How to Pick a Name For Your Dog

One of the best parts of dog ownership is when you get to choose your dog’s name. Your dog’s name is what makes it a part of your family rather than simply a pet, and the name you choose for your dog is something that you will use every day for the rest of your puppy’s life. Before you pick a name for your pet, consider the following important tips:

• Make sure it is a name that you will stick with – Changing your dog’s name can lead to a great deal of confusion and frustration that will make it hard for your dog to understand commands, and make it difficult for your dog to recognize that the word you are saying is meant to be a way to call your dog.

• If the dog already has a name, keep it – If you get a pet that has had a previous owner, keep your pet’s original name. The dog likely knows (or has an idea of) its name, and trying to change its name all over again is once again going to lead to more confusion, which will make it especially difficult to help your dog feel comfortable in its new home.

• Don’t give your dog a long name – You want to have only one name for your dog. A long name may appear fun and cute in the beginning, but chances are you are going to want to shorten your dog’s name in the long run and give your dog a nickname to save time, and that nickname is going to cause further name confusion. If you like a nickname, name your dog the nickname. There is no reason to give your dog a name that it is not going to use.

• Choose a name you like to say – It sounds silly, but your dog will pick up on the emotion you have behind speaking the name, so you want to be fond of the name throughout your dog’s life. If you name your dog after an ex-partner, chances are you are not going to say the name with the love and affection necessary to properly train the dog.

• Your dog’s name should be two syllables – Research has shown that two syllable dog names are the best for your dog’s learning. Names like “Spike” – one syllable names – sound more like commands than names. Notice that all commands are designed with a single syllable (“Sit,” “Stay,” “Down,”). That is because single syllables resemble barking – the way that dogs give commands in the wild. Your dog’s name is not a command, therefore a two syllable name is far more effective for dog training.

Teaching Your Dog its Name

Many dogs do not actually know their names. Instead, they respond to inflections in their owner’s voice that occur when the owner says their dog’s name. However, dogs do have the ability to learn their names, provided they are taught correctly by their owners.
To teach your dog it’s name, the first thing you want to do is say the dog’s name and giving the dog a treat over and over and over again. This will get your dog responding to you calling its name. Then, every time you train your dog, use its name before the command. For example “Fido, Sit!” instead of simply “Sit!”
Over time your dog will learn that “Fido” is its name, and designed to call your dog’s attention, while the following word is the command, if any. A dog that understands its name has an easier time learning tricks, will respond to commands more easily, and will do a better job listening to guests and strangers. As long as you choose a multi-syllable (preferably 2) name that you enjoy saying and will never change, your dog will learn its name in no time.