Part of the Family?

Max, Sam, Jack, Jake, Jessie, Molly, Chloe and Lucy: these could be toddlers in a playgroup or dogs in a kennel. Is this yet another sign that we're seeing dogs as members of the family rather than just animals?

Amy Lyden from the national pet tag company Bow Wow Meow certainly thinks so.
"The significance of pets in people's lives is reflected in the way they name them," she says. "We've found from our database that there's been a huge shift towards names like Max, Zac and Jess. People weren't giving their dogs names like that 20 years ago.
"Dogs are the children of the 21st century. It used to be that dogs were out in the kennel or yard, then they moved into the laundry, and now they're on the bed." The trend towards giving dogs human names is being seen in the United States and England as well. In fact, it's virtually the same names, which are popular. Max is currently the top dog name in the United States and England, as well as in Australia. Sam, Jake and Lucy are also common everywhere. Also making the English canine top ten are Charlie and Rosie, both very popular names for babies born in England.

If we needed more proof of the great cat v dog divide, here it is. Surveys show that many cats are still being given traditional "cat" names, like Sooty, Misty and Ginger. "Dog names are more human," says Amy. "I think, to people, dogs seem to be more like members of the family than cats. Cats have a reputation for doing their own thing."
But, of course, not every dog is given a human name. Less popular, but still in use, are some of the traditional dog names: Lady (a favourite in the United States, Buddy, Buster and Rusty. And even that good old down-on-the-farm classic, Blue, is still turning up.

Getting Inspired

Apart from popular babies' names and traditional dog names, where else are dog owners getting their inspiration from?
Popular TV shows and movies, for a start.
"We've had lots of people calling their pets Oscar and Lucinda since the movie came out, says Amy. "We've also had quite a few Xenas."
Disney movies have a big impact. When Aladdin was out, pets were being called Rajah and Jasmine, and when The Lion King was around, it was Simba and Nala.
"Lots of kids' movies influence naming because parents let their kids choose the name for the cat or dog," Amy' says.
People looking for more individual names for their pets get their inspiration from anywhere.
There's the appearance of the dog. Forget the traditional Tiny and Blackie - how about Prettipaws and Fatal Beauty, Ugly-bugly and Melonhead?
Or, if you're prepared to wait until you get to know your dog first, there's the personality to work from.
Frisky and Sparky are possibilities, but so are Braindead and Couch Potato. For the messy eater, Slobberchops might be appropriate, and for the escape artist, Houdini seems ideal.
And, considering most dogs receive their names as puppies, don't be surprised to meet Damage, Mayhem, Havoc, Pandemonium and Shenanigans.
Famous people are often commemorated when owners name their dogs. Great historical figures seem to be preferred (Einstein. Chekhov, Gandhi, Socrates) but modern-day greats also get a look - in... though whether Dolly Parton, Bono and Ice-T would feel flattered if they knew about their namesakes is uncertain.
Alcohol also proves a great inspiration. Brandy is quite popular, while Bundy, Tequila, Sambuca, Moet, Chablis, Spumanti and even Southern Comfort have all been bestowed on dogs.
There are the names designed to cause an identity crisis (Puddycat, Kitekat), the confusing (Hayyou, You Too and Me Too), and those that would just be plain embarrassing to go to the back door and call out (Lorverboy, Holy One, Ooga Booga, Vroom Vroom and Yabba Dabba Doo.)

Proper Names

Anyone who has ever gone to a dog show and come across dogs named Gunnislake Indian Dancer or Trumagik Tartan Trekker would know that when it comes to pedigreed pooches, the name game is played by different rules. But there are good reasons for these exotic-sounding names.

The prefix or first part of each name - for example, Gunnislake - is the name of the kennel, and belongs solely to that breeder. No other breeder in Australia is allowed to use that prefix in any part of a dog's name.
The rest of the name is left up to the breeder's imagination. The only restriction is that it must not be more than 22 letters in total - a restriction created by the number of spaces on the computer.
Breeders have come up with all sorts of ways of abbreviating names so that they don't run longer than 22 letters. This is the reason for many of the unusual spellings seen in pedigreed dogs' names: Blak instead of Black, Linen N Lace instead of Linen And Lace.
However, imported dogs, who don't have to abide by the same restriction, quite often have longer names, such as Classicals Clap For The Wolfman.
The president of the Australian National Kennel Council, Hugh Gent, says breeders often name litters along a theme. This helps them remember which litter a dog came from.
"My wife gave one litter all liquor names: Brandy, Bourbon," he says. "Our last litter, the mother was India, so we had Indian Dancer, Indian Lover. Some people give their first litter names beginning with A, their second litter names beginning with B, and so on."
Understandably, because most of these names are a bit of a mouthful, pedigreed dogs have pet names as well. Hugh Gent says people often try to make pet names out of proper names.
"We have a dog called Gunnislake Hot Chilli, and we just call her Chilli. We once had a dog called Shamrock, and we called him Rocky. But we had another dog, Lawnwoods Play The Game, and his name was Charlie - no reason why."
Lateral thinking is often used here. All-breeds judge Keith Cronchey imported a dog called Pipadene Overseas Pressman and called him Murdoch, "because Rupert Murdoch is an overseas pressman".

Reproduced with the permission from Dogs Life Magazine
Copyright 98, Horwitz Publications Pty Ltd
Email: dogslife@horwitz.com.au