Buying a 1-2 year old dog - changing their name? (1 Viewer)

[Baloney Sandwich]

My wife and I are starting to look for a dog, ideally looking for one that is a year or two old as with two young kids we think training a puppy would be too much. We are visiting an Australian Shepard later this week and I'm curious if others have bought a dog and changed his/her name. Ideally we would want to name the dog and not just take the name the previous owner bestowed on him/her but if that is considered bad form we might just suck it up.

 

[sublimeone]

I change my dogs name every 6 months. I've been calling him "chubby" lately.

 

[Angry Beavers]

Keep the name so that it rhymes with the current name.

 

[TenTimes]

I change my dogs name every 6 months. I've been calling him "chubby" lately.

Same. And I add a last name and then middle initial about a year apart.

 

[fruity pebbles]

Worked for Theon

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Keep the name so that it rhymes with the current name.

This is what we've done in a similar situation.

 

[FUBAR]

Keep the name but always call him by a nickname.

 

[Mile High]

It won't matter that much. Those are wonderful dogs. Very smart and very active so will need room to run and play. They will create paths in your yard.

 

[scoobus]

Keep the name so that it rhymes with the current name.

This is what we've done in a similar situation.

Yup.

 

[bigmarc27]

Done it both ways... have two weimaraner rescues that were both around 4 years of age each.

The first was our boy named Troy. We were going to change his name, but when we brought him home he was whining and very upset (he had been passed around a lot and the weeks before was fostered by someone with other Weims that he got along with). After a few hours, I said "Troy" and he instantly calmed down, so we kept the name. It's been over 3 years and it fits him well.

Our girl was named Princess. I wasn't about that, so we switched it to Piper and she took to it instantly. Was never an issue.

 

[FUBAR]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

 

[Baloney Sandwich]

It won't matter that much. Those are wonderful dogs. Very smart and very active so will need room to run and play. They will create paths in your yard.

Yeah, wife owned a border collie when we first met so we are looking for something similar. We have a large private lot so we should be able to provide a good home for an active dog.

 

[mr roboto]

The shelter had puts listed as 'Goldie' but obviously that wasn't her name. We used 'Kona' and it took her like 2 weeks to figure it out.

 

[Jack White]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

 

[Fennis]

We changed our dog's name from Beethoven to Beatty. He was just over a year when we adopted him. He adapted quickly, but we wanted to keep it similar.

 

[El Floppo]

The shelter had puts listed as 'Goldie' but obviously that wasn't her name. We used 'Kona' and it took her like 2 weeks to figure it out.

I thought you just misspelled putz

 

[steelerfan1]

wife/we rescued a cocker spaniel who is about 170 years old who was named "coach charlie". he is now known as" the char". I believe he is fine with it...

 

[Amused to Death]

We changed the name of a 1-2 year old shetland sheep dog (similar to an aussie) with no problem - went from 'Shelby' to 'Colby'. Just be aware aussies are a herding breed. Besides needing lots of attention and exercise, they will chase and herd/nip anything that runs. A young one will become your 3rd kid.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

Just change it to a hererograph like from Meet to Meat, or from Dawn to Don. Problem solved.

 

[3C's]

Dogs adapt just fine. All of mine are basically rescues that had other names before we got them.

 

[jhib]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

Santa's Little Helper?

 

[johnnycakes]

Name the dog Stay, so you can say, 'Come here, Stay! Come here, Stay!”

 

[Weeber]

I don't know anything on the subject but I would definitely change his name to Ronnie

 

[ZenMaster]

You should change his name to Damnit.

"Damnit, get over here!"

"Stop that, damnit!"

"Damnit you're my favorite dog"

 

[Cjw_55106]

We had a dog for a couple years before my grandpa moved in with us. He called the dog "Blanco" and spoke to him in Polish. Within a few months, the dog listened to him better than any of the rest of us.

 

[Jack White]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

Santa's Little Helper?

One syllable.

 

[TenTimes]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

Santa's Little Helper?

 

[Buckychudd]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

Santa's Little Helper?

One syllable.

 

[Jack White]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

Santa's Little Helper?

One syllable.

I love you guys with your little emoticons. So cute!

 

[Buckychudd]

Real answer - change it if you don't like the name. We kept one (Annie, was about 5 when we adopted her) but changed two others.

others changed from raven to lady, bear to duke, one didn't have a name so the pound listed her as "dog"

This makes sense.

I adopted a dog on Christmas Eve under bizarre circumstances. About a year old.

Had a cool name, which he knew, so I kept it.

Santa's Little Helper?

One syllable.

I love you guys with your little emoticons. So cute!

I was actually looking for this one....thought it was the ;doh; code.

 

[zamboni]

Just call him "The Dog Formerly Known As ___". He'll understand.

 

[Chadstroma]

We went to a rescue and got out 1 year old (at the time) Goldendoodle. He was called "Roscoe" but we changed it to "Grizzly" and he took to it right away. A few months later, I decided to see if he would recognize his old name and called out Roscoe. Didn't move an ear.