Need help with name for new puppy!

[iWill]

Hey, I'm new to the BC boards. My husband and I are getting a new puppy this week and are having a hard time coming up with a name. He is 3/4 Border Collie and 1/4 Australian Shepherd, mainly black with a bit of white on his feet, tail, tummy, and nose. He is really friendly and energetic. We're trying to find a name that isn't too "cutesy" or a "human" name. Any ideas would be appreciated!

[mbc1963]

I was just thinking about "Robinson Crusoe" today, and thinking that "Friday" would be a cool name for a dog.

 

Mary

[Oko]

Whenever I name an animal, normally I wait until I have it in my home for a couple of days and get to know it, I find it hard to pick a name without learning a little about the personality.

 

Good luck finding the perfect name, and don't forget to post puppy pictures!

[rufftie]

beans. i really want to name a dog "beans".

[geonni banner]

Sugarfoot. That's what I'd call him. Well, I did. My dog's name is Sugarfoot (mostly called Sugar or Newty - for the animal, NOT the person) But there's a gazillion Mollys, Maxs, and Sierras out there, so why not?

[Liz P]

Friday is a girl's name (goddess).

 

Traditional stock dog names are short and based on characteristics of the dog, nature or items related to farming/shepherding. For example, the names of my Border Collies have been Duncan, Flyboy, Freya, Luna, Loki, Sage, Frankie, Juniper, Hazel, Rose and Hope. Popular names include Tweed, Sweep, Moss, Cap, Lad and others.

 

Here is a good name resource for a sheepdog.

[BCForever]

This is a controversial name to some, but I've always wanted to name a border collie Belfast. I just love the way it sounds and the fact that it contains the word, "Fast." Also, if you ever ending up showing him in agility or something, and they are checking for you at the gate, they will have to say, "Where is Belfast?" which is the capitol of Ireland. It is equal to seeing someone in a show just randomly say, "Where is Florida?"

 

I just find that hilarious, which is why I name a lot of my dogs names like countries or things that will sound funny when the gate steward ask where they are.

[Jexa]

Do you have a favorite author? Book? Movie? TV show? That's always a good place to start for inspiration. Have you been on a trip to any country that was really meaningful? Maybe look for names in that language. Do you have strong ties to your college? Maybe there's inspiration there.

 

 

 

There are always the old standbys/traditional names like Liz mentioned. I'd add Meg, Bran, and Pen just to name a few to the "traditional", at the least "inspired by British Isles" list.

 

 

 

Puppy doesn't have to have a name the instant you bring him home, either. There's nothing wrong with waiting a few days to see if a name comes to you once he's home. Maybe he's talkative, or cuddly, or does something unique that you want reflected in his name.

 

 

Finally, you could give him a name based on his physical appearance. If he's mainly black, you could look up the color black in other languages, such as Noir (French), Dubh (Gaelic), Nero (Italian), or Du (Welsh). This is sort of what we did with our pup. He was found in a ditch with most of his tail cut off, leaving just a few inches of nub. Also, I'm in pilot training, and like a boat, the rudder on the plane helps you steer (ish). So we named him Rudder, since he's missing most of his.

 

 

 

Let us know when you decide! And pictures are a must!

[Jexa]

Also, if you ever ending up showing him in agility or something, and they are checking for you at the gate, they will have to say, "Where is Belfast?" which is the capitol of Ireland.

 

 

Northern Ireland. Don't let Dubliners hear you say that!

[BCForever]

Northern Ireland. Don't let Dubliners hear you say that!

 

Believe it or not, I'm actually from Northern Ireland, so I feel like such an idiot right now for such a silly mistake. My family is so Irish that it is just stupid. We all look like the Weasley family from the Harry Potter movies, ha ha. I'm just unbelievably tired, and getting over a really bad cold.

 

Thanks for correcting me. Now, I shall go and try to scrape up any dignity I have left lol

[Jeri Jessee]

I had wanted to name my puppy some cool West Texas kind of cowdog name like Cooper or Jackson...but she was already named and although the breeder said I could change it, she is such a Maggie...

[gcv-border]

I like short and sweet (single syllable), but different.

 

Jovi

[Beach BCs]

I like state names. I've had a Dakota, Alabama & Alaska. Currently I have Georgia and Texas. Tex and I run agility (Georgia runs away from me in agility causing me to run after her shaking my fist while cursing). I love it when people holler out "Where is Texas!? Where is Texas!?" Let me run my dog, and then we'll look at the map together. Or "Who has Texas?" I do. "Really? The whole state?" Yes, Texas is all mine.

 

I always knew Texi's name would be Texas. Georgia was supposed to be Carolina (Caro) but after four days of forcing it I said "Georgia" and she looked at me like "duh, took you long enough".

 

I do occasionally entertain naming a dog a more traditional name. I guess when that dog shows up they'll let me know if that's what they want.

 

Best of luck to you and your puppy!

[Jexa]

Believe it or not, I'm actually from Northern Ireland, so I feel like such an idiot right now for such a silly mistake. My family is so Irish that it is just stupid. We all look like the Weasley family from the Harry Potter movies, ha ha. I'm just unbelievably tired, and getting over a really bad cold.

