Introducing Ruby Bindernagel

Introducing Ruby Bindernagel

The rumors are true. We got a puppy. A real life puppy that we named Ruby. She’s a goldendoodle (half golden retriever, half poodle … well technically she is half goldendoodle and half poodle, which is an F1B goldendoodle). We absolutely love her. Training is going well so far — she already sits when she wants something — and in the three days we’ve had her we’ve taken her for two walks that went well. We also met up with our good friend’s pitbull and they had a great time playing together, although Ruby got a little tired. Well, a lot tired. Which was pretty nice because naps for Ruby mean naps for mom and dad.

The only thing we are having trouble with so far is the crate training. She hasn’t really caused many issues yet, but any time we are out of sight she just whines and howls. It usually stops in twenty to thirty minutes, but then picks up again in an hour or two. I know it will go away eventually, but it’s so hard to hear her cry. But we just keep telling ourselves that if we get her used to being alone now, she’ll be well adjusted as an adult.

We picked the name Ruby because it means something special to us. It actually means a few things special to us. The following three possibilities are the reasons we named her Ruby. Two of them are true. I’ll let you decide which two.

1) Ruby Soho is a song by Rancid on their album …And Out Come the Wolves released in 1995. This album was one of the first albums that Kerry and I bonded over when we started dating. In fact, I think it may have been the only CD she actually owned, and when I noticed it in her car, I thought, “Well, I better buy the ring now.” Destination Unknown. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby Soho.

2) The Fifth Element is one of my favorite movies. I like to call it “Die Hard 5: The Fifth Element: Die Hard in Space.” I pretend that the latest Die Hard movie in Russia doesn’t exist, mostly because it’s horrible. There is a character in The Fifth Element named Ruby Rhod played by Chris Tucker. Kerry isn’t as huge a fan of the movie, as a whole, as I am, but she thinks Chris Tucker’s portrayal of Ruby Rhod is one of the greatest cinematic performances of all time.

3) Ruby Tuesday is our favorite restaurant. I proposed to Kerry in a Ruby Tuesday. I ordered the jalapeno poppers and the popcorn shrimp and I “popped” the question. Get it?

We love our new pup Ruby. And every time we say, “Ruby, don’t take a dump right there!” we are remembering two of those three greats moments.