Dogs are considered family members, and appropriately naming your family member is important. The dog naming process may seem unnerving considering the thousands of options you have; however, it should be fun and exciting. Dog names can be inspired by anything from your favorite actor, pop musician, band, flower, food to nature. What is of importance is that YOU love the name. Whenever you say it, you should feel a spark of joy.
What’s in a name?
One of the key ways of communicating with your dog is through his name. Once your dog hears his name, it should grab his attention and provide the promise of good times or things. The naming process is an intimate part of dog ownership, so make the best out of it.
Once you finally find the perfect name, properly ID your dog to keep him safe.
These are some fun names to choose for your boy dogs:
Baby name edition
Some people like the sound of a human name on their dogs. Well, you are not alone. Usually, we expect to hear generic names for our dogs, but human names have character and are now more preferred. Here are exciting dog names for boy dogs that are also unique:
- Moose
- Rusty
- Ace
- Clayton
- Cody
- Tobin
- Bruno
- Bosco
- Lars
- Finn
- Cooper
- Charlie
- Milo
- Duke
- Zeus
Sci-fi or Fantasy boy dog names
Isn’t it fascinating how diverse dog names can get, especially when they are boys and the varieties are endless? If you are a Sci-fi kind of pet owner and you want your love for Science fiction to reflect in your genius dog names. Here’s a great list to pick from:
- Optimus Prime – From the Transformers movie
- Porthos – from Star Trek
- R2 – from Star Wars
- Buck – from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
- Astro – from The Jetsons
- Gaff- from the Blade Runner
- Groot – from Guardians of the Galaxy
- Cypher- from The Matrix
- Drax – From Guardians of the Galaxy
- Egon – from Ghostbusters
- Hiro- from Snow Crash
Celebrity dog names
There is a certain allure to naming your dog after a hall-of-famer. Not only does it sound so cool, but it also brings the celebrity home. What better name than a celebrity dog name for your adorable star. Celebrity inspired names are innovative and add not only humor but personality to your furry friend.
Here’s a list of brilliant names:
- Bono
- Biggie
- Clooney
- Vedder (Eddie Vedder)
- Cash (Jonny Cash)
- Kobe
- Kanye
- Picasso
- Maynard
- Romo (Tony Romo)
- Mozart
- Nicks (Stevie Nicks)
- Loki
- Conan (Conan O’Brien)
- Thor
Gentleman-like dog names
With the rise in human names for dogs, many antique sophisticated names would blow your mind. Gentleman-like dog names exude a dog’s outstanding characteristics such as handsome, cultured, and confident. These proper “old school” names are charmingly refined. They certainly would be an excellent choice for any dog:
- Winston
- Percy
- Louis
- Franklin
- Oliver
- Admiral
- Bentley
- Edgar
- Clemens
- Barney
Punny Clever dog names
Currently, with the prevalence of social media in our culture, a lot has been quickly embraced. One of such things is the meme culture. Everyone loves a good pun. What better name to bestow on your dog than a name that leaves you quietly chuckling? Here are some clever names for your male dog:
- Bark Twain
- Hairy Paw-ter
- Bark Obama
- Droolius Ceaser
- The Notorious D.O. G
- 50 Scent
- Santa Paws
- Paw-casso
- James Bone
- Bilbo Waggins
- Beowoff
- Fur-dinand
- Fleasy E
- Theodore Labsvelt
- Stu Padaso
Tough dog names
Tough dog names are a good fit, especially when your dog has a rough, fierce look. Dogs with broad shoulders, large bodies, and a stance that implies they mean business. A tough name, however, doesn’t automatically mean your dog is mean. It could only mean your dog is very loyal and feisty.
- Holt
- Jet
- Ryder
- Major
- Wayde
- Scrapper
- Beast
- Spook
- Captain
- Phantom
- Fang
- Bear
- Colt
- Hawk
- Trooper
Food-based dog names
We all have that one thing we identify with, and for most, that is food. Most foodies would love to have a pet with a food-based name. It may seem unusual, but there’s a trend of naming dogs after foods. These names are unique and delicious, and you don’t have to be a foodie to use them:
Candy and sweets
- BonBon
- Gumball
- Pez
- Rollo
- Hershey
- Fudge
- Oreo
Baked foods
- Bagel
- Brownie
- Pita
- Muffin
- Twinkie
- Crème Puff
- Donut
- Crumble
- Pudding
- Waffles
- Cookie
- Truffle
Other unclassified food names include:
- Lemon
- Peanut
- Nugget
- Pepper
- Chip
- Melon
Weather-based names
Rain or sunshine; your furry friend will always be your best friend. Our dogs help us weather the storms in our lives and celebrate with us when the sun shines again. Weather-based boy dog names are not only cute but often than not represent your furry’s temperament, making them perfect.
