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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think changing a rescue dog's name is fine?

105 replies

punchegg · 13/05/2023 22:29

DH is saying absolutely no, we keep the name. I personally don't see it as an issue if we make it somewhat similar sounding to a dog's ear. I'm just not a huge fan (dog is named Pluto) thought we could go for something with an o sound at the end still, with 2 syllables, plenty of names.

DH thinks it's mean when it's already a new everything for a dog and the least we can do is keep his name.

What do you think?

OP posts:
trisfreya · 13/05/2023 22:45

Seriously? A dog responds to the sound of your voice more than the name.

I call my dog "gorgeous", "honey" etc, and she comes

Gtsr443 · 13/05/2023 22:45

We've always renamed all of our rescue dogs - we've had 7. No problem at all. All of them had experienced abuse from previous owners.

SquashAndPineapple · 13/05/2023 22:46

I grew up with dogs and we never changed any of their names (even though one was excruciatingly embarrassing to shout across a field!!) It just felt to mean as the name is all they had! Now I have a puppy. He came with a name and even though we got him at 16 weeks old and he'd only had the name for about 8 weeks, we still couldn't bring ourselves to change it! 🐶

JMSA · 13/05/2023 22:47

Chesneyhawkes1 · 13/05/2023 22:45

I kept my dogs name but I liked it. I know lots of people who've changed them though.

My old jrt was called Dooley, old lady in my Nans care home thought he was called "Julie" and he responded to that every time we went 😂 so as long as they sound similar I think it's fine.

Love this! Grin

Bluelightbaby · 13/05/2023 22:48

I’ve had lots of rescue dogs/cats and pretty much always changed their names without any issue

2chocolateoranges · 13/05/2023 22:48

My mil adopted a new dog who had the same name as their original dog so they changed it to a name that rhymed with their original name ( think milly and tilly) and dog adapted well. Not sure how it would have been if it had been a totally different name,

Hurryupandleave · 13/05/2023 22:50

I didn't rename mine due to (somewhat over-emotionally, he was a sad case at the time) feeling he'd had enough upheaval without having to get used to a new name Blush In truth he wouldn't have cared, they don't really know it's their name, they just respond to a familiar sound and it takes no time for them to respond to a new one. And I still (10 years down the line) don't like his name! If I did it again I'd give him a shiny new name to go with his shiny new life and pick something I didn't feel a twat shouting across a field Smile

SirenSays · 13/05/2023 22:50

trisfreya · 13/05/2023 22:45

Seriously? A dog responds to the sound of your voice more than the name.

I call my dog "gorgeous", "honey" etc, and she comes

I have lovely memories of testing this as a very young child with my old dog Molly. I thought it was so funny that she'd respond to Polly and Dolly if I used the right tone

ThinWomansBrain · 13/05/2023 22:52

I think it depends on how they've come to be a rescue dog - how much do you know of their backstory?
Happy life and the previous owner has died - don't change it
Been mistreated and genuinely rescued new life, new name

as a PP says, a lot of it is tone of voice, etc.
Have fun with him, I hope he settles in well.

DarkDarkNight · 13/05/2023 23:04

something Similar as you say shouldn’t be a big problem. Like Pluto / Ludo for example.

RuthW · 13/05/2023 23:14

It's fine. We have changed two of our four rescues. They didn't notice.

Sometherusername · 13/05/2023 23:20

We've fostered quite a few dogs for a charity. The ones where we knew their actual name we kept it, but there were many that were proper strays and we had no idea so gave them a new name. They all picked it up pretty quickly and it didn't seem to be a big issue.

jannier · 13/05/2023 23:22

Would you have changed your husband's name if you hadn't liked it when you met?

RaininSummer · 13/05/2023 23:24

My dog is on his third name as shelter changed his name when he arrived. It was a very silly name so we renamed him when he came to us aged 2. Adapted fine but I doubt the second name registered with him after only two weeks in the shelter. I think it will be fine so long you as you use the name a lot with him to embed it.

Houselamp · 13/05/2023 23:59

A family member got a dog from a rescue shelter, had to change his name as he was previously called Shitter.
The dog answers to Fritter just fine.

anunlikelyseahorse · 14/05/2023 00:03

Our dog was a 'Kim'. Over the years the name has morphed and changed and her 'nickname' is about as far away from Kim as you could get, the Vet still calls her Kim though, and she's quite a clever dog and will come to either name. I think so long as you dog is well loved and good at learning s/he will be fine with a different name. Our cats names have also changed over the years, 'Gungading' our lovely ginger boy has morphed into 'mouse' we should have just called him mouse in the bloody first place. But he'll answer to either name.

aurynne · 14/05/2023 00:06

Dogs don't get attached to their name. They will respond to "Roger" as enthusiastically as to "Love", "Honey", "Sniffalot" and any of the about 15 nicknames we give them on average, and they often respond to being called different names by different people, as long as the names are said with love and affection, and that person is associated with being treated with kindness.

In fact humans are the same, we often respond to a variety of nicknames and endearing terms as long as we like the people who use them, and we feel cared for and treated with kindness.

Names are just a word.

BungleandGeorge · 14/05/2023 00:12

My pets have always had several nicknames which they respond to. I thought they responded more to tone of voice than actual name. I don’t think it’s a big deal to change it although would probably go for something similar. As long as he’s loved and cared for I don’t think he’ll mind

Gremlinsateit · 14/05/2023 00:17

WestOfWestminster · 13/05/2023 22:44

How about doing a double barrelled name then slowly dropping the Pluto bit to transition him into his new name? Eg Pluto-Milo, slowly becomes just Milo?

We did this with a 3 year old, with a completely different new name. We put the new name first and double-barrelled for a few weeks. It worked fine, no issues.

doodleygirl · 14/05/2023 00:18

We adopted a 20 month dog 8 weeks ago, changed her name. Took about 2 weeks, she responds to her new name all the time. We never used her first name.

JimmyGrimble · 14/05/2023 00:38

We adopted two stray lurchers in November. They had been called silly names in the dog’s home and came in with no history but evidence of mistreatment. We changed their names. They had their home names for a week. Camilla and Diana could never have lived together.

Itsokay2020 · 14/05/2023 00:45

We renamed our rescue, she had been given a name by the kill shelter and it didn’t suit her at all. She quickly got used to her new name (she has about 10 nicknames too) and for us the new name represented a fresh start/new life. I would do the same again

DecommissionedVag · 14/05/2023 00:56

I don't see the issue. When I adopted my dog her name was Kelly. I dislike the name because there was a girl at school called Kelly who was vile to me. Renamed her Sadie and had no problems. Found out recently, that prior to being called Kelly, her original/first name was Jodie. Lucky they all same similar.

mrsmacmc · 14/05/2023 01:13

Our rescue Ddog was 5 when we got him and he responds to his current name as we changed it with no issues. No way was I shouting the name he came to us with in the park. We think he's got more in his past too as responds to another random drink oriented name too 🐾

momonpurpose · 14/05/2023 01:49

It's fine. We changed our request name and he knew it in a day or two. Who knows how many names he had as he was adopted and returned 4 times before we scooped him up

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