"Hello Fido! And What Was Your Owner's Name Again?"

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

We've all been there--we remember the dog's name before the owner's. What do you suppose it is that causes that brain dysfunction? I have a theory.


For years I've noticed that I can remember a person's name after meeting them twice--well, maybe 3 times. I've come to believe that it's all about having the time to assign some personality characteristics to the person, so that I can associate all this with the name.


Think about it. It's much easier to associate a Bloodhound with the name Hunter because of the obvious correlation, or even a Chihuahua with the name Bruiser, just because it's funny. The variations in dogs' appearances are far greater than ours as humans. Sure, we have boys and girls, older and younger folks, brown hair and blonde, short and tall, small and large. But somehow those same variations are more obvious with dogs than with humans. I can't explain it, except that it seems to be a commonality with everyone I toss this theory out to. Everyone seems to feel it's on target.


What about you? How do you remember an owner's name as well as their dog's name? Let's get some conversation going here. I need help--big time! My neighbors may be feeling a bit slighted when I remember Lola and don't remember...."What was her name?" Ideas?