Naming Your New Puppy

Thinking of getting a new puppy this winter? Wanting some tips on how to find the best name to suit your new forever friend? Pets Training & Boarding have come up with some great tips to get you started. PLUS: check out the 2017 most popular pet names by Pet Insurance Australia!

Inviting the pitter patter of tiny pads into your home has to be one of the most wonderful experiences for a dog lover. Now you are all prepared, and are waiting patiently for your puppy’s arrival, the task of finding the perfect name begins.

TOP TIPS

• Yell Factor – that’s right, your pets new name needs to carry across large grassy areas. Once you have your ‘final’ list test how easy they are to call out. Do you stumble across the word? Is it too difficult to yell out? Is it hard to hear? Do some sound testing of your new name.
• Sounds Factor – Dogs hear tones very well so many experts advise choosing a name that has two syllables rather than one. Picking a name that also doesn’t sound like a common command will help with training. For instance; if you called your dog ‘Mik’ asking them to ‘sit’ might be confusing for your dog.
• Common Sense – your dog will have this name for possibly the next 16+ years so it’s always a good idea to be very sensible when choosing a name. You will also need to call out this name in public so choosing a silly name may not be a good idea in 10+ years.
• Nicknames – let’s be honest we all have nicknames for our pets and normally shorten long names. For instance, Hudson normally becomes Huddy, and the like. Making sure you are comfortable with the shortening of the name. Some names shortened may not be exactly what you are thinking when you first named your precious pup.
• Pick a Few – have a list of two or three names you think will suit your new dog and then wait until your puppy arrives to make the final choice. You may find that some of the names simply don’t suit your wee bundle of fur or their personality.
• A Meaning – choose a name with a meaning, either to you (something perhaps from your childhood) or a strong name with an emotional attachment. If you have a list of pup names see if you can find out the meaning of these names, it might help you narrow down your choices. You can even look at naming your pup for their colouring by using a different language or name for that particular colouring (think Mocca, or Cocco or even Pinot for a red/brown dog).

There is certainly a new trend to name pets after leading characters from blockbuster movies or popular TV shows. Pet Insurance Australia noted a big increase in names from shows such as Games of Thrones and Vikings.

As dogs have evolved from being a backyard pet to an integral part of the family, many dogs now sport traditional human names. This is a wonderful example of how our relationship with our canine companions has changed over the years. Once popular names like Spot, Dusty or Patch have been replaced with Bronson, Charlotte and Ruby.

Pet Insurance Australia Top 10 pup names in 2017

• Luna
• Charlie
• Bella
• Ruby
• Max
• Archie
• Coco
• Frankie
• Bailey
• Molly

What’s your all-time favourite dog name? We’d love to hear your comments on the post.