Of course everyone that brings home a cute cuddly puppy wants a cute name for the family pet. Everyone will have a different idea for a name, all of which are cute dog names. However, choosing a name for the puppy is not a decision you should take lightly. You need to take some time to get to know the puppy before finally giving it a name.



Some of the points that you need to consider in the naming process are:

- The gender of the dog. This is important because you don't want to give a male dog a female name or vice versa. If you are not sure, turn the puppy over on its back to see if it has a scrotum between the hind legs. If it does, then you know that you need to think of names for male dogs.

- The size of the dog. This does not mean the size of the puppy as it is when you bring it home because all puppies are small dogs, What you have to consider id the size the dog will be when it is fully grown. Giving a name such as Goliath to a Chihuahua may be funny, but it could also be a reflection on you making others think you are poking fun at the dog's size. You should also avoid using names that are babyish and that your dog will outgrow before long. A Husky puppy may be fluffy, but it doesn't remain that way for long.

- Character. Your dog's name could be a potential character reference. Naming the dog Killer or Attacker, for example, leads everyone else to think that this is a vicious dog. On the other hand a watchdog should not have the name of Pookie or Maggie. You need to take some time to research the characteristics of the dog breed and watch how it behaves before you decide on a name.

- Easy to Hear. Experts recommend using names with consonants, such as "k". "t" and "d". Dogs can hear these consonants above all other sounds, so using a name with these letters will make it easier to train the dog to recognize its name. Keep the name short so that it is easy to say. When you are outside, your dog will hear you calling it much easier if it is a short name of only one or two syllables. In the case of purebred, registered dogs, although they have a long name for registration, you can shorten that to one that is easy to say. Above all, you shouldn't choose a name that you will be embarrassed about when you have to call out to the dog when there are other people around.

- Stick to the Name. Once you choose a name stick with it and don't change your mind after a few weeks. By this time the dog probably knows its name and will become confused when you start calling it by another name.

- Don't confuse with training words. Think about the words you will need to use when training your dog, such as Sit, Fetch, Come, and Stay. Try not to choose a name that is similar in sound with one of these words. If you do, you will likely encounter difficulty in training because the dog will not be able to hear the differences in the sounds.