Adopting a dog is an amazing experience. You saved a life and are giving your new pooch a fresh start. Bringing home your bundle of furry joy should be a clean slate for your pup. This is their rebirth, their chance to be loved. Regardless of his age you can rename your rescue dog. This will help him understand that you are his wellspring for love and all things positive.
There are several good reasons to rename your dog. Shelters & rescue centers will give animals temporary names. For instance, if the dog was found digging on the side of a road, he might be named Digger. On the other hand, some pups arrive with names from their previous life.
If your adopted dog has a history of being mistreated, keeping his name will cause him to stress and fear you. The old owner would have screamed his name right before the abuse ensued. Gift your new companion with a different name. Use treats and lots of praise when he responds to his new name.
Renaming Your Dog
Your dog’s new name should only mean good things for him. Reinforce this by using treats and praise when he responds to his name. He will begin to associate his turn of phrase with all things wonderful. Once your rescue dog realizes his name brings joyous rewards, he will happily turn to you for guidance.
Please avoid using his name when he’s been naughty. His name should only bring good vibes. Instead consider giving him a middle name and use his first and middle name only when he’s in trouble.
When renaming your cuddle bug keep it simple. Choose a name with no more than three syllables. Try names like Tango, Eartha, or Atticus. Short names mean you can get their attention quickly when it is needed.
If you are planning on training your rescue dog, do not give a name that sounds like a command. For instance, don’t call your dog Bo if you plan on using the command “slow”. This will cause confusion for your pup. The same goes for family names. If your daughter’s named Lilly, resist the temptation to call your dog Tilly.
How Do Dogs Learn Their Name?
Dogs process words differently than humans. When you say your dog’s name, he is responding to the tone and pitch of your voice. Therefore, dogs respond with eager faces and tails wagging when you say, “Who’s a good boy”? Your dog is acknowledging the happiness in your voice.
Call his name in a happy and high-pitched tone. Reward him with treats, toys, and praise when he responds to you. Repetition is key. It may take your rescue a few training sessions to a few weeks to understand his name.
You can teach any dog a new name with patience, love and of course rewards.
Have you renamed your rescue dog? Which name did you choose? I would love to hear your story in the comments.
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wow! these are amazing tips for taking care of a dog’s name!
thanks for sharing!
p.s I love lilly and tilly, amazing!
Hari,
Thank you for stopping by. Happy to hear you appreciate my tips. I’ve always loved the name Lilly.
These are great tips! If I ever get a dog in the future I’ll keep this post in mind! Doggies are really so cute and loyal. 🙂
Kathleen,
Thank you, I’m glad you find these tips useful. They truly are our best friends.
I have a dog, but she is not a rescue dog, she is a regular dog. I enjoyed the post a lot. ✊🏿
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Thank you for stopping by.
I never thought of the old name having negative associations. Makes sense and of course doable to change a name. Thanks for learning something new.
Amelia,
Thank you for stopping by. I’m happy to hear you learned something new in my article.
I love this! I would want a rescued pup to have a great association with a new name as well, especially if he came from a bad background. Such great tips, and positive reinforcement with treats is something we do.
Enjoyed reading
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
Thank you Jess. I’m happy you enjoyed my article.
great tips! I’ll definitely share them with those rescuing a pup! thanks for sharing
Michelle,
Glad you found this article helpful. Thank you for sharing it.
Love these tips. We’ve rescued several dogs and never knew how shelter dogs received their names. I’ll definitely have to pass this along to others I know who are looking at rescuing a pup.
Thank you for passing this article to other people. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed these tips.
I renamed my rescue dog Walter. Honestly, I can’t remember now what his original name was, but Walter suits him so well! What a sweet post!
I recently adopted an eight year old husky. The name he came with was Noodle. I wanted something better for this sweet boy. Your article was very helpful in giving him a good name. His new name is Malachi. It’s a perfect fit because he is my angel.
Abigail,
I’m so happy this article was able to help you. Malachi is a beautiful name.