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

Renaming your domestic dog is easy and you lot can do it at any age, young or sometime. She does not really intendance what you call her, whether a archetype name or a more outdoorsy dog name —as long every bit she understands you are the source of all adept things and that she belongs to you. And in some situations giving your pooch a new moniker is non merely okay, just really good for her.

Renaming Your Dog is Advised…

  • When you adopt a shelter dog . Chances are she came to y'all with a proper noun. Merely discover out if the shelter assigned her a proper name to requite her more than entreatment or to "market" her to an adoptive family unit. In this case she's probably unused to her new name if she even knows it at all, and irresolute it will be of little consequence to her. If she was an owner surrender, her proper name may be familiar to her and keeping it can exist a source of stability and security while she settles in. You can still change her name when y'all feel the time is correct, even after a full year or more. Whether you should rename your rescue domestic dog or non is upwards to you. If you like her rescue name, then by all means, keep it.
  • When your new canis familiaris was removed from an abusive abode. Changing her name is an act of kindness; she may, in fact, continue to associate her quondam name with abuse. Your dog needs a new lease on life and giving her a new name tin can actually help her make a make clean start.
  • When your dog has learned to ignore her name. It'southward time for a new ane. The primary reason to name her in the outset place is safety: calling out your dog's name is the best tool you lot've got to grab her attending, which makes her more likely to execute the control that follows. If over the grade of years you've tirelessly repeated her name when you lot want her to come merely she stubbornly continues doing any she wants instead, information technology'south time for a new proper noun, paired with rewards-based dog preparation .

How to Rename Your Dog

  • Take your fourth dimension. You don't need a new name prepare the instant y'all cross the threshold with your new canis familiaris. It'due south okay to hang out for a couple of days and go to know her, detect her personality, discover her quirks, study the markings on her coat, and see whether some distinguishing trait emerges—maybe she's appreciating, playful, agile—something that might influence what you choose to call her. For now, a friendly "Here, girl!" will suffice, followed past praise and dog treats ; this is how yous offset bonding with her. She is only getting to know you, and for the time beingness will respond to your upbeat voice and torso language.
  • Reward her response to her new name with treats. For the start few days you're using your dog'southward new name, carry treats in your pocket. When you want her attention, telephone call out her new name. And then immediately smile, praise her liberally, and treat her; do this even if she is unresponsive—she will presently larn the new word means adept things are coming and will begin to admit it every fourth dimension she hears it.
  • Combine the one-time dog name with the new one. If her old name is long-established, smoosh it together with her new proper noun and call her by both for a while. For example, if Sally is to be Maddie, call her SallyMaddie until she recognizes it, and then drop the Sally.

Helpful Dog Name Changing Tips

  • Your domestic dog'southward new name should mean but good things to her. Practise whatever yous can to reinforce this; if you tin, care for her every time you say her new name in the kickoff.
  • Try to avert using your domestic dog's new proper noun when y'all scold her. Or give her a middle name and use it together with her first proper noun merely for scolding, just like your mom did when you were a kid. She'll learn hearing the two names together means she's in trouble.
  • Avoid naming your dog anything that sounds similar "No." Ditto names that sound like anything else yous say to right an undesirable beliefs; examples include Bo and JoJo.
  • Pick a new name that starts with the same letter equally the old one. Or that includes similar sounds or vowels, but still holds more appeal for you. This is an excellent strategy for renaming a shelter dog. For instance, Molly can become Maddie, Muffy, or even Polly.

Potential Bug with Renaming Your Domestic dog

Every bit mentioned to a higher place, there aren't many downsides to renaming your dog as long equally you take a thoughtful, planned arroyo to the change. Too informing friends and family, updating tags or personalized items similar collars and dog beds with your dog's name, it should exist a polish, easy process.

It's never too tardily to change a domestic dog'due south name, simply the time information technology takes for your domestic dog's new name to "stick" varies from a couple of preparation sessions to a few weeks, depending on the dog; the process volition become faster if you avoid using the proper name frantically or associating it with annihilation negative. Only dogs don't process identity like we practice—your domestic dog will learn her new proper name. And while frequent name changes might be confusing, almost people routinely call their dogs by various nicknames, and the canis familiaris somehow "gets" it and responds to all of them. Chiefly, apply your dog'south new name with amore and consistency, and she'll soon recognize information technology as her own.

Accept you ever inverse a canis familiaris's name? We'd love to hear your story in the comments. Looking for the perfect name for your dog? You can discover some swell dog names in our 10 Nearly Popular Dog Names blog mail.