Pets during the Regency Time Period??

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

Okay, weird question, just as I predicted I'd be asking: my Bichon/Shih Tzu loves to chew his stuffed animals, and any socks, gloves or shuttlecocks that get left lying around. Bones and rawhide treats can be incredibly messy--so, chew toys? Mess aside, were there rawhide treats for dogs?

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

Okay, not sure I even really expected an answer to that one. I was just curious...the way dogs are, if there were any kind of toys, none would have survived!

More sanely, and somewhat more urgently since a character in my NaNoWriMo novel has three and at least one is present in the first chapter, what did people name their dogs back then?

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

Same stuff we name 'em now. The Brits have always been prone to giving their dogs people names, and everyone gives 'em names that are representational.

Period names I can document include:

Snowball (greyhound)
Lion (mastiff)
Boatswain (Lord Byron's Newfoundland)
Pluto (mastiff)
Bashaw (Newfoundland)
Dash (spaniel)
Gudger, Betsey, and Tuner (Beagles)
Major (greyhound)
Doctor Fop (greyhound)
Billy (rat terrier)
Nellie (Queen Victoria's childhood black and tan terrier)
Vixen (Scotch terrier)
Old Shep (collie)
Gypsy (collie)
Nicolas (collie)
Eclipse (shepherd)
Buff (poodle)
Fino and Tiny (Prince Regent's Spitz and spaniel)
Crib (bulldog)
Rosa (bulldog)
Dustman (bull and terrier)
Ben (lurcher)
_________________
-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

Thanks! Okay, I've got two dogs. Anyone want to create a third for me?

Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject:

I've named my character's collie Beau. But that is because I styled the dog after my brother in law's Labrador named Beau (or affectionately known as Bobby).
_________________
Kirralee

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

Just for fun, here are some of the names of race-winning horses during the Regency:

Aladdin
Altisidora
Anderida
Antar
Anticipation
Antonio
Ashton
Augusta
Augustus
Azor
Banker
Barefoot
Belville
Birmingham
Bizarre
Blucher
Bobadilla
Brighton
Briseis
Bronze
Cadland
Cardinal Beaufort
Caroline
Cedric
Champignon
Champion
Cobweb
Corinne
Dervise
Ditto
Ebor
Eleanor
Election
Emilius
Enamel
Ephemera
Filho da Puta
Flash
Frederick
Fyldener
Green Mantle
Gulnare
Gustavus
Hannibal
Hephestion
Iderim
Interpreter
Jack Spigot
Jerry
Landscape
Lap-Dog
Lilias
Loiterer
Lutzen
Maid of Orleans
Mameluke
Manfred
Manuella
Marcellus
Master Jackey
Matilda
Medora
Memnon
Meteora
Middleton
Minuet
Morel
Moses
Music
Nectar
Neva
Nicolo
Octavian
Octavius
Olive
Oriana
Orville
Otterington
Pan
Paris
Pastille
Patron
Paulina
Pelisse
Petronius
Phantom
Pindarrie
Pope
Pranks
Prince Leopold
Quiz
Reginald
Remembrancer
Reveller
Rowton
Sailor
Sam
Sancho
Schahriar
Scotia
Shoveler
Sir Huldibrand
Sir Richard
Smallhopes
Smolensko
Soothsayer
Sorcery
St. Patrick
Stavely
Tarrare
The Colonel
The Duchess
Theodore
Theophania
Tigris
Tiresias
Trophonius
Turcoman
Turquoise
Tyrant
Variation
Whalebone
Whisker
William
Wings
Wizard
Zinc
Zinganee
_________________
-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject:

Today is Melbourne Cup Day (which I believe is the equivalent to the Kentucky Derby). Way back, when it first began in 1861, the winning horse was named Archer (who won it two years in a row). I thought that was a good name.

Other good names are:

Toryboy
Warrior
Nimblefoot
Martini-Henri
Sweet Anchor
Arsenal
Carbine
Patron
Newhaven
_________________
Kirralee

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

Good, good! I'll keep those in mind; there will be lots of horses around too! (my WIP has a serious lack of animals. I'm wondering if I have too many in my NaNo novel...)

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

Oh--really awkward one for you. Were dogs ever, y'know, fixed?

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

Okay, didn't think so.

Viscountess of the Manor Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 1100

These are the days before anesthesia, so only neutering male animals would be even a vague option. It’s one thing to geld a horse or a cow (herbivores), it’s something else entirely to attempt to geld an agile carnivore . . . you don’t want to annoy something that can bite and kill you (hello, as I explained to the boy at Sur La Table, there’s a reason we don’t milk pigs).

Plus, most the reasons we have for spaying and neutering our dogs didn't exist back then.
_________________
-Kalen
w/a Isobel Carr
Ripe for Pleasure, May 2011
Book 1: The League of Second Sons
www.isobelcarr.com

Poor Relation Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 95

I figured this out after I asked the question...