Puppies Names

Puppies Names (The name game)

Naming a dog has to be one of the most delightful parts of getting one. It seems not a year goes by without a new book of dog names being published, including ones that specialize, such as a book on Irish names.

Avoid names that sound like common obedience commands, like Sitka or Stacy. Keep names short — one or two syllables — and easy to pronounce. Using names that are not traditionally for people reinforces the fact that a dog is a dog, after all. Name books are a good start, but don’t forget atlases or special dictionaries such as foreign dictionaries or books of baseball, railroad,
gardening, or music terms.

Make your puppy love her name as much as you do by making sure that it has a positive association. Never scream your puppy’s name at her or use it in punishment. The late dog trainer Job Michael Evans used to recommend making up a song with your dog’s name in it and singing the song to her. Commercial jingles are wonderful for this, he said, because they’re catchy
and you can put the pet’s name in where the product is mentioned. Yes, it’s silly. But try it anyway.

The name your dog hears — her everyday name — is what fanciers term a call name: That is, it’s what you call your dog. If you have a purebred dog, she’ll have a registered name, too. You get 28 letters and spaces with the American Kennel Club to come up with a registered name for your pet. If you choose a name someone else has already chosen, the AKC issues it along with a number to distinguish your dog’s name from the others, so unless you want your Collie to be the AKC’s Lassie 897,042, use all those spaces to come up with a middle name or two, something sure to be unique.