Does it upset or confuse a dog if you change his name?

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theweezer

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I let someone else name my silky terrier and I want to change his name, but don't want to confuse him. He is about a year old. Have any of you ever changed a pet's name? Do you think it would be okay?
Please don't make fun of my question.
 
ok I won't make fun of it, it's actually a great question. I changed my dogs name and she didn't protest one bit.. she now comes to the new name nad has never told me she likes the other one better.

Change that name..........

The dog will adjust.. One might have a great dog named pooper and yelling that at 5am might not seem proper.
 
Sometimes it's actually better to change their name because it helps them adjust to the new situation all together. Other dogs just don't take to the new name. Try it and see how it works for your dog.

btw.. my dog responds to the nicknames i have for him. His name is bailey and I call him beast and cow and he comes to those too.. So like I said, try it.
 
Dog's don't get their sense of identity from names like people do. I'd just combine the old name with the new name for a while until he gets used to hearing it. Then leave off the old name.
 
it will be FINE. It might confuse them for a short time, but the dog will understand eventually. We changed our dog's name when we got her from the pound and she responds just fine. She was WELL over a year old when we got her too.
 
I've adopted dogs too, where we didn't know what their names were before.


you could start by calling the dog

"old name new name" when you feed him and call him and rub him. in a few weeks, you could drop the old name.
no problem. i promise it won't be traumatized.
 
It didn't confuse the 8-month old golden retriever we adopted. We hated her old name and changed it. Within a week, she was coming running to her new name. Her new name does not even remotely sound like the old one.

Our dogs also have nicknames and they answer to those too.
 
I don`t think an animal would really notice..I think an animal would notice a change in owner more than a change in name.A different owner would mean, a different smell.
 
It probably will, but if you continue to call it by its new name, it will be accustomed to the new name. Just don't do this too often. Peace, Love and God Bless.
 
If you buy a new puppy and start calling him Sparky and change it to Spike a couple days later no big deal, but a whole year? Why would you let someone else name your dog anyway. I think it would be selfish of you to change his name as your probably doing it because you want some cute or trendy name. Is it worht confusing your dog for that/
 
We adopted our dog at about 1 year old and her previous name was Diamond. After a few weeks she got used to her new name, Cricket, and her new family.

Don't worry about hurting his feelings, you won't. As long as you use an excited tone when you call him by his new name, he'll catch on. My dog doesn't respond to her old name anymore, and soon I'd guess your dog won't either.

Just remember, dogs understand the tone and length of the name. It's not the exact name that is important to them.
 
If you decide to change his name, then do it ONCE only, and don't EVER let him hear his old name again. If you are consistent, he will happily accept his new name. Rescue dogs generally get new names, and, often, if you are having serious training issued with a dog, changing his name can break any old associations with it's use, and help you get over a sticky patch.
 
Consider this.....

Many animals go into shelters, daily. Many of them had previous homes, and names that they grew up with. They almost never keep the name the previous family gave them (new start, new name), and they adjust to a new name, just fine.
 
I did what Jody said, my dogs name was Jessi (a female) but I didn't name her either. So I thought of changing it to chelsea, but I really liked the name Lea. So I called her Jessilea for a while now mostly just lea. She never flinched or was hurt by it. my dogs and cats have a ton of nicknames anyway lol. It's funny though they each know their personal nicknames too and won't respond to the others nickname.
 
I think it would be okay. We have 3 dogs (soon to be 2 since the one is finally going back to my nephew) and we never call them by their given names and they still respond.
 
I get foster dogs that I change their name or the new owners change the name and they do just fine. It just takes some time to adjust, but it won't traumatize them. Just start calling them by the new name and say it really often and they will get it.
 
If you don't like the name, but are okay with the sound, like say your dog's name was Pixie, but she wasn't a small dog, you could name her Dixie, just find a name that sounds similar that you like, but actaully it is not confusing if you reward them for responding to the new name, like say the new name and clap your hands or snap and when the dog looks at you reward it, keep doing this until it is looking when you say the new name, then you can work on getting it to come to you when you say the new name.
 
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