Picking a name for your dog

The name says it all...adopting a precious pooch is the easy part, choosing a dog name is probably the most difficult part of owning a dog! Especially when each member of your family has a say-so. Here are a few techniques you can use to give your dog a fitting name, along with some examples.

Look for other dog owners

Try browsing our dog owner community on facebook at Facebook.com/barkerspet. You'll find pictures of dogs and discussions that can help you pick out the perfect name for your dog.

Name your dog by Appearance

Think about names that characterize the dog's size or coat. Brown dogs can be called Chip, Coca, Toasty, Hershey, and so forth. Small dogs can be called Littlefoot, Goober, Peanut or Pixie.

Name your dog Affectionately

If your dog has a soft, sweet personality, try Babe, Buttercup, or Sunshine. Big and active dogs can be called Tank, Rocket, or something that showcases their personality.

Name your dog a Food

It is common for dogs to be named after food, like Bagel, Bean, Blackberry, Oreo, Snickers....But don't feed your dog candy in order to find out their preference! You might have to call him Dead-ey.

Name your dog by Personality

Take some time to think about your dog's personality. A few examples of this type of dog name are Dozer, Dash, Chase, Angel, Snuggles, or Thumper.

Let's hear from you! What is your dog's name and how did you pick it?

Dog Training Basics: Training at Home

Dog training isn't a luxury, it's a necessity that strengthens the relationship you have with your dog and improves communication. In a way, it's just as much of a training for you as it is for your dog! All dog training techniques are based on one concept; understanding how a dog learns. For more expert dog training advice, visit The Barkers Pet Resort website.

How a dog learns

All dog behavior is based on a concept of action and reward, similar to the way that human brains make connections between actions and their outcome in order to survive better in the future. The hardest part of dog training is that it is very counter-intuitive; if a dog won't stop barking for example, you may want to yell back or give the dog what you think it wants. This is a habit that's very hard for a person to break, but if you don't you are only teaching the dog that barking is the way to get what it wants.

Training your dog

Just like people, dogs have a learning curve. It's critical that you and the people that are around your dog the most all use the same verbal, facial and physical expression when telling your dog to stop his negative behaviors and to reward his positive ones. With consistency over time, your dog's behavior will change. And stay calm! Yelling at your dog to stop barking will only seem as if you are barking along with him.

Exercise your dog during training

Dogs with pent-up energy will bark all day until they are tired, so tire them out on purpose so that they can be calm enough to have a two-way communication with you. It may seem sometimes that your dog is bouncing off the walls or will never stop his negative behavior. In this case, take him to the park and work him out until he's exhausted. This is the number one dog training tip we can give you.

Don't give in to your dog barking

Your dog may bark until your head is ringing, so you naturally think that the barking will stop if you give him what he wants. This is counter-productive, it will only teach your dog that he is in control of you. Instead, think of an activity that he can do that makes it impossible to perform the negative action at the same time. If he's barking too much, make him fetch, eat, or something similar. If he's jumping on people, give him a dog bed in one location to consistently be sent to when he does it. Consistency is key to changing dog behavior. Don't give up!