Naming the puppy - suggestions please

[gcv-border]

In the past, others have asked for suggestions for puppy names. I find myself in the same situation now.

 

I like the single syllable names (or just words) with a hard sound as the first letter, and maybe the last too. I would prefer to have a somewhat unique name for my puppy - i.e. no Moss or Sweep or Fly, etc. although I like those names, but not for my pup. Note: the new name does not have to be a name, but a word will do. e.g I have heard of a BC named 'Dark'. That is OK with me.

 

I thought I had a name picked out, Cuff, but Liz pointed out that the beginning sound is somewhat like 'Come by'. I think it is best not to have a name that can be confused with a command. For example, no names that end in 'o' - like Bo, Beau, Nieko, etc. - which can be confused with 'NO'.

 

Other names I considered were:

Tok - from a town name in Alaska when I was following the I-rod, but it sounds too much like 'Torque', my other dog's name. One thought was to check out a map of Alaska to find other single syllable words.

 

Kavik - shortened to Vik - which is also a 'location' in Alaska. Kavik means wolverine in the local language. Not sure I should invite trouble with that name. But Kavik may have made it back to the list of possibilities.

 

Anyway, would love to hear any suggestions. Don't be afraid to be creative.

 

Thanks.

[DarrenAndNicola]

I quite like "Drift", "Jet", "Storm", "Xen", "Orion", and "Kyra".

 

I am sure you will get plenty more suggestions, far better, but just a couple I can throw out there.

[highway61]

Have you considered Skye? (j/k)

 

I didn't see where you say so will your puppy will be a boy? I like the Vik your considering, it has the hard first and last letter sound so that sounds like a winner right there.

[Root Beer]

When I get home, I will check my facebook and lift some of the suggestions that people have given me. I've gotten countless suggestions. I like a few, but my husband . . . dislikes . . . them . . . all.

[Mark Billadeau]

If you like Cuff, go with Cuff.

Rae never had any issues misunderstanding the difference between Rae and the shortened command 'Way.

 

Dogs have no problem distinguising whistle commands that end on the same note so why couldn't they tell the difference between words that end with the same sound? Dogs can tell the difference between two different people giving the same whistle or verbal commands.

 

Since I won't be using it for my new pup I can offer up "Ike" as a suggestion. For our two new pups, two brothers, we will be using Grant & Lee.

[GentleLake]

I think dogs can make a lot more auditory distinctions than you're giving them credit for.

 

My Bodhi, often shortened to Bo, has never mistaken "Bo" for "no." I suspect you'd find the same to be true for Cuff.

 

I'd had some minor concerns that "Tilly" and "Tansy" might be too similar, but they've proven not to be. Nor their shortened versions, "Till" and "Tans." (I do agree, though, that "Tok" and "Torque" might be a little too close.)

 

I've been known to sit down with a dictionary and go through looking at one syllable words for names. (Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd.) Once for me it yielded "Twill", which I thought was a perfectly appropriate female variation of the traditional "Tweed", while at the same time not being a common name.

 

Naming dogs can be lots of fun. For me, even though I may have a long list of potential names, I can't actually name a dog until I've met her or him. And the name we end up with may or may not have been on the list.

[gcv-border]

Have you considered Skye? (j/k)

 

I didn't see where you say so will your puppy will be a boy? I like the Vik your considering, it has the hard first and last letter sound so that sounds like a winner right there.

LOL! My niece is named Skye. My brother will never forgive me.

 

I like the other suggestions too. I appreciate the thoughts on dogs having more discrimination regarding sounds than we sometimes give them credit for.

 

Kristine, feel free to use any of these suggestions - but let's make sure not to use the same name!

[gcv-border]

If you like Cuff, go with Cuff.

Rae never had any issues misunderstanding the difference between Rae and the shortened command 'Way.

 

Dogs have no problem distinguising whistle commands that end on the same note so why couldn't they tell the difference between words that end with the same sound? Dogs can tell the difference between two different people giving the same whistle or verbal commands.

 

Since I won't be using it for my new pup I can offer up "Ike" as a suggestion. For our two new pups, two brothers, we will be using Grant & Lee.

Very appropriate Virginia names!

