Dog Care 101

Boy Dog Names: How To Choose The Best Name

little-dog-by-mickenyns.jpg We all know that our dogs are a part of our families. And, as such, when we get a new dog or puppy choosing a name for them is equally important as choosing a name for a new baby.

Just like with kids, we want to find a name that fits their personality, or that they can at least grow into as they get older.

However, sometimes finding just the right name can be a little difficult. After all, there are so many different ways to choose a name for a pet, right?

I mean you could choose a human name (which many people do). Or, you could pick a time-honored one, such as Bongo or Fido (okay maybe not that one, but you get what I mean). Or, you  might want to pick a name from a famous dog from TV or movies, like Toto.

There are any number of ways to find boy dog names. Here are some ideas for choosing a name for your boy dog.

 

Choosing Boy Dog Names

  1. Let your dog determine his own name.
    • One of the best ways to choose a name for your new boy dog is by spending time with him — for hours at a time, both indoors and outside.
    • Pets often reveal interesting personality quirks when spend time with them one on one, and this can help you pick that “perfect” name.
    • I had one friend who had a dog that loved to play catch with a frisbee. And boy, could that dog jump high to catch it! Hence his name, Jumper.
  2. Consider famous dogs of the same breed. 
    • There have been famous dogs of particular breeds over the years, and it is not uncommon for others who have a dog of the same breed to choose the same name for their pet.
    • An example of this would be how people named their dogs that were terrier mixes, Benji after the movie came out with a dog of that name and breed.
    • Another example, again from the movies, would be how people named their collies Lassie, after the TV show and movies about Lassie came out.
  3. Take a name from history. 
    • Some people name their dogs after someone famous in history.
    • For example, naming a boy dog after one of the gods from different pantheons is common, like Anubis or Apollo.
    • Both of these, at times, have been popular names for boy dogs. Anubis in particular is quite fitting because he is the jackal headed god from the Egyptian pantheon, and jackals are, of course, canines.
  4. Consider your own heritage.
    • If you are fortunate enough to be bilingual, then you might consider giving your boy dog a name from your second language.
    • In my case I speak a bit of Lakota Sioux and I’ve always thought if I had a boy dog that had some wolf blood I’d name him Tashunka which means wolf in that language.
    • This would work for any language, and you could pick a name based on its meaning, as well as how it sounded.
  5. Keep in mind your dog’s breed and his heritage.
    • For example, you could give a German Shepherd a German name, or a French Poodle a French name, you get the idea.
    • There are lots of online resources where you can research names from different countries.

These are my personal favorites when looking for names for boy dogs. There are of course many others. Tell everyone how you named your boy dog in the Comments below.

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