Name change for a new pet?

[blondeatlast]

My mom got an asorable 16 month old Chow/Australian Shepard mix dog today; just an absolute doll. The only problem is, she despises the dog's name: Princess.

Is it possible (or even fair) to change her name? We are really struggling with this; this sweet thing just isn't a Princess!

[ProudGerman]

1. Personally, I don't think the dog cares

It'll learn to answer to whatever you want.

My own dog answers to three names. Her real one, Brownie, and her nicknames Stinky and Dipshit.

[Don_G]

10. Only 3?

My brother's dog answers to Lunch, Dinner and "here's the bone."

[molly]

2. Call her Princess - whatever-her-new-name

then drop the princess

[LearnedHand]

3. OMG! PLEEEZE change her name!

"Princess" is an embarrassment of a name to any self-respecting dog. What about Zena? Or Leia? :evilgrin:

[Gloria]

4. I changed my latest stray's name 3 times before settling on one...

But I still call him by the name I used when I was trying to catch him...Sweetie...he still is!!

His "real" name went from Topo (confusing with the two other names, Toro and Tico); Mocha (he's a rust and black min pin)but could hardy say the name with feeling like my mouth was stuffed; finally, wanted something with black, thought of Jet, Jetta (female name, oops!) , then because he was so shiny, I thought he looked "slick" ...so his name is "Slicker" with "Slick" or "Slickie" for short....and "Sweetie" for lovey dovey times.....

Give it a little time, live with her awhile and I bet you'll suddenly come up with the perfect name.....Does she have "moxie"??

[Rowdyboy]

5. My springer came to us on his first birthday named Champion...

We both hated it but, for his sake, kept it. Now, a few years later, I never even think about it. He's Champ or Bighead Dog or Baby Boy or Champion interchangeably and he responds to any of them. He's just damn glad to be an inside dog (his first year was spent outside).

[carpediem]

6. Yes.

We have two dogs
Zeke who also responds to Butter, butterhead, beanhead, dinglehop, etc

and Missoula (we got her on a camping trip to Montana) who responds to zooby, zoola, zoobydoo etc.

And before them we had Thelma who became thelma lou who became loopers

If you use a name often enough they figure it out - also Aussies are very smart and shouldn't have any trouble changing.

The easiest way to change it could be to come up with something with the same sounds as princess - like maybe bernadette, or isis, or texas, or primrose, etc.

I got these from a rhyming site online where you punch in a word and it comes up with rhymes for you. Please don't hold me responsible for the suggestions, they are only examples.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

7. how about>>>> Dee O'Gee .....spells D.O.G.

:7

[northofdenali]

8. I changed two adult cat's names when they were rescued.

My beautiful, precious Maine Coon was called "Hester" and was in a very rough environment. She now answers to Cinnamon - because that's what she smells like!

Sassafras (Sassy the Biker Cat) was called Flag (for her long tail). They fed her leftover cold cuts and grits. She was 8 months old and weighed 6 pounds when I got her. She's now 18 months and 16 pounds and still growing.

Rename the pet to suit the pet, they'll let you know by their response when you've got it right.

Right Cinnamon? Sassy?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

9. I had a cat live for 16 years with about 6 names

Everyone who knew the cat called it something different. She did not care in the least.

[spinbaby]

11. If the dog doesn't mine, why not?

We changed name of one of our cats. She came from the poind as Misty. Misty just didn't go with her. So now she's Matilda. Of course, cats are a lot less fussy about having their names changed.

[corarose]

12. My Dogs in the past have had tons of names

I use to knickname them and they would come to each name. It was a bad habit and I couldn't break it.

One of my Poodles would fart all of the time so I called him
Mr. Poostinker and he came to it. My other dog would lay under your feet and I called him Beanbag because he loved it when you put your feet on him.

My other Dog Lucky Lou Lou was called Belle at first for several years and she came to all of her names.

My Cat Valentino who was a stray that we took in doesn't come to any name. My Sister calls in Snowball my Dad calls him the White Guy because he is all white and I call him Mr. Kitty and he comes to Mr. Kitty once in a while.

[TheZoo]

13. Barney went thorugh 3 name changes

He was Felix on his birth certificate from the shelter.

He looked like our old cat Garfield (long story, Garf was 30+ lbs and got the name because the first dinner I made for Marie (lasagna) he ended up doing a face plant in it before she got there. She walked in to me chasing a black and white cat covered in marinara sause).

The day after we got Barney, Marie looked at him and said something like "He's got Googley Eyes! He's Barney with the Goo-Goo-Googley Eyes!" I STILL don't know what the heck she was talking about! What the heck is a Barney Googles??

[Rowdyboy]

14. May I have the pleasure of introducing you to...

Barney Google, dear friend of Snuffy Smith...

http://www.pacificcomics.com/snuffy.html

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. Our shetland sheepdog was named Jilly when we got her at almost

4 months. I called her Jilly/Jessie for about a week and then dropped the Jilly with no problem. My father in law was able to do this with a 3 year old German Shepherd he adopted as well.

I really liked the name Jilly, but my husband didn't want to keep it because it was someone else's idea. :eyes:

[Habibi]

16. I've always thought it would be cool

to do a little documentary of people talking to their pets. I mean, what the pets' official names are vs. how we actually introduce them to outsiders. "Stink-butt" "Bojangles" "Gorfus" or whatever. I've always had some made-up song I sing to my animals--nonsense, but somehow inspired by them. I'd love to collect that sort of thing from others.

[ScreamingMeemie]

17. Her call name is Jessie, her akc name is Rushwind Lady of the Lake

I call her Puppy loolah. Or Puppalah. or Jessica Lynn when she is in serious trouble. Then there is also Pupperdups.

[HawkerHurricane]

18. Heh.

My daughter 'acquired' two dogs from her uncle (half purebred cocker spaniel/half some mutt who was passing by when she was in heat), the female was named 'Piggy' for her habit of looking for seconds...she renamed her 'Princess'. The male is 'Tux', for his black coat with white chest.

[short bus president]

19. name change is fine for a pet almost anytime

it's not WHAT you call them, it's HOW you call them. Pick something to your liking and say it sweetly.

[radwriter0555]

20. I had a cat that went through several name changes over the years...

boiled egg being one... henny, another....

I can't remember her first name.

She was white.