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Seriously, how the hell do you decide on a name?
Are most people not that bothered, and we're overthinking it? We don't have kids - I can't imagine how the heck you manage that one.
11 days old, so we've got time...
Two syllable names seem to work well for recall. My other half refused to call ours Wolfgang or Helmut even though he’s a dachshund. Couldn’t see the problem myself.
Simon?
Will you ever have kids? - if yes then write down your top 5 boys and girls names and don't use them for the pooch.
I once had a girlfriend who had the same name as her dad's dog when he was a lad and she moaned a lot about it.
If I had that dog Walter and Jasper would be on the short list
When I saw my dog for the first time, he looked like a Ted. It fitted him, so he was called Ted.
His brother had 'Bilbo' as a puppy name and that did not suit him. I have always liked The Fast Show, so with a Ted in the house, calling him Ralph was an obvious choice.
In order of ownership we've had:
Monty - basset hound
Hector - basset hounds
Basil - basset hound
Darcey - choccy lab
Watson - basset hound
Esther - black lab
Mrs DB is responsible for for the names (I wouldn't dare to encroach)
Get a baby names book and write a short list if you're stuck.
The best dog names are simple.
Dave
Cathy
Phil
Simon
Liz
Eric
Boy or girl?
If boy, looks like a Reg to me
If girl, I'd go with Millie.
@nobeerinthefridge Those are people names. You don't want to be the person shouting the dog and folk asking if you've lost your wean.
Mind you the dog probably still has better recall.
Dogs I have had are
Kai
Bailey
Flynn
Thor
Alf
And last but not least,
Roary.
Kai
Bailey
Flynn
I think my daughter goes to school with all three of those.
Knew a bloke with a labrador called Martin, and another one who had a dog called Christopher. Not Chris, but the full Christopher.
"Pretensions Marmaduke Rocket III" If you are a middle class prat with more interest in showing at cruft's than having a pet.
Monty – basset hound
I named a dog Monty once, because when he was a puppy he looked like a desert rat.
Best name I've heard people calling to their dog is Hopkins. It just works.
Snapper
Scraps
Boogie
Bill
Gibbs
Digby
My last six beasts.
We had one called Surf and now we have Fin.
Name it something you're comfortable shouting across a field.
Fenton?
Two syllable names seem to work well for recall.
Maybe something like Fenton.
edit, damm too slow, spent a couple of mins deciding if it was Fenton or Benton
Charlie
Meg
Fern
Skye
Lady
Flash
Goose
Earl
Will you be taking it to the beach? If so you should call it Shark.
Or chose a name related to it’s lineage. Our dog’s father came from Italy, and it’s kennel name included Enzo Ferrari, so we called him Luca, obviously.
(badoer-google is your friend!)
Our neighbour’s previous dog was called Trevor. It suited him. Their current rescue dog is called Ureshi as she came from Romania and has really big ears. They usually shorten it to Ushi
Beti.
She came from the rescue centre as a Betty and in Basque Beti means Forever (my wife is Basque).
But that probably doesn’t help you.
The simplest way is to get a rescue and they come complete with a name. 🙂
And remember to do the "would I feel a total arse yelling this name across a crowded playing field test" and the will this sound rude combined with the recall word test.
So if you get a choc lab for example don't call it Truffle or Praline or Orange Creme thinking it will be funny...
Minton, so you can use this joke:
A dog called Minton ate a shuttlecock. Badminton.
It looks like a Bracken to me, or maybe Bertie
Our 13 week old is Ada, after Ada Lovelace as she was local to where we live.
Go watch Smack the Pony dating videos and you will want to go with Elton John
Our two greyhound are Sally and Jerry. They came with those names from the revues, but we should have just changed them both to kn*bhead! They are amazing dogs, but definitely kn*bheads.
Off the top of my head
Poppy
Pippi
Gad
Gazza
Leo
Steffi
Rusty
Past dogs
Ben (childhood pet)
Onza (MY dog)
Baiey (came as a package deal with the wife)
Current one
Bella. Rescued at 4.5 years old so came with a name.
She often gets called, Belle, doggo or doggos.
Others have always been called silly names along the way. Bailey was even knows as Squinkles and stinky from time to time.
We fostered a dog around Christmas for the local rescue. His given name was Maverick, ended up calling him Charlie Bucket.
Point is, you're right, you're overthinking it. Name isn't all that important. If you've got something that value, they'll come to you. That might be food and if you build the relationship properly, they'll value your company and recall will be easy. You just need to be sexier than a squirrel.
I like naming dogs after other animals. Bear is a good name for a dog, Pigglet or Piggy would also work.
