The Boyfriend came home after a weekend getaway to be greeted by a sad-looking puppy outside his door. It was corralled in a corner, meek and shy, a captive of his dad who had brought him back from the construction site at which he worked.
He remembered his dad mention that he'd been seeing a cute little pup with his littermates and mum around, and would try to bring him home if he had a chance. But he didn't know his dad had meant what he said!
Sadly, no one wanted to take ownership of the black ball of fur. So back to the construction site the little critter went.
The next afternoon, I received a call from The Boyfriend. "Hey," he said. "How about having a pet with me?"
"You mean the puppy your dad brought home last night?"
"Yup..."
"But I thought no one wanted him, and he brought him back?"
"Yes, but the guy is really very cute, so I thought maybe we should take him in."
"Are you serious? A dog is a very big commitment you know?"
"Yes, so that's why I'm asking you to help me."
"So.. he'll be our dog?"
Again: "Yes."
And just like that, I was sold, without even having seen the puppy. Of course I'd asked The Boyfriend to describe its looks and behaviour, but what really sealed the deal was the fact that this was the closest he'd ever been to an outright long-term commitment with me. Naturally, I melted at the idea.
The puppy, thankfully, turned out very cute, but we were stuck for a name.
"Let's call him Blackie," The Boyfriend offered helpfully.
"No!!! How unimaginative."
I then suggested Bruno, but he didn't want a human name. So we tossed names about, but nothing felt right, and then it was time for me to go home.
Downstairs, a thought suddenly struck me. But I wasn't sure if it was too outlandish a name, or too difficult for his parents to remember Still, it was worth a try.
"How about Guinness?"
"Guinness? As in the men's beverage?"
"Uh-huh. He's mostly black, with bits of brown that reminds me of the foam on top of the drink."
"Hm...!" He said thoughtfully. I could tell he liked the sound of it.
"Let's try it on for size the next couple of days. If we don't like it, or if we think of something else, we can still change it."
But somehow, it stuck. That was two months ago. Guinness, or Guin for short, is now a vivacious, intelligent and mischievous pup. Check out the (amateur) chart below to see how he's grown!
