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Choosing a good name for your boxer

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What’s in a name? Shakespeare and Dog naming? You know though, names being what they are, and how you, and your boxer are known, it’s not a bad idea to spend a little time on it. Roll your boxer name ideas around on your tongue a few times. Get a feel for it. Call your dog to you, or use the name to give a few basic commands. Something like, “--Boxer name here-- stop chewing my shoes!” or “--Boxer name--, please relieve yourself outside.” It might help, or it might not.

I once knew a guy who was a modern kind of fella, the type who loved throwing convention to the wind and who tried to do everything a little bit differently from the rest. He got on most people’s nerves most of the time. I remember him buying a beautiful Dalmatian. He called it ‘horse’. Now obviously the dog didn’t understand the meaning of the word (at least I don’t think so), but anyone looking to him instinctively knew he was not happy with it. The owner loved his wacky original idea and delighted in using it as much as possible. The dog did respond to his name but he had been somehow striped of his dignity. Of course, you can call your dog any darn thing you like (I assume, but maybe it is illegal to use obscene words). But naming a dog is an act of great responsibility and should never be taken lightly. This name you think up is going to last the entire dog’s life – it is not as if you can change it whenever you feel like it.

Naming your dog is an important step as what you are doing in effect is linking your personality to his. Don’t deprive your dog of his dignity and give him a name that is fitting. There are hundreds if not thousands of great names for Boxers. Some names fit like gloves while others need a bit of time to become lived in. Now I know what you’re thinking. An almost impossible task. How do you choose a name that is right for your Boxer? The truth is that when you have the little guy in your arms the names usually just springs up from your mind, almost as if there was some mental link between you and your dog. Another great approach is to use the ‘American Indian’ method. Now I don’t know if this is true of not, but it is said that American Indians would name their children by the first thing the father saw after the birth. Thus you get ‘Sitting Bull’ for example. A friend of mine did this when she bought her first Boxer pup. After going to the breeder and picking up the little dog, she couldn’t find the keys to her car. After half an hour of searching she eventually found them, along with the name of her pup. ‘Karkie’ is now seven years old and loves his name! For the sake of practicality choose a name that is easy to pronounce, even for children, and not more than two syllables. ‘Hebrides’ sounds great but it will almost certainly be shortened to ‘Heb’ or ‘Hebri’. If you are at a complete loss for a meaningful name, try looking through Greek or Roman history for inspiration, and the works of Shakespeare are a great source of names full of meaning and dignity.

You can also search the net for sites that give baby names and their meanings. But whatever name you choose, remember that it is for your dog and not you! It has to be something easy to say and easy for the dog to learn and remember. Names that end in a long ‘e’ sound are usually better and easier for the Boxer to understand.