Dog Name Change - Silly Subject

Can you adapt the original name slightly so you can have your choice & not offend her. Although I would be flattered to have a lovely animal named after me.

Usually I would say, "What's in a name?" but that is probably because I'd had 3 surnames before I was 7. However, I did have a little boy in my class who was named after the family dog and who was treated worse than it. Would I have thought anything about it if he had been from a loving home where all the children except one was treated the same and was well nurtured?
Our dog was supposed to be a blonde bitch but when we went to get her, my son fell in love with a black dog. As we couldn't have 2 puppies, I gave in. As we left the place with him in a crate for the long journey home, I made a joke with the breeder about how I bet we'd picked the only car sick one. OMG. Within a couple of miles the car stank and the poor pup was in such a state. The first thing we had to do when we got home was to bath him! He's been terrified of cars ever since.
None of us could agree with a name but I was reading the "Dexter" books at the time and he talked about his "dark passenger" which seemed particularly apt so Dexter was named.
Our cat is Dali. She is named after another kitten we had who was a strange looking girl who reminded us of a Dali picture. Unfortunately she had a serious, fatal illness and had to go back to the breeder. When we got our current cat, we knew Salvador Dali had been named after his dead brother so it seemed apt to name the current cat with the same name.

A few weeks after one of my much loved cats died, my sister got a cat and called it by the same name. It still hurts me now. Silly isn’t it?

It seems to me that every other new dog, cat etc is now called Luna. Where did that come from? Have I missed something? Anyway I can imagine somebody calling ‘Luna’ and a whole loads of animals turn up.

Charleygirl5

I am inclined to agree with your son. It is a pain for you when the first name fitted perfectly but you may find it may have caused a rift if you had continued. At times anything for a peaceful life.

It would have been different if the dog was 5, adopted and used to the same name for years.

Good reason to change sometimes

We adopted a rescue dog aged. 4. She’d a bad previous home. Centre didn’t like the name (Oddie / blue and brown eye) so rescue centre changed it to Mya

She accepted new name quickly and responded well. On one occasion she was accidentally called by old name. She cowered down and crawled away.

You will get used to it, and the dog will grow into the name. Our dog had been given the name of Boo from the dog's trust because she was so timid. I thought it a silly name, but have got used to it though she is not so timid now.

I’ve had quite a few puppies over the years and I always check with my children before finalising a name. One pup I wanted to call Ross but it reminded my DD of a boy who bullied her at school so we dropped that!

Good point Razmatazz

A friend’s dog if Wilf, a couple of years later his new grandson is Wilf. When DD1 was pregnant we suggested she call baby Elmo after our eldest spaniel - that was a firm ‘no’. ?

I think you did the right thing by changing the dog's name.

When I was a child, it wasn't considered right to give dogs names that were used by people.

Dogs were called things like, Rover, Rascal, Rogue, Spot etc. in order not to offend anyone by them having to share their name with a dog.

Some people used common diminutives of names like Bessy or Bobbie.

Our dogs were Sonny, Fella and Laddie, not people names.

If I ever get another dog I will call it Buster.

My son's new puppy is Bruno, but my grandson doesn't like the name so he calls him Brendan. Bruno doesn't seem to mind. Now grandson has gone to live in London the puppy will never respond to Brendan again.

Is she ever going to meet the dog? I think she should be flattered actually that you liked her name so much that you gave it to your dear dog....

I do agree with you son in this one. Would feel awkward at times especially for his wife. Sounds like you dealt with it really well and I’m sure you will soon get used to the dogs second name.

I've been a teacher for nearly 30 years. I have found, increasingly, that when I ask kids the name of their pet, they reply with traditional names such as Dave, Kevin, Colin, Mark, etc. And the names of the kids that I ask? Blaze, Ocean, Felix, Echo, Benji, Isis, Tulip, Star... etc. See the pattern?

Do you see the mother regularly? If so maybe change the name.if not then keep the name you chose first. It’s your dog after all. One of our dogs is called Molly. Rescue dog. Came with the name. We actually know a few Mollys but it’s never caused a problem. She’s deaf now so doesnt respond to anything anyway!

I once met the most lovely old English sheep dog called Fido, he worked for his keep on a local farm, and was a real charicter, very scruffy and dirty from working most of the time but come sheep shearing time, Fido got clipped as well, and became one handsom chap!

I have a very large Rottweiler and when he was a puppy, a little girl we met walking locally said 'he looks just like a little bear'. When we approach her house now, she'll be waiting outside with a treat for him and will shout 'come on Teddy bear' and they have their daily time together.......they adore each other.

I remember that my Aunty called her new Peke 'Tim' and my cousin Tim's Mum, her sister, was very annoyed.
Our daughter adopted a new rescue dog called 'Fanny' and she said 'I'm not going around the park shouting out 'Fanny', so she became 'Zanny' and finally 'Minnie'. She is a very laid-back little dog and doesn't mind what she is called as long as she gets fed.
Our two cats are called 'Millicent' and 'Montgomery' obviously too long to use when calling them, so, of course, they answer to 'Millie' and 'Monty'!

Depends on the family dynamics. We'd never have called our dog by the same name as any family member as it feels a bit, well, passive-agressive. One of my dogs fave toys is called after my DHs sister and we have to hide it when she's around as she'd be very upset, and yes, it's deliberate as she annoys us but not enough to insult her to her face and it's a way of diffusing our annoyance. How will you manage if she's visiting? Will she be insulted or upset? How do you get on with her? On the other hand, my friends child called her cat after one of my sons as she had a crush on him (aged about 4) and it was really sweet.

Dina my advice as a MiL and a dog owner is change her name to something similar so the dog's not confused and then elongate it as her 'proper name'. So if DiL's mum is Kate, talk to the dog as Katy (Kate-eee), but her proper name is Caterina.

I am a bt surprised that you didn't know your son's mother in law's name .

rowanflower0

My sister called her new dog Alfie - fine, but 3 months later her eldest son's wife gave birth to her second son and they called him Alfie! Don't know who was more confused - dog or child!

We've had a similar experience!

My daughter called her son the same name as my son's dog!

Nobody seems to mind

My daughter in the US called her two rescue dogs, Eve and Walter. My late parents names (her grandparents) I was delighted.

I agree with other posters to change it, it really isn’t worth the upset and you may feel uncomfortable when calling the dog when dil is around. One small question I’m abit surprised you weren’t aware it was dil mother’s name had you not heard her name been used before, not a dig just an observation.