Flopping Flip

Dear Dog Lady,

I'm looking to adopt a blue heeler mix from the local humane society. I've been spending as much time with him as I can to bond and get to know him. Also I cannot have him until the first of July due to living situations. Currently his name is Flip. I do not like this name, and it does not suit the dog. I would like to name him “Dalton”. I've heard that when renaming a dog, one should use a similar sounding name, like “Blip” from Flip. I've had a good amount of time with him, and he doesn't seem to answer to his name all the time. He's been at the shelter for five months. Is it worth my and the dog’s time to try to rename?

Renee, Durango, CO

Renee, if you must flop Flip, get a grip and clip Dog Lady’s lip before she becomes a drip.

Now, where were we? Oh, right, Dalton. Dalton? You don’t explain your reasons for wanting to swap Flip for Dalton. Dog Lady agrees Flip doesn’t zip. And Dalton isn’t so hip, although the two syllable moniker rhythmically appeals to a doggy’s sensitive ear.

Dog Lady won’t tell you definitively what to name your dog because it’s very personal. Twist my arm and I’d stay with Flip because, geez, why confuse the shelter dog needlessly? Learning a new name may cause some stress.

If you decide to re-label your blue heeler mix Dalton, don’t call him Flip ever again. When you visit, coo “Dalton” relentlessly with lots of cuddles. To ease the name change, you can bestow a transitional moniker. – Dalflip or Flipton or Tonflip or Flipdal.

Ultimately, an adaptable dog is happy-to-be-me-whoever-I-am. The creature becomes its name, even in very schizoid cases. A friend wanted to call her teacup poodle “Harry.” Her daughter wanted “Peanut.” They settled on “Harry Peanut” When my friend calls “Harry,” the dog comes. When her daughter calls “Peanut,” the dog comes. In this name game, everybody wins.

Posted by Dog Lady at June 15, 2005 10:50 AM