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FeedNaming my second bird dog, Pt. 1 of 2
Bird dog names are a big deal to me. Admittedly, they’re probably too big of a deal. However, as I’ve written about in previous posts about dog names, a bird dog’s name says a lot about the owner as well as what you hope the bird dog will become. In naming a bird dog, there are two qualities I hold as important guidelines: creativity and personalization.
Creativity
Although you may not realize it at first blush, a creatively named dog is an advantage in the field. I’ve often been in hunting groups with multiple dogs named the exact same way. Not only are the owner’s commands confusing for the dogs, they’re confusing for the other hunters too. Under this guideline, I personally throw out the nation’s most popular dog names as well as a few names commonly popular to other bird hunters. The names “Drake” and “Hunter” fall in this second category, as does any name referencing your favorite brand of shotgun.
If you’re struggling to find a creative name, consider a different language to fit the breed of dog you’re getting. There are lots of fun ways to connect a dog's German, French, Spanish, English or Irish heritage through their name.
Personalization
For me, a bird dog’s name should tell a story about the owner. Read some of the comments at the bottom of my Please Don’t Name Your Bird Dog That post and you’ll find fantastic examples of dog names in honor of people’s heroes, favorite book characters and idolized musicians, as well as fun stories of the circumstances surrounding the dog’s personality.
Admittedly odd for some to understand, I named my now five-year old female shorthair “Trammell,” in honor of a male Detroit Tigers baseball player, Alan Trammell, who retired two decades ago. However, naming my pup “Trammell” immediately personalized that pup to me. Her name has also always served as a conversation starter about my love of baseball and my roots as a grouse hunter from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Later this month, my wife and I will be adding our second bird dog to the family. The new pup comes from the same Top Gun Kennel bloodlines as Trammell. In the sequel to this post, I’ll finally spill the beans on our new pup’s name. Got any guesses?
The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever's Vice President of Marketing. Follow Bob on Twitter.
