Tips for Choosing a Puppy Name

When it comes to choosing a new puppy name there are many options.

You can:

Go to an outside source, such as a web page or a book and scour the zillions of puppy name suggestions.

Choose a character from your favorite novel or person from history

Give the puppy a name from a famous dog, like "Old Yeller"

The list goes on and on, but I like choosing a puppy name by waiting until I meet the new puppy then decide based on their personality.

The problem with doing this of course is it may take awhile to figure out their personality. If nothing strikes you in the first couple of days start paying closer attention to their features. Their color, the way they walk, the sound of their bark, their favorite toy, everything about them can help in coming up with a puppy name.

Remember, your puppy will grow into a full sized dog in the coming months, so you may want to steer away from names that highlight her puppiness.

Another thing to consider is how the puppy name can be used in her upcoming training. For instance if you name her, Zit (yikes) you may confuse her when you train her to sit.

Other puppy name choosing suggestions:

Choose a puppy name that is distinguishable from other training words

Make the name relatively short, unless you plan on using a nickname, like Theo, short for Theodore

Names that start with hard consonants like "T" and "K" are usually more distinguishable to a dog's ear than names that start with vowels

When you have an idea for a puppy name, be sure to research the word to make sure it doesn't have a meaning you didn't intend.

Don't choose a name that you'd be apprehensive to say in mixed company.

Consider carefully when you choose your puppy's name; they'll have it for many years. There are endless name possibilities to choose from, make sure you choose the one that best fits your puppy's personality.