Best Way to Rename a Dog

Thom W. Conroy
The best way to rename a dog is to look at the proposition from the dog's perspective and the circumstances surrounding the necessity for renaming. Most times when dogs are renamed they have been abandoned or adopted from a pet shelter, and many have been called by several different names in the last few moths. All that the dog knows is that it has to deal with yet another set of humans and needs to conform to new rules and lifestyle. Added to this is another new word that is supposed to bear some significance to the dog as a name, and it is little wonder why it is a difficult task to rename a dog and receive results back in a reasonably short time period. It is for this reason that the best way to rename a dog is to stick with the old one if possible, as it causes less confusion for the dog involved.

When it is not possible to use the current name of a dog as in the case of a stray where the dog's name is unknown, a new dog owner must be aware that the best way to rename a dog is an arduous task. The dog must become accustomed to hearing the new name in a wide variety of situations, spoken by different members of the family with a different inflection in each human voice. This is a bit of a sensory overload for a dog in new surroundings, so for that reason it is best to rename a dog using a simple one or two syllable name and avoiding deviation from a singular name. The best way to rename a dog is by committee involving the entire family following a few days of deliberation, and remembering that the dog is stuck with the name you give to it for a lifetime.

The best way to rename a dog and have it respond quickly is to teach the dog it's new name by means of constant repetition. Every single time the dog is interacted with by any family member the new name should be used in any verbal communication. While this may take a considerable effort on the behalf of the people involved, eventually the dog will learn it's name and begin to respond accordingly. You will know you have found a successful way to rename a dog when it diverts it's attention to the human that speaks it, even when distracted by other activities.

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