In winter dogs are allowed on this sandy beach. Out strolling with Mom at sunset last night, we enjoyed seeing 5 cavorting canines–including Ruby the pit bull. She wanted to hop on that surfboard and glide up the coast with the help of a couple of giggling girls pulling the rope. Meet another local pooch in today’s story…
TODAY’S WORD: “le prénom”
: first name
SOUND FILE: Hear Jean-Marc pronounce the example sentence and all French words in this post. Then scroll to the vocabulary section to check your French comprehension.
Choisir le prénom de son animal à quatre pattes n'est pas toujours une mission facile.
Choosing a name for your four-legged friend is not always an easy task.
Click here to listen to the French
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
Lately, my husband and I have been enjoying morning walks together. Jean-Marc likes to stroll along the waterfront, whereas I prefer a brisk walk inland, away from la foule. So we take turns deciding, or as the French say, à chacun son tour.
Recently we were heading home along La Voie Douce, when an older gentleman and his dog entered the sentier, just ahead of us. Because our turn-off was only 30 meters away, it didn't seem polite to cut around the slow-paced duo only to hurry off the path.
As Jean-Marc and I slowed our own pace, I studied the dog. His white whiskers contrasted against his black poils. He was as old in dog years as his master, and both had a big belly. The dog carried itself with ease and it was hard to miss the jolly bounce in his steps.
That lovely creature exuded joy from head to tail and sent its feel-goods reverberating back to us. When the duo turned off the path, we followed, this being our exit as well. Entering a field, the man unleashed his furry companion.
"That is one happy dog!" I said, striking up a conversation.
"Un chien est comme son maître," the man smiled.
Wasn't that the truth? A dog is like his master. I remembered our sweet Smokey and liked to think he took after me…even if he really was a splendid composite of his three-generational family.
"What is your dog's name?"
"Cachou. Like the bonbons," the man said, referring to those popular black lozenges in the round yellow tin….
"Cachou, that's a clever name for a black dog!" I hunkered down to pet the labrador.
"Where did you get Cachou?"
"From his mother, who we had before him."
"Oh, that's how we got our Smokey," I shared. "Our golden passed last summer at almost 13."
The stranger gazed at his dog. "Cachou is twelve-and-a-half."
"Well, he looks very strong and energetic. He is a happy dog!"
"That he is!" the man smiled before we walked our separate ways.
It was another lovely rencontre with man's best friend. After losing Smokey, these encounters are helping to fill the in-between time, even if I still don't know when or if we will have another dog. I look forward to seeing Cachou again, and all the other toutous in our neighborhood–including Féli, Lilou, Zoe, Joie, Pharos, and more whose names escape me. I am going to do better at writing those names down for the day we have the pleasure of welcoming another dear furball, or petite boule de poils. For now I spend my time dreaming about who he or she will be.
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Before we adopted our first family dog, Breizh (a golden retriever and Smokey's mother), Jackie composed a list of favorite dog and cat names in French, including Ombre (Shadow), Flocon (Snowflake), Fripouille (Rascal)… The right column lists some cat names in French, including Choupette (little tuft of hair), Réglisse (Licorice), and Chouchou (Darling)
Breizh and Jackie in 2006
RELATED STORIES
=> Le Chiot: when we got our first puppy, Breizh in 2006
=> When Breizh had Smokey and his 5 sisters
FRENCH VOCABULARY
le prénom = first name
la foule = the crowd, mob
à chacun son tour = each person gets a turn
la voie douce = the gentle path
les poils = fur
la rencontre = meeting, encounter
le toutou = doggy
une petite boule de poils = a little fur ball
Breizh = Breizh
Ombre = Shadow
Flocon = Snowflake
Fripouille = Rascal
Choupette (little tuft of hair)
Réglisse (Licorice), and Chouchou (Darling)
We also met “Saga”—the softest, sweetest Ridgeback Rhodésienne. Saga was visiting France from Sweden. Mom and I wanted to take her home with us! Tell me, what kind of dog do you have? And what’s le prénom?
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In France I fell in love with Briards, and when we lost our beloved husky Koreetsa Laska, (cinnamon sugar due to his copper color), we ended up getting a black Briard puppy. Apparently, the rules for naming them goes by the year, and the initial of the first of the name begins with a certain letter – in his case an O was needed. We ended up with Ouvrage Futé, which loosely translated meant “Clever piece of work”. Our second Briard came already named Griffin and that has fitted him, so we went no further.
Having names that fit the owner is fun, too. A friend who worked at an airport had a big black lab called Prop Wash, and a weatherman in a book we’re reading has a cat named Jet Stream.
No matter the name, our pets are extremely important to us as humans, and make a big difference in the joy we can find.
After having 4 male German Shepherds over 45+ years, the last being a wonderful dog, we didn’t think we could have another. So Rick found a lovely girl who is 3/4 Golden Lab and 1/4 Golden Retriever. She was named Olivia, which we thought was a little formal. We rechristened her “Livi”. She is the sweetest dog and being raised by 3 cats she believes she is one of them, crawling into Rick’s lap and sitting with them on the window seat to watch what’s happening in the neighborhood. Such fun to have a happy dog!
HEY, Kristie, it’s not JUST a dog’s world, haha. You already know me as LOULOU!!! A tuxie with attitude. LOVE your story today and yes, it’s time for a furball in your family. Shelter doggies are the BEST. I was a feral and look at me now, so cool and collected and I meow every time I pee so that THEY can change my puppy pads.
I do not have a dog right now. It is hard because I need to be able to take one for walks. It has been three years. My first dog was Tinker, a cocker spaniel at 1, then there was Al and Fred, both mutts, Gramma for some reason took us to pick out a Dashound we named Ichabod, called him Icky. Then I went to college and after that in an apartment I found a hound dog with the long ears and long, low body….name escapes me. I called him Fred, but had to find a home for him when he started howling when I wasn’t there. Dogs were not allowed in the complex. Next came Abigail a German Shortharir Pointer with my boyfriend. She had ten puppies and I told one and moved back home…Lize, the Ginger another GSP joined us. When Liza passed, Katie a GSP came home from the SPCA(the have a no kill one0, Then Bessie, a Yellow Lab with a roommate jointed the group. And last, but not least I adopted another GSP my niece found in Colorado that no one wanted in the winter. We flew her to California and I named her ABBy. Katie wasn’t happy at first, but it all worked out. I am thinning I could handle a smaller dog, but not a yippee one, so am considering either a long hair or short hair Dashound. If you get a chance, bring up Doggie Day Care Farm Trips on FB and see what Luke Evans iw doing with 20+ dogs…..rehabs and his wife and family.
We moved back to California from France after 20 years just before Covid. Had wanted to get a small dog whom we could take back and forth when we HAD to get our French fix on the airplane. Somehow, God dropped the most dog on us! She is an 11 pound Maltese mix, white with some brown ears and spots. She was found in Mexico and by magic came to our home. We have named her BISOU (little kiss) in French. I have always loved that word… The other word I love in French is Poubelle (trash), not a good name for a little girl). She is our sunshine and has melded into our family perfectly. We were 17 years without a dog in France after our Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier died during the 2003 Canicule (along with thousands of the elderly). So, we were so lucky to have saved the spot in our heart for our little Bisou.