And here she is...Kenya!

Yup, we finally decided what to call the new pup. After getting to know the pipsqueak over the last few days, we've come to the conclusion that "Kenya" is a suitable name for her.

Here's why: the Kenyan people we got know and love while teaching there in 2001 demonstrated strength, dignity, ingenuity, warmth, joy, affection for us, and a love for learning unlike little we've seen here in the States.

And our little Kenya is exactly all of those things: strong, proud, ingenuous, warm, joyful (exuberant), loving with us, and eager to learn and please. She's feisty, too, and can hold her own, even against the odds. But she's still very affectionate and people-oriented. We could not have asked for a better personality or one more suited to our family dynamics.

For our African friends, please know this: in American culture, to name a pet after someone or something is considered an honor (never an insult). Dogs are highly valued here and treated as if they are one of the family. It's because we hold the Kenyan people in such high esteem that we've named the new addition to our family this way.

So "Kenya" it is.

Oh, and one more thing: "Kenya" sounds enough different from "Baxter," "Elsie," "Ridge" and standard commands (like "no" or "sit" or "come" or "stay" or "wait" or "off" or "down" or "heel" or "get it") that the puppy should be able to identify it uniquely as her name.

What do you think?

'Til next time,
Joan