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New puppy--taking name suggestions! Also a few questions.


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Hi everyone! Got my first dog, a female BC puppy, earlier this week. Below is her. I don't know why the image got rotated during upload, and don't know how to turn it around...

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Anyways, haven't named her yet. My mom suggest April because she's born in April. I was thinking more of Dum Dum, since that's what I end up calling her most of the time anyway (other than "big baby" since she makes me carry her frequently when she refuses to move randomly, and she's kind of heavy). Reason is she's always doing silly/goofy things:

  • CONSTANTLY cross-walking in front of me and tripping me
  • Getting her leash "stuck" around a pole, except all she needs to do is literally turn slightly left
  • Still being confused about which way home is upon leaving the elevator
  • Sitting down on top of a pool of urine
  • Peeing in her play pen after having peed outside just 30 minutes ago, tearing and chewing into pieces every pee pad I put in her pen, and peeing when she excitedly meets/jumps on other people
  • Constantly slipping through gaps of fenced gates

I say all this with love of course, and recognize that she is actually clever (and super sweet/friendly to other people/dogs) and just being a puppy, and needs to be trained. But I still can't help think of her as a big dum dum! Open to other suggestions, but would anyone actually take offense if they found out a BC got named dum dum?

Two more questions hoping to get input on:

1. She's about 14 lbs at 10 weeks. That seems a bit larger than expected, right? People who have seen her have commented that she has big paws. I haven't had dogs before so don't know. Am curious if anyone take tell from the picture here and the weight info. Maybe some puppies hit growth spurts early but then end up not being that big? I'm supportive either way, though hope she doesn't grow too fast so I can take her on a plane in a few weeks in cabin. 

2. I've been spending at least 3 hours a day with her--walks, feeding, playing, simple command training, etc. I'm not sure if this is sustainable--I work fairly long hours though I can take her to work every day so that helps. I know I have a big responsibility to care for her and love her, but still wanted to see what others who work full time commit to with their BCs per day. Right now a lot of the time is spent on waiting for her to go potty once outside. I'm hoping that in a few months she'll potty right away while outside so we can be more "efficient" with our outdoor time, and use it either to go potty, or to play intensively. 

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First off, Hi!!!

I'm fairly new here too so a new face is ALWAYS WELCOME! i have a wee 7.5 month old boy named Kilo (pictured).

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For names: I think Circa is a sweet name for a girlie.

And yes, the things you are mentioning were issues with my baby in the first while. Though take her out more frequently if you find she's messing a lot (every 20 minutes) and praise her EXTENSIVELY when she goes OUTSIDE and bring her outside when she messes INSIDE. As she gets better SLOWLY introduce longer periods between potty breaks.

My pup was about 10-12lbs when I got him at 10.5 weeks old and 14-16lbs at 12 weeks so your puppy is good. That's the thing about BORDER COLLIES they are typically bred for workability as opposed to breed standards, so HUGE variations in size, coat, colour, etc. is not an uncommon occurence. Now, at 7.5 months my pup is prolly closer to 35-40 lbs. Unfortunately, the first few months ARE the biggest growth period for the pup, so fingers-crossed for your plane ride.

Here's a picture of him on Day 1 (turned it and can't figure it out SORRY)

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Also, Border Collies are very intelligent dogs and need not only PHYSICAL STIMULATION, but also MENTAL STIMULATION (try snuffle mats, puzzle toys, and other brain games) which BOTH work well to tire them out. If it helps, my daily routine looks like this:

WHILE ON AFTERNOONS:

9am: Wake up for me, 1st pee break for the puppy and breakfast in kitchen (in one of his puzzles/kong/snuffle mat) while i eat and get dressed

10am: Walk (25-30 minutes)

11am-1pm: Quiet play while I study for my exam mid-august (I'm a recently graduated Veterinary Technician with hopes to specialize in animal behaviour, and the exam is to be registered as an RVT)

1:30-2pm: Walk (25-30 minutes)

2-2:30pm: Fetch or quiet play

2:30-2:50pm: I get ready for work

IN BETWEEN MY MOM LETS HIM OUT AS HER AND MY BROTHER WORK DAYS, SHE ALSO FEEDS HIM HIS DINNER OUT OF HIS DISH.

3:15-11:15pm: Work

11:30pm: 15 minute walk

12pm: bedtime

 

Here's a picture of his puzzles/kong:

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WHILE ON DAYS

5:45am: Wake up for me, 1st pee break for the puppy and breakfast in kitchen (in one of his puzzles/kong/snuffle mat) while i eat and get dressed

7-3pm: work (in crate)

3:30pm: Pick up brother from work

3:45pm: he gets tied in the backyard (we have a short fence on 2/3 sides and he can ALMOST JUMP IT) as I shower

4-5pm: fetch/walk depending on how tired i am from work

5:30pm: dinner in puzzle/kong/snuffle mat for pup in kitchen while we eat

6-8pm: quiet play while I study

8-9/9:30pm: evening walk (it's been too hot this summer to walk him long periods when I first get home)

10pm: bedtime

 

As you can see, I've learned to incorporate the pup into my day. That being said, THINGS DO COME UP (dates, coffee with friends, etc.) so this is just our TYPICAL schedule. It's a matter of letting the pup have meaningful and positive time with you whenever possible. Quality rather than quantity of time spent. I RECCOMEND getting them a bed and teaching them to settle and self-soothe with their own toys while young.

