriors because they were the ones who, when they were thirsty and came to a stream, lapped up water like dogs.

This is one of the very few mentions of dogs in the Bible, and the only positive one, I believe.

Gideon is also Hebrew for "the destroyer" and "a mighty warrior," which seems a more fitting name for a working terrier than an animal slow in speed and thought.

Plus, I write about possums often enough that I think it would be confusing to have a dog with that name, requiring me to put the dog's name in "quote marks" to keep it straight from the marsupial.

But a name in quote marks has a suspect-quality to it -- as if the dog's real name was something else. We can't have that!

And so a name change.

It does not hurt that I know two Gideons (first name for one, last name for the other), or that Gideon's army was instructed to go into battle yelling "A sword for the Lord and Gideon!"

I do not own a sword, but I think my field machete will do in a pinch. A sword for the Lord and Gideon indeed!


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