What's in a Name?

Dear Dr. Sadie,

I come from a large family. I am one of seven brothers and sisters. I'm the 5th in the line, and I'm 8 years old. Being so close to the end, without being the youngest means that I don't get heard very often. When we argue and fight, my oldest brother, Mike, or my youngest sister, Lisa, usually get their way.

We just brought home a new dog. He's very cute and loving, but we can't agree on what to name him. I thought that this time, instead of arguing until Mike and Lisa win, you could settle it for us. So what should we name the new dog?

- Middle Child

You could name the dog Sally. Sally is a very pretty name. I thought you'd like to give the dog a pretty name. Is the dog pretty?

You could name the dog Woofie. That's a good name for a boy dog.

Sometimes people name dogs after people who are really special. You could name your dog after someone special. My family has a great dog named Spike (ed. note: an 85-pound Basset Hound, and the coolest dog ever). You could name your dog after him.

You could also name your dog Roger, after Mr. Rogers. He's a pretty cool person. He's the coolest person in the world.