What’s in a Name? How to Pick the Perfect Name for Your Pooch

Part of the fun of bringing home a new dog is choosing a name. The name you pick is important… It says as much about you as it does your pet! You want to pick a name that not only fits your dog, but sounds pleasing, too. Your latest addition will become a unique and important member of your family and you will speak his new moniker over 30,000 times in his lifetime, so you want to take care to choose wisely! Your name choice could originate from many different things. You could base the name on something apparent like a physical trait, such as color. You could use a name based on the country of origin for his breed, such as a  Russian name for a husky or a Chinese name for a Shar Pei. You could use the name of someone fictional or a celebrity. Your options are unlimited! Some important things to take into consideration:

• Dog names should not be more than one or two syllables, with two syllables being the more ideal option. The majority of dog commands are one syllable. “Shake”, “Lay”, “Come”, etc. If the dog’s name is two syllables, he can easily make a distinction between his name and the command.

• Dogs identify hard/stop consonants more easily. The prominent stop consonants are b, p, t, d, k, and g. You can capture your dog’s attention more quickly if you use a name that begins with a stop consonant. Dogs also react well to names that end in “y” or “ie”.

• Try to pick a name that is unique and doesn't sound similar to other pet’s names, in addition to those of family members, close relatives and friends. Also choose a name that does not sound like a command you give. This will aid in avoiding confusion for your pooch. If he often hears a similar sounding name or word and mistakes it for his own name but is then ignored afterwards, he will ultimately quit responding to his name.

 • It’s best to only use your dog’s name in a positive tone so that he affiliates his name with treats and good experiences. If you use your pet’s name while punishing him, he could begin to think that his name is bad and therefore run away or refuse to come to you when he hears it.

 • If you are adopting a dog, giving them a different name can be a great idea. They could have bad experiences associated with their previous name, especially if they were mistreated in the past. They may affiliate their former name with abuse and fear. Providing them with a new name can be very therapeutic. You also have no way of knowing if the name the shelter gives you is their ‘real’ name; it could just be a name the shelter provided him with! Dogs do not view their names as characterizing their identities, as people do. It is fairly simple to teach your pup their new name with a little training and effort on your part and as long as you are saying their name with love, they are satisfied.