Tips To Naming Your Puppy And Naming Mistakes To Avoid

Naming your puppy is a lot of fun, and it is a process in which everyone will have an idea or an opinion. Choosing the right name for your dog is an important consideration, and what you choose can have an impact on training your puppy and ensuring that he or she is able to respond to commands.

Meaningful Names  

Choosing a name that has a meaning or a symbolism for you or the family can be a wonderful way to choose a name. Many dogs are named after beloved pets from the person’s past, or even favorite characters from books, movies or poetry. 

As a good general rule, keep dog names to one or two syllables. Longer names are too confusing for the dog to recognize, and they are also longer and harder to say quickly when you need to get your pet’s attention immediately. 

Starts with a Hard or Sharp Sound

Dog behavior specialists and dog trainers recommend using a name that starts with a hard or a sharp sounding consonant.  The hard consonants include names like Charlie, Candy, Hope, Grant, Dixie, Blue, Pete, Panda, or Rover. Soft sounds would include names like Cecil, Sandy, or Gem. If you say the name, the first sound stands out and is easy to identify, which makes it easier for a puppy to learn and recognize.

Easy to Say

Just as a puppy or dog name should be short, it should be easy to say. This is important if you have small children who are interacting with the puppy or the dog and may struggle with saying complex names. Names from different languages are a good example of potentially challenging words to say if the individual is not used to speaking the language. 

Make it Unique 

Try to avoid naming your puppy with things that sound similar to other common words. It is critical to avoid naming a dog anything that sounds similar to basic commands. For example, if you want to train your dog to fetch, calling the dog Fletch or Stretch is naturally going to be confusing to the puppy. 

Another issue to consider is how common the dog’s name may be. This becomes an issue if you take the dog to the park and are surrounded by other owners who are all calling a dog with the same name. 

Kids often want to call dogs by the latest characters in movies or even online or video games. Avoiding these types of names, and the long, complicated names kids seem to love, can save a lot of challenges when training your puppy. 

Appropriate Names 

While this may seem obvious, avoid using any names for your dog that may be seen as inappropriate to others. These can include names that have negative connotations in culture, or that may include or sound like names that are likely to be misunderstood by others.