Fido, Spot, and Rover may have suited previous generations of dog owners. However, with today’s pampered pets in their doggy day spas, cage-free animal boarding, and jewel-embellished cat collars, these simple names won’t suffice.
Names Based on Appearance, Personality, Breed, and Role
According to Moore’s book Naming Your Pet, a careful examination of a pet and its purpose will lead to a more satisfying choice in name. For puppies, kittens, birds, or other animals, here are a few examples of the names she suggests based on individual traits:
Appearance: Hops (for animals the color of rich ale); Crème Brulee (soft, fluffy, beige, and/or golden brown); Doodad (any toy or small breed pet); Macaroon (for white pets, such as a little Bichon Frise); Mitt (look at the paws on this one).
Personality: Barkley (noisy dogs); Bumper (cats that like to rub against the legs of their owners); Dizzy (for silly, excitable pets); Monty (for pets that like to stretch out in the “Full Monty”); Wagner (for dogs whose tales go nonstop).
Breed: Dot (a Dalmatian or tiny pet); Gandolph (a master of all, Bulldog, Boxer, or independent cat); Ian (Shelties, Collies, Border Collies); Keir (black in Celtic – enchanting black Labrador); Oohlong (a Dachshund, a Corgi, or a Bassett).
Role in Owner’s Life: Chief (for dogs that work for a living); Ditto (the second pet in a series); Jingle (received as a holiday gift); Nitis (Native American for friend – good for any pet); Volk (Russian for cop – excellent for a K-9 or other working dog).
Pet Names are Alphabetized
The names are listed alphabetically with explanations of what kind of animal fits each name. This creative collection of names comes from foreign words, popular culture, science, and history. Black-and-white illustrations by Summer Clancy appear throughout the book highlighting specific breeds. Through the same publisher, Moore also authored Animal Antics, a 16-month calendar and Color Your Pet, a coloring book of unusually tinted creatures.
Book Details:
Moore, Donna. Naming Your Pet. Over 1,200 Names for Your Pet. Legacy Publishing, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-934449-34-9, 120 pages, $11.95 U.S., Softcover.
Author Details:
A lifetime pet owner, Donna Moore wrote the book Naming Your Pet to help owners find names that describe their pets’ individual characteristics. Her company, Chateau E.I.E.I.O., Inc, was founded in December 2005 to support animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts offered by various non-profit organizations. This book, with a portion of the author’s proceeds contributed to these organizations, is the first effort of Chateau E.I.E.I.O.
For more information on the relationship between dogs and their owners, read Family Lessons From Dog Whisperer.
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