 

Thanks for correcting me. Now, I shall go and try to scrape up any dignity I have left lol

 

 

Sorry, I hope I didn't come across as condescending! Certainly no need to feel like you've lost dignity! I'm way too OCD about things like that.

 

 

I was going to add- I had a streak of naming my animals after weather when I was a kid. I had a dark gray cat named Rain Cloud, and a pound-puppy BC mix named Stormy (because he was almost solid black and he had a "stormy" life before we got him ). Initially though I tried to name him Hal, because we got him on Halloween .

[SecretBC]

Agility trials and flyball tournaments are great places to pick up interesting name ideas. I love being gate steward at trials and getting to see all of the unique & popular name ideas out there.

 

The one I'm sitting on at the moment for the next dog (which is likely a looooong way out there, so I'll probably forget it) is Trigger/Trig. Someone who trials in my region has a dog with this name and it just really appealed to me -- I think it goes back to my horse loving roots. lol

 

I find naming to be so difficult. Luke came with that name from the shelter and I never changed it because I was so conflicted. I did name Kaiser before I picked him up. I thought for two days what I would name Secret and it just suddenly popped into my head about three hours into the drive home with her. Some dogs are easy to name, some aren't.

 

It's something I struggle with at the animal shelter where I work, too. With some animals a name pops into your head instantly -- others I sit and stare at them forever and can't come up with anything that seems right.

[mum24dog]

I like short and sweet (single syllable), but different.

 

Jovi

 

Single syllable for me too.

 

Out of 6 dogs 4 have had 2 syllable names but normally shortened to 1 so in future I'll just stick with single syllable names.

 

I have a whole list in my head, plus KC registration names (Activity Register, not breed), for more dogs than I'll ever have at my age.

 

BC dog names in our Agility club atm -

 

Kye, Woody, Casper, Max, Ted, Badger, Taz, Toby, Wilf, Tag, Frost, Speckle, Sam, Hamish.

 

In the past names have included Tip, Lark, Rob, Joe, Korky, Finn, Billy, Ollie, Wally.

 

Not many people go in for psycho names here.

[Dragoon 45]

When I got my red and white male last Sept, the rescue had named him Finley. But as he had only been in rescue for a short while, he had not really recognized it as his name. After watching him move there was really no question in my mind. Zipp was the name that fitted him, he literally zips from place to place; one of the fastest dogs I have ever seen. It only took a couple of days and a liberal application of treats for him to learn it.

 

I favor the one syllable names and it seems that dogs learn the short names faster in my experience. And I heartly recommend the BC Museum's list of names as a good place to start that was linked to earlier.

[terrecar]

I would name a male dog Hermes (EΡΜΗΣ) after the dog in one of my all time favorite books, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World. I know, it was a Golden Retriever, but still.

 

On a side note...While attempting to familiarize myself with all things Border Collie, I discovered that Patrick Shannahan's first dog was named Hannah.

[Tea]

Hum I named my last pup.....uh...Tickman

[winterfarm]

I'm new here but a lifelong working dog, herder fan. Both of my current kids are rescues, Kiva (SF, BCx) 8.5yo and Kai (NM, BC) 1.5yo. Both came to me at 5MO and it took a good two weeks for either of them to get a name! My advice is take your time, let them roll off your tongue a few times in context before you stick your pup with one for good

[Kelleybean]

Mr. Darcy--I love Pride and Prejudice.

[juliepoudrier]

I don't mind longer names, though they are often shortened to one- or two-syllable names (e.g., Kestrel = Kes); even my dogs with one-syllable names end up with two-syllable nicknames....

 

Boy , Jill (the first two came with those names), Willow (real name: Willoughby), Farleigh, Kat, Twist, Lark, Pip (Pipit), Phoebe, Ranger, Kestrel.

 

You might like to come up with a theme and choose names related to that theme (for example, Lark, Pipit, Phoebe, and Kestrel are all types of birds).

 

I, too, generally wait until the pup is here and I get to know it before a name comes to mind.

 

J.

[Carson Crazies]

I'm going to name my next small dog something like Mr. Higgins or Prince William Ambrose. Except I used to know this miniature Schnauzer named Mr. Higgins. He humped my arm.

 

I like one syllable names, though I do have a Pia (albeit most of the time I call her "P"). I usually look at pedigrees and name lists to see if something jumps out. It took a few days for Pia's name to stick, and I think it was three or four days for Linc. Originally I liked Loch or Duff for him (but was afraid it would become Fluff MacDuff).

 

Anyway, I usually just make a list of names I like, and wait until I have the dog home. Then I choose something else.

[PSmitty]

Mr. Darcy--I love Pride and Prejudice.

 

There's a Mr. Darcy running agility here. But he's a little ankle biter. Some kind of terrier thing.

 

One thing I don't like, is all the weird names that pop up with *some* sport people, names like: Menace, Psycho, Malice, Toxic, Slayer (yes, seriously).

 

Personally, I like people names. I have Lilly (just because), Jack (for Jackie Robinson), Will (for Willie Mays) and Alex. Although Alex is a people name, he was named after a horse, Afleet Alex. It could be worse, another horse name my husband liked was Ghostzapper. Glad I talked him out of that one.

[Laurae]

Ghostzapper

 

:lol: