How to Pick a Good Name for Your Dog

Picking out a dog's name is very important. You and your dog will be together a long time, so you want to make sure that you're happy with it. Here are some tips on how to pick out a good name for your dog.

Things You'll Need

  • Pad
  • Pen
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Don't rush to name your dog. Take a few days and get to know your dog's personality. I once worked with a dog that was named "Jocko." It was a perfect name for the dog. He was always happy and always seemed to have a smile on his face. Once you know your dog a little better it will be easier to name her.

    • 2

      Careful with bad dog names. As a professional dog trainer I have noticed that a lot of dogs fit their names. Chaos, Satan, Trouble, Spaz are the types of names I'm talking about. People will treat dogs the way they are named.

    • 3

      Choose a name that is easy to pronounce. One syllable names are best. Dogs with two or three syllable names tend to get short nicknames.

    • 4

      Name your dog to fit his origin if you like. Gustav is a great name for a German Shepherd, not the best name for a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Dog.

    • 5

      There are books that have names and where they come from. Go to your local library or book store and look through the name books. Choose a name from an area that you're interested in. A friend of mine who is very interested in Greek Mythology named his dog "Odin." Do you have any interest in certain genres, hobbies, movies, cars? All potential names for your new dog.