"Is it okay to change my newly adopted rescue dog's name to something else?"

You will be happy to hear that the answer is YES, absolutely, your pet can adjust to a new name, and it is easier than most people think!

For humans, our whole identity is wrapped up in our name. For example, Bradley Cooper has been his name for over 40 years… it tells him who he is, where he came from, who his parents were, etc. Bradley Cooper is more than just three syllables of sound to him – it is who he is!

For dogs, there is truly little reason to believe that they have any sense of identity wrapped up in their name the way that people do. Certainly, once they learn their name (which is simply the sound of their name), when they hear it spoken it evokes a sense for them that something is about to happen, and it involves them.

“Maybe I am about to get a treat or go do something fun,” if the voice is light and lilting. “Oh no,” if the voice is harsh and loud. The bottom line is that it is the tone of voice that really counts when you address your pets, not the words you say.

So, it is perfectly fine to change that sound/name to something else, especially if the dog might have negative associations with their “given name” from their previous home.

How do you do it?

Let’s say you bring home a dog named Pepper from Doodle Dandy Rescue– it is a fine name, but your neighbor’s dog is named Pepper, and so is your sister’s dog, so to avoid confusion your family would like to change your dog’s name. The kids all like the name Sandy, so you agree to go with that.

First have your Doodle’s favorite treats in hand, or a favorite toy ready, something your dog really loves. Next, say the name “Sandy” and give a treat. Repeat. Repeat.

It is simply good old classical conditioning – training our dog to associate any sound/name we choose with, in this case, a good association.

And voila – they have a “name.”