So after several long and sleepless nights debating the pros and cons of finally bringing a dog into your home. Carefully considering all of the responsibilities your new addition will bring with it. Feeding and watering him, caring for his basic needs, and lets not forget training. You have set aside an area for his crate, secured a portion of the yard so he can run, bought his bowls, collar, leash, and every cute toy on the rack. And of course you have contacted your local dog trainers to start obedience training. Everything is finally ready for the big day. You are a responsible dog owner. You’ve done your homework. Researched breeds, temperament tested prospective pups, and chosen one that fits your personality and lifestyle perfectly. All that can be done has been done. It’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy ….. Uhh ….. Oops forgot something haven’t you. That’s right. His name. Surprisingly, this is an area where many people either put very little thought into or have a great deal of difficulty with.

Naming your dog should be a very personal thing. His name will not only be his identification, but also tends to be a reflection of his personality. Give it some thought. Hopefully you are going to have this dog for a very long time. Whatever name you choose, you’re going to want to make it a good one. Take this seriously. And speaking of being serious, you might want to think twice about naming him something as a joke. Calling your Gr eat Dane “twinkle toes” might seem funny for a while, but 3 years later, after the joke has long since worn thin and your golf buddies have decided to nickname you after your dog, you might just be sorry you didn’t come up with a better name.

Be careful not to give him a name that sounds too much like an obedience command. Especially if you intend to enter obedience competition with him. You wouldn’t want to try and recall “brown” just to lose points because he suddenly dropped into a “down”. Also you should try to keep it short and sweet. “Sir Ruby Moon Magnums Pride” may look impressive on a pedigree, but try yelling that from across the yard in an emergency. If you want a long and impressive pedigree that’s fine, but I would suggest you use a much shorter version of his name for everyday use. One or two syllables works best such as “Caz “ or “ Arko“.
Consider your breed when also choosing a name. If you have a breed such as a German Shepherd, Rottweiller, Doberman, Husky , Akita consider the breeds origin or native country. A good firm name to represent it’s power, elegance, beauty and intelligence. The name should also be a good representation of the breed characteristics. If you are going to purchase a Greyhound a name like “Bob” won’t exactly do him justice. Calling him something like “ Flash “ or “ Bullet “ would be a be tter statement of his abilities.

If you are having difficulty in choosing the perfect name for your pet, there are a great many recourses on the Internet that can assist you. A simple search of “dog names” will bring you hours of research possibilities. No matter what name you choose, in the end it is the bond that is shared between human and dog that is truly important. After all, to Quote William Shakespeare “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.

This article was published April 5, 2009 on Page 3 of the Sunday Sentinel