Dog Names Meaning Fresh Blooming

Are you a true dog lover?  We don't mean one who has and maintains a fundamental family pet "for the kids," but rather, are you a person who sees that family pet as a real-life member of the family, one who has feelings, desires and purpose? If you are one of the latterly described pet owners, we herald you, and it is to you that we direct this pop culture spotlight, as you are more likely than the formerly referenced pet possessor to understand the depth of which her story delves.  

Tulip is an Alsatian Shepherd (a.k.a. German Shepherd) about which J. R. Ackerley writes in his book titled, My Dog Tulip which was a memoir released in 1956.  While Tulip is the main character in the book, she represents Ackerley’s dog, Queenie, with whom he became entangled well into his middle age.  Ackerley is a British author, and the story is written in typical British style and humor, both of which we, here in America, tend not to appreciate as much as we ought.  

The book tells the tale of a love story between Ackerley, not necessarily considered a dog-lover before Tulip's introduction into his life, and the dog who became the love of his life, also telling the story of how a man can come to understand the depth of a dog’s personality.  Reading the book, you will come to appreciate Ackerley’s journey from a dog-observer to a dog-lover, two natures which are connected only by the word “dog.”  Ackerley describes his life with Tulip, a typical female unspayed canine, and is replete with references to her biological clock as well as her biological excrement needs, word pictures painted in the usual dry British humor and writing style to which many of us are not accustomed.  The author has known many Britsh people of varying age groups and thoroughly enjoy listening to them as they relate a story, whether real or contrived.  We find their wit and humor quite refreshing as well as honorable, and seeing these attributes in Ackerley’s writing, both in this book as well as several others which came later.

Ackerley accurately puts his finger on the genus and depth of the variety of feelings and emotions which are expressed by dogs and expertly connects them to those of the human species, things well taught to him by Tulip.