When his family adopted him, they had no idea what his name was. Now it’s Pedey.
Photo by Phil Monahan
Renaming your dog is easy and you can do it when she is any age, young or old. She does not really care what you call her, whether a classic name or a more outdoorsy dog name—as long as she understands you are the source of all good things and that she belongs to you. And in some situations giving your pooch a new moniker is not only okay, but actually good for her.
Renaming Your Dog Is Advised…
- When you adopt a shelter dog. Chances are she came to you with a name. But find out if the shelter assigned her a name to give her more appeal or to “market” her to an adoptive family. In this case she’s probably unused to her new name if she even knows it at all, and changing it will be of little consequence to her. If she was an owner surrender, her name may be familiar to her and keeping it can be a source of stability and security while she settles in. You can still change her name when you feel the time is right, even after a full year or more. Whether you should rename your rescue dog is up to you. If you like her rescue name, then by all means, keep it.
- When your new dog was removed from an abusive home. Changing her name is an act of kindness; she may, in fact, continue to associate her old name with abuse. Your dog needs a new lease on life and giving her a new name can actually help her make a clean start.
- When your dog has learned to ignore her name. It’s time for a new one. The main reason to name her in the first place is safety: Calling out your dog’s name is the best tool you’ve got to grab her attention, which makes her more likely to execute the command that follows. If over the course of years you’ve tirelessly repeated her name when you want her to come but she stubbornly continues doing whatever she wants instead, it’s time for a new name, paired with rewards-based dog training.
How To Rename Your Dog
- Take your time. You don’t need a new name ready the instant you cross the threshold with your new dog. It’s okay to hang out for a couple of days and get to know her, observe her personality, discover her quirks, study the markings on her coat, and see whether some distinguishing trait emerges—maybe she’s affectionate, playful, agile—something that might influence what you choose to call her. For now, a friendly “Here, girl!” will suffice, followed by praise and dog treats; this is how you start bonding with her. She is just getting to know you, and for the time being will respond to your upbeat voice and body language.
- Reward her response to her new name with treats. For the first few days you’re using your dog’s new name, carry treats in your pocket. When you want her attention, call out her new name. Then immediately smile, praise her liberally, and treat her; do this even if she is unresponsive—she will soon learn the new word means good things are coming and will begin to acknowledge it every time she hears it.
- Combine the old dog name with the new one. If her old name is long established, smoosh it together with her new name and call her by both for a while. For example, if Sally is to be Maddie, call her SallyMaddie until she recognizes it, and then drop the Sally.
Helpful Dog Name Changing Tips
- Your dog’s new name should mean only good things to her. Do whatever you can to reinforce this; if you can, treat her every time you say her new name in the beginning.
- Try to avoid using your dog’s new name when you scold her. Or give her a middle name and use it together with her first name only for scolding, just like your mom did when you were a kid. She’ll learn hearing the two names together means she’s in trouble.
- Avoid naming your dog anything that sounds like “No.” Ditto names that sound like anything else you say to correct an undesirable behavior; examples include Bo and JoJo.
- Pick a new name that starts with the same letter as the old one. Or that includes similar sounds or vowels, but still holds more appeal for you. This is an excellent strategy for renaming a shelter dog. For example, Molly can become Maddie, Muffy, or even Polly.
Potential Issues With Renaming Your Dog
As mentioned above, there aren’t many downsides to renaming your dog as long as you take a thoughtful, planned approach to the change. Besides informing friends and family, updating tags or personalized items like collars and dog beds with your dog’s name, it should be a smooth, easy process.
It’s never too late to change a dog’s name, but the time it takes for your dog’s new name to “stick” varies from a couple of training sessions to a few weeks, depending on the dog; the process will go faster if you avoid using the name aimlessly or associating it with anything negative. But dogs don’t process identity like we do—your dog will learn her new name. And while frequent name changes might be confusing, most people routinely call their dogs by various nicknames, and the dog somehow “gets” it and responds to all of them. Importantly, use your dog’s new name with affection and consistency, and she’ll soon recognize it as her own.
Have you ever changed a dog’s name? We’d love to hear your story in the comments. Looking for the perfect name for your dog? You can find some great dog names in our 10 Most Popular Dog Names blog post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Cruel To Rename a Dog?
