4yo rescue can i change the name?

DAGATH · 05-01-2011

Anybody think its possible to change the name of a 4 year old rescue?

Currently she is called "polka" as in the type of dance

Came from a russian owner so i guess thats where the name came from.... but seriously...POLKA! not a name that sits well with me...

Anyone have any experience in changing a dogs name?

Years ago i had a great dog called "Milo" a Jack Russel cross, but he answered to many names such as "Hey!" "Dont S**T there!"

but he learned that when he was young

Died of old age had him for ever! Miss him.

cigwyllt · 05-01-2011

We have changed dog names with no problems at all. My parents have just taken on a rescue puppy (5 months). He answered to "Harvey" but they have called him Bonzo and he responds instantly. They have had him for fortnight and have never referred to him as Harvey at all. I don't know if he would respond to that but he is certainly Bonzo now.

We've had a couple of rescue dogs with no background at all and they have just had the names we gave them.

Lots of behaviourists recommend that you change a dog's name when it moves home - if there are negative associations with the name (always being yelled at) they are avoided.

DougGeneration · 05-01-2011

First of all, nothing's impossible.

Let's move on then.. Changing the name of an adult dog surely poses alot of problems. But something you can do to gradually train "Polka" her? new name is to say the new name followed by the commands that she knows, i.e. "new name" SIT! You could also consider changing to a name that somehow sounds like Polka, though I can't think of any for now.

cigwyllt · 05-01-2011

Sorry - have to disagree with you on that. It is very easy to train a dog to a new name. Also you would be surprised at how many dogs don't actually know their own names - that was pointed out to me at a training class with my middle dog.

I had to go right back to basics. Sitting with her in a room with no other dogs/distractions and speak her name. When she turned to look at me she was rewarded with small treat. I would do that three or four times a day, nothing but speaking her name and rewarding her for acknowledging me.

But with a dog in a new home it really is very simple. It is better in fact to choose a name that has no connection with the old name at all. If it was a difficult thing to do it would cause massive problems for dogs rescued as strays who come with no name at all. My stray who was just a mutt rescued on a farm had no name, no background but within 24 hours she was answering to her name. It is a very simple thing to do.

DougGeneration · 05-01-2011

I never said it wasn't easy in the first place. But the second paragraph surely would be an ideal and effective solution.

shelleyabba · 05-01-2011

Hi,

We got our youngest Cocker, Eddie, from my sister at six months as he was not settling in well with her two very young children. We were advised that when re-homing a puppy or dog it is often a good idea to also re-name them.

Eddie was originally called Vinnie and I know he is a lot younger than you dog but he had no problem adapting to his new name. I think it is more the tone you use when calling their name that the actual name.

He he, I just did a little test with Eddie and called him Julie then peter and then karen using the same tone and he looked up at me all three times. In fact most of the time when I call Eddie, he just lies there and looks at me and our other fog Jimi comes.

Good Luck!

Shelley.x

DougGeneration · 05-01-2011

Very interesting results with the test I must say, that'll surely help DAGATH out! I must try that for myself though, probably tomorrow to check if I'll get the same results..

marycorbitt · 02-20-2012

I think it can be hard but the is nothing impossible with training.

DAGATH · 02-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by marycorbitt

I think it can be hard but the is nothing impossible with training.

Hello Mary,
In the end we did not change the name. i thought it was enough stress on the dog to be getting moved from pillar to post and was just easier to keep the name as it was.

In other news, upon receiving the dog i quickly realised she was quite well trained! She responds to many many commands, sit, heal always walks on your left side etc etc. Also she turned out to be pedigree! the daughter of a champion and recently we took her to a show and won second prize! We lost because her teeth were not in good shape.

Thats been sorted now though as unfortunately she had a lump on one of her breasts so we had the Vet perform minor surgery to remove it and while the dog was under we took the chance to have her teeth cleaned. €500 is a small prise to pay for the youngest member of the family.

So happy ending. and first prise next time the dog show comes up :P
P.S.
Polka is actually not her official name... She has a really weird long name which is on her official papers. So in the end Polka was definitely the lesser of two evils.. and like my old dog, she also responds to "Hey!!!" But thats when i come back from work and she has been eating my socks!

Deafdogsrule · 02-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAGATH

Hello Mary,
In the end we did not change the name. i thought it was enough stress on the dog to be getting moved from pillar to post and was just easier to keep the name as it was.

In other news, upon receiving the dog i quickly realised she was quite well trained! She responds to many many commands, sit, heal always walks on your left side etc etc. Also she turned out to be pedigree! the daughter of a champion and recently we took her to a show and won second prize! We lost because her teeth were not in good shape.

Thats been sorted now though as unfortunately she had a lump on one of her breasts so we had the Vet perform minor surgery to remove it and while the dog was under we took the chance to have her teeth cleaned. €500 is a small prise to pay for the youngest member of the family.

So happy ending. and first prise next time the dog show comes up :P
P.S.
Polka is actually not her official name... She has a really weird long name which is on her official papers. So in the end Polka was definitely the lesser of two evils.. and like my old dog, she also responds to "Hey!!!" But thats when i come back from work and she has been eating my socks!

I never keep a dog's name, no matter how old they are. All a name is to a dog, is a command to look at you. Most dogs aren't proplerly trained to their names anyway... besides, when rescuing, you never know if a dog has negative feelings for their name or not... it's just easier for me to train a new name from scratch (takes less than a day usually) that's how I start clicker training with a new dog anyway.

DAGATH · 02-20-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deafdogsrule

I never keep a dog's name, no matter how old they are. All a name is to a dog, is a command to look at you. Most dogs aren't proplerly trained to their names anyway... besides, when rescuing, you never know if a dog has negative feelings for their name or not... it's just easier for me to train a new name from scratch (takes less than a day usually) that's how I start clicker training with a new dog anyway.

I see what your saying, Though in my case all worked out positive and happy in the end so no big deal or need for a clicker. Im not a fan of clickers myself to be honest. i find them annoying so i assume others might also, and indeed the dog. She does a good job of understanding me and my tone of voice. And most defiantly knows her name.

Deafdogsrule · 02-21-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAGATH

I see what your saying, Though in my case all worked out positive and happy in the end so no big deal or need for a clicker. Im not a fan of clickers myself to be honest. i find them annoying so i assume others might also, and indeed the dog. She does a good job of understanding me and my tone of voice. And most defiantly knows her name.

I wasn't saying you did anything wrong, I just wanted others to hear the argument for changing names. I already knew from your last post that it worked for you (and I think Polka is a cute and unique name! LOL) But even if I like the name, and it suits the dog, I will still always change every dog that comes into my home's name. I've had 2 dogs (one I adopted and one foster) that had bad associations with their names. Though 2 of my dogs are deaf and it doesn't matter to them what they're called... they think their name is waving at them! LOL

An aside on Clicker Training:
Clicker training isn't for everyone. and most people have no idea how to actually use one properly. they think that the clicker is the signal, or the praise or something. I used to think they were bogus too, but now I use them for teaching any new behaviour and rehabbing aggressive dogs. Used properly training with them is alot faster and more accurate than training any other way. Besides being completely positive and great for building confidence.