Table of Contents
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become more than popular in today’s society; it’s become imperative. We can’t function without it. Companies use AI to manufacture products, work on assembly lines and more. Banks use AI to count money and keep up-to-the-minute tabs on the stock market.
However, banks, companies, factories and other large-scale establishments aren’t the only ones who depend on AI for day-to-day activities. Every day, regular Joes like you and me would have a hard time doing without it, too. How many times a day does your car, phone or GPS system re-route your drive to work to help you get there on time in bad traffic? How often do you wake up and ask, “Alexa, what’s the weather look like today?” Many of us even have more advanced AI in our homes to help with cleaning or security.
AI is everywhere and can do everything.
So why not let AI pick the perfect name for your new dog?
We here at Dogphase have developed this quick and easy algorithm that allows you to do just that. You can find the perfect name for your dog simply by entering your dog’s gender and your, the owner’s, name. Our algorithm will choose the perfect name for your dog in as little as ten seconds. What could be easier?!
In addition to finding a great name for your dog, you can also use this tool to have a lot of fun. Try using your dog’s gender with your middle or last names. Use the names of other people in your household, such as your spouse, children or parents. The possibilities are limitless. If you’re truly stuck on names, you could simply keep putting in different names and have the algorithm keep generating new names for you to consider.
Of course, if you’d rather choose your dog’s name the old-fashioned, do-it-yourself way, but you’re stuck, there are definitely some tips and tricks to keep in mind.
*Note: To avoid a lot of unnecessary him/her, he/she, etc., all dogs will be referred to as “he/him/his” from this point on unless otherwise specified.*
Let Your Dog’s Personality Dictate the Name
You don’t have to name your dog the moment you meet him, especially if you get him as a puppy. Puppies don’t actually have the capability to start learning their names until they are at least eight weeks old, and it usually takes them a little longer than that. This gives you time to get to know your puppy and find out how he is going to behave.
If he is feisty and energetic, you might want to give him a name that reflects that fiery personality. If your puppy is more laid back and lazy, then a slower, more chill name might be in order. Other things to consider are: Does your puppy bark a lot? Is your puppy a gnawer or chewer? Is he a tail-wagger? In these cases, there are many appropriate names you could choose to reflect his personality.
Does Your Dog Have Any Distinctive Features that Could Dictate His Name?
There is a reason that names like “Spot” and “Blackie” are such common names for dogs. They are very accurate to the dog’s appearance. There are other things to look at to get inspiration for appearance-inspired names. Your new puppy’s coat color could be a factor. Whether or not your puppy looks as though he’s going to be fat or thin, tall/long or short, or other size-related factors are great too.
We once had a dog named “Stubs.” We called her this because out of her entire litter, she was the only one born without a tail. All her siblings had long, wagging tails. She had a little stub on her butt. Incidentally, she also had stubby little legs as well. Stubs was the perfect name for her. A large doggy smile or exceptionally big ears can also spawn some great names.
Consider Why You Have Your Dog
People buy/adopt/rescue dogs for a variety of reasons. Consider why exactly you decided to get your new puppy. Will this dog be a service animal to assist with a medical condition? If so, consider names that honor that, such as “Hope,” “Haven” or “Serenity.” If this dog is to be a service animal for a child, consider strong, superhero-type names, such as “Krypto” or “Robin,” so your child will feel safe with his new dog.
If you and your new pal are going to be doing a lot of outdoorsy type things, such as hunting, fishing, hiking or camping, a more earthy name might be appropriate. If, instead, your new dog is mostly going to be a spoiled couch potato who eats off your plate and steals your pillow at night, names like “Princess,” “Diva,” “Louis,” or “Lexus” might be more suitable.
If you bought your new friend for protection, a strong name like “Warrior,” “Fang,” “Huntress,” or “Artemis” could be a good idea.
Don’t Be Afraid to Go Outside Your Language
If you are a native-English speaker, you might think you are limited on your name choices by the language you speak. However, don’t be afraid to look at other languages to find a more original name.
For instance, if you have a particularly fluffy female dog, but you don’t want to name her “Fluffy,” you might want to look for other translations of that word. The Italian word for “fluffy” is “soffici.” Soffi is an adorable name for a super fluffy dog.
“Nero” and “Noir” are translations of the word “black,” and would be great for a solid black dog. “Love” is translated into Finnish as “Rakkaus,” which is another unique and interesting name for your new dog. “Inu,” in Japanese, is simply “dog” but sounds much nicer in Japanese.
Consider Unique Names from Books, Television and Movies
Another way people often choose names for their pets is from their favorite shows, movies or books. There is a reason Arya was the fourth most popular baby name of 2019. Game of Thrones has been one of the most popular television shows in the world since its second season, and everyone wanted their own baby Arya. Pets’ names are no different.