Here’s a list that highlights all kinds of weather:
- Bolt
- Flash
- Twister – it’s another name for a tornado
- Frosty
- Thunder
- Nino – short for El Nino
- Yuki – means snow in Japanese
- Dawn
- Dusky
- Ice
- Snowy
Mythological dog names
Mythology offers many significant name ideas for man’s canine friend. From the names of gods and heroes to monsters, these names are magical and mystical. Choose your dog’s mythological name wisely from this list:
- Adonis – lover of Aphrodite
- Aries – A constellation about fleece sold by the Argonauts and Jason
- Beowulf – A hero who fought Grendel, a great monster
- Argo – The ship on which the Argonauts and Jason sailed on
- Apollo – Greek god of sun, music, and truth
- Cupid – god of love and desire
- Echo – nymph who lived on Mt. Cithaeron
- Griffin – a creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.
- Gemini – zodiac constellation associated with Castor and Pollux
- Hermes – Greek god of heraldry, trade, trickery, and sports
- Leo – A lion killed by Heracles
- Nyx – Greek god of the night
- Phoenix – Greek bird that is reborn after death from its ashes
- Orion – Greek huntsman and constellation
- Odin – the Norse god of poetry, wisdom, war, and magic
Pro tips on factors to consider when choosing a name for your dog
If you are at the naming step, this probably means you have a new dog. So, congratulations! Finding the right name for your dog can be a little daunting. There are over a thousand potential dog names, and it is your job to get the right one. Take time to narrow down your options to make it a little easier.
1.Choose a name you like.
You are going to be using your dog’s name a lot, so you should enjoy how it sounds. Practice saying it repeatedly and see whether you like how it rolls off your tongue, and it doesn’t make you bored or irritated after a few seconds.
2. Stick to a name with fewer syllables
You may have noticed that the bulk of commands for dogs are short, so either have one or two syllables. This is because it makes it easier for your dog to understand. The same reasoning is applied when naming your dog. If you give your dog a name with more than two syllables, it will get lost in translation between his ears and brain.
If you had settled on a longer name, work out an appropriate shortened version that your dog can easily recognize. Inevitably, in the long run, it will be shortened, so perform the nickname test and see if you like the sound of it.
3. Avoid names that sound like commands
Avoid names that sound like or rhyme with dog commands that you often use. Names that rhyme or sound like “no,” “come,” “heel,” “sit,” “down,” “fetch” can be easily confused by your dog during obedience training.
You do not want a name, for example, like Mitt because when you tell him to sit, then your dog is likely to think you are calling him over.
4. Choose a name you are comfortable saying in public.
One of the many places you are going to call your dog’s name out loud frequently is the dog park. For this reason, you want to ensure it’s a name you are comfortable yelling out in public. Your favorite band may be called Septic Death, but is that something you are comfortable yelling out in public place.
5. Choose a name that doesn’t sound similar to your other pets.
Your new dog should have a unique name that doesn’t sound like any other pet’s name that you have. Imagine having a Spot and a Scott, your dog, and other pets are bound to get confused whenever you call them.
6. Consider your dog’s history or heritage.
Finding the breed history of your dog is an excellent way to find the perfect name. For a Scottish breed such as a Scottish Terrier or Cairn Terrier, a name like Calum or Angus would be a great fit. An African dog breed such as the Basenji or Sloughi would be significantly suited by a boy dog name like Moyo or Simba.
7. Positively reinforce the new name.
Once you choose a name, try to reinforce it positively. Avoid punishing him while using his name as your dog will associate his name with pain and not respond to it due to fear. Instead, call his name out and give him a treat or an affectionate pat. This way, your dog will associate his name with positive things and be very excited when you call him.
8. Choose a name and stick to it
When adopting a dog from a shelter, they usually already have a name. Fortunately, you do not have to keep this name. You could rename your dog with a name with similar sounds. For example, if he was called Charley, you can consider Harley.
Once you settle on a name, you shouldn’t regularly change it. One or two changes within the first two months are acceptable. After deciding on one, positively reinforce it.
Naming pets has much more leeway than naming children, therefore have fun with it. Let your imagination flow, involve your family members, and let it be an unforgettable experience. There’s no rush; take a couple of days and brainstorm with your family before settling on a suitable name. Whichever name you choose, you will all have to live with it for a long time, so choose wisely.
