What’s in a Dog’s Name

William Shakespeare may have posed the question “what’s in a name?”, but in my opinion, his answer doesn’t apply to everything. Some people think that how a dog behaves is completely dependent on their breed and their training. Even though breed and training do come into the mix, there are a few variables that are overlooked, perhaps the biggest one of the being what you decide to name you dog.

Some of the most common dog names seem to go with certain personality aspects that you can expect from your dog. From famous dogs on television, to dogs that I have met in real life, here is a list of ten common dog names and the personality traits I associate them with.

Lucky: Typically given to pound puppies or dogs that have suffered some injury and overcome it. Ironically a dog named Lucky is likely to have a rather unlucky life despite his consistently positive attitude and go-getter mentality.

Patch: A dog named patch is usually named so because of his coloring. What usually comes to most people’s minds when they think of a Patch, is a knee high white dog with black patches, one of them inevitably being over one of the eyes.  Patches are rather protective of the owners and can take some time to warm up to strangers. Despite being slightly stand offish, he will never fail to come through for his human when he is needed most

Lucy: Shy and docile, a dog named Lucy will always appreciate you. She won’t display her personality around you unless she feels extremely comfortable but once she does your stomach will ache from laughing so hard at her clumsy demeanor and goofy personality. 

Max: A Max is always confident and prefers to be the alpha male in any group. He needs an owner who will train him with a firm but loving hand. Given enough structure, Max will be a great guard dog but will still have plenty of love left over for you.

Bella: With no real personality of her own, a dog named Bella won’t ever contribute much to the atmosphere other than some piddle on the carpet when she gets over stimulated.

Lady: A dog named Lady will surely live up to her name. Poised and ever charming, Lady will rarely need behavior correction beyond her puppy stage.

Buddy: Buddy may be your buddy but because of his overwhelming amount of energy, you need to make sure that you correct his behavior when needed. While he would never intentionally do something wrong just to prove a point, his enthusiasm for the world around him often gets the better of him and he can’t hold off his instincts to pounce and play.

Lola: When named Lola, your dog will definitely become the show girl of your household. Always vying for you attention, she will be quite a handful but when given the amount of attention she requires, she will make a great family pet and companion.  

Duke: A typical man’s-man dog, all Duke wants to do is lay down on a giant pillow in front of the TV after an early morning of flushing geese. He is a stereotypical gentle giant and will never hesitate to give you a big sloppy doggy kiss across your face. Special care needs to be taken to make sure that Duke gets the amount of exercise that he needs because he is not likely to ask for it himself.

Roxy: Sass and personality rule the personality of the pup. Roxys are stubborn and opinionated, especially when it comes to strangers, but they are ever loyal to their human counterparts. She needs lots of interaction with strangers to keep her comfortable and to avoid her becoming aggressive towards those that she doesn’t know.

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Author Bio:
Ron Rutherford is a writer with a passion for nature and a soft spot for Thai food. He currently freelances for havahartwireless.com, which specializes in progressive and humane wireless dog fences.

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New Zealand Farm working Dogs 2 Buying a dog

By Dr Clive Dalton
 

Buying a dog can be a very worrying experience, especially if your current dog has just died or been killed.  You generally want a good dog that will work for you within 24 hours - and be as good if not better than the old friend you are still grieving. 

A pup

You cannot look at a pup and predict with any accuracy what it will turn out to be.  There is a lot of folklore on this such as taking the boldest pup in the litter, the one with black on the roof of its mouth, the bitchs favorite, and so on is not reliable.

Dog handlers often stress that you should take a pup that you like, because you have to build a close bond with it over the 10 years or so youll be together.  Thats got to be very sound advice.

Always go to a reputable breeder, rely on the pedigree if there is one, or ask to see the parents working.  There is no official breed society for working dogs but if dogs win trials, they can if the owner wishes, be entered in the stud book of the NZ Dog Trials Association.  You dont get in there by your looks, you have to give public displays of your work to get there.

Half-broken dog

This is a dog that has started to work - but beware!  It may be one that has stopped again!  Or it may be a dog that has had a relationship bust-up with its boss, and there may be deep scars, that may cause problems for new owners.

There are many dog handlers who do especially well taking (often for free) dogs that other handlers were going to shoot, so its not all bad news.  You many have the skills to form a good relationship with such a dog.  Just realise what is involved, and beware of what you may NOT have been told about the dog.

So just check the reason for selling.  If in doubt consult a member of your nearest branch of the NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association (SDTA).

Fully-trained dog bought privately

This is often the best option for a beginner as a reputable breeder will guarantee the dog.  This means that he/she will replace the dog or offer you the money back.  Check this before you buy.  Theyll show you the dog working on their farm (for as long as you like), but remember the importance of the bond created between owner and dog.  You will not get the same performance from the dog until you build a similar bond.  Thats why the guarantee is important.

Many breeders will give you details of the commands, either with a demo or a tape recording or both.  Itll take time for the dog to learn new sounds, as you will never be able to mimic the old commands to perfection.  The dog doesnt understand English, it only recognises sounds.

A fully-trained dog may appear costly - but just remember how many hours have gone into its training and the costs of feeding and care.  Work out the purchase price over an expected working life of 5-7 years and a top dog is always a bargain.   Again if concerned, get someone from your local SDTA to help you.

Dog bought at a sale

Special dog sales are common and there are sometimes dogs are put up at farm dispersal sales.  The points made above apply.  The only problem with a sale is that you wont have unlimited time to see the dog work.  It may only get a quick run around some friendly sheep and give a couple of barks and a leg cock.  You may not see all its strengths or weaknesses.  It may not have time to grab a sheep by the jugular or hang on a bulls tail.

And you never know what the final price may be if someone else likes it!  If youre forced to buy at a sale, get someone from your local DTA to guide you.

Which sex?

There is a wide range of opinion here.  A male dog is often preferred, as they dont come on heat and get pregnant so need time off work.  The odd bit of wandering they do is not a mortal sin unless they worry a few sheep on the way home.   Getting a bitch pregnant is seen as their good luck rather than the bitchs misfortune.  Youll always get a pick from the resulting litter even if the bitchs owner is not very pleased.

Some people prefer a bitch because they are a softer nature and maybe less headstrong.  These points are debatable and differences in temperament are often strain differences rather than sex.

Bitches these days can be prevented from coming on heat by hormone treatment.  De-sexing of working dogs (by castration) and bitches (by spaying) not needed for breeding is not popular, as many believe it makes them more prone to put on fat and get sluggish.  Current veterinary opinion is that desexing working dogs has no bad effect on their working ability.  They get plenty of exercise so obesity is not a problem.

Which colour?

 
Not an important issue.  Shepherds like a dog that is easy to see at long distances.  You would think that white would be an ideal colour, but shepherds reckon it looks too much like a sheep, and the sheep get confused too!  Red and ginger dogs are hard to see sometimes so the ideal would be a combination of black, tan and some white.

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