If you can match your new dog’s personality to a favorite character, that makes the name all the more special. For instance, if your new dog is chubby and a bit bumbly and clumsy, maybe consider naming him after popular chubby, clumsy characters in media, like Samwise, Baloo, Shrek or Hagrid.
If your tastes run more to the obscure and lesser-known works of art, that’s fine, too. We once had two male dogs who were siblings. Their names were Rexidi and Mr. Vandemar. I’m not sure that I ever met a single person who understood the references, but that didn’t matter. They were the perfect names for those brothers, and we never regretted choosing them.
(For those who are curious, Rexidi is from an obscure book called Hand of Prophecy by relatively unknown author Severna Park. Mr. Vandemar is from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, first a novel and then a mini-series on BBC.)
Don’t Be Afraid to Use Humor
Many people also enjoy taking popular, well-known names and changing them up just a little to make a great pun for their dogs’ names. Some examples of these include Hairy Pawter, Frank and Stein (for two brothers), Bobbie and Marley (sisters), Bark Ruffalo, Chewbarka, Furcules and more. If you love filling your life with humor, one of these silly names might just be perfect for your new furry friend. Our personal favorites are probably Punky Chewster and Snarls Barkley.
Length of the Name Matters
Dogs are exceptionally smart animals and will quickly learn their names once they hit eight to twelve weeks old. However, in cases where the names are exceptionally long, such as George Washington Dogger, you’ll want to have a much shorter, more succinct nickname for your dog to get used to hearing. George Washington Dogger might be a bit much for your puppy to respond to and remember, but “Georgie,” “G.W.” or even “G-Dog” would work just fine.
However, you don’t want the name to be too short. Most vets and trainers agree that your new pup’s name must be longer than one single syllable to make it sound more like a name and less like a command. More than two syllables can often be too many, though, so names with exactly two syllables are ideal.
Two syllable names are perfect because they don’t sound like a command such as “Sit” or “Fetch,” but they are also short enough for a dog to recognize that you are directing it at him, not just talking.
Another thing to remember is that your dog’s name shouldn’t sound like a commonly given command. For example, if you name your dog “Joe,” he could easily get confused when you say his name and when you are telling him “no.” The same goes for names like “Kit” (sit), “Jay” (stay) or others in the same vein.
Don’t Name Your Dog Something Vulgar or Embarrassing
Please don’t give your dog a name that is vulgar, rude or otherwise embarrassing. You may think it is cute to call your dog a vulgarity at home; it isn’t, but you might think it is. However, eventually you’re going to be in public with your dog or someone is going to be with you when you have to give your dog a command. You don’t want to have to use those vulgarities in front of other people.
Furthermore, giving dogs names that can also be offensive to a certain group of people is also not okay. Don’t name your solid black dog a derogatory term for a black person. Don’t name chihuahuas derogatory names for Hispanics. Just be kind and respectful in your naming. Your dog is innocent and loves and trusts you completely; don’t give him a name he’d be ashamed of if he could understand its meaning.
Final Tips
If you are still stuck on a great name for your dog, we highly recommend you give our Dog Name Generator a real chance. It’s full of great names for dogs of both genders, and it takes your own name into account to help find something that sounds especially good.
Once you’ve chosen your dog’s perfect name – either with our generator or through means of your own – there are a few really important things to remember about teaching your dog his name and using it in the future.
While teaching your dog to respond to his name, use it often. Don’t repeat it over and over again, but use his name liberally when talking to him. “Come here, Bandit.” “Good boy, Bandit!” “Sit, Bandit.” Repetition in conversation is key, but don’t repeat it over and over nonsensically.
Furthermore, encourage him to focus on you and you alone when you’ve called him by name. Say his name in an upbeat, happy, excited tone. Once he starts focusing in on you when you’ve called his name, reward him. Tell him he’s been a good boy and even give him a treat. This will help him learn to associate his name with something good. Repeat this process often in the first couple of weeks.
Finally, never use your dog’s name in anger. When you are angry with your dog or scolding him for misbehaving, do so without angrily speaking his name. If you are constantly using your dog’s name in an angry tone to scold him and then following that up with some form of punishment, your dog – especially if he’s still in the process of learning his name – might start to associate his name with something bad and start cringing, hiding or feeling scolded each time you call to him. He might even begin to actively avoid you when you call him by name, fearing punishment. You don’t want that.
If you have any more questions about naming your dog and teaching him to recognize it, do some research or talk to a trainer or vet. Most importantly, never become impatient with your new friend. He will learn. Just give him the time and the safe space he needs to do so.