New Britain herald., 1927-06-11
'T|GF' GOING OUT,
 FANCY NAMES IN
Styles ill Dog Cognomens Follow
 Trend Of Times

Human nature displays itself in many and queer forms at the office of the town clerk. the bureau through which licenses of one form or another are obtained and matters too numerous to tabulate are handled daily.
 It Is partio ularly striking during the months fthe year when dogs are being licensed. Several thousand are registered every year, about 100 of the canines after the time limit has expired and it is then that the sometimes interesting. sometimes amusing and sometimes aggrayating comments are most frequent.
 Why was l not notified that the time had come to have my dog H. censed," an irate caller will demand. The courteous clerk informs the dog owner that it is quite difficult to know who has and who has not a dog when of.entimes persons aren't quite sure whether they are the
 owner by evening of the dog that was theirs at dawning. A series of grumb.es about systems" foolish taxes" etc, follows. Not infreauent- ly caller will inquire as to the cost of licensing. together with the pen- atty for delinquency and, learning that it is s1 more than the regular fee, will leave with a determination to end the dogs days and the neces- sity of paying further Nxes. Over taken by coolness while on the way home. the dog fancier frequently re- turns and pays the fee. though un- der heavy protest.
 In the choice of names for dogs wide range of selection is evident from the records at the office of City Clerk Alfred L. Thompson. The old time "Tige," the popular name of several years ego. Is giving way to the more colorsome names of everyday heroes or popular figures Of newspaper cartoons.
 Andy Gumps.' "Mins," Nuts" "Jeffs." "Freckles "Tagalonss' have had some following for several years. and this year another vas added to the select circle of news paper characters brought 10 life in canine form when Major Hoop,e" was registered
 The events Of the year are in sense chronicled in the book of licensed dogs. The names of tr- portant characters in very nearly every walk Of life are adopted as the label Of a dog, and even a cur. sorry reading of the license stubs will suggest hundreds of events of import that have occurred since the last registry.
 The clerks In the office have found that the most flowery and the 1 prettiest names are usually given to the monsrel type of dog. while the | more expensive and rare types have l either a Japanese name or some | short, choppy and anything but euphonious cognomen. i
 Occasionally a silent admission of | inability to find name sufficiently | descriptive to fit the family pet is made when the name of a dog is | given as "Puppie." Several hundred persons have hit upon the novel idea of labelling a Shepherd dog "Shep'; another name apparently not copy rishtad is "Chow,' for Chow dog. Beauty" is the flattering name of nearly an even hundred.
 An evidence Of the attraction for mans best friend held by the great majority is tho frequency Of the re- port thoroughbred" on applications for dog licenses. quite In spite of the fact that it is known that the per centage of canines in New Britain 1 which are thoroughbred is negligible.