Wife suggests Bernard
If you live in Scotland you just call it Isla, then scream it fruitlessly across the park as it runs under the wheels of a cyclist/jumps on someone's clean trousers/chases a child and ignores you.
We got our last dog when we were living in N. Wales. We called him Mot which is Welsh for "mut", "pooch".
Then we moved to Yorkshire ...
Alternatively go the farmer's route: "Lie down you f***er! I'll kick your arse when I catch you!"
Father-in-law named a dog Jesus Christ, with predictable results...
Monty so you can yell "you terrible c*%t at it and not feel bad.
We've done our cats by Italian job characters
Croker
Charlie
And camp freddy.
My next dog I think if it's a boy will be Isambard.
Though I fancy some withnail and I characters
Our 13 week old is Ada, after Ada Lovelace
Our neighbours pug/lassoo absinthe thing is Ada Lovelace.
Ours was a reject and came as Harry. I call him Harold.
2 female labs, Poppy and Daisy
1 male jack russell, Kipper
All gone sadly...
All my Farming Father in Laws sheep dogs were called Bastard...
As in " come here you bastard" some had a first name of useless...
Barry.
RM.
My mum's dog is called Domino thanks to the pattern on his back when he was a puppy. Thankfully he also responds to Dom so I just call him Dog, I get some funny looks when walking him and a few people have asked when I'm going to name him 🤣
I'd actually just give it a few days and a name will suggest itself to you as his/her character comes out.
Two syllables and something not too human.
We had Merlot. Then Orla for a girl. But now we have Henry. And I wanted Kibble for personal reasons but that was over ruled.
At 12 weeks old Henry seems to be Mild Mannered. I get some serious looks from Mrs TiRed for that one.
My daughter’s gone for Chocco, Rocco or Puddi... but our mutt is named after a Trolls character and so perhaps we are not the best for suggestions 🐶
Our two greyhound are Sally and Jerry. They came with those names from the revues, but we should have just changed them both to kn*bhead! They are amazing dogs, but definitely kn*bheads.
See also; Buttface, arsehole, prick of a dug.
I love my Mikey but my god can he be a total dickhead.
I can't believe no-one has mentioned the two most obvious 'shout out loud' dog names.
FORE!
TIMBER!
Try giving those a holler
The dog doesn’t care, it’s what the neighbourhood thinks when you start shouting it out loud that’s important.
@ whitestone
Hate to break it to you mate, but Mot is South Welsh slang for a ladies pubic hair.
In your defence, South Welsh and North Welsh do differ considerably .
Holly - rescued her two days before Christmas
Archibald - suitably daft name
Avoid Nala and Luna, already know about 3 of each!
Colin and Dave are comedy, but daft.
Trickster is what we chose as she was originally a Sophie, then the foster couple started calling her Trixie, but I thought that sounded like a vintage showgirl, so the Trickster god it was.
Rescues here too, never changed their names. It would need to be rotten before we would consider it!
I didn't get any choice the kids basically picked them
Gemma - RSPCA rescue already named
Ruby - another rescue with no name
Eric - GSP
Welly (Wellington) - rescue lab (he answered more to Wally as Eric and Wally sounded like two old boys down the pub
Margot - WHFT
Mr Bingley - Parsons arriving soon to keep Margot entertained
I have tried and will try to get both terriers recalling to a whistle (easier said then done) saves shouting
At 12 weeks old Henry seems to be Mild Mannered.
Hong Kong Phooey? After years of thinking his name was Henry, it was recently pointed out to me on Twitter, that the mild mannered janitor was actually called Penrod Pooch, or Penry for short.
WRT dog names, ours was named Riley, after a character on an American programme my daughter was watching at the time.
When I was in charge of naming pets we had a Marlon, Kylie and Tinkerbell.
Since my daughter became old enough to decide, they've all ended with an 'ee'. Robbie, Bobby, Toby and now the only dog on that list, Henry.
Anyway, that dog is definitely a Jarvis.
Epic response, thanks all so far...
We do have a shortlist of names (no kids in our future) and it's a boy; our current 'best' are Finn (Finnegan), Tucker, Huxley or Boyd. I think they all sound a bit pretentious?
FWIW, our old dog passed earlier this year. He was (and this as-yet-untitled pup is) a cocker Spaniel, so we know what we're getting into!
My grandad served in India during the war and since then all the bitches he owned where called Jaldi, which is Hindi for soon/haste/hurry. My mother carried on the tradition and in turn I have too.
I've had two male dogs, one called socks as he was a boxer with four white socks and the current boxer is called dash after his puppy habit of dashing clumsily around the place.