No, and in fact renaming your rescue dog can be a kindness if she associates her name with an abusive or neglectful living situation. In short, renaming your dog can help her wipe the slate clean and start anew. Just remember to be patient during the transition while she learns her new name.
How Long Does It Take a Shelter Dog to Learn a New Name?
Teaching most rescue or shelter dogs a new name should take only a few days if you use a rewards-based training system. For example, treat her each time you call her by the new name and she’ll soon associate it with only positive emotions.
Should Dog Names End in a Y?
There’s no single correct answer to this question—give your dog a name that ends in a Y if it suits your fancy. Names ending in Y are quite popular, though, perhaps owing to their upbeat, easy-to-distinguish sound. Four each of the ten most popular girl and boy dog names we embroider every year onto Orvis dog swag end in Y, so if you go that route with your dog, you’ll be in good company.
What Should You Not Name Your Dog?
Avoid naming your dog anything that will sound to her like a command she knows (or that you plan to teach her). For example, the name Kitt could be singularly confusing for her as paired with the sit command: “Kitt, sit!” Likewise, make sure your dog’s name is one you’re comfortable shouting aloud in a public setting, steering clear of any moniker people might find offensive, embarrassing, or just downright dangerous. Examples include “Booger” and “Fire.”
I have adopted several dogs that had already had names. I personally don’t like to rename them as it is one more thing to add to a long list of things dog needs to get acquainted with and/or learn. However, I did change the name of my first Westie whom I got from a friend who had recently got her from a rescue. She got her to be a companion for her Shih Tzu and gave her the name of Pookie. The two dogs did not get along well and I ended up with one of the greatest dogs ever. But, I could not deal with having her named Pookie. I almost immediately started calling her Bonny, and as she never had the name Pookie long, she adjusted to Bonny within a few days.
Lol bonny is even worse than pookie haha
Rude comment. Grow up.
Why even say something like that?
Bonny= beautiful
I love the name Bonny- good choice. And helpful I think we will have a rescue to rename soon!
We adopted a beagle, who came from an abusive home. From the start we didn’t call her by the name they had given her because we did not want her associating the bad things that happened to her at their hands so we simply chose to call her, ” beagle”. She seems quite happy with that & comes running whenever we call her.
I just adopted a 9 yr. old dog from the SPCA, they said his name was Nacho but I didn’t care for it.. So I’m going to name him Shorty for his short legs. I’ll let y’all know how we do.
I’m adopting a dog named Jax tomorrow we already have a dog named Max ,
That’s funny. I’m getting a rescue in a couple days and his name is Max. I am thinking about changing it to Jax . I really like MARVIN though.
That’s funny. I’m getting a rescue in a few days and his name is Max but I want to change it to Jax. I really like Marvin though?!
Sound like a cute name
We adopted our German Shephard a year ago and have been using the name she came with. We’d still like to change it but are unsure if it’s too late and would be too confusing for her. Can we still start using a new name for her?
Got my shelter dog (luna) . Went from Bella to Daisy then to Anna. None really fit. Then I changed to Rosie as in ruff house Rosie. The other names were to sweet and Rosie is sweet but has a mischievous side so when I want her attention it has more “bite:
Love the name you picked
Thanks for posting. My dog is very very sweet and only one years old but has had several foster moms. I live in China and her original family named her dodo. Then a foster mom named her Pippa. She is bilingual! I changed her name to Peanut, but then she grew and I don’t think it fits her personality. Basically, I think no name is quite right. I keep trying new ones in my mind. I think the right one will happen but it’s good to know you tried out a couple before one stuck.
So I’m changing Jax name to are old peanut that passed away we keep taking about our peanut and still have a collar for our peanut sorry Jax you will be named peanut
That’s really weird to name your new dog… who has a great name… to the name of your deceased pet. You could have called him Jackson or Jake or Java or Jabba or many other things. I really dislike overused typical pet names: Peanut, Boots, Sparky, Fluffy, Spot, etc., etc., etc. Much prefer cool human names.
My Belgian Malinois was named “Whiskey.” She was only 14 months when I got her. It’s a tough decision, I went with “Rizzy” as it rhymed with the old name. She responded well with treats, pets, praise, love and lots of 1 on 1 time. Just sharing.
I’m re homing a 7year retired police dog fantastic temperament. His name is ELGOS I’m hoping to change it to Boss has the same sound to it.
