Man's Sister Demands That He Change His Puppy's Name So She Could Give It To Her Unborn Baby
He thought the name was a good fit for his puppy and didn't want to change it.
Africa Studio / Shutterstock People can be touchy about names. Names are often chosen for special, sentimental reasons, and people don’t want anyone encroaching on their territory with the names they’ve chosen.
One family found themselves in a very awkward situation when a dog and baby ended up with the same name.
A brother unknowingly gave his new puppy the name his sister was going to give her unborn baby.
A man posted on Reddit seeking advice after he gave his dog the same name his sister was planning on giving her baby, all without knowing.
“My sister is seven months pregnant with her first kid,” he said. “She and her husband didn’t want to tell anyone the name of their to-be-born son until he’s born. Fine by me. I’d probably do the same.”
The brother then shared his own exciting news. “Well, last week I adopted a pup and named him Eddie. I’ve always liked ‘human names’ for dogs, and growing up on ‘Ed, Ed & Eddy,' it just felt right,” he said.
Unfortunately, what should have been a fun occasion didn’t turn out that way.
“My [girlfriend] posted on [Instagram] a [picture] of Eddie with his new collar and custom dog bowl, and then my sister called me telling me I have to change the name because they are naming their son Edward after her father-in-law and will be calling him Eddie,” the brother explained.
“I told her the dog is already named, it fits him, we bought stuff with the name already, and it’s not like anyone will confuse a dog for a human anyway,” he stated. “She keeps insisting we do so and says I’m already being a bad uncle by not.”
Sarah Chai / Pexels
Fellow Redditors felt the man was not in the wrong but also thought he might want to reconsider.
The man’s fellow Reddit users agreed overall that he did nothing wrong by refusing to change his dog’s name. However, some did say he may want to give it some more consideration.
“Pick your battles,” one person advised.
“The name clearly has more significance for your sister and your brother-in-law,” another said. “Is it that much of an inconvenience for you to change the dog’s name? Your sister is under a lot of stress, and this favor, however silly it might seem, would make her feel respected and loved.”
“Your sister will always hold a grudge, and remember you wouldn’t do her this favor on a week-old name for a puppy,” someone pointed out. “Just because you have the moral high ground doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences. It’s not your third cousin twice removed that you see twice a decade. It’s your sister’s son.”
Although this situation may sound out of the ordinary, it’s far from unique.
It’s not every day that a dog and baby share names in the same family, but it does happen occasionally. For example, British news outlet Mirror reported on a similar situation in which a man chose a name for his dog that turned out to be the same name his brother and sister-in-law were going to give their baby.
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In an even more awkward situation, The Guardian reported on a blended family that had two daughters named Molly — both from the parents’ previous relationships.
There is no cut-and-dry or expert answer to go by here. Unfortunately, no one tells you what to do when a dog and a baby end up with the same name in the same family. And, really, an argument could be made for either side.
The sister chose not to share the baby name she had picked out and therefore risked something like this happening. But, then again, it should have been simple for the brother to change his puppy’s name after having him for such a short time.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.