The Naming of a Blog

In the 10 minutes I spent pondering names for this thing, I was trying to come up with something that would be both interesting and broadly applicable enough to let me write about anything. Thoughts wandered from the fashionably cool to the mundane (same thing??) as I searched the wall lockers of my brain for something catchy, but real. I kept asking myself what has been the most consistent thing in my life that could tie to random opinions, but be quietly worthy of reading. I moved through the memories of wine, women, song, (D, S, and R&R for my generation), and on to learnings, to pain, to joy, to just breathing... and then it struck me: dogs. I have had dogs in my life for at least 90% of my life and have gained more wisdom and comfort from them than I have from a whole lot of "teachers".
My first was a cocker spaniel named Mickey, who guided me on the walk from toddler to ten. Then Mom went on a puppy spree and we went through several who were a blur of sickly to hysterical, to mean, but all memorable. (Yes, I'm rambliing, but it's my blog so keep reading it might get better.)
Then came "Puddy" (short for Puddles). Puddy was my first "road dog", and she sat next to me in my '66 Chevy as we travelled the roads of America when I got out of the Marines in 1971. When Mom died, Puddy and I drove the U-Haul from Tacoma to Denver. Coming through Oregon, I fell asleep at the wheel and she barked to wake me up. That's a road dog. Road dogs listen, and then dispense wisdom when needed.