I adopted a Shih Tzu from s dog shelter. His name was Gizmo at that time. I don’t like that name. At first I was going to name him Mocha ( the name of a dog I previously had). It just didn’t seem right, so I’m renaming him Chewy (Chewbacca). He looks like Chewbacca but cuter. Someone shot him with a bbgun in his back. He is healing wonderfully. I love him.
We got a puggle( pug beagle mix) he is 5 years old and was in a puppy mill all his life. When the first Humane Society got him I think they named him Ronaldo. That name seemed too long so we decided Ronnie. We have a cat name Johnny and that seems to confuse Ronnie. I feel bad changing his name again.
Wow, this is a very helpful article about the pet. I also bought a Pet Supplies with the help of the Barkbox Promo Code and this is the best way to buy a pet with a discount. Well, I hope this article has helped you and I hope it has shed some light on the challenge of saving money on your pet supplies regardless of whether you use the pet supply store or an online store.
I did something similar, changed Whiskey to Rizzy. Shortened it up and she is responding well. The cat is Rooster, lol.
My dog buddy originally had the name ah moon rah
I felt silly saying come rah while out walking him so I started saying come little buddy and he seemed to like that with the whole tail wagging so hard his whole body was wagging so I don’t think he really liked his original name at all and he became Buddy he’s now almost 8 years old
Such a smart boy
hi guys my name is Lindsey now can I chance a name of a dog when 16 months old it is siren husky when get back go to Emil me it is sexylindsey2009@gmail.com the dogs real real name was daemon but then the owner then called him Dexter and I want to chance to billy jetty
You can change his name to whatever you want as long as you continue to call him same name and he’s happy to come to you!!
Btw~ I didn’t really understand your message. What’s a “siren husky”??
I think you mean Siberian???
we adopted 2 seniors 8 and 9 who have been life time companions no real information on their Homelife before suspect some kind of abuse or neglect but not sure their owner died. a schnauzer Sammy. seems to fit him well.I find myself calling him sam for short. but “izzy” a cute little Caron terrier is purposely not responding to her name. she is almost obcedence about it we have been affectionally referring to her to as our little princess. we are considering just renaming her Little Princess Princess for the shorter version. it sounds weird saying it as her name name but we are calling her that anyway and it feels good in a weird sort of wAY. we are still trying to decide
Wow 🙂
This is an incredible collection of ideas!
Waiting for more helpful pieces.
You would amazing to read a similar one here-
the motorbiker
I’m thinking of rescuing a three year old dog who’s name is already Beau. I dislike that name and have wanted to name my dog Apollo for a long time, but is it ok to change it to Apollo if he is already three?
We adopted a 1 1/2 year old German Shepherd from a girl that wasn’t able to give him the care and time that a dog like this needs.
When we adopted him, his name was Kilo.
I couldn’t bring myself to call him that. so we started calling him Ruger. And he actually responded to the new name better than he did his old name!
We have renamed 2 dogs (out of 6) and are in the process of renaming the dog we rescued 2 days ago. We adopt retired Greyhounds. They either have a name that contains part of their racing name or the rescue gives them a name. They are normally at the rescue for 2-6 months. The dogs that are only their a short time normally don’t know their name. Our new dog was found roaming the streets and so they used part of her racing name. I like to change their names from the track. I want them to have a fresh start at our home.
Ella’s racing name was Accurate Rumor, we kept Ella which was given to her at the rescue.
Sherlock was giving the name Trevor at the rescue. His racing name was Oshkosh Squirt.
Scout (a whippet) came to us as Scout and we kept it. I love To Kill a Mockingbird.
Maverick was given that name at the rescue, we kept it. His racing name was G.S Ritchie.
Pepper was called Bullet at the rescue. Her racing name was JT’s Bulletproof.
Our newest dog was called Laura at the rescue. Her racing name was Jabberin Laura. We are still thinking of a name.
I adopted a dog from my friend’s Grandmother when she became ill and couldn’t care for the dog anymore. She had the dog for years and called her Toapy (sounds like Soapy) anyway I didn’t really like that name. And being a huge horror movie and Rob Zombie fan. I started calling her Zombie. Same E sound on the end. She responded to it right away and seemed to like it.
