When his family adopted him, they had no idea what his proper name was. At present it's Pedey.
Photo by Phil Monahan

Renaming your dog is easy and you can do information technology at whatsoever age, young or quondam. She does not actually care what y'all call her, whether a classic proper name or a more outdoorsy dog name —equally long as she understands y'all are the source of all good things and that she belongs to you. And in some situations giving your pooch a new moniker is not only okay, merely actually skilful for her.

Renaming Your Dog is Brash…

  • When you lot prefer a shelter canis familiaris . Chances are she came to yous with a proper noun. Merely find out if the shelter assigned her a proper name to give her more appeal or to "market" her to an adoptive family. In this case she's probably unused to her new proper name if she even knows it at all, and changing it will be of little consequence to her. If she was an possessor give up, her name may be familiar to her and keeping it can be a source of stability and security while she settles in. You lot can withal change her name when you experience the time is right, even subsequently a total year or more than. Whether you should rename your rescue dog or not is upward to you lot. If you like her rescue name, then by all means, continue it.
  • When your new dog was removed from an abusive home. Changing her name is an deed of kindness; she may, in fact, continue to associate her old proper noun with abuse. Your canis familiaris needs a new lease on life and giving her a new name can actually assistance her make a clean start.
  • When your canis familiaris has learned to ignore her proper noun. It's time for a new ane. The main reason to name her in the get-go place is rubber: calling out your canis familiaris'southward name is the best tool you've got to grab her attending, which makes her more likely to execute the command that follows. If over the course of years yous've tirelessly repeated her name when yous desire her to come merely she stubbornly continues doing whatever she wants instead, information technology's time for a new name, paired with rewards-based dog training .

How to Rename Your Canis familiaris

  • Take your time. You don't demand a new proper name ready the instant yous cross the threshold with your new dog. Information technology'due south okay to hang out for a couple of days and get to know her, observe her personality, discover her quirks, study the markings on her coat, and come across whether some distinguishing trait emerges—maybe she's affectionate, playful, agile—something that might influence what you choose to call her. For now, a friendly "Hither, girl!" will suffice, followed by praise and dog treats ; this is how you start bonding with her. She is just getting to know yous, and for the time being will respond to your upbeat vocalization and body language.
  • Reward her response to her new name with treats. For the first few days you're using your dog'due south new name, carry treats in your pocket. When you want her attention, phone call out her new name. Then immediately grin, praise her liberally, and treat her; do this even if she is unresponsive—she volition soon larn the new word ways good things are coming and will begin to acknowledge it every time she hears it.
  • Combine the old dog proper noun with the new one. If her former name is long-established, smoosh it together with her new name and call her by both for a while. For example, if Sally is to exist Maddie, call her SallyMaddie until she recognizes it, and then driblet the Sally.

Helpful Dog Name Irresolute Tips

  • Your canis familiaris's new proper noun should mean but good things to her. Practice whatever y'all can to reinforce this; if you can, treat her every fourth dimension you say her new proper noun in the beginning.
  • Endeavor to avoid using your dog'southward new name when y'all scold her. Or give her a middle name and use it together with her kickoff proper noun only for scolding, only similar your mom did when you were a kid. She'll learn hearing the two names together means she'south in trouble.
  • Avoid naming your dog anything that sounds like "No." Ditto names that sound like anything else you say to correct an undesirable behavior; examples include Bo and JoJo.
  • Selection a new proper noun that starts with the same alphabetic character every bit the old one. Or that includes similar sounds or vowels, but however holds more appeal for you lot. This is an excellent strategy for renaming a shelter dog. For example, Molly can get Maddie, Muffy, or even Polly.

Potential Issues with Renaming Your Dog

As mentioned above, there aren't many downsides to renaming your dog equally long every bit yous take a thoughtful, planned approach to the change. As well informing friends and family unit, updating tags or personalized items like collars and dog beds with your dog'south name, it should exist a smooth, easy procedure.

Information technology'southward never besides late to change a dog's name, simply the fourth dimension it takes for your canis familiaris's new name to "stick" varies from a couple of training sessions to a few weeks, depending on the dog; the process volition go faster if you avoid using the name aimlessly or associating it with anything negative. But dogs don't procedure identity similar we practise—your dog will acquire her new name. And while frequent proper name changes might be disruptive, nigh people routinely telephone call their dogs past diverse nicknames, and the dog somehow "gets" it and responds to all of them. Importantly, employ your canis familiaris's new name with affection and consistency, and she'll shortly recognize information technology equally her own.

Accept you ever changed a domestic dog's name? We'd love to hear your story in the comments. Looking for the perfect name for your dog? Y'all can detect some bully domestic dog names in our 10 Nearly Popular Dog Names weblog mail.