#TBT: How Rambo the Puppy Got His Name

until now, it’s been a mystery how i got my name.

well, to you at least. my human and i know the story, of course.

we haven’t shared it until now because, well, it’s kinda hard to talk about.

it’s not incredibly sad or anything, but it’s kinda a weird situation that needs some ‘splanin.

after i posted my throwback thursday post last week, everyone started asking, “how did you get your name, rambo?” i guess because the name rambo is kinda silly for a small pup like me.

so here’s the story about how i came to have the name rambo the puppy! 

Why They Named Me Rambo

back when the human first brought me home, she was dating this guy who really liked dogs. he didn’t have a dog, but he really wanted one, which is why he was really happy to find out that she was going to adopt me!

when he was a kid, he had a dog named rambo. they got rambo from a guy who was giving away puppies out of the back of a van in a walmart parking lot (so sad!). he and his brother took one look at the last puppy in the trunk and knew they couldn’t leave him there. so they took him home.

their mom wasn’t too happy with them when she saw that they adopted a new dog without asking her.

even so, they set up a nice dog house for rambo in the back yard and gave him food and water and all the pats he would ever need.

but he wasn’t allowed to come into the house.

after a while, the kids got busy with school, and the mom was the only one who would take care of the dog. this made her sad.

she knew the dog wasn’t happy with them. so she made the decision to take rambo to the pound, in hopes that someone else would adopt him and love him.

no one knows if rambo got adopted.

the human’s “beau” (let’s call him) felt super guilty about all of this. he was a “stupid kid” and looking back, he knew that bringing home a dog that his family didn’t plan on was irresponsible (to say the least).

anyway, when the human brought me home, he told her the story and insisted she name me rambo. and it was such a depressing story, she couldn’t say no.

the human has never seen any of the rambo movies, and to this day refuses to watch them (in case they make her regret naming me that).

but she kinda like the sound of the name, all things considered, and thought, “well, we can just give him the nickname ‘bo!'” oh, heck no. ain’t nobody callin’ me “bo!”

Wait, You Named Him WHAT?

when the human finally broke the news about her new addition to the family (AKA me!) to the grandhumans, they were floored.

they never expected her to adopt a dog. growing up, they always had cats (bleh!). she had no idea what she was doing!

then, when she told them what she named me, they didn’t know what to say.

to be honest, i’m pretty sure they were a little sad.

they didn’t like thinking that such a cute, cuddly puppy was named after a character like the one from the movie rambo.

(they both had seen the movies so they had a better idea than the human did of kind of character i was “named after.”)

but the human insisted that they could call me “rams” or “bo” (ew!) or “rammey.” and they agreed that they would, because she loved me, and they loved her, so they would also love me.

…And Then What Happened?

well if you’re wondering what happened between the human and the guy who insisted she name me “rambo,” you should know that it didn’t work out.

it was for the best, to be honest.

and now i get her all to myself! *muwahahaha*

after they parted ways, it was kinda hard for her to think that, oh gosh, this guy is the reason why my dog is named rambo, and now every time i say it, it reminds me of him. bleh. get outta my head!

but she got over it.

plus, she usually calls me rams anyways. unless i’m in trouble. then it’s a deep-voiced version of RAMBO! which means business.

It’s Not the Name That Makes The Dog…

now, whenever i meet new dogs and humans in the park and they ask the human what my name is, she says “rambo” and they usually giggle a bit.

i mean, if you didn’t know me, you wouldn’t know how i’ve taken the name and made it my own.

you also wouldn’t know that i have a devoted audience on facebook and instagram of over 330,000 fans who love me and know me for my name…and don’t judge me for it! 🙂

plus, it’s not the name that makes the dog. it’s the dog that makes the name. right?

my name has grown into me, rather than me growing into my name.

i’m not ferocious (except when i encounter squirrels, then watch out!).

i’m not scary (unless i think an intruder is trying to get into the house – which is 100% of the time just the wind making the house creek).

i’m just rams, also known as: rambo the puppy, rammey, rammey pants, ram pie, ram poops (so embarrassing) and ramsey. and sometimes, snuggle butt (don’t ask; it makes no sense).

and that, my friends, is how i got my name.

ruv,

rams