You have just picked up perfect puppy. After hours on the Internet, you found the right breed for you and your family. Through the newspapers, your Mount Pleasant SC Veterinary Clinic, publications, breeders, humane society, SPCA, meeting and greeting pups, you find just the right match.

Now what? You need to pick out a name!

You will use your dog’s name more than 35,000 times over the course of his life. Be sure you’re picking a name you will adore throughout the years.

Picking the perfect puppy name is at your fingertips with these few steps:

• You may think it’s an honor to name your pup after you’re favorite Uncle, Percivile. Naming a child after him may keep you in the will, but probably not your new hound.
• Dogs understand short commands. Easy names with two or fewer syllables work well.
• You will be using your dog’s name in public. “Smelly” may be cute among your close friends, but it will not go over well at all locations.
• The name should not sound like any commands. “Stacy” sounds too much like “stay” and this will only confuse your dog.
• Let the kids dive in and help. Kids like it simple too. If calling your Golden Retriever “Bubbles” works for them, consider keeping the high test name strictly for AKC purposes.
• If you’re bringing home an older dog, ideally, stick with his existing name. If “Farley” was the first boy who broke your heart, stick with similar sounds when choosing a new dog name. Example: “Barney”.
• Try out the new name for a few days. You’ll know right away whether it’s a keeper. If not, move on quickly to one of the many other names you have on your list.

Everywhere you are, you’ll find a variety of terrific ideas on what to name your pooch. Just look around. A few things will stand out about your new puppy. Enjoy her for a couple days and take these into consideration.

• Personality. Given a couple of days, your new dog’s personality will probably come right out. Examples: “Puddles” works for the pooch who can’t seem to find outdoors fast enough.
• Appearance. What does your dog look like (color, size, coat, eyes)? You may call a cream colored cock-a-poo “Buffy” and “Stubbs” would be a great name for a dachshund pup.
  If you want to go beyond the basics, many famous dog namesor foreign dog names can fit the bill. Consider these favorite puppy names when making your decision.
  • Celebrity puppy names. Today, dogs have more celebrity following than their famous owners. Chew on “Lola,” a name used by both Hilary Duff and the Osbournes.
  • TV dogs. “Scooby” and “Astro” come to mind if you want to honor a famous TV pup.
  • Movie dogs. Cool movies and cool dog names seem to go hand in hand. Cool Hand Luke’s “Blue” would be a fitting label for a variety of dogs.
  • Comic dogs. Think “Snoopy”, “Daisy” and “Odie.”
  • German dog names. For starters, try out “Fritz” or “Kaiser.”
  • Irish dog names. “Finn” fits well for any pup, as does “Murphy,” which just happens to mean “hound of the sea.”
  • French puppy names. “Pierre” and “Gigi” are top contenders for any dog, especially those with a little oo-la-la in their genes.

  The choices are endless. We have seen many thousands of dog names at our Mount Pleasant SC Veterinary Clinics over the years. You know what? Seems like just about every name fits perfectly.