What's In A Name? Top Tips For Picking A Name For Your Puppy.
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The Name Game
We thought we would share our top tips and inspiration when deciding on a name for your new family member!
Some things to consider:
- Try not to choose names that sound similar to commands you might want to teach your dog. For example, No and Joe can sound very alike to a dog
- Also avoid names that sound like other family names or words you will use frequently at home. This will avoid confusion and speed up your puppy learning their own name.
- Avoid names that other may find offensive or names that might feel funny to start with as shouting ‘Help’ may get you some attention in the park, it might not be from your dog.
- You may see lots of ‘top ten’ lists of dog names, but having a popular name is not always fun if everyone at the park is calling for ‘Rover’.
- While a joke name might seem funny initially, after a while it will get old and what message are you sending about how you think about your own dog?
- If rescuing a dog or re-homing an older dog, you can rename them, but you must put in the time and work to help them learn it with positive reinforcement. Much like dogs learn nicknames you may have for them.
Top Tip
“When it comes to names, I think it’s important to think about how they will sound when you say them as your new dog will pick up on your feelings you say them particularly when praising them or when they are misbehaving. As for inspiration I really prefer older names and their origins in other languages”
Paige – Team Bone Idol
What might inspire you?
The team at Bone Idol put their heads together to help you with inspiration. We have come up with some suggestions that might help you pick the perfect name for you puppy.
Nostalgia
Consider things you loved in your childhood as nostalgia can be a great source of inspiration. This could include celebrities you liked, TV shows, cartoons or even places you went on holiday to.
“I named my first two dogs (Labradoodles) after Krystle and Blake from Dynasty. I even checked the spelling for Krystle on the credits. However, as the dogs grew up their names became their own, even if Krystle does still have a blonde bob!” Jon – Team Bone Idol
Characters
What are you passionate about? Authors, composers, literary characters, artists, anime, names of plants and animals or even cheese could inspire you.
“I love names like ‘Puck’ from A Midsummer Night's Dream or ‘Heen’ from Howl’s Moving Castle. I’m afraid I’m keeping my favourite name a secret as I hope to get a dog soon!”
Helen – Team Bone Idol
Traditional
Old fashioned names. Just because they are out of fashion for Children doesn’t mean that you can’t have old school name for your pet.
Origins
Be inspired by the breed, what is their origin? Where are they from?
For example, Dalmatians were bred as carriage dogs to trot alongside and protect them from highwaymen. How about ‘Bandit’? Or, as their origins can be traced back to the Dalmatian coast in Croatia, what about ‘Damir’, meaning ‘bringer of peace’ in Croatian.
Whatever name you come up with, we hope you have a lot of fun together and wish your family lots of love!
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