What does ‘Get a Different Name Day’ mean for rescue dogs?

It’s ‘Get a Different Name Day’! Whilst this might sound like a gimmick, in fact, it raises some interesting considerations when it comes to the world of dog rescue.

Believe it or not, a lot of dogs that arrive into our care come without names. The ex-racers usually have a racing name but often don’t have a pet name, and many of our lurchers come in having been found straying. When a dog does come in with a name that they know and respond to, we may still change it IF we suspect that they’ve had bad experiences associated with that name. The name may have been used when the previous owner was annoyed with the dog, and so they may associate hearing their name with being told off, shouted at or even physically punished in some cases. These experiences can “poison” the name, making the dog feel worried when hearing it.

So, although a dog may be given a new name whilst in our care, they will probably only have it for a few weeks, unless their stay turns out to be longer. The key thing here is that people should not be put off adopting a dog just because of his or her name. A new, or old name can be changed, and here’s how….

Teaching your dog their new name

Teaching the new name is as simple as saying it before we do anything the dog will enjoy (such as feeding, going for a walk, initiating a game etc). Most dogs will start to recognise and respond to their new name pretty quickly once they begin to associate it with good things! Adopters can speed up the process with short training sessions – practice saying the new name, then immediately giving a treat. This should be done with the dog nearby and not otherwise distracted initially – but as they start responding to their name, this can progress to calling them from another room, or whilst they’re slightly distracted by something else.

Would a name change help with recall?

It’s worth noting that many dogs who struggle with recall off-lead have learned to ignore their name in this situation – they’ve heard it being called so much with no positive outcome, that it’s lost all meaning. Some dogs will have learned that when they do eventually respond to hearing their name called, they will be put back on-lead and their fun will end (because they have not been adequately rewarded for returning) or even that they will be punished for not coming back straight away. Again, changing the dog’s name and starting from the beginning with recall training can be really beneficial here.