Dog Names

• Make a list of your favorite dog names and try them out on your dog, see if there are names he reacts to.


• Choose a name that has more than one syllable and ends in a vowel. This avoids confusion with commands, which are mostly one syllable words. Don't choose a name that sounds like a command (for example "John" and "Come").


• Ask your kids for ideas.


• Reward your puppy when he responds to his new name (hugs, treats, ...).


• Choose a name that fits with your dog's appearance and personality.

Here's a list of the 20 most popular girl dog names (in 1995):

1. Maggie


2. Molly


3. Lady


4. Sadie


5. Lucy


6. Daisy


7. Ginger


8. Abby


9. Sasha


10. Sandy


11. Dakota


12. Katie


13. Annie


14. Chelsea


15. Princess


16. Missy


17. Sophie


18. Bo


19. Coco


20. Tasha

And here's the list of 20 most popular girl dog names (1995 as well):

1. Max


2. Jake


3. Buddy


4. Bailey


5. Sam


6. Rocky


7. Buster


8. Casey


9. Cody


10. Duke


11. Charlie


12. Jack


13. Harley


14. Rusty


15. Toby


16. Murphy


17. Shelby


18. Sparky


19. Barney


20. Winston

Here's a list of typical German dog names, in case you have a German Shepherd or just like the sound of the German language:

• After famous Germans: Freud, Siggi, Sigmund, Amadeus, Mozart, Beethoven, Falco, Nena


• Old German names: Blitz (fast), Hugo (smart), Heidi (noble), Reinhard (strong)


• Boy names: Kaiser, Karl, Otto, Bruno, Audi, Autobahn,Franz, Hanns, Klaus, Luger, Schnaps


• Girl Names: Anka, Anna, Elke, Elsa, Emma, Gretchen, Katrina, Steffi, Danika, Fraulein

Here's a list of Irish dog names, in case you have an Irish Wolfhound or terrier:

Aideen, Bannon, Brady, Callahan, Dillon, Donovan, Dorrie, Eveleen, Finley, Garreth, Glenda, Keely, Rosaleen, Ryan, Sloan.

For those of us who have an Italian Greyhound or Pointing dog, a list of Italian names:

• Italian male dog names: Alberto, Aldo, Alfredo, Antonio, Dante, Eduardo, Fabio, Fabrizio, Francesco, Gino, Georgio, Luigi, Marcello, Mario, Roberto, Romeo, Tito.


• Italian female dog names: Aida, Anita, Aria, Bambi, Caprice, Carolina, Dona, Emilia, Lucrezia, Emanuella, Mona, Natalia, Paola, Rosetta, Tereza.

Owners of a Spanish breed of dog, like the Spanish Greyhound or the Spanish Mastiff, have a look between these Spanish dog names:

• Male Spanish dog names: Carlos, Diego, Esteban, Jose, Lorenzo, Marcos, Miguel, Pedro, Ricardo, Sanchez, Vito.


• Female Spanish dog names: Alicia, Beatriz, Belinda, Bonita, Carmen, Cornelia, Gabriela, Laura, Inez, Lucinda, Magdalena, Maria, Marina, Ramona, Rosanna, Xandra.

Here's a list of French dog names:

• Male French dog names: André, Bordeaux, D'Artagnan, Etienne, Ignace, Jean, Julien, Laurent, Matthieu, Napoleon, Olivier, Noir (black), Pierre, Stephane, Yves.


• Female French dog names: Angelique, Channel, Claudine, Dominique, Loulou, Michelle, Nicolette, Rachelle, Veronique, Violette.

A Chihuahua is a small dog with a big mouth, so names that sound big or small are a good fit for your chihuahua:

• Small names: Baby, Bambi, Bunny, Cuddles, Dinky, Mini, Peaches, Peanut, Shorty, Tinkerbell, Tiny.


• Big names: Big Boy, Brutus, Hulk, Jabba, King Kong, Magnum, Max, Stallone, Rambo, T-rex, Titanic, Harley.

Some suggestions for naming your Golden Retriever, inspired by their golden color:

Amber, Autumn, Bambi, Burgundy, Blondie, Bailey, Butter, Caramel, Cairo, Cognac, Ginger, Honey, Jade, Jasmin, Moon, Nacho, Nevada, Sahara, Sunshine

Some suggestions for naming your boxer, inspired by their 'sturdy' looks:

Admiral, Babyface, Barbarian, Baby, Banzai, Bonzai, Fearless, Gabbi, General, Governess, Hannibal, Honey, Jabba, Loverboy, Maestro, Rambo, Mona Lisa, Nixon, Queen, Romeo, Rosie, Sultan, T-bone, Tyson, Woolf, Yummy, Zigzag.

Here are some suggestions for the poodle lovers amongst us, French names seem to be a good fit:

• Boy Poodle names: Ace, Caeser, Coco, Maurice, Remi, Rosco, Waco, Whisky, Zip.


• Girl Poodle names: Babette, Barbie, Beebee, Loulou, Cleo, Isabelle, Margot, Missy.