Rescue Dog Names

Bringing home a rescue dog is a whole extra level of awesome. Not only do you get a new family friend, but you are giving a second chance at life to a dog that really deserves it. And deciding what to name your new rescue dog has an extra layer of complexity, because not only do you want to choose the name that feels right for you and your new pet, but you might have to navigate them already having a name.

Should I Keep Their Name?

I’m afraid deciding whether to keep their name is not something with a simple yes or no answer. There are pros and cons to both sides.

You might like to keep their name if:

• They seem to like the familiarity of hearing their old name
• They have a recall attached to the name
• It’s a name you would have chosen anyway

You might want to change it if:

• They seem to have negative associations attached to their name
• They have learned to ignore their name as a recall
• The name is a poor fit for your tastes, or does not suit them well
• You already have a family member with that name
• The shelter gave them that name so they’ve not had it very long anyway

My personal feelings are that if you want to change your shelter dog’s name then you should. I do not believe that it will cause any lasting harm even if they did have positive associations with it previously, because you are going to build lovely new positive associations in lots of new ways regardless.

Naming Your Rescue Dog

If you’ve decided to give your new dog a shiny new name, then there are a few rules of thumb that can be handy when making the final decision.

I tend to feel that dog’s get the most out of their name training and familiarity wise when the name is relatively short, so one of two syllables only, has some hard consonants so it’s clear and distinct from other words, and does not sound anything like any of the commands or cues you are planning to teach to them. It’s also a good idea to make sure it doesn’t sound too much like any names of other members of the family, animal or human, to avoid confusion or familiarity making it easy to ignore when their name is said.