I just rescued a puppy mill dog that was dumped out in the country and she was posted in our local town group. I was the only one who wanted to help, so now she’s mine. I don’t think she’s ever had a name, she doesn’t know what to do with the chew bone I got her, and she’s never seen a ball and doesn’t know what to do when I try to teach her how to play. She just looks at me. I don’t know how to teach her anything bc I’ve never met a dog that doesn’t know what a dog does.
I’m naming her Sadie but it’s like I’m not even speaking.
Thank you for taking on this rescue. Be diligent. your new dog has been in a concentration camp all her long life. She will come around with live and repetitions.
That sounds just like the 8 y.o golden doodle I adopted a week ago. She came from a puppy mill as well. She was even afraid to go through a regular entry to our home. She does not eat treats, stays mostly in my bedroom (open door) even when I am in another room. Does not know what toys are, she’s afraid of the TV and PC monitor. I feel badly for her. I hope time, love and patience will help her come out of her shell,(I should call her Turtle) just kidding. I named her Sandy. She has adjusted to going through the doorway now.
Has anyone had a similar experience, how did you deal with it?
We adopted a shepherd that was 2, abused, and scared of men to the extreme. (She jumped if I raised my hand to push my hair back & would dump her anal gland when a strange man entered the home). She quickly became the greatest dog in the world. Accepted my husband and was a totally normal dog with us and our circle of friends & family … never got over the fear of strangers though.
Call him something that sounds like Ronaldo like Waldo that’s kind of a goofy name but it sounds like Ronaldo and maybe it will work. It sounds cute I don’t know just put a knife two cents in
Sadly, a woman passed away and her daughter needed to find a new home for her dog Tiger. He is an adorable 10lb poodle, 8 years old and sweet as can be. We thought he was quite the opposite of a Tiger. We decided Tigger was a good choice because it had the same sounds. I don’t think he ever noticed a change!
I’m adopting a 7 year old male German shepherd weighing 88 lbs. His name is Snickers. I am not fond of that name for a large male. I’m trying to get a name that is similar in sound but not really coming up with anything. People have suggested Nick, but I’m not fond of that one either. The only one I have that begins with s is Scout. Any suggestions?
Yes
Skipper, Skip
Similar situation. GSD are smart, loyal, herding dogs. Much like our Belgiun Malinois. “Skipper, Sniper, Nicky, Navar, & Kicker” came to mind. Best wishes.
Storm if you want the starting s…
Rick or Ricky cuz of the ick sound.. even Rickard like the beer/the kid from game of thrones has the 2nd syllable like snickers.
We just got two Pyrenees dogs that are five and six years old. They are both named Aspen! I’m thinking of going with Tigger and Eeyore to fit their personalities!
I’m just about to get a 7 year old female dog, but I don’t know anything about the dog and neither does the Iady who giving her away as a. 3rd party who is doing her friend a favor.
My GSDs in HS we’re Sasha and Major. The lab before them was Missy. I had a Boxer at my Dad’s and she answered to Adidas (her actual name), DeeDee, Deedle, Fleabag and baby. She lived 17 years and was super smart.
We currently have 5. Our pitbull was Amos Hart because he has a heart on his nose. We kept his name as my Grampys name was Amos and his personality is similar. Then we got a black pit named Karsten. My name is Kristin so we named her Harley Quinm. Took a couple days and she responded to it. Then we got a mutt named Chelby. HATED the name so renamed her Ivy (Poison Ivy). Then 2 lab pups came along and we named those 2 Odin and Freya (our cats are Thor and Loki). We adopted out Harley and Ivy and the puppies now. This morning I took in a coworkers 5mo old rottie. Her names Tiny. Thinking she’ll be either Alice or Ruby. I kinda love Ruby
Osito came to us from a shelter. The prior owners thought he looked like a teddy bear (he does). We wanted him to have a fresh start with us so he became Oz. Occasionally Ozzie. He took to it quickly.
Our next rescue is coming tomorrow. Cinnamon came from an abusive home. We are going to go with Harri, short for Harriet.
I have a Black Standard Poodle that I have had since 2019, he was a 1 yr old when he came to me and with the name Riley. I got a 6 mth old Red Merle Australian Shepherd last yr (2022), 1.5 yr old now, she came to me with the name Zoey. I have never liked either name, today I finally renamed them. Their new names are Harley and Ginger, so far they are adapting well. Of course I am following the tips for change.