A dog is said to be a man’s best friend and a good best friend deserves to have a good name. Since there are thousands of possible names to choose from, this task may be actually be harder than it sounds. With this number of names to decide on from, is surprising how anyone could even make a decision on something as permanent and significant as this. How to make sure that it is the right name?  Luckily for dog lovers, here are some tips on how to find a great dog name for every taste and every pup.

1.      Easy to Say

The first thing to remember is that, whatever the name you chose for your dog can and will be used several times a day, to call, to praise, and sometimes, even to scold. As a result, experts advise picking out a name that is both easy to call out and one that you are happy calling out. Obviously, calling out "Spike" or "Rover" in the park is less awkward than “Fat Bandit“. It is not surprising when people often name their dogs as they would name people. However, almost half of the pet names are either human names or nicknames.

2.      A Dog Friendly Name

Experts recommend picking a name that the dog can easily recognize, because dogs respond quickly to one or two syllable names, because they can discriminate sound ranges that people cannot. Try names with sharp consonants starting with s, sh, ch, zh, k, etc. Dogs tend to respond to sharp sounds more quickly and will work quite well when trying to catch a dog's attention. Also, try to consider something with a sibilant consonant, or names that end with vowels. A short ‘a’ or a long ‘e’ sound will help the dog distinguish its name from ambient noise.

3.      Avoid Names That Sound Like Commands

Try to stay away from names that sound like customary dog commands like No, Come, Sit, Stay, down or Fetch. Dogs often find it hard to distinguish the differences of similar sounding words. For example "Moe" is close enough to "No" or “Kit” that sounds a lot like “sit”.

4.      Using Appearance and Personality

It may be easier to name the dog based on its appearance or personality. A black Labrador becomes “Inky“ or “Blackie” and a very active Dalmatian, “Comet” or  “Dash”.

5.      Finding Inspiration in Famous Dogs

There is nothing wrong naming you dog after a famous dog, like the Hollywood classic “Lassie” or “Argos” which taken from Greek mythology. 

Of course, there are other clever ways to name your dog. Try to be adventurous, seek inspiration where it can be found. How about giving the puppy a name based on favourite foods or snacks, like “Hot Dog” or “Chippy”. Try using shortened versions of a long name, because longs names are, inevitably, often shortened over time, such as “Nicodemus” into “Nicky”.  There are no hard fast rules.

Tips offered by spoiltrottendogs.com.au