12 Tips for Choosing Your Dog's Name

For dog lovers, naming a dog can be as thought provoking as naming a child. Quite often, a pre-selected name doesn't suit the dog or its personality. Ideally, you will want a name that you will be happy with for a long time and won’t grow tired of. Here are a few tips to help you pick the perfect name for your dog:

1. Don't pick a name that you would consider naming your future offspring. It can be embarrassing to admit that your dog and child shared the same name.
2. Keep it short and simple. Too often, owners give their pets three-part names that are confusing for those outside the family nucleus - Mr. Snuffle Long Nose could be the Gardener to an outsider!
3. Pick a name that is longer than one syllable. It is easier for the dog to hear and recognize a two-syllable name.
4. Long pet names don't fit on dog tags very well so keep it under 10 letters.
5. Make sure the name cannot be mistaken for another word. Although the name, Spot, is a traditional dog name, it can be confused with the word 'stop' as Joe can sound like the word 'go'.
6. Make sure the name fits the dog. Don't assign a name like "Priscilla' to a Pitbull or 'Brutus' to a Poodle..
7. Refrain from names that are demeaning to both humans and dogs - dogs have feelings too! Your neighbors won't appreciate your dog calls if the name is a racial slur, sexually suggestive or is obscene.
8. Think creatively. Many things can inspire a good dog name - movies, TV personalities, or cartoon characters. Consider using adjective words as a dog's name: Harry, Blue, Blackie, Lucky, Happy, Pappy, Shaggy, and Fuzzy.
9. Consider a name that has meaning to you, perhaps reminiscent of one of your favorites: Pepsi, Chips, Dr. Pepper, Seagram, or Wrigley.
10. Take some time to get to know your dog before deciding upon a name. Pick a name that will grow with your dog as the dog matures.
11. Ignore 'fad' names or words. Once the fad is over, your dog will be stuck with an outdated name and it may be confusing to the dog if you try and change it.
12. Consider how others will react to your dog's chosen name. Visitors to your home may be leery of a dog named Killer or Butcher no matter how placid the animal is. Likewise, a big dog with an inappropriate name like Lilliputian (means tiny) is just as confusing. 

Once you have decided upon the perfect name for your dog, use their name frequently to get the dog