According to Research from 5-Year Old Jett Burnett Ellis
Between October 2020 and February 2021, 5-year old Jett Ellis (Kindergarten, Bryker Woods Elementary), with help from his 80-year-old grandmother “Bella” from Dallas, made the best of the COVID lockdown. They set out to catalogue as many Bryker Woods neighborhood dogs as they could. Each day, they set up station in the front yard on Beverly Road and, between Jett’s Zoom classes, he interviewed neighbors passing by with their dogs while respecting social distance. Who could have imagined the sheer volume of dogs and the enthusiasm for Man/Woman’s Best Friend in our neighborhood?
Jett catalogued over 100 different dogs. Jett’s methodology involved two questions: “What is your dog’s name? What is your dog’s breed?” Bella would listen and record their responses on a large tablet on her clipboard. Jett would then sit down and transcribe the information onto his smaller clipboard. It was a great way for Jett to practice the writing and spelling skills that his teachers at Bryker Woods Elementary have avidly been introducing in remote learning. It was also a way to bond with neighbors and their dogs during these challenging pandemic times.
Most Common Breeds
Labrador (14), Golden Retriever (6), Goldendoodle (5), Border Collie (5)
Some of the key findings include:
Most Common Names
Charlie (5), Maggie (3), Tucker (3)
Most Creative Names
Hambone, Sprinkles, T-Bone, Sheriff, J. Alfred
Most Difficult to Spell Names
Tallulah, Tchopper, Zooey
Favorite Story
One family told Jett they went to buy a kitten, picked out what they thought was a little cat, and later found out it was a tiny dog, so they named him Kitty.
A good number of the pups were adopted during COVID-19.
In many cases, Jett found that it is true what they say – dogs often resemble their owners!
