Do You Nickname Your Dogs?

Tad said:
By the way, isn't it silly that people ask your dog's name? I mean, strangers who you've just met and are chatting with. Such a common question, but almost meaningless. No way on earth I am going to speak Oji's name to a stranger just so he can learn to ignore it.
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I never thought that it was silly. Nor have I ever thought to lie. Not that I want to lie about it either. IDK, I think when someone asks your dogs name, it's like asking so they can have a 'proper' introduction. "Hi, Buddy!" That's how I've always thought about it anyway. Like asking your childs name so they can direct the conversation to them. "Nice to meet you, Charles".

This person, this stranger, will likely speak your dogs name once and you will never meet him again. Why would you think he would learn to ignore it?
 
MyBuddy said:
I never thought that it was silly. Nor have I ever thought to lie. Not that I want to lie about it either. IDK, I think when someone asks your dogs name, it's like asking so they can have a 'proper' introduction. "Hi, Buddy!" That's how I've always thought about it anyway. Like asking your childs name so they can direct the conversation to them. "Nice to meet you, Charles".

This person, this stranger, will likely speak your dogs name once and you will never meet him again. Why would you think he would learn to ignore it?
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I mean that when I say my Dobe's name he looks at my face and pays attention. I don't waste it.
 
That's the whole point of saying their name, for them to know you are talking to them, or to let them know to pay attention prior to giving a command. If they respond to their name by looking at you, how is that a waste? They are responding. I expect the same reaction from saying their name as I do the "watch me" command. I don't think that the random stranger saying a dog's name on occasion would cause a well trained dog to stop responding to their name, but I believe in staying on top of training. Typically a dog's lack of response from a dog is due to inconsistentcy on the trainer/owners end, or due to lack of proper training. I know you keep up on your training, so I doubt he will stop responding with increased frequency.
 
Archer said:
That's the whole point of saying their name, for them to know you are talking to them, or to let them know to pay attention prior to giving a command. If they respond to their name by looking at you, how is that a waste? They are responding. I expect the same reaction from saying their name as I do the "watch me" command. I don't think that the random stranger saying a dog's name on occasion would cause a well trained dog to stop responding to their name, but I believe in staying on top of training. Typically a dog's lack of response from a dog is due to inconsistentcy on the trainer/owners end, or due to lack of proper training. I know you keep up on your training, so I doubt he will stop responding with increased frequency.
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Thanks. Yeah, I didn't mean that I felt that a stranger saying his name would work counter to his paying attention to his name. I meant that I really do not like saying his name unless I have something to tell him. He looks at me expecting a command or me to offer him something desirable.

Many times in the past I have been chatting with someone, they ask my Dobe's name, I say it, I see my Dobe look at me for a second then he realizes he didn't need to pay attention when I said his name. This small erosion of his training, just so a stranger whom I will probably never meet again can get the answer to a useless question. So, I have no problem giving false names. In fact, it's fun. My latest favorite is Napoleon. See Oji at the dog park and it fits.

Now of course after a couple years or so of having a dog, I'll use his name when I don't have only desirable or fun things for him, and will even use it when I need to get his attention to tell him he's doing something wrong.
 
Tad said:
Many times in the past I have been chatting with someone, they ask my Dobe's name, I say it, I see my Dobe look at me for a second then he realizes he didn't need to pay attention when I said his name. This small erosion of his training, just so a stranger whom I will probably never meet again can get the answer to a useless question.
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That explained it better to me. :) And I can see where you are coming from now. I never thought of it quite that way. But I still don't think it will 'erode' his training that much, unless you are meeting strangers several times a day. :p It's just not in me to lie about his name. lol What I would suggest is, when you tell someone his name and he looks at you, I would go ahead and Give him a command....like shake! lol Apropos, don't you think? ;)
 
MyBuddy said:
That explained it better to me. :) And I can see where you are coming from now. I never thought of it quite that way. But I still don't think it will 'erode' his training that much, unless you are meeting strangers several times a day. :p It's just not in me to lie about his name. lol What I would suggest is, when you tell someone his name and he looks at you, I would go ahead and Give him a command....like shake! lol Apropos, don't you think? ;)
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Thanks! Yes, I have done that at times, and it is a good idea really – accustoms him to obeying in when meeting a stranger. I may try this soon. May be a way to get his paws off their shoulders.

Yeah, I can tend to be verbose, so I have tried to learn to sometimes really edit what I write and keep is succinct. Sometimes though, it comes out confusing to people. Thanks for reading my further explanation.
 
MischasMomma said:
Oh I like this!! Haha I've got a bunch...

Mischa:
Misch
Dum dum
Reloy
Klutz (she has a habit of falling up the steps)
Sissy de goober (Scoobys nickname is goober, the fiance uses this one a lot)
Dippy
Bad puppy (this was started with a very enthusiastic voice and now she gets all excited when you call her this lol)

What she probably thinks her nicknames are:
No cat!
Back up!
Mischagetoverherenow
Stop that
No jumping
Be nice

Misty:
Mist
Miss miss
Old lady
Stinky (gosh that hound stink though!)
Dippy
Food wh*re

Scooby:
Scoob
Goober
Bear
Baby bear
Prince goob
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Forgot a few...

Mischa is also Mischa May (yes our dogs have middle names haha) so she occasionally gets "M&M" and baby (pronounced more like beebee) is pretty common. Her most recently earned one is Chewy. She started this God awful noise just to make noise that sounds uncannily like Chewbacca.

Mistys middle name is Lou so she'll get misty Lou or lulu on occasion too.
 
MischasMomma said:
Forgot a few...

Mischa is also Mischa May (yes our dogs have middle names haha) so she occasionally gets "M&M" and baby (pronounced more like beebee) is pretty common. Her most recently earned one is Chewy. She started this God awful noise just to make noise that sounds uncannily like Chewbacca.

Mistys middle name is Lou so she'll get misty Lou or lulu on occasion too.
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LOL... Im sure we have a few similarities!
Hmmm lets see...

Miesha-Louise [Louise is her unofficial middle name], Miesha-Lou, Miesha-Margret
Mish, Mish-ka, Mish-ka-mush-ka-mickey-mouse, Mush-a-lu, Mish-ker-bopple, Meeps,
Mimi, Meems, Momma, Moms, MA, Mops,
Bone-head, Booger, Little Snot, Brat-Face, Dobersnot.

Pretty much any garble of vowels and consonants that i can throw together pending my mood is what i end up calling her. It is a damned miracle that she responds to her actual name at all!!
 
Henry: (beagle)
Henrydog
Boohead
Booheadness
Pupsiedog

Katie:
Nubbin
Katiekins
The princess

Mr Socks (the cat)
Socksie
Socksiewoksie
dumbass...Seriously, folks this is ONE DUMB kitty!!!!
 
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