THIS was the best $10 used investment (bed or toybox):

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My dog is also my first PERSONAL DOG and has been a learning curve. 

 

Goodluck and lotsa love,

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Dakota and Kilo

 

 

 

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Welcome to the BC boards. I always like to steer people away from names that imply something negative about the dog......such as Dum Dum, which effectively says that she is stupid, even if you don't really think she is. Another thing I like to recommend is that you imagine sticking your head out the door and yelling the name and see if you still like it. :-)

There is a site that has border collie names on it for which I don't have the link but you can find it by Googling border collie names. You might find a good one there.

Also, please continue to remember that the things you describe are all very typical puppy things to do and she does them because she is only a baby. Probably one wouldn't be tempted to name a two year old child  Goofy because that kid did silly toddler things (although it certainly could be a little nickname for a while).

Ultimately, of course, the name is your choice and the dog really doesn't care what you call her.

She sure is a cutie! :-)

 

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She sounds like a real baderpadordercollie. But then so are all puppies. 

Dum Dum seems a bit undignified to me. She may be derpy and cute right now but she will grow up. And it might be a bit awkward to call her that in public. 

I don't think it's wrong for a dog to have a nickname and a real name. Dum Dum could be the nickname. My dog's name is Brèagha, but I called her Sprout when she was little, and fairly frequently call her Goose now because, well, she is a silly Goose. Her other nickname being Baderpadordercollie because she can be a derp. ;)

That said, if I am actually calling her or asking for her attention, I always call her by her name. Because I have only ever used "Goose" and the like when I'm just casually talking to her, I highly doubt she would respond to it if I tried to use it to call her to me. 

But then again, having a nickname might be confusing to a puppy still learning their name. 

Really it's up to you. I mean, I chose a pretty weird name for my dog apparently. People often do a double take when they hear it, (they were expecting "Maggie" or "Sugar" I guess, haha,) and one person asked me, "did you say Bree, like the cheese?" 

To each their own. 

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I am with D'Elle. I don't think a name with a negative connotation is fair to any dog. Words are powerful. And sometimes names can be self-fulfilling. ;-)  for example, you many not want to name a pup Taz (for Tasmanian Devil). I also 'test' out names by yelling them out to get a feel for what they sound like. Is this a name you want others to hear you screaming to call your dog from far away? For that reason, I stay away from a name such as Tucker.

She won't be a pup, or a Dum Dum, for much longer. Think of a name for her future. I also like to search a list such as the one that D'Elle mentioned.  Or if you are into heritage names, look into Scottish/Irish names to represent the BC heritage.

Good luck with your new pup.

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21 minutes ago, gcv-border said:

 

She won't be a pup, or a Dum Dum, for much longer. Think of a name for her future.

While ultimately it's up to the owner, I do agree with that. That's why I prefer to save the silly or overly sweet names as nicknames for moments of sweet talk, and give the dog a more dignified name as their actual name to be used most of the time. 

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I'll echo the sentiment the others have suggested regarding the negative name. I named my puppy Mancer, after one of my favorite songs (The Necromancer). So maybe something like that could work for you as well. She is 18 months now but when she was younger and would get the leash wrapped around a pole or do some other silly thing, I would jokingly call her "knuckle nose". But after a few times it occurred to me that she was sensing some negativity when I said that, and I could see in her mannerisms that it made her feel bad. With a name like dum dum,  even if you yourself say it nicely and affectionately, when you tell others that's her name they may say it mockingly. As smart and sensitive as border collie are, this could have a negative effect on her mentally. This is just my 2 cents, and like D'Elle said I'm not trying to tell you what to do, just offering my input since you asked. Good luck with your puppy, she is adorable.

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@Lyrically_Speaking, thanks for sharing! It looks like you got a nice system down despite your work schedule! I already gave her the squirrels-in-log toy that she enjoys, though just got another two treat puzzles online. I've been training her a bit more consistently with basic commands though her puppy attention span is still pretty short! I also bought her a nice comfy bed except the first time she went in it she peed promptly, so I'm holding off until she's a bit more potty trained to try that again :)

Thanks to everyone else on the feedback on naming! I agree, especially if the sensitive pup starts realizing the negative connotation when others say it. Back to the drawing board... 

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For me it sometimes takes me a while to figure out what a dog/pup's name is. There's really no hurry; you'll be able to teach it to her at any point along the way, or even change it. I've had a couple dogs who started out with one name, a registered name I fully intended to be their name, but then it evolved into a completely different name that was their "real" name for the rest of their lives. My dogs also usually have a nickname or 2 or 3, and they recognize them as their names and don't confuse them with each other's. My ex was especially fond of giving nicknames. We counted one of the dog's nicknames and he had 17 distinct nicknames that her responded to . . . and that none of the other 5 dogs did. They all had multiple nicknames as well, and no one was confused.

