Best Dog Names - How to Pick the Best Name for Your Dog

Congratulations on getting a new puppy or new dog!

Now comes the fun part of picking the best name for your new furry best friend.

Names are important.

When I chat with the people around my neighborhood, one of the first things that they ask is what is the name of my dog. My Siberian Husky, Shania is the main focus of attention and crowd-pleaser, so most people in our daily travels know her name but not mine.

Names are used early on in introduction, and they color what others think of our dog. A dog named Killer will likely invite a very different type of reaction than a dog named SweetiePie.

Therefore, take your time in naming your dog. Observe him and see what he likes to do, what his energy level is, and wait until his true personality comes through. When it does, you will know what is exactly the best name for him.

When looking for good dog names, there are several places where we can look to for inspiration -

• Fictional characters - A great place to find a great name for your dog is from your favorite movies, books, or games. You could pick the best fictional hero or villain depending on the personality and/or look of your dog.
  
• Famous people - Another interesting set of names are from famous and inspirational people or historical figures. You could pick generals such as Alexander the Great or Napoleon Bonaparte. You could pick innovators such as Edison or daVinci. You could pick poets, writers, musicians, movie stars, or sports heroes.
  
• Country of dog breed - Different dog breeds come from a variety of countries. One of the best ways to name your dog is to find a a favorite name from your dog's country of origin.
• Stars and heavenly bodies - Another great source of dog names is from stars and other heavenly bodies. For example, if your dog loves to hunt, you could pick a hunter's name, such as Rigel, which is the brightest star in The Hunter constellation.

You could also pick your dog's name based on multiple sources. Make sure that it matches your dog's personality, energy level, most loved activities, his good looks, as well as your own temperament and preferences.

To help you on your way, here are the most popular 5 male and female dog names. There are a variety of lists, but these names appear at the top of almost all of them.

Most popular male dog names -

1. Max
2. Buddy
3. Jake
4. Charlie
5. Bailey

Most popular female dog names -

1. Bella
2. Daisy
3. Molly
4. Lucy
5. Maggie

Other things to keep in mind while looking for the best dog name -

1. Short and simple.

Pick a short and simple name for your dog that is easy to say. Likely, you will spend a lot of time with your furry best friend in the coming years, so you will be saying his name a lot in a variety of situations. Sometimes, you may even need to get his attention quickly before he runs off after birds and squirrels.

If you look at show dogs, they usually have 2 names - a show name and an every-day name. The show name is long and indicates pedigree, the every-day name is much shorter and easy to say.

If you want to pick a longer name for your dog, find one that still sounds cool and is easy to say when it is shortened.

2. Try to pick a name with 2 syllables.

According to the experts, it is best to pick a dog name with 2 syllables.

Most dog training commands are only one syllable, e.g. Sit, Stand, Down, Shake, Come. In this way, a dog can easily differentiate between his name and a command.

Also, consider picking a name that starts with a hard/stop consonant. Dogs recognize hard consonants more easily. Therefore, you can grab your dog's attention faster with a name that starts with a stop consonant.

3. Pick a name that is unique.

Try to pick a dog name that is unique and not similar to the names of family members, close relatives, and close friends. If your dog has a name that is identical or similar to somebody else in the family, he may get confused and think that you are calling him when the name is used.

If a dog keeps getting ignored when he thinks his name is being called, he will no longer respond to that name.

4. Name choosing should be a fun family affair.

It is best when the whole family gets involved in choosing the name of the family dog. In this way, everyone feels invested in the dog and will be more willing to accept him into the pack.

In addition, this ensures that everyone will consistently call the dog by his chosen name. If different people in the family call the dog by different names, it will get very confusing, very quickly.

5. Use the primary dog name in a positive context.

Only use your dog's primary name in a positive context. In this way, your dog will learn to associate his name with rewards and positive outcomes.

Some people use their dog's name while scolding or punishing him. If a dog consistently gets punished every time his name is called, he will start to think that his name is a bad thing. Therefore, he may run away when he hears his name.

If you want to use names in both a positive and negative context, then it is important to establish both a good dog name and a bad dog name.

Do not be in too much of a hurry to name your dog. Wait until you have bonded with him a bit and wait until you start seeing all the different aspects of his personality - his good side, his goofy side, his quirks, his fears, his motivations, his most loved activities, and his most hated activities.

Once you observe all this and start to understand your new furry friend, the best dog name to use will also become clear.

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