There's a reason for that: according to a recent Harris/Decima survey conducted for Nestle Purina PetCare Canada, a full 90 per cent of Canadians consider their dog a family member – and 40 per cent say they are their pet's "mom or dad." And as any cat lover can tell you, feelings for felines run equally strong.
According to Petfinder.com, the most popular pet names are:
Dogs
Males
• Buddy
• Max
• Jack
Females
• Daisy
• Bella
• Lucy
Cats
Males
• Midnight
• Smokey
• Tiger
Females
• Lucy
• Bella
• Molly
If you're looking for something different, read on for tips on finding a unique name for your wee beastie.
The best pet names
When choosing a pet name, keep it short and sweet: "One or two syllables is best," says Kristen Taylor, an assessment associate at the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA in Hamilton, Ont.
If you decide to choose a longer "official" name – or your pedigree pup comes with one like Bluebird Countess Foxtrot, for instance – shorten it for real-life and use that shorter form consistently. Bluebird, Blue or Birdie for instance.
No matter what name you choose, use the same form consistently. Don't call your dog 'Birdie' when you're happy and 'Bluebird Countess Foxtrot' when she's in trouble for digging up your garden. "Always call your dog by the same name, so he or she doesn't get confused. Consistency is key," says Taylor.
If you use the name consistently, your puppy will learn it within days. An adult or senior dog whose name you've decided to change will twig to it within a week.
"Avoid names that sound like commands. Star, for example, sounds too similar to 'Stay' and will confuse your dog," says Taylor.
Names carry a bit less urgency for cats since they don't follow commands the ways pups do, but it's logical that cats would likewise benefit from one- or two-syllable names.
Page 1 of 2 - Find more great tips on choosing your pet's name on page 2.
