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

Renaming your dog is piece of cake and you lot tin can do it at whatsoever age, young or old. She does non really care what y'all call her, whether a classic name or a more outdoorsy dog name —as long equally she understands you are the source of all skillful things and that she belongs to you. And in some situations giving your pooch a new moniker is not only okay, just really practiced for her.

Renaming Your Dog is Advised…

  • When you adopt a shelter dog . Chances are she came to you lot with a proper name. But observe out if the shelter assigned her a name to give her more than appeal or to "market" her to an adoptive family. In this case she's probably unused to her new name if she even knows it at all, and changing it will be of niggling consequence to her. If she was an owner surrender, her proper name may be familiar to her and keeping it can be a source of stability and security while she settles in. You can still change her proper name when you lot feel the time is right, fifty-fifty later on a total year or more than. Whether you should rename your rescue dog or non is up to you. If you like her rescue proper noun, then by all ways, keep information technology.
  • When your new domestic dog was removed from an abusive home. Changing her name is an deed of kindness; she may, in fact, continue to associate her erstwhile name with corruption. Your domestic dog needs a new lease on life and giving her a new name can actually help her make a clean get-go.
  • When your dog has learned to ignore her proper name. It'southward time for a new ane. The main reason to name her in the starting time place is rubber: calling out your dog's name is the best tool y'all've got to grab her attention, which makes her more than likely to execute the control that follows. If over the course of years you've tirelessly repeated her name when you lot desire her to come merely she stubbornly continues doing whatsoever she wants instead, it'due south time for a new name, paired with rewards-based dog training .

How to Rename Your Domestic dog

  • Have your time. You don't demand a new name ready the instant yous cross the threshold with your new canis familiaris. Information technology'south okay to hang out for a couple of days and get to know her, notice her personality, discover her quirks, study the markings on her coat, and come across whether some distinguishing trait emerges—peradventure she'due south affectionate, playful, agile—something that might influence what you lot choose to call her. For now, a friendly "Here, daughter!" will suffice, followed by praise and dog treats ; this is how you get-go bonding with her. She is just getting to know you, and for the time being will respond to your upbeat voice and trunk language.
  • Reward her response to her new proper name with treats. For the showtime few days you're using your dog's new name, carry treats in your pocket. When yous want her attending, phone call out her new proper name. Then immediately grinning, praise her liberally, and treat her; do this even if she is unresponsive—she will soon larn the new word means good things are coming and volition begin to acknowledge information technology every time she hears it.
  • Combine the old dog name with the new ane. If her quondam name is long-established, smoosh it together with her new proper noun and call her past both for a while. For example, if Emerge is to be Maddie, phone call her SallyMaddie until she recognizes it, and then drop the Sally.

Helpful Dog Name Changing Tips

  • Your dog'southward new proper noun should mean only good things to her. Practice whatever y'all can to reinforce this; if you lot tin, treat her every time you lot say her new name in the starting time.
  • Endeavor to avoid using your domestic dog's new name when you scold her. Or give her a middle proper name and use it together with her get-go proper name only for scolding, just similar your mom did when you lot were a kid. She'll learn hearing the two names together means she'southward in problem.
  • Avert naming your dog anything that sounds similar "No." Ditto names that sound like annihilation else you say to correct an undesirable behavior; examples include Bo and JoJo.
  • Pick a new name that starts with the aforementioned letter of the alphabet as the one-time one. Or that includes similar sounds or vowels, but withal holds more entreatment for y'all. This is an splendid strategy for renaming a shelter dog. For instance, Molly can get Maddie, Muffy, or fifty-fifty Polly.

Potential Bug with Renaming Your Dog

As mentioned above, at that place aren't many downsides to renaming your dog as long every bit you take a thoughtful, planned arroyo to the modify. Besides informing friends and family, updating tags or personalized items similar collars and dog beds with your domestic dog'southward name, it should be a smoothen, easy process.

Information technology'due south never as well tardily to change a dog's name, but the time it takes for your dog'due south new name to "stick" varies from a couple of training sessions to a few weeks, depending on the dog; the process will get faster if yous avert using the name aimlessly or associating it with anything negative. But dogs don't process identity like we do—your domestic dog volition larn her new proper noun. And while frequent proper noun changes might exist confusing, most people routinely call their dogs by various nicknames, and the dog somehow "gets" it and responds to all of them. Importantly, apply your dog'due south new proper noun with affection and consistency, and she'll before long recognize it every bit her own.

Have you e'er changed a dog'southward name? Nosotros'd love to hear your story in the comments. Looking for the perfect name for your dog? Y'all can find some great dog names in our 10 Most Pop Dog Names blog post.