Tips on Naming Your Dog

You've just brought home a new dog, either a puppy or an adult dog from an animal shelter. Besides new toys, new food and a new home, your pet needs a name. If your animal shelter adoptee has come from a home where it was mistreated, you should rename it because it might have negative associations with its old name. Picking a name can sometimes be difficult, but there are a few tips for naming your pooch.

  1. Keep it Simple

    • Sure, those long, fancy names people give to show dogs have a certain flair to them, but you don't want to spend five minutes calling your dog. Names for dogs should be short with only one or two syllables. This is important because most dogs don't have a long attention span and you need to get their attention quickly.

    Make it Clear

    • Your dog's name shouldn't sound like any commands you plan to teach it. Names like "Neil" (heel), "Gray" (stay) and "Clown" (down) can be confusing to your dog when you start training. Likewise, don't make the name sound similar to the names of other creatures (human or animal) in your home.

    Keep it Clean

    • Sitting around with your buddies coming up with dirty names for your dog might not be the wisest thing. Before you name your dog something you think is funny, remember that you have to call for this dog in public for at least the next 10 years. Also, it will be you standing up at the vet's office when they call your pet's raunchy name.

    Its Own Name

    • Don't give your dog the same name as a family member, boyfriend or girlfriend, or the same name as another pet. Using the same name as a family member or another pet adds confusion as to whose attention you want when you call the name. Calling for your dog will become awkward if you break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend and the dog still bears the name. Finally, consider carefully whether you want to pin a celebrity's name on your dog. You never know what trouble he'll get into (the celebrity, not the dog).

    Take Your Time

    • Your dog isn't going to be unable to learn its name if you don't name it right away. Allow your dog's personality to come out, and use that to pick a name. You can also use this time to test out names on your dog. Some that seemed clever won't feel right, or the dog might not respond. Within a few weeks, you should find a name that works for both you and your dog.