I'm not keen on people names for animals.
Our family rescues were:
Brock - we figured out the kennel named all black and white spanniels Brock 😂
Toby
Toby (why is that a popular name?)
Our short-lived rescue was called Teddy. Do not name a big dog something that fluffy 😂 He was a 42kg Akira/Rotty cross!
Friends have Dexter. For the opposite reason. He's a Cavapoochon and needs a tough name to avoid being bullied.
Another friend has:
Fidget
Trouble
Dave
Fidget apparently fidgeted.
Trouble apparently looked like trouble.
Dave apparently looked like a Dave.
Ours already had a name, was Hope, which being bike related worked for me. 2 syllables are better though, as someone already said. She ended up being called Hopey. Or Hopeless. or Lolo (from Harry Enfield’s “poor lulu”, Yeah, I know)
Bum, now I’m sad again.
Dave is great. Or Katherine.
My local farmer has a dog called 'YA FKN AAARGH GET BACK HERE', this is not it's real name but it's the one he uses most.
Boomer.
Cheslin
With my wife and I being massive MotoGP fans we’ve named our two dogs and the kennel names (we get on really well with the breeder so she gave us permission) with a rider theme. We’ve got Jimanns ‘The Doctor’ and called him Rossi (as in Valentino Rossi)
And we’ve just taken delivery of this little munchkin last Friday 🤗
Jimanns Jackass aka Miller
https://flic.kr/p/2mg5Pqd
[img] 
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We settled on Brooke, after her big sister River
Cover your eyes and step outside. Uncover your eyes and name the dog after the first thing you see.
Cover your eyes and step outside. Uncover your eyes and name the dog after the first thing you see.
"Two scallies humping" a name that works on a council estate or at cruft's.
Have a look at a map of Scotland and pick a name from one of the islands
Cute... not sure why but I'm getting a Jerry or a Carl for your pooch.
Two rescues Dotty is now Mollie and Duke is now Dave. Previous Tyson became Terry.
A cocker you say? A very good choice! Ralph is a cocker and, as much as I loved Ted, Springers are a less convenient size of dog. Ted was 25kg in his prime and he was significantly more difficult to manage when he was covered in filth and needed washing, or needed picking up for whatever reason. Ralph is smaller, 12kg and a lot easier to handle. A lot less scary to kids as well, although the same probability to steal food from them.
Tucker... Maybe as a surname with Malcolm as a first name. Or, for comedy value "Meold", as in "Me old cocker".
🤷♂️ a duck flew past the car on the way home after collecting ours so we named her Ducky...
Hi Simian
I think your short list is great, preferred the first 3 over Boyd though. Can I add in Quinn and Cooper....
Gorgeous looking pup
Google translate, type in the word "dog" scroll through the languages till you find one you like.
My last dog was Perra. Next will be Kuta.
I'm a bloody genius at this
Anyway, that dog is definitely a Jarvis.
And an hour later,
... and this as-yet-untitled pup is) a cocker Spaniel,
How could it be anything else but Jarvis Cocker? 🤷♂️
I've had
Sparky - Wire haired Jack Russel shaped thingy
Race-car*- rescue-dog; shaggy haired lab/retriever
Paddy - World's stupidest Patterdale
* It's a stupid name, what can I say...so we called him Grinner mostly.
mrs upsidedown is a pet doctor, apparently there's a load of mutts out there called variations upon Dfor, Difa, D'for, etc. 'D for Dog' is the logic, apparently.
This is Ada
https://flic.kr/p/2mfP6sp
One of her Brothers is called Riot
Don't forget the name you give your dog may not be the one it actually gets called by.
Chloe was Bot
Poppy was The Oaf, Floppy or Flop
Skye is now Skye Boo or more often just Boo
Mabel is Mabel Moo and more often just Moo
So we have Moo and Boo
etc
etc
That said for the purposes of recall etc we always use their actual names...
Sindrum.
.
Then when he jumps up at people you can shout 'Down Sindrum!' very loudly.
Agree with the two syllables thing. Our labs have been Murphy, Amber and Lola. Or Smurf, fishy and bonkers as they are known inside the house 😉
There's someone in the dog walking group who named their spaniel 'Brexit'. Without - apparently - a hint of irony. So don't do that 😉
Had a Judah, Toad and Xena.
Definitely look for something that isn't a common human name.
Luna, Zeus, Merlin, Ryzen, Inca, Ferengi, Tanto, Jello, Banzai...
Sabre for our German Shepherd or often just Dog, after a shop we happened to drive past on the way to pick him up.
Vexorg, Destryoyer of cats and Devourer of Chickens?