Bringing a new dog into your household is a thrilling and wonderful event, but deciding on a name can cause some difficulty. “Dog” isn’t probably the best name to stick to, so how do you choose?
Picking a trendy name has its benefits: it’s cute and adorable and precious. But if you have three Twilight-inspired Bellas at the dog park, you might run into some confusion.
The name that we give an animal is how we communicate and gather their attention. Therefore, the designation should be easy to say and attention-getting. It shouldn’t rhyme with/sound similar to a common word or other family members’ names. Then, after whittling down a few options, you need to choose something that ‘fits’ their personality.
Dog trainers agree that a one- or two-syllable name (Lucky, Jack, Lucy, etc.) is best, as it’s easy for dogs to remember and simple for people to say. Dogs typically learn shorter words and commands faster, so make it easy for both parties and name them something unchallenging. A hard consonant with a high frequency (sh, s, ck, etc.) or long vowel sounds (“ay” or “ee”) are optimal for grabbing attention.
A lot of dog owners think they’re hilaaaaarious when they choose a vulgar or comedic name. Remember, however, that you’re saddling your dog with this name forever, and whatever you decide, you’ll be calling them in public this way. If your dog runs off one afternoon, screaming an expletive in your neighborhood park might land you in some trouble.
In the event the name doesn’t stick (for whatever reason), you can always change it again. This might seem strange to bring up, but I’ve had people name their dog after me. It was weird: ask before you do something like this and don’t get upset if the person feels strange about it.
Have fun naming your dog. You can always check out PetNames.net for inspiration.