in the name of dog

I was often asked if Starbuck the Dog was named after Captain Ahab's first mate, Battlestar Gallactica's fighter pilot or Starbucks Coffee. Most guessed, due to my propensity to be found with a cup of the fine brew, Starbucks Coffee was the inspiration. However, he was born and named a couple years before Starbucks Coffee became a household word for us.

Starbucks Ice Cream, which was a grocery item well in advance of their first flagship cafe here, definitely was already a household word and used liberally in conversations whenever possible.

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At first, I thought maybe something was wrong with Starbuck. As a puppy, he'd run with abandon throughout the house, always anxious to check every room for new activity (or not). Then, all of a sudden, he'd fall asleep mid-stride, legs akimbo in every direction imaginable. Invariably, he'd later subconsciously retract into a familiar sleeping ball shape. A few minutes later, just as abruptly, he would arise full of energy again - as if nothing happened. This pattern would continue until he tired of running around and took a strategic sedentary position, somewhere he could see me but I couldn't see him.

Aside from the worry that he might maim himself or that a narcoleptic bird-dog may not be appropriate or safe afield, he was amusing to watch. It seemed that he knew when a bout of sleep was coming and he struggled to fight it off, seeing as running around got a lot of attention and was way too much fun. But sleep is merciless and succumb he did. At least for five minutes.

The pattern of run-sleep-run-sleep seemed to be fairly consistent: 10 minutes running, 5 minutes sleeping, with the transition happening in a blink. After watching the pattern and becoming one with the tempo, I figured I could open the freezer, take out the ice cream, sit down and wolf down a couple of spoonfuls and then pack it out by the end of minute 4. My mistake was not eating it while standing in the kitchen.

No sooner than I sat down on the sofa and opened the cover, the dormant Starbuck roused back to life. It happened so fast I'm not sure if it was the sound of the cover opening or the scent of cream. Rather than arising straight up first, he lunged at an angle as he started to stand, his legs already knowing which way to take him. As the ice cream was Java chip, all I could do was hold him off at the crown of his head with the stiff arm technique and cradle the ice cream like a football on the side away from him: 0-0 tie (well, no, I snuck in after he was down for the evening).

Hence, his name became "Punahele Starbuck". "Punahele" (meaning "my favorite" in Hawaiian) after his mother, Punahele Nani Girl, and "Starbuck" after his lineage to ice cream.