Naming your puppy

Pick out a name prior to week 6 so when you pick out your puppy we can begin calling it by its chosen name. Two weeks later, when they go home with you, the familiarity will make the transition smoother, making him/her more comfortable in your home.

A Few Tips

• Names should not be longer than two syllables; anything longer will be hard for your dog to understand. I like to have a name that I can emphasize the second syllable when I mean business,

Example: Si-RI, Shim-MER, Ma-JIK.

• Choose a name that starts with a hard consonant such as "K," "M," "T" or "S," these are easier to understand than ones that start with a vowel.

• Stay away from names that sounds like a command like no, stay, sit, come, down, or fetch. Example: Ray is too close to "stay" or Joe, sounds like "No."

• Make sure everyone living in your home is on board with the name. Nothing is more confusing to your puppy than being called Barkley by one family member and Jack by another.

• Look on-line. Many websites have lists of puppy names that will give you ideas.

Finally, this is an exciting time, have fun with it!