Dos
Choose a name you like. Choosing a unique dog name is almost as serious as naming a child. Your dog could be with you for many years and is going to become part of the family. Pick a name you really like because you are going to be using it a lot.
Pick a one or two syllable name. The reason you want to choose a one or two syllable name for your dog is that it will be easier for your dog to respond to. Also, it is nice to make it an easier name to say. If you choose a longer name with more syllables choose a nickname or shorter name. Alexander could be Alex or even Al.
Change it if you don’t like it after the first couple days. It takes time for a dog to learn its name so doing worry about changing it in the first couple days or weeks if you don’t like it. The sooner the better though, because the more you use the name the more attached you are going to become to a name you might not like.
Don’ts
Don’t use a name that sounds like a command. There are only a few names you need to be careful of like “Fletch” for fetch and “Shea” for stay. Think of the commands you might use for your dog and make sure the name you choose doesn’t sound like one of those commands. Your dog will be very confused.
Don’t use a name that sounds like someone else’s name in the household. If you have a Larry in the home don’t name your dog Jerry. It will be confusing for the dog and Larry. I’m sure you can imagine what could happen.
Don’t use offensive terms for dog names. My sister named her dog Bouger. I’ll give her props for choosing a unique dog name but our very proper mother didn’t like visiting her because the word Bouger was being used all the time. Don’t use any names that are swearing words or dirty. You might think it is funny for a day or two but after a while you are going to just sound like a vulgar person.
Don’t change an adult dog’s name. If you get a dog from an animal shelter and they know the name, stick to that name or a similar sounding name. Dogs get attached to there name. You could change it to a similar sounding name. Charlie can easily be changed to be Harley.
What are some other dos and don’ts for naming your dog? Leave your ideas in the comments below.