Naming your new puppy
Your puppy will already have a registered name when he or she finally goes home, but this name is usually way too long to use. Whether you're at the park, at home or in a training class, you can't really call a dog using their registered name. How funny would it sound if you called your little puppy to you with a name like Solange d'Orio's Starry Sky from Amoureux?
Of course you are welcome to call him Star or another derivative of the registered name or you might want to give him or her a new name altogether. It's up to you! You will need to teach your new puppy to answer to his name and it needs to be a name that you can live with for the duration of your dog's life. So choose carefully and take your time to find a name that fits.
How do we determine the puppy's names and what do they mean?
The first part of the name is our kennel name and the name of our particular bloodline, Solange d'Orio. Next is the puppy's name - this usually coincides with a specific letter in the alphabet so that we can easily keep track of our litters. We start with an A-litter and move through the alphabet with every subsequent litter. Every puppy in that litter gets a name that starts with that particular letter in the alphabet. For example, Solange d'Orio's Starry Sky from Amoureux is part of the S-litter.
If you book your puppy in advance, we can have your puppy registered with the name that you choose.
The last part of the name is the name of the kennel where the dogs came from originally. In the example above, Amoureux would be the breeder of the puppy's parents. If this puppy was a third or fourth generation puppy from our own bloodline, the puppy's registered name wouldn't include Amoureux anymore. It would just read Solange d'Orio's Starry Sky.
Choosing a name for your new puppy
There are a few things that you should keep in consideration when you are selecting a name for your new puppy.
- Choose a name that your dog will be able to recognise easily - one or two syllables are great. Strong words with harsh sounds work well, like Cash, Argus, Fang, Fudge, Tao, Thor or Leo.
- Names that have repeat syllables are even better. Coco, Lulu and Bobo are all cute names.
- Choose a name that you can call in public without being embarrassed. Calling your new puppy "Poopsiekins" might sound cute to you, but it will be hysterical to any bystander when you start running after a puppy in the park calling "Poopsiekins! Poopsiekins!".
- Pick a name that your puppy can grow into - calling a puppy "Baba" won't work when that puppy grows up.
The most important thing is that you are comfortable to use the name when calling your dog and your dog is comfortable responding to that name. Remember that it takes a lot of work to establish a proper recall (coming when called) with your dog, but it's one of the most important tools in a pet owner's life.
If you need help in picking out a name for your puppy, click here for more than 2 000 dog names to choose from. Choose wisely!