My man, Eko!
My girl, Penny!
I love all of our adventures together. And so do they:
I mean, just look at that smile on Eko’s face! No wait…that’s Penny. I think.
Ok, so we have a bit of an issue on our hands. Sometimes I can’t tell the pups apart from one another. It was easy when Penny was a squirt, but now that she’s shot up like a weed it can be tough to pick the two apart at a glance.
I owe my parents an apology. I remember looking at old baby albums and asking them which one of us kids was in a particular photo. Their reply inevitably started with, “Umm,” and ended with a variant of, “You?” or “That’s a good question…” or “Go ask your mom/dad.”
I was incensed! How could they not even recognize their own flesh and blood! But now I understand how life blends together. I often find myself double checking photos to see which pup I’ve captured.
Close up shot of Penny or a faraway shot of Eko? It’s Penny for sure. I think.
While taking this photo I swore I was shooting Penny. Nope. I now use their different collars as a cheat code for identification.
And as long as we’re in the confessional, I’ll admit that sometimes I’m WAY off. For instance, check out this photo of Penny.
No, that’s Eko. Wait, no, I don’t even know that dog!
That’s right. At the dog beach I have watched a dog play for a good couple minutes without realizing that the dog I thought it was was actually sitting behind me the whole time.
Just like Eko and Penny in real life, Eko and Penny get mixed up and blend together in my mind
And just like my parents would sometime call me JAMESHELENWILLNATE when I was in trouble, I’ll admit that I too have said EKOPENNY! when I was flustered and couldn’t come up with just one name. I guess mixing up the ones you love is just a part of life. Or at least I hope it is!
So who else will fess up about a pup-mixup?
I not only mix up Rigby and Muffin, who are two completely different breeds of dog but I sometimes call Rigby my son’s name Keith – unfortunately my son hears me doing it and has on more than one occassion started signing me up for the old folks home……so yeah it happens but luckily Rigby answers to the names Keith and oddly enough Gramma…….
Ekopenny… that’s a great word… maybe you can sell the name to the EU, as their new currency? btw: I asked my mother which time is was born. she had NO clue and is still pondering… I’m her only child…probably the event wasn’t much important that she forgot it lol
I’ve been caught many times calling my daughter Neeka and the dog Robyn. Fortunately neither has disowned me yet. Haven’t mixed up the dogs though. Neeka is a dark almost auburn color and Khoi is a light red wheaten. Give it time.
beauty is hard to describe and hard to miss.
I could totally see mixing them up while they’re in action – it’s just a blur of muscles and tan coloring!
Will, one is a girl and one is a boy…that should be a clue for a human’s eyes 🙂 My sisters and I look different enough it is pretty obvious who is who, but often Mom mixes up our names which is frustrating. Maybe you need to get them each different collars to make it easier from a distance? Penny will probably stay a bit smaller than Eko too. If all else fails, use the old tried and true dog method of butt sniffing, but I suggest not doing that in public 😉
Me and sisfur Nalle are furry different colors, so Mama never mixes us up, but sometimes she calls Nalle and kitty sisfur Zoe by each others’ names! WOL!
Once upon time there was 3 (yes 3 under the age of 5) boys that lived here. While small when I got upset I would have to normally run thru their names to get the right child. We make fun of it now. But I totally get the confusion as I would be in a hurry! But love the pictures!
I can confuse Le Moo and Butthead when the lighting is low and/or when they’re curled up sleeping since they’re both black and white. But their fur is different enough and the overall pattern of colors is different enough that most times I can tell them apart. Also, Butthead is likely to be moving at 4x the speed of Le Moo 90% of the time they are awake, so that’s a clue for me. My family, on the other hand, is oft heard to say, “Which one is this?” 😉
Sweet Will, I love this post I think the different collars are a great idea if you can remember which collar goes to which dog. lol That would be my next challenge if I were in the position you are. You are a whole lot younger though so I bet it works great for you. Eko and Penny look terrific!!! Can’t believe how fast that Penny girl has grown though. Hugs and nose kisses
Even worse: I call my nieces and nephews my dogs’ names and vice versa!!
Don’t feel bad, Will. My son wanted to go to a military school for high school. The first event we went to, the cadets all marched by. They all had crew cuts. They all wore uniforms. We took a roll of film of the wrong kid.
I have no problem telling Kaci from Kali. I may be deaf, but I’m not blind and my sniffer still works well. At least you’ll never get them permanently confused-you were smart getting one of each gender.
Aside from the obvious boy/girl thing, Penny has a darker nose. She’s growing in to her ears though so they aren’t a help anymore. Steffi was an only pup so we never got her mixed up with any other pup, but we did lose her in the snow cuz of her white coat. Sadly, she left us at the beginning of the summer; it was time and she had a grand life. We will always love her dearly.
Um yeah… I can relate and Boomer and Dottie are two different colors!
My dad, brother and I all have strong K names. And it didn’t help naming our dog Cody. So, my mom had to go through everyone’s name, even if she passed it.
As a teacher, I have to deal with several strong willed children going after various needs (and toys). I have to go through a lot go the whole list.
But a common phase that’s always used is “whoever you are” or “whatever your name is” to the child/dog/person we need to talk to. Sometimes, in the moment, it just sadly helps.
I fess up to a cat mix-up, definitely! 🙂
brilliant solution to use different collars!! I don’t have to worry about not being able to tell mine apart since I only have one dog and one cat 🙂
Hehehe! My family has a heck of a time telling Abbe and Anne apart. In pictures my Mom and I look so much alike that the family has to do double takes all the time. At home My oldest nephew is often called by my youngest brothers name so he will answer to it now with just a shrug of his shoulders 🙂 I don’t have a hard time telling Eko and Penny apart in pictures, their muzzles are different. But in motion I am sure it is VERY difficult!
Marty’s Mom
Haaahhah never here:) lab..terrier..ginger cat..black cat..blue/cream cat…tabby..easy..my kids different story..hey “you with the tude…what’s your name..” was a common cry 😉 hugs Fozziemum
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! This is so funny because it’s so TRUE!! I’ve done a bit worse though – when a pot of pasta my daughter was making was boiling over on the stove and she was completely oblivious to it, I panicked and screamed “CRAZY!!!!” which is a combination of the “Cr” sound from her first name and the “-azy” sound from “Daisy”. I mixed two species into one name. I’m beginning to think the new name applies to me…..
I have been thinking that Miss Penny was getting close to Eko’s size and that they are starting to look like twins. No problem here telling Millie & Walter apart though.
This is why we have different color Labs. 🙂
Penny is a beauty, some photos she comes across looking quite distinctive… some not so I can imagine it’s difficult to tell them apart sometimes ^___^
I do the same thing with my dogs I also call them the wrong name
oh dear poor Eko if Penny has been naughty LOL