So you’re getting a new pet, or maybe you’ve already brought one home, but you have no idea what to name the little guy (or girl!). If that’s the case, there are plenty of great ways to pick that perfect name: from watching your pet in the early stages and seeing what activities he or she gets up to, to looking at his or her physical characteristics, to simply choosing a traditional name, there really is no wrong way to find the name that suits your pet.
Here are a few tips on finding that perfect name:
Traditional Names
Many people like to name their dog or cat a traditional pet name, like Rover, Whiskers, Fluffy, or Max. They don’t care for trendy names, and would prefer to stick to convention. If that’s you, maybe Spot or Buddy might be for you.
Physical Characteristics
Or, if you prefer to name your pet based on his or her physical characteristics, it’s an easy way to go, and one that lots of people choose. You can go with a name based upon his or her color like Snowball or Midnight; or name him for his size and call him Hercules or even Tiny. ‘Spot’ could fall into this category, too!
Activities and Personality
When you first bring your pet home, look at what activities he likes to do. What is her personality? Does she get into trouble a lot? Call her trouble! Is she sweet? Maybe ‘Sweetie’ or ‘Honey’? Or is he always getting into trouble but then giving you puppy dog eyes and wiggling right out? Call him Wiggles!
Favorite Things
Finally, you may simply consider naming your new pet after your favorite thing: a favorite character in a book or television show; maybe after your favorite snack (Hershey is he’s a chocolate Lab?). Whatever matters to you is always a great name, after all, your pet is going to matter a great deal to you.
Remember, when it comes to naming your pet:
- You don’t have to do it right away. It’s a name you’ll both have to get used to, and it’s a name he’ll have for years to come.
- It should not be more than two syllables, as a pet will have trouble remembering it.
- Choose a name that can’t be confused with other commands you will be teaching your dog or cat (like off, down, sit, etc).