The biggest challenge faced by the owner of a new dog is the name that they are actually going use. Today there are hundreds, even thousands of names that a person is able to choose from which they can call their pet. But unfortunately not all names that owners choose for their dogs are really suitable. In this article we give you some pointers for selecting a name to call your new dog, making this part of the process of owning a dog much easier.
- It is best that you choose a name which is not only easy to say but also to pronounce. If you select a name you find difficult to say then how do you think your dog will cope if they can not understand you. It is best if you select a name which you and members of your family can repeat easily each and every day. Also if you find yourself in a stressful situation and are trying to maintain control, your pet may find it more difficult with a name that is difficult to say or pronounce.
- It is crucial when selecting your dog's name that you never give them more than one. Unlike humans dog's become easily confused if their names are long or they have more than one. Dog's that are confused because of the name or names they are being called may well be more difficult to train and handle. But by sticking to just one name say for example “Lady”, it will not confuse the dog because they will find it much easier to remember.
- Do not select a name that sounds very much like a command such as “heel or jump”. As you will soon discover actually training a dog that has command for its name will in fact make it more difficult. This is because the dog will be confused as to what its name is and which commands you are asking it to respond to.
- Select a name for your dog which contains one or two syllables only. By choosing names such as Taz, Heff, Jack or Jodie, your dog will find it much easier to remember and so will be more willing to respond to you. Choose names that contain one or two syllables and you will find that your dog learns them much more quickly and easily.
- When selecting your dog's name never go for one that has negative meaning or connotations to it. Dogs who have names with negative meaning often do not respond as quickly when called. Also remember that it will not just be you who is calling them and hoping that they respond but other members of your family as well.
- Also avoid names that could be embarrassing or are simply out of the question. Remember that dogs are very intelligent and they just may begin to realize that the name chosen is not really appealing and they will soon pick up on any negative feelings from you.
- Once you have chosen your dog's name and you have been using it for some time don't suddenly change it to something else. This will only leave your dog in a complete state of confusion and will find it very difficult to respond to you. They will not actually know that it is them that you are trying to call. So choose your dog's name wisely and once chosen you will need to stick to it.
At the end of day when you are choosing a name for your dog it should be as much fun as possible. It is important that anyone who is going to have contact with the animal on a daily basis have some involvement in the name chosen especially if it is to be a family pet. But you also need to keep the guidelines mentioned above in mind and this will further help to make the process of selecting a name for your dog much easier.
