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Dog Names
What's in a Name Rover, Patches, Gandalf, Fritz, Peaches, Susie.... Everyone has their own ideas about what makes a good dog name. Choosing a good dog's name isn't as simple as you might think! What you choose says as much about you, the owner, as your pet.
Some names come to us immediately, others take days or even weeks of thoughtful consideration. And of course you want to choose a name that suits your dog's breed as well as his personality.
Who wants a Siberian Husky called "Snooky" or a Great Dane called "Snowball". And do you really want to call your Chihuahua "Killer"? You and your friends might think it's funny but to most it will just sound ridiculous. You should always pick a name that will present your dog in a positive way.
Think about your dog's personality. I once adopted a dog from a shelter - a terrified, timid little mix of Llaso Apso and Poodle. Her name was Spooky but unless her previous owners named her that because of how easily she was spooked by everything including her own shadow, it just didn't fit. So I renamed her something that had similiar sounds - Suki.
Consider your dog's colouring. Would you call a white poodle "Blackie"?
You might want to consider choosing a name that you can remember. That may sound funny, but it happens. I adopted another dog, a 5 year old Australian Shepherd called "RJ" (Yes, just the initials RJ, or perhaps spelled Arjay) Try as I might I could not remember that dog's name! So in an emergency situation when I needed to call her quickly I found myself stuttering and stumbling over her name, calling out "Arley!" "AJ!" and so on. I changed her name to something similiar but something I could remember - Barley - a name she responded to within 24 hours
Speaking of emergency situations, it's something else to keep in mind when choosing a dog's name. Do you want to be calling out "Snowflake Whitefall!" when your pet is about to race across the road in front of a car? Or would it be simpler to call out "Flakey!" So consider a short name rather than something quite elaborate
Make sure the name you give your dog isn't confusing to him, and doesn't sound like the name of a family member! If your husband's name is Bob, please don't give your German Shepherd the name "Rob". You might also want to be careful if you have more than one dog in the family - and try to give the second dog a different sounding name. For example it might be best to not call your dogs Karley and Barley. You might want to try for something more along the lines of Patches and Snowball. But don't be surprised if both dogs come running to you anyway when you call either one
Also, don't name your dog "Noah" or anything which sounds like NO! Forget calling him "Heeler" or "Sitz" or "SunDOWN". You will only end up confusing the dog - and frustrating your training regimen.
Here's some names either I or friends and family have used over the years for dogs
- Collie - Gandalf
- Siberian Husky - Lupus, Kyra
- Rottweiller - Fritz
- Mixed breed, small - Tinker
- Shih-tzu - Webley
- Australian Shepherd - Barley
- Llahso Apso-Poodle mix - Suki, Frodo
- Llahso Apso - Muffin
- Mixed breed, small - Tinker - Dudley - Harry - Petey
- Mixed breed, large - Chester - Tramp
- Vizsla Charlie (Charlemagne Russet Chasseur)
- Keeshond - Natasha
- Akita - Ali
- Great Dane - Chuck
- Bernese Mountain Dog - Kali
- Spinoni - Bianca
- Skye Terrier - King
- Old English Sheepdog - Vanessa
- Golden Retriever - Andy (Andover Highwater Mark)
- Gordon Setter - Morgan
- Basset - Sophie
- Dachshund - Licorice, Christmas
- Great Pyrenees - Doc
- Greyhound - Selina
- Welsh Terrier - Digger
- Clumber Spaniel - Edgar
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