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Coming up with a name is never easy. Do you keep a family tradition? Bend to the latest fashion? Honor a hero? Or come up with something wacky and altogether new?
A name can say a lot. Take Fido. The name is a classic "dog" name - but why? The name goes back to the Latin "fides" which meant "trustworthiness" or "protection." It's also the root of words like "fidelity" and "confidante."
Some starting points for this discussion can be historical figures, family members, mythical figures, qualities of the dog (like Spot or Fluffy) characters from books, film, or television or anything else that you might have an interest in.
A few suggestions:
Keep it simple.
One to three syllables is usually about right. Time can be of the essence when you're calling your dog; calling out a complicated name can slow things down and simply become tiresome.
It shouldn't rhyme with your negative words.
If you say "No" to your dog, you may want to skip names like Flo or Joe as they can sound a bit too close to "No".
Choose a name you really like.
You're going to be saying it for up to the next fifteen years, if you're lucky. So take your time and select something you'll enjoy saying for the next decade or more.
Make it his word.
Use his name when you speak to your puppy. Reward him with affection and a kibble or two when he hears it and soon he will come running when he hears his special word.
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