Yesterday I mentioned that most dogs have a rather large number of nicknames. My dogs are no exception, and Axel probably has more than his share. Sorry to the poor dog that has only one or two names because Axel has taken so many! One of those came from his budding show career: Zoolander.
His return home after a few months on the show circuit happened to coincide with a showing of Zoolander on cable. I like Ben Stiller, and I have always enjoyed this satire that makes fun of modeling and fashion. And really, what are dog conformation shows? Okay, fine, I guess they are more like beauty pageants. But the thought of Axel as Ben Stiller’s “really, really ridiculously good looking” but slightly dim male model Derek Zoolander character just makes me smile. For the record, though, I don’t think Axel is dim. But he is ridiculously good looking.
If you are not familiar with the movie, Derek Zoolander does have a problem. He is not an ambi-turner: he can’t turn left. This is hugely funny to me as it applies to Axel Zoolander, because in conformation showing, all you do is turn left. Watch the next time a dog show is on Animal Planet or something. The dogs are gaited counterclockwise around the ring, and if you watch when the dogs go down and back individually, the dog usually turns to the left to come back.
This gets even better when practicing Rally Obedience. Derek Zoolander compensated for his inability to turn left by making 270° right turns. Imagine my delight that 270° right is one of the stations for Rally Novice. By now, Axel Zoolander is probably getting a little tired of hearing my stupid jokes about ambi-turning.
Fortunately, even though he has to put up with my lame jokes, Axel is in fact getting very good at ambi-turning, with some very nice work on all of the required turns, including the 270° right and left and 360° right and left turns. I think he knows there’s more to life than just being really, really, really good looking!
(NaBloPoMo | August ’09: 12 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 200 of 274)
Natalie says
Sometimes I like to sit and marvel about the weird nicknames we come up with for our animals. Axel Zoolander is pretty darn funny, especially given the whole turning-left-in-obedience thing. At least the dogs don’t know how silly us humans really are.
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Wake me when it’s over =-.
kathi says
Oh, I think they do know how silly we are, and thankfully they love us anyway 🙂 Good luck with Blogger Bingo, isn’t it cool to be in the very first group!
Kitty says
This is too funny. I love Zoolander! And I’m glad that your dog is overcoming his struggle with ambi-turning. 🙂
Good luck in Blog Bingo!
.-= Kitty´s last blog ..To you, from me! =-.
kathi says
He’s doing so well at ambi-turning, he may even win a walk-off… ermmm… dog show… one of these days! Good luck to you as well in this inaugural Blogger Bingo 🙂