How To Come Up With A Great Name For Your Dog
You are excited by the arrival of your new puppy or dog. Now you have to think of a name for your new pooch. This article will explain how you can do this, using a variety of methods that have all been proven to work.
Make It Short And Simple
Unlike us, dogs have a hard time recognizing and understanding complex names. It is best to choose a name that is one or two syllables long at most. If you want a long name then make sure that you can shorten it. For example, a dog named Maximillian can be shortened to “Max” which he is much more likely to respond to.
You will be spending a lot of time with your dog over the next few years and it is important that you choose a name that he will respond to. When you are calling him to come to you a short name is much easier. He may decide to suddenly take off to chase a cat so calling “Max come here” will likely be more effective than “Maximillian come here!”
People that have show dogs often use two names. They use a short name for everyday purposes and a longer name that is unique to show off the dog’s pedigree. It is likely that the show dog would respond to his long unique name.
Don’t Use A Confusing Name
It is always a good idea to teach your dog simple commands such as “sit”, “stay” and “come”. You do not want to give your dog a name that sounds very similar to these commands, because they will end up getting confused.
Dogs recognize the frequencies used in words rather than the words themselves. Don’t call your dog “Kit” as this sounds too similar to “sit”. In the same way you should avoid names that sound similar to other commands that you intend to teach your dog.
High frequency sounds tend to work well with dogs as they can hear them more clearly than we can. Try to use sharp sounds starting with a “k”, “ch”, “s” or “sh”. You should find that your dog will respond better to these kinds of sounds. A name that ends in a vowel is also a good idea. The long “e” sound is popular in names such as Charlie and Cassie.
Go For A Unique Name But Be Careful
You do not want to give your dog the same name as a member of your family. If your son’s name is Sammy then don’t call your dog that as well. A lot of people like to do this for some reason, but it will end up confusing your dog and he will stop responding to the name.
Avoid dog names that are similar to family member’s names as well. He won’t be able to make the distinction, and if you call your son and the dog thinks that he is being called then you will have a problem. If your dog is ignored only a few times, he will soon stop responding altogether.
You will be using your dog’s name in public so think about this too. You do not want to use offensive names, or names that just sound stupid, because you will come into contact with other people at the park or the vet’s and you will just be embarrassed.
Try not to call your dog by a name that a lot of other dogs in the area are called. This is not always easy to avoid, but if you do know some of the other dog’s names then make sure that you don’t use them, or they will come running to you when you call rather than your dog!
Think about how people will react to your dog’s name. A name like “Killer” is not going to endear them to your dog. Don’t go for classics like “Rover” and “Fido”. You will be surprised at just how many people still use these names.
If You Get Stuck Choosing A Name You Can Do This
There are many websites that you can find using the search engines that will provide ideas for your dog’s name. You can search for “best dog names”, “popular dogs names”, “male dog names”, “female dog names”, “boy dog names”, “girl dog names” and so on.
It is a good idea to involve the family when you are looking for a new name for your dog. When you do this all of the family members will feel that they have an investment in your new dog.
Once the family has decided on a name, they will all be happy to use it if it was a consensus decision. You do not want to have a situation where members of the family are not happy that you just chose the name, and then start calling the dog by a different name to spite you.
Consistency is the key to looking after a dog, and calling him by different names is something that you must avoid. Do everything that you can to involve the whole family in the naming of your dog.
If you are thinking of naming your dog after another family member who does not live with you, it is best to get their permission first. Some people will be honoured by this gesture, while others may see it as an insult and offensive.
Once You Have Chosen A Name Try It Out
Trying out the new name for your dog is important for him, and you and other members of your family. Try the new name out for 2-3 days and see if you become accustomed to it. Also check to see if your dog responds well to the name or not.
How do you feel when you use the new dog name? Are you comfortable using this in public? When you have chosen the right name you will feel that it is right. It will be comfortable for you and all of the family. If it doesn’t feel right, then look for another name. There are plenty to choose from.
Be Positive With Your Dog’s Name
You have chosen a name that everybody is comfortable with and your dog seems to like it. Use it in a positive way, and reward your dog every time he responds to it in the beginning. Don’t use the name as a means to deliver punishment, as your dog will stop responding to this.
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I found the “Don’t use a confusing name” section particularly enlightening! It wouldn’t have even crossed my mind to think about not using a name similar to a training command; thanks for the helpful advice!
I have been racking my brain lately trying to come up with a name for our new pup!!! I’m a HUGE Back to the Future fan – so I thought maybe I’d name him after Doc Brown’s dog Einstein or Copernicus. He didn’t respond well to either of those. After reading this article, though, I’ve decided to keep it simple and just name him “Doc!” I think it fits him pretty well and he seems to like it, too.
Thanks!
I had no idea that people actually named their dogs the same names as their children! Insane! These are some great tips. I’ve usually always rescued dogs so I’ve never had to name any of my animals.
Hi,
Thank you very much for this informative posts. Clearly, you know this industry very well. I remember when I first got my first pet dog, I spent hours on the internet looking for cool name for him in vain. Keep up the good work.