What to Name Your Pooch

Whether you are buying a new puppy or adopting an older dog, what you name your dog says alot about both you and the puppy. Here are some things to consider when naming your new pet.

Remember your pets name will be used in many contexts. While it may seem funny and cool with the guys to name your pet Butthead, it may not seem so funny when you ask your Aunt Mildred to come over and pet sit for you.

Keep it Simple. While Wigglesworthfeatherbottom may seem to fit your pets look and personality, long names are more difficult during training. Think of your pet as having extreme ADD, with a very long name, they are bored before you even finish yelling their name. Genrally one or two syllable names are best. This will help make sure the name is easy to pronounce, and is more likely the name will sound similar even from different people saying it.

Most dog owners would consider the personality, the breed, the size and what the dog will be used forin picking out a name. Will the dog be a hunter, a guard dog, a therapy dog, a search and rescue canine or a pet? It would be quite easy to choose a name for a dog that will be used as a watch dog or a guard dog. The same goes with a hunting dog as well. Guard and Knight are some of the most common names for a guard dog in the same manner that Hunter is for a hunting dog. The name should convey the personality or the proper image of the dog. No one would complain if the dog is named Klutz but do you think it would be an apt name for a search and rescue dog? When naming your dog, consider the personality of your pet, the tradition of the breed, and what size your dog will be. Also consider the purpose of your pet, will it be a guard dog, the family pet, an indoor lap dog, a hunting dog, etc. While fluff is a simple one syllable name, it probably isnt appropriate for your new guard dog.

Aviod names with too much or alternate meaning. You would not want to name your dog "Sit". "Come here Sit" - would not work to well. Remember dogs are very smart creatures and pick up on things. Naming a puppy something like "Bad" is not going to lead to a well trained pet. So have fun with naming your pet and get the entire family involved.