Bringing a new dog into your family is a huge step, and what follows is one of the most important decisions you will make: what to name your new pet. You will call upon your canine friend thousands of times throughout your life, so picking a perfect name is essential. Your dog will eventually come to understand certain words and phrases, including their name, but providing early training will integrate your dog into the family faster and provide opportunities for bonding and mentorship with your new pet. Here are some tips about dog names you should know.
Renaming an Old Dog?
Before we begin, some readers might have taken the fantastic step of adopting an older dog abandoned or surrendered by its previous owners. Despite the old adage, an old dog can, in fact, learn new tricks! As long as your family collectively decides on a new name and puts in the work, your new family member will come to understand the sound that its new family is using to communicate with it.
Training Your Pet To Learn Its New Name
Training your dog to identify with its new name is a matter of consistency and reinforcement. In a previous entry, we talked about clicker training for dogs. Starting to incorporate this clicker training while teaching your pup its new name will make future training sessions all the more enjoyable.
Whatever you choose, begin by bringing your dog to a quiet area of the house, away from distractions or other members of the family. Dogs do not understand the meaning of words the same way humans do. Your training should focus on building an association between the specific sound of your dog’s name and the act of getting your dog’s attention.
Allow your dog to explore the room on their own. When they are sufficiently interested in another aspect of the room, call their name and grab their attention. No matter what word you say, your dog will likely turn its head towards you, but you begin to build an association by calling its name! When they respond to your call, reward them with a treat and an optional click from your clicker. Repeat this process as many times as necessary until your dog perks up when it hears its name.
Some dogs might not respond to their name being called, especially if the training area is wide, loud, or full of distractions. By starting in a small enclosed room and eventually building up to the entire house, your dog will easily acclimate to the name. Consistency is key; continue to provide treats and rewards for a successful attempt, and do daily training until you are satisfied with the results.
You should aim to only use the dog’s name in a positive manner during your training, especially if the dog is young. By building a positive association with their name at an early age, you ensure that future training and control of their behavior continues along as smoothly as possible.
Benefits of Teaching Dog Names
Most dogs will learn their name over time, but a dog that knows its name from an early age will be more likely to respond as they age. If your dog gets away from its leash or is acting aggressively towards a person or other dog, calling their name and grabbing their attention can diffuse the situation and teach your dog which behaviors you approve of or disapprove of.
Need more help with the process or want to go beyond name training? Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training is a Bradenton-based dog training and obedience school. We are here for all of your dog training questions and needs.
