I Had a Harder Problem Than Most As Charlie Was a Rescue Dog

Every person who has ever brought home a small puppy has been faced with the same problem, naming him. Some people have a name chosen long before they find the puppy, while others will simply sleep on it but in the end the puppy is named and officially becomes a part of the family. I had a even harder job with Charlie asd he had a name when i got him, but the rescue kennel never tells you what it is.
While the goal is to have your gundog become a part of your family, choosing a name for your hunting dog or dogs can be a bit more involved than simply assigning a name. There are a number of factors that should come into play and you should really take the time to think about them before you choose a name.

When it comes to names, there are actually two different names that you are going to want to think about; the call name and the registered name. Generally, when you purchase a hunting dog, many people will purchase from registered hunting dogs. This means that they are trying to find the best dogs they can and they will also be registering their dogs with the local kennel club.

While a registered name can be just about anything, there are a few things you should consider. First and foremost is how that name is going to sound. Will you be embarrassed by it or proud to have a dog by that name? If the dog is only going to be used for hunting and nothing else, then the name isn’t going to matter but if you are going to be training your dog in field trials or you are going to be breeding your hunting dog, then you will want a strong name that you don’t mind having associated with your kennel.

One common practice for hunting dogs is to use part of the dam’s or sire’s registered name for the puppy’s registered name. Generally, a female will have her dam’s or other females in her pedigree, name or combination of the name. For males, it would be the sire’s or subsequent males in the pedigree. Take one or two names from the parents and combine them with a name that you like. This will usually create an excellent registered name and then you can forget about it until it is time for breeding or assigning a title to your hunting dog.

One last thing about registered names, it doesn’t have to match or even have anything to do with your call name. You can have a registered dog called Turner’s Savage Hunter and his call name could simply be Joe; the registered name is for identifying your dog in a large kennel but the call name is something that will really show his personality.

Now that we have looked at the registered name, let’s look at the call names. As I have already said, this is the name that will really define the dog’s personality and will give the dog character. This is the name that you will use both in the field and in the house so there are a few points that you will want to consider before choosing your name.

First, never choose a name from a Hunting Dog Name list, unless it is one you can see using. While these lists are fun to look at, not all of them really take into consideration what a dog’s name should be like in the field. They are purely for looks, sort of speaking, and usually they don’t serve as a good functioning name.

Second, find a name that you like and one that you won’t have a problem saying in front of people. While naming the dog, Nimrod, may appease your interest in ancient mythology, it might be a bit embarrassing to say in a group of other hunters.

Third, make sure the name only has one or two syllables. This makes saying the name much easier on the field and it is more likely to roll off the tongue much easier. A name that is more advanced with three or more syllables takes too long to say and can be annoying in the field.

Lastly, make sure it doesn’t sound similar to a command that you will use in the field. Remember you will be giving those commands from a distance and if the dog is unsure whether you are saying their name or giving a command, he won’t perform to the best of his ability.

After those points, it is simply a matter of choosing a name that you enjoy and one that suits your dog. If you are naming a group of hunting dogs, make sure that each dog has a name that is distinct from the other so there is no confusion. Tom, Dick and Harry may not be the most original but there is no way that they sound the same.