What's In A Name?

[pwhite48]

Hello everyone

Those regulars to COL will know that we have been on the search for a pup for a few months now, and I've been doing more research every day (this COL is SO addictive and such a valuable resource! )

Well, we had our name down with a breeder that we had found and were happy with AND HER LITTER WAS BORN ON WEDNESDAY! We are so exciting now that our dream is starting to become a reality.  We will see the litter for the first time in about 4 weeks, and the pups (all being well) will be ready in the new year.  We are having a golden bitch.

Now - there's a bid g debate going on in our household over the name.  I'm sure it will all change when we actually see her, but I would really like to call her Bo.  The concern is - as this sounds so much like 'no' - will we confuse her when training etc?  I guess it will be down to the tone of voice we use, or maybe we should find an alternative to 'no' (maybe 'stop?!)  

I'm sure you must think we are crazy to be thinking about such trivia at this early stage, but you can tell we are really looking forward to this.

Has anyone had any similar problems or can offer advice?

Thanks everyone

Phil.                    

[Colin]

Glad to hear you've found a puppy, I'm sure all of us understand your excitement, having gone through it ourselves. Bringing home a puppy in the new year sounds a great way to beat those post xmas blues.

Another forum member recently had to change the name of their pup from Beau because of the similarity to the word "no"........ so I'm not too sure about Bo.  I went through a million names before settling on the names for my two, it's all part of the fun whilst you wait for the big day. They could have been Robbie and Iona, but I can't imagine them being anything other than Jimmy and Misty now. They seem to become their names.

There is a website of dog names, maybe someone can provide a link for you.                    

[FionaM]

One of the dogs at my training class is called "Niamh" (pronounced Neeve) and her owner now wishes she'd called her something else because it sounds so much like "leave"

If I was choosing a name I wouldn't choose a name that sounds like command that you would use a lot, especially something like "No" because it's a reprimand - that's just my opinion though. I'm sure there are plenty of dogs that are quite happy with a name like "Bo"                    

[Jane S]

I agree with the others - you should try to avoid any name which sounds like a command or you will end up with one very confused puppy I wouldn't choose a name for definite until you bring your pup home - you can have fun drawing up a shortlist but you might find that a name you set your heart on doesn't actually suit your pup when you get her home. We had someone buy a pup from us who insisted she was going to be called Misty so that's what we called her & by the time she went to her new home she knew her name but then the people decided Misty didn't suit her after all & she's now Lucy                    

[Shirley]

We were also thinking of names even before the litter was born.  We decided on Morgan about three weeks before we got him and the breeder did use this name and he was used to it by the time I collected him.  I really liked the name Morgan and had to persuade Eric as he wanted Satan or something like that (only joking   ).

Lyndseyloo used to have a link to a site she had created with lots of names on it.  Will try to find it later  .

Have fun thinking and deciding - but believe me when there's more than one person with a say it can be difficult to agree - we ended up one day sitting in the house and just coming out with things that were right in front of us - Hewlett? Packard? Persil? Sony? Dettol? Philips?......and so on                      

[Michelle_S]

I think that Bo is a great name - we had the most terrible trouble naming Harry - involving 'names in a hat' and a very complicated veto proceedure
Someone told me that it is always a good idea to pick a name with two syllables as it is much easier to shout aloud in a windy park/field etc - though it was by chance that we ended up with one                    

[Dessie]

Well for two of my Boys I had their names before I had them - Sebastian (after the cute little Lobster character in The Little Mermaid) and Douglas (after the Lurpak Man).  My otherhalf choose Bart's name I thought it was better than Cartmen or Homer.

I like human names for my boys                        

[*Jay*]

I had my names picked before the litters were born too......I just can't help myself I've also got the name picked for my next one and she isn't even a twinkle in her daddy's eye yet I think its the most fun part in getting a new puppy. I would probably steer clear of Bo as well - a dog at my training class is called Bo and the owner says it never occurred to her at the time that it would clash with 'no'. I would get a few more back-up names just in case                    

[Katina]

Little out off the topic (sorry), but when my Ada was a pup she responded better to "einoperkele" ( finnish, means something like no-nowthen-sh*t) than her own name  . I am sure she though for a while that this was her real name. Ada was a very active and naughty puppy  .                    

[Shell]

Hey Phil,

We went through a lot of names before we settled on Bailey and that was only when we had picked him out of the litter.  If we were going to get a little golden girl we were all set to call her Ruby.

I agree with the others about the confusion if the name sounds like a command.

My tip is to pick out a few names that you could handle shouting out loudly without being embarresed if the neighbours hear and then when you bring your little bundle of joy home see which of them fits their personality best. (I think if we had of waited a bit longer to name Bailey we would have called him Terror or Rascal or something like that !)

Good luck with the search and enjoy your pup while she's little They grow up quick !

Shell                    

[Sophie]

Phil

I tend to agree with the others keep away from command sound alikes, it will probably confuse your puppy.

Had to laugh at Katina's post "Einoperkele"  


Steve                    

[Michele]

I have landed on a theme for my black ones.........naming them after coloured singers, so Neneh is after Neneh Cherry and Otis  after, yes, you guessed it Otis Reading. Others that have been in my life are Ella (Ella Fitzgerald) and Georgia who was named after the black song Georgia On My Mind.
Even with just one pup to name you could maybe still choose a suitable theme relating to her colour or personality  
Whatever you end up choosing it won't be long before you'll think no other name in the world would suit her as well :wink: