Would you want your pooch to share the namesake of one of the biggest musical superstars and recognizable artists in the world?
On his highly entertaining BBC show, Graham Norton sat down with special guest Madonna back in 2012 for an intimate profile of the material girl as she promoted the release of her movie W.E.
Personally, I’m intrigued by any chance to get to know Miss Madonna Louise Ciccone a little bit better besides the short and seemingly strained interviews featured on Extra (or other celebrity news show) or sitting in the nosebleed seats at her record setting MDNA world tour (yet, that nosebleed was so worth it).
Therefore, when I found out that Madonna appeared on the Graham Norton Show before I was excited to look up the video. I did not expect to learn of the namesake connection between one of Norton’s dogs and Madonna.
Reportedly, when Norton went to the shelter to adopt a new canine companion, the name Madonna had already been given to his chosen pooch. Not wanting his personal pet to be directly associated with the Guinness World Records’ Top Selling Female Recording Artist on a permanent basis, Norton changed her name to Madge; the hebrew name Madonna took on as part of her devotional study of the Kabbalah.
The Sun article There’s Nothing Like a Hound Dog gives some further details about Madge’s adoption from Norton’s point-of-view. Evidently, Norton sought out Madge to provide companionship to his other dog, a Labradoodle named Bailey.
“Friends told me I should get another mutt to keep him (Bailey) company so I contacted the Dogs Trust’s rescue service. Their centres are amazing — bright and modern, with underfloor heating. I could have moved in. After a few visits I chose terrier cross Madge,“ Norton shares.
Just what type of dog breed is Madge? The photo in the Sun article lends Madge’s appearance to be a well-muscled terrier mix, perhaps weighing around 20 pounds. Madge’s reddish-blonde and white scruffy coat makes her look like some combination of Jack Russell, Welsh, and Border or other terrier. Terriers and their mixes are well-known for being highly intelligent yet challenging for owners who don’t know how or are unable to appropriately channel their doggedness into positive outlets through consistent training and disciplinary efforts.
Should Norton desire to determine Madge’s mix of breeds, he can always pursue genetic testing, such as the Mars Wisdom Panel. I discuss my personal experience performing genetic testing on one of my canine patients in the petMD article What is the Value in Knowing which Mix of Breeds Make Up Your Mongrel?
Finding out the genetic makeup of a canine companion can actually shed valuable insight into the maintenance or promotion of their health. It’s not just a fancy test done to satisfy a dog owner’s probing curiosity. If testing reveals a dog is in part or fully a herding dog, then further testing can be done to see if the pooch could potentially suffer a life threatening reaction to certain medications due to multi-drug resistance gene (MDR1) mutation. Defect in the MDR1 gene can increased likelihood that adverse reactions to common medications may occur, including:
Antiparasitics — ivermectin, milbemycin, etc.
Antidiarrheals — loperamide (Immodium), etc.
Anticancer agents — doxorubicin, vinctristine, etc.
I hope that Norton enjoys many healthy and happy years with Madge and Bailey.
By the way, would you name your pet after a celebrity? If so, then what would be your top three celebrity pet names?
This article was originally published on Pet360.com
