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Choosing a name for your dogs says as much about you as it does about your dog. It shows how you perceive your dog, maybe who you are , what your interests are and your relationship with your dog. Depending on whether the dog is a pet, a search & rescue dog, or any other dog that works with the public, it is important to choose a name that gives the proper image, as some dog names can cause people to judge a dog and react positively or negatively/fearfully when meeting it. For example, don't call a dog Killer or Attack. A name is for life so don't call a great Dane Mini or a Chihuahua Giant as it will be soon boring. It is easier to name dogs strange names as the dog will not suffer like a child because his name is odd. Dog names can therefore be more creative than human names because dogs do not need to suffer through other dogs making fun of their names.
The most popular dog name in North America is Sam, Sammie or Samantha (which means "listener").
The second most popular is Max, Maxie, Maxwell or Maxine (which means "the greatest" in Latin).
The Third popular name is Lady.
Then, Bear, Maggie, Buddy, Tasha, Chelsea (or Chelsie), Holly, Shasta, Brandy, Ginger and Taffy.
Dog names are about as important as actually being able to take care of the dog. What you call your dog is a reflection of your personality and at the same time, your dog's name is also an indication of its personality.
Dog names can be based off anything, from people, places, objects, events, and others. Dog names are commonly based off how they look, what colour they are, their personality, or other people – fictional or otherwise – that the owners are fond off. Hunters may name their dogs Triger or Scout, while cinema lovers may name their dogs Rocky or Pirate.
Because of how people these days treat their dogs – that is, as human beings and friends, people tend to name their dogs with human names such a Jesse, Tara or Churchill, rather than the usual Fido, Rover, and Buddy that we've been using since a long time ago. In fact, more people use human names for their dogs than otherwise.
Another recent trend is looking for various words in other languages and adapting them for dog names, like Amor or Neige (snow in French, meaning white dog), or using names in popular culture for their dogs, like Skip, Lady, Hooch, Lou, Beethoven or Lassie (from certain films or cartoon series.
Choose a name that you can shout in public places without embarrassing you. Some people name their dogs Booboo, Shit or Boner, but become embarrassed to say it out loud in the midst of strangers – and for good reason!
Choose a name that you pet will be able to recognize easily. Usually, a name with more solid-sounding consonants, like the letters D, K, and T, are easier to hear. Use words that are only one or two syllables long, because any longer and the dog will have a hard time remembering it. If you choose a long one, use a nickname.
Don't choose a name that will sound like a command that you would give. Don't choose names like Fay because it sounds like Stay, or don't choose Smith or Shit because it sounds like Sit. Some dogs are fine with this, but others have difficulty being able to tell the difference between the words.
Sometimes, it is better to wait for a few days before giving your pet a name so you can match a proper dog name with its individual personality. Regal dogs are more suited for names like Lady and Princess than Rover and Buddy.
There are many groups of names you can choose from, for example from the Bible, from the cinema, Musicians, flowers, Stones and gems, actors, colours, wines, and drinks, places, skills, technology, litterature, cars, geography, languages, stars...just be creative!
Names can be given after the breed, the original use of the dog or his work.
For example German names for German dogs like pointers, the German Sheperd, the Rottweiler, the Dachshund, and the Boxer. Otto, Blitz, Einstein, Fischer, and Hans are popular German male names, while Regina, Gretchen, and Amlyn are popular German female names. These are commonly used for German dogs, though there are also variations that people use, like Gretel and Hansel.
Use Russian names for nordic dogs such as Smoyedes, Laika, Spitz...as they are often thought of as pretty by most people. Tanya, Natasha, Aleksandra, and Natalia, for example, are of Russian origin. If you want an authentic Russian name for your dog, you might have to research a little more to look for the more unique names available to you. Some of the more popular Russian names include Baikal, Rasputin, Boris, Ivan, Anastasia, Sonia, Yeva, and Nika.
Hunting dog names should be more of an indication of what they are good at. Some hunting dogs are good at digging, so many owners look for names that have references in archeology, like Indiana Jones. Some dogs have better senses than other dogs. A hunting dog with a better sense of hearing can be named Daredevil, while a dog with a good sense of smell can be a Pinocchio. Examples of names would be Akita for the males, and Athena for the females. Akita is a great hunter in myths, while Athena is the popular goddess of war in Greek mythology. Other names include Hunter, Holster, target, Berreta,Leader, Sport, Rocket, Scout, and Gauge, Baril, Bolt or Remington...
Names are particularly important for tough dogs with tough jobs, like police dogs and hunting dogs. Especially for police dogs. Police dogs need to be intimidating enough, and should be seen as strong and tough, and even a bit aggressive. Police dogs are the types of dogs that are used because they are not only big and strong, but because they are intelligent and easy to train.
Police dogs are tough and intelligent, but above all, police dogs need to be intimidating to criminals. One of the ways that this can be achieved is if they have a tough appearance, but some police dogs, like the Golden Retrievers, do not look intimidating at all. Their intimidation factor is achieved through their names. Tough names for tough dogs can achieve the maximum effect. There's nothing quite as scary for a criminal than to have a police call out “Bruiser” to sick on him and hear a large dog bark. Police dog names are usually made to sound rough so that criminals become scared of the dog just by hearing its name. Popular police dog names don't come in variants of Killer, Ripper, Fang, and Crusher, though. The police are not gangsters, and use less aggressive sounding names and more tough sounding names. Some of the popular police dog names are Hulk, Hercules, Butch, Conan, Diesel, Xena, and Athena.
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