[gcv-border]

When I get home, I will check my facebook and lift some of the suggestions that people have given me. I've gotten countless suggestions. I like a few, but my husband . . . dislikes . . . them . . . all.

Actually, my husband liked Cuff - which gobsmacked me! Good Luck with your hubby. What suggestions does he have?

[Mark Billadeau]

One name is from VA and the other from IL; they are appropriate since we live next to a battlefield.

 

I also like Clide but didn't want to use it because it was too close to the sire's name.

[Camden's Mom]

I really wanted to name my boy "Dexter" but when I met him the name just did not fit. I know it's not a traditional border collie name, but I really like the shortened "Dex" as it's nice, sharp and has a "hard" sound to it.

 

I agree that you should have a few names in mind and when you meet your new pup he'll help you pick out which one is right for him.

 

ETA: I am SO excited for you guys getting your pups!! Have fun picking out a name!!

[Camden's Mom]

When I get home, I will check my facebook and lift some of the suggestions that people have given me. I've gotten countless suggestions. I like a few, but my husband . . . dislikes . . . them . . . all.

 

I honestly really, really like "Timber". I think I remember you mentioning it on one of the puppy pic threads. There's something about the name that honors the sire and dam, has a sense of humor, but shortens so well to "Tim"... I just love that one!

[Maralynn]

Creed. Sharp first sound and a play off the original "Reed"

[GentleLake]

Speaking of nerdy ways to find names, my ex and I pored over maps of Scotland trying to find a name for a pup, his pup. He ended up choosing Mull, for the Isle of Mull. Being the nerd that I was (am), I looked it up in the Oxford English Dictionary only to discover that, among other things, it's an old Scots slang for "sheep lips"! Well, we couldn't call out puppy "sheep lips" and checked with Jack Knox, who'd never heard that usage, which put my ex at ease.

 

So Mull it was, though we never ended up calling him that for long. Mull quickly became Mulligan, then Mulligan Stew (I'd call out "Mulligan Stew, where are yo-ou?") and he finally became forever just "Stew."

 

When Jack bought him a couple years later, he'd forgotten his name was Mull, but Jack changed the spelling and he forever remained Stu.

 

Not really sure there's a moral to this story, except that whatever you name your pup may or may not be his name forever.

[Alchemist]

Add me to the list of people who don't think dogs would get confused by "Bo" rhyming with "No". If you scroll through a list of USBCHA Open dogs and their points, you'll see "Bo" a couple of times (I know one such dog), as well as "Beau", "Flo", and "Joe".

 

http://www.westmark.com/~els/usbcha/stockdog/events/points/opnpts2.html

 

In fact the "traditional" names like Moss, Sweep, and Fly seem to be in the minority on this list, though I've certainly known quite a few such.

 

My dogs with monosyllabic names often get their names stretched to two syllables: "Ross-Ross" and "Spainie". You'll notice a fair number of dogs with two-syllable names on this list.

 

If you do use a "conventional" name, and want to avoid confusion, you could always check this list: http://www.bcdb.info/dognames.htm . For example, Fly (which you cite as a name you probably wouldn't use) is more often used for females, and IIRC you're getting a male pup. But this is only an issue if you might be bothered by people assuming your dog is a female based on its name.

 

I'd go with whatever strikes you...

[gcv-border]

Yes, it is a male pup. I forgot to mention that in the OP.

 

Creed - hmmm. Interesting. As in Apollo Creed, IIRC, in the Rocky movies.

 

Alchemist - I will check out the naming links you suggested. I have also been on the ISDS site looking over their pages of names.

 

I think that I am making this too difficult.

[Liz P]

The dam of this litter (and others from this line I've owned) are extremely fast to react to commands. You can barely get your first syllable out and they are responding. Because of that I have always been most careful about the start of the name. So, let's say one was named Rae (rah), I wouldn't see that dog getting confused with either away (uh) or way (wuh). But a name like Cuff might be a problem.

 

I had a Flyboy, who I often just called Fly. Yeah, everyone thought he was a girl because of his name thanks to the movie Babe. I didn't care one bit.

 

I might have to borrow that suggestion for Timber. Others on my list: Mirk, Druid, Fox, Teak, Slate, Shale,

[Camden's Mom]

I think that I am making this too difficult.