As for finding names, I've been known to sit down with a dictionary and just skim through the entries till I found something I liked. I found one of my all time favorite dog names that way, a traditional sounding and very culturally appropriate border collie name but one that's rarely been used. (Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd. :rolleyes:)

I'm not sure if this is the one previously referenced, but the International Sheep Dog Society maintains a list of the names of all dogs registered with them and how often the name's been used: http://www.bcdb.info/dognames.htm It can be fun looking to see what the very traditional names are as well as seeing some of the more unusual ones.

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Once they hear it spoken a couple times, most people like "Brèagha," unless they don't hear correctly and think I named her after bree cheese. XD It's when they see it written out before hearing it pronounced that can be troublesome. Always at the veterinarian, they're like, "erm... Breggah?" I do like "Scully," but I also decided I kinda wanted the name to be Scottish, to honor the history of the breed. Really though, for me, anything but "sugar" or "cupcake" or, as all black-and-white dogs seem to be called, "Oreo."

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OK, so I tend to name my dogs with human names, and then my OH gives them multiple and ever changing nicknames.  E.G. Our boy Bailey ended up as Bai-Oui, Bay Leaf, Baz, Mr Baz, Senior Sergeant Bailey Bing Bong, Washbucket and Freckles.  He answers to each and every one of these names, and none of the other dogs respond to them.

As an aside, if you have any thought of doing agility with your dog, think about how easy the name you choose will be to call out on the agility course when you are a bit out of breath and trying to get your dogs attention NOW.  George is not a great agility name as it takes too long to say.  Oscar is shortened to Oz, which is nice and easy to say on the agility course.

As far as girl's names go, so long as it is not Bella, I have no real suggestions.

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5 hours ago, Rush Fan said:

One of my neighbors has a female BC named Bella. Is there something bad about that? (They actually have 2 females Vs, the other's name is Missy.)

The name itself is lovely, I have just known soooo many Bella girl dogs, not all of whom are very well behaved, that I cannot stand it as a name for a puppy.  It seems to be an extremely popular name where I live, and I would prefer a more individual name.

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6 hours ago, Lawgirl said:

The name itself is lovely, I have just known soooo many Bella girl dogs, not all of whom are very well behaved, that I cannot stand it as a name for a puppy.  It seems to be an extremely popular name where I live, and I would prefer a more individual name.

Oh ok. I only know of this one dog named Bella, but it's a common enough name that I'm quite sure there are plenty of others out there. I also prefer having an individual name which was one of the primary reasons I named my puppy Mancer.

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I won't be getting my first BC until probably next year but I've had a name picked out since 2003: Chestine aka Chessa for short. Of course, this only works if I get a female and it doesn't already come with a name (unless I change it) but hey, for whatever it's worth! :)

If you're wondering why I've thought about BCs for so long without getting one, it's because I wasn't in a position to own one. I'm lucky tho that by next year I'll have plenty of money to do all the care and pay for training classes and gas and stuff. So I'm gonna have a rescue help match me with a really good one for me :D

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I always let my pets 'name themself'...I get to know them and watch for a specific characteristic behavior, if there is none I pick a physical trait. We've had cats named Spanky ( he was always getting into trouble like the Little Rascal's Spanky)  then there was  Stinky, only cat I've ever known that farted... Gizmo  who looked like the Gremlin by the same name...

Our BCs are Shadow, as a pup she was always underfoot or right by my side, just like my shadow. And then there's Dustie, her markings as a pup made her look like she had been playing in the dust :P

You can always 'disguise' names too.... instead of DumDum, go with D D... or Deedee, be creative and have fun. Since she's always tripping you "CONSTANTLY cross-walking in front of me and tripping me "  there's Hazzard, or Tripsy...lol... you get the idea :D

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Thanks for the response everyone! An update that on Sunday I decided to name her Rasa, as in tabula rasa / blank slate. It's more a reminder to myself that how she turns out will largely be a reflection of my training, especially given how smart BCs are.

@GentleLake Great idea on how to get her to learn her name quickly, though she did get diarrhea when I gave her a few too many treats one day, so I'm trying to limit the treat intake... 

@Lawgirl Interesting consideration. Rasa should do well here, a bit more so than April at least.

@starry777 I waited to get mine for the exact same reason. Congrats on getting to being fully ready to spoil your pup!

@B-and-B Ha yeah I thought about the same regarding something relating to tripping! She's still doing this a decent amount, making me distrustful of any dog walkers lest they fall and sue me!

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12 minutes ago, dumdum said:

@GentleLake Great idea on how to get her to learn her name quickly, though she did get diarrhea when I gave her a few too many treats one day, so I'm trying to limit the treat intake... 

If you feed kibble you can always reserve some of it for training treats if she's motivated enough by it. You can even use a whole meal doled out as individual rewards for training when she's old enough for longer training sessions.

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dumdum, were you using liver treats?  When I went away with one of my boys for his first agility trial, I took liver treats and was rewarding him well for staying calm.  Well, lets just say that night he fumigated the tent.  Liver treats are too rich for my dogs.

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