You’ve just brought home a new dog and it needs the perfect name. The name you choose says as much about you as it does about your new pup. It shows how you view your pet and your relationship with it. Some names can cause people to judge a dog and how they react towards the dog when they meet it. Depending on whether the dog is a pet, therapy dog, search and rescue dog, tracking dog or any other dog that works with the public, it is important to use a name that conveys the proper image.

At least naming your dog has far more leeway than naming your children; where thought has to be given to peer group acceptance, blending first and last names and how the initials may appear. Even so, picking the right name can be overwhelming (after all, there are so many to choose from) and the name you choose will be used dozens of times a day to call, praise and even scold. Here are a few tips that will help make the decision easier:

· Pick a name that the dog can easily recognize. Dogs do better with one or two syllable names.

· Choose a name that’s both easy to call and one that you are happy calling out. Calling out “Buddie” or “Jack” in the park will be far less embarrassing than shouting out, “Here, Knucklehead!”

· Avoid names that sound like the standard commands of No, Stay, Sit, Come, Down, or Fetch. It can be difficult for dogs to tell the difference between similar sounding words.

· If you choose a long name, keep in mind the shortened version. A long name will inevitably be shortened and it may ruin the effect you’re looking for. For instance, your children may want to name the new pup “Ratatouille” after seeing the movie of the same name, but realize that it’s likely that “Ratatouille” will soon be shortened to just “Rat.”

· Pick a name that will grow with your dog. For example, “Puppy” may be less appropriate for a full grown German Shepherd.

Sadly, I still ended up giving one of my dogs a name that turned out to be quite embarrassing. I named this dog Randy, just because I liked the name and it seemed to fit him. Several years later, I married and moved to England only to find out that the word “randy” is used as a verb to politely describe one person feeling amorous desires for another. Well, how was I to know?

This problem led to many awkward explanations because in England, as in the USA, the people you meet on walks almost always learn your dog’s name before they learn yours. My English husband, Alan, even took to calling Randy “His Nibs,” and a sweet family that dog sat for us when we traveled admitted to calling him “Brandy” in public to avoid embarrassment.

So naming your dog can be quite the adventure!

According to the web site alldognames.com, the top ten male and female dog names are: Female: Maggie, Bear, Molly, Shadow, Lady, Sadie, Lucky, Lucy, Daisy& Brandy Male: Max, Jake, Buddy, Bear, Bailey, Shadow, Sam, Lucky, Rocky & Buster

You could stay with a name that’s proven to be popular, or you could go completely wild and name your dog after your favorite uncle… or a tree. After all, it is your dog.

Life lesson my dogs taught me: When you do something wrong, always take responsibility (as soon as you're dragged shamefully out from under the bed).