 

Naw, you're just making it fun for the rest of us.

[Mom of Mya]

I like Knox, Knik,and Tok.

[Root Beer]

Actually, my husband liked Cuff - which gobsmacked me! Good Luck with your hubby. What suggestions does he have?

 

I can't even remember most of the odd sounding names he has suggested, but his favorite is Dango. Now, that might not sound so bad, but the word "Dango" has a history with us. When Speedy was a puppy, he would kind of dance around before he let loose and peed in the house. I called that his "dango dango" dance and we knew that when Speedy did the dango dango it was time to get him outside fast. We have used the term "dango dango" to tell our dogs that we are going to let them out to pee.

 

He thinks it would make a fantastic name because it has a history with Speedy. Never mind the fact that both Dean and Tessa think it means they are getting let out to go to the bathroom and they will run to the door barking when you say it.

 

UGH!!

 

He suggested Tigger at one point. I love the name, but not for Border Collie. He suggested Tugboat, too. I think that would make a great nickname, but not an actual name. I mean, seriously, the dog is running for the tunnel when I need him to take a jump and I'm gonna call out, "TUGBOAT!!!!"

 

I suggested Birch and he liked that for about a day. Then he decided it sounds too much like "lurch".

 

Right now the name we are sort of agreeing on is Bandit. We'd call him "little Bandito", which is cute. He kind of looks like he's wearing a mask. I can't say I love it, but so far it's about all we have been remotely able to agree on.

[Root Beer]

Oh, and I am not naming the puppy Jack or Sledge, either. Those - especially Jack - have been suggested to me by A LOT of people.

 

Yeah, it's funny, but it doesn't appeal to me. And even if I wanted to, my husband would never go for either of those because he has less of a sense of humor about it than I do. I can laugh at the idea at least!

[Mom of Mya]

how about Ace or Axel?

[OurBoys]

As you can see from my 3 I'm not very imaginative when it comes to naming dogs. The only "different" names I can come up with is...

 

Grit

Squirrel (j/k. That's Josie's nickname. For some reason it suits her.)

 

I think it's harder to come up with names when you haven't seen the dog/puppy in person. When I was on my way to get Josie I was wondering what to rename her. DH liked Jessie and I liked Jasmine. As soon as I saw her both names flew out the window and the name Josie popped into my mind. When DH got home from work that night I told him "I'm sorry, Sweetie, but her name is Josie". DH tried his best to name her Jessie. He admitted later "You're right. She's a Josie". I think when you finally get to see the little man (ok, pup) in person the right name will come to you.

 

ETA: Bae

[TEC]

In this area of the NW, the wolverine is in the collective consciousness of farmers/ranchers as a vicious, unpredictable little animal, meaner than a bear. Everybody has their favorite wolverine story. Kavik has a nice ring to it, but on the other hand....

Tweed is high among the one hundred most used names in the ISDS Database. The fabric tweed is strongly associated with upper-class country/sport clothing, like hunting jackets in England and Ireland. It is often woven in a herringbone twill pattern. To me, the wool fabric has become an overly common dog's name.

 

Twill is one of the primary three weaves, and used extensively for denim products. It is a lesser used name in ISDS records.

 

With twill you have the comfortable work/leisure feeling of your favorite denim jeans, that is in common with an elite wool fabric popular among English golfers and shooters.

 

Twill is used as both a dog's and bitch's name. [ETA: Like GentleLake above], I have often thought that Twill would be a good name for a Border Collie. It is connected by a thread to the popular name Tweed (and the wool industry), yet has, IMO, connotations more appropriate to Border Collie culture.

 

Just as your new puppy himself, it's all about possibilities. An exciting time. Have fun with him. -- Best wishes, TEC

 

ETA: GentleLake, I did not read this thread thoroughly enough before posting, and somehow overlooked your great suggestion. I agree with you .

[Jumpin Boots]

 

I honestly really, really like "Timber". I think I remember you mentioning it on one of the puppy pic threads. There's something about the name that honors the sire and dam, has a sense of humor, but shortens so well to "Tim"... I just love that one!

Timber is my pups name, well he's almost two so guess he's not really a pup anymore. He responds to both Tim and Timber, although I thought I would use the shortened version more than I actually do, I think it's a great name!