We adopted a sweet border collie mix from the shelter named “Gypsy.” While we love the name, we’re concerned it might be culturally insensitive, and we don’t want to offend anyone. However, she’s really attached to her name and responds well to it.
We tried switching to “Chips” since it sounds similar, but she doesn’t react as strongly to it, which is surprising given how close the names are.
Is it a good idea to change a dog’s name after they’ve already started training in a new home?
Edit: We decided to name her Pixie! Thanks for all the great suggestions.
When they were in elementary school, my kids conducted a “experiment” with our Golden Retriever and named him “Flashlight.” When that dog did anything at all in response to the word Flashlight, for a short while that afternoon, she received extra love and attention.
We could yell “Flashlight!!” at any time for the next ten years, and she would run towards us with a huge, goofy Golden smile.
Whether you name Gypsy Pixie, Ipsy, or Scout, she will be just fine
I simply yelled “crabmeat” in my normal tone to my dog, who was on the opposite side of the house, and he came running. She even gave me the classic “touch” cue by snuffing my hand.
I found this hilarious because, for the record, her name is Turkey, which has nothing to do with crabmeat. I’m going to start calling her all kinds of strange names from now on.
Furthermore, both of my kitties are excellent at responding to calls, so it appears that they are not easily tricked.
