How To Come Up With A Dog Name

Fido, Scruffy, and Spot just don't cut it anymore. A unique dog name is what most people are now after. Think about it, this is fun. You can name your pet something you would never consider naming your children. (Actually, one of my kids is named after a dog I had many years ago, but that's another story). But coming up with a great name is not only fun, it's actually a business.

Not a year goes by without a new book of names being published. If you've checked the bookstores lately you'll see what I mean. The count seems endless, although admittedly all those books are not just for dogs. Still, there's female dog names, boy dog names, even specialty books like Irish names. Our shelf has several, although admittedly a couple of them are for human babies and not puppies.

Here's something to think about when naming your pet. Avoid names that sound like common obedience commands. I know someone who worked in Alaska that adopted a beautiful husky. He wanted to name her Sitka, after a place he loved to visit. I quickly pointed out that the dog would have a hard time telling the difference between her name "Sitka" and "sit". It had never occured to him. The dogs name is now "Bella".

For simplicity sake, it's best to keep the name one or two syllables and easy to pronounce. A lot of people tend to use people names, but there's no need to limit yourself. The possibilities are endless. You can use name books but also atlases or special dictionaries are also good. As are foreign words, baseball books, books about railroads, gardening, or music terms. I had another friend who was a baseball pitcher in college. He named his Miniature Pinscher "Krug". He tells me that's the german word for "pitcher".

The key is to make your puppy love his name as much as you by making sure that it has a positive association. Don't scream your puppy's name at him or use it in punishment. I've even heard people make up songs with the name in it. Singing it to your dog should be very pleasing to him. Use common catchy jingles or commercials and simply insert the name in place of the product.

Sound silly? You bet! But it's kind of fun. For instance "You Are My Sunshine" becomes "Your Are My Sparky" (you make me happy, because you're gray). Get the idea? How about inserting your boy dog name into the Monty Python "Spam" song. "Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Wonderful Ben..."

Remember if you have a purebred dog, he'll have a registered name. You get 28 letters and spaces with the American Kennel Club to come up with a registered name. If you choose a name someone else has already chosen, the AKC will issue it along with a number to distinguish it from the others. Chances are you don't want your pet to be the AKC's 567.498th "Mollie". Use all those spaces to come up with something unique.

Most of all, a dog name should be fun, and have positive associations for both you and your pet. Take a little time and come up with something unique. You'll be surprised at the reactions you get.

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