Female Puppy Names

So you’re about to bring home your beautiful new baby girl, and everything is in place. You have a sturdy, well-ventilated crate, an avalanche of soft toys, a safe yard full of lush green grass, two shiny new bowls, a leash, and the vet’s office on speed dial.

But you also have a sprawling list of female puppy names, none of which will do. The only thing you still need may be the most important thing of all. After all, the crate will be replaced as she grows, bowls are just bowls, and the stuffed toys may be demolished within a few weeks. But a name lasts forever, and you still haven’t settled the perfect one.

Each name seems nice, but not quite right. You just can’t picture yourself shouting it out across a sunny field or saying it quietly to an old greying friend beside a fireplace. Some are too complicated, some are too common, and some are too dingy. The female puppy names that you like are being vetoed by your friends and family, but they haven’t come up with any better suggestions, and meanwhile, all potential names are beginning to blur together in your mind into strings of nonsense syllables.

Not to worry. Here’s a simple guide to puppy naming, along with a few tips for creating your own list of female puppy names and narrowing it down to the perfect candidate.

Female Puppy Names: Practical Matters

There’s no such thing as a professional puppy namer (what a job that would be!), but breeders and trainers of serious working and service dogs, like rescue dogs and guide dogs for the blind, also face the responsibility of naming these future heroes when they’re born. And as they do so, they bear certain practical guidelines in mind. Most important, a dog’s name should be clear, and should be composed of crisp, distinct syllables that prevent it from being confused with other common words. Choose female puppy names that can’t be mistaken with your own name or that of anyone in your household, and don’t chose names that are similar to common commands like “sit”, “stay”, “come” and “no”.

A clear name is one that your puppy will easily come to recognize as her own. This will make training easier and help you to establish a strong, early bond. A clear name can also be a safety issue. Envision your pup slipping out of her collar and running at top speed toward the highway. Imagine shouting her name. “Comet”, “Phoebe”, and “Jasmine” are clear, strong, and arresting. “Princess Marshmallow Butterfly” is less so.

Female Puppy Names: Names to Keep off the List

The next key thing to bear in mind, once practical matters are addressed, is the issue of dignity. A successful female puppy name is one that doesn’t need to be changed. If you make a mistake, changing a dog’s name may not be as expensive and complicated as changing a child’s name, but it can still be confusing, for you and especially for her. The name you choose should be the name you stick with. Keep in mind that your adorable, clownish puppy will be a grown dog someday soon. When that happens, she will bear all the important responsibilities that canine companions do. She’ll stand beside you when you’re all alone, she’ll guard your home and person, she’ll make you laugh when you need a friend, she’ll be your hiking buddy and personal trainer, and she’ll lend a touch of security, grace and elegance to your home and your life. This is a respectable calling, and she deserves a respectable name. Even when she’s grown she may be small enough to fit in your pocket, but her heart is immeasurable. Give her a name that reflects this. Don’t allow the name you settle on to trivialize or insult her.

“Penny,” for example, is a more dignified name than “Precious Pennies from Heaven”. “Duchess”, “Lady”, and “Tiger” are more dignified than “Fatty”, “Dum-Dum”, and “Fluffy.”

Female Puppy Names: Practice

Do you already have a sense of your puppy’s character? It may be too early for that, but do you know what your puppy looks like? You may have met and played with her, you may have seen pictures of her, or if she’s coming from a breeder and hasn’t even been born yet, then at least you’ve met or seen pictures of her parents. You may have brought her home already, and “Unamed Puppy” is lying at your feet as you read this. In any case, once you’ve assembled a list of safe, clear, and respectable female puppy names, it’s time to start practicing a few of them aloud while calling an image of your puppy to mind.

Say them quietly and loudly. Try them out in different moods and tones of voice. Go outside and shout them-don’t be shy. Pair them with common commands and words of praise. Try doing this with a few of the suggested names listed below:

Buckle
Captain
Violet
Ivy
Annie
Lily
Ella
Apple
Zanna
Katie
Mystic
Hazel

Practice phrases like the following:

Hazel, come!
Good dog, Mystic!
Lily, no!
Apple, fetch!
Lie down, Ivy.

Insert female puppy names from your own list into these phrases and try them out. As you say your preferred female puppy names aloud, paired with phrases you’ll probably be using on a regular basis, listen to how they sound.

A name should sound natural. It should be easy for you to say, whisper or shout. As you speak the right name, you should feel pride, not embarrassment. The perfect name should make you smile inwardly for all the right reasons. And most important, the right name should make you feel excited about the brand new lifelong relationship that lies ahead. As you say the perfect name out loud, you should find yourself looking into the future, calling to your friend, and feeling your heart lift as she runs in your direction.