Possibly Adopting a 1 Yr Old Dog. Name Change OK?

Updated on April 21, 2014
S.A. asks from Chicago, IL
21 answers

My husband's co-worker is looking to rehome his 1 yr old Labradoodle due to his condo board no longer allowing dogs. We are considering adopting this dog. Her name is Jaida. While I don't hate the name, I'm not a fan and I would rather name her something else. Is it a good idea to rename a dog, or should we stick with Jaida? I've heard that you shouldn't rename dogs because they know their names, but would she get used to a new name quickly?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

The dog responds to sounds, not words. She doesn't see "Jaida" as her identity; to her it's just a sound that means, "Pay attention."
You can name her anything you want, and as long as you teach her to come to it, she won't care what you call her.

6 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.M.

answers from Portland on

I'm with Fuzzy. We renamed an Old English Sheepdog that we adopted at about 1.5 years. She responded to her new "name" within a day. It's basically a sound that means "this person is paying attention to me right now," and it prompts the dog to pay attention back.

3 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

I have always adopted shelter dogs, usually the older ones. We have re named every one of them, and they have never had issues with them answering to their names. Sometimes it does take a little while to get used to, but never more than a couple weeks.

This dog will be part of your family for several years... Pick a name you will like. :)

5 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I think you'd be safe to rename.
Here's why I think this. I never used to think that you should rename a pet
you took in until I adopted several of my family's dogs.
While I stayed w/their original names, eventually each one got a nickname & they always responded to the new name.
This was purely by accident (or incident) but.....
I think it's the way you call say their name or call them. It's the tone & inflection in your voice that signals to them that you are calling them.

Edit: side note, you can pick a name that rhymes with their orig name &
they seem to respond quickly. For ex, you could call her Ada etc.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.M.

answers from San Francisco on

I've always renamed my adopted dogs. They didn't mind a bit. :)

3 moms found this helpful

T.R.

answers from Milwaukee on

Renaming is fine, I always like to give my animals a "fresh start'. I especially like to find names that have a good meaning for them. My most recent horse had the name Mariah, which means "bitter". I couldn't stand the thought of that, so I looked for a new name, & chose Merci, which means "compassion". We had a great partnership!

With a dog, they will get used to the new name fairly quickly, more so if you use it often. A trainer gave me a tip that I found works quite well:

If you use the new name in conjunction with a command, the dog will learn to associate the new name the way they did the previous one. For example, if you are renaming Pooch to Fido, you would say "Fido, sit" he will hear the "Fido", understand the "sit" give the behavior & get rewarded for it. Then you can use "Fido, heel" "Fido, fetch" "Fido, come", you get the picture.

Of the dogs I have in my house, I will say, not one of them has only one name. Most of my dogs have at least 2 nicknames, in addition to their normal name. It doesn't take more than a day or two of them hearing a nickname to start responding to it the same as their name. They love us, & just want to hear us calling them, whatever that may be. =-)

Good luck with your new pooch! T.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Portland on

We adopted a 3-4 year old rescue dog. We didn't know his name. He quickly caught on to his new name. I say give him a new name.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Houston on

Yes she would get used to her new name.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Chicago on

Start with Jaida but throw in the other name after. Begin skipping the first. Like people pets adapt! congrats on your new doggie!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Beaumont on

I would but I'd make sure it rhymes with Jaida or at least ends with an A.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I always give my dog a name that I like and they respond to it quickly, usually within a month. Of course, the more time you spend with them the quicker they will learn it.

Good luck to you and yours.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Dallas on

We used to have several different names that we called our dog and she adjusted to all of them. Misty, misty girl, precious, and one that my husband called her when he was mad at her. You could call her a double name for a little bit and then just drop the Jaida.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.B.

answers from Detroit on

One of my dogs we adopted at 3 years old and I changed her name because quite frankly, I couldn't stand it. She figured it out soon enough.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from Salinas on

We renamed our dog when we adopted her when she was nine months old. It was a totally different name, sounded nothing like the old name and she was completely fine within a day.

1 mom found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

Dogs are renamed all the time. They react more to your tone and they know when you are speaking to them. Don't pick a name that sounds anything like any other word you will be using for training - friends have a dog named "Beau" and he gets confused with "no", for example. "Jay" rhymes with "stay" so that's not usually a good choice. Pick something you like and stick with it. Any re-homed dog needs time to get adjusted, so your primary focus should be on which door to use to go outside to pee/poop, and where her crate is. There are plenty of videos available on re-homing a rescue dog.

Be absolutely sure that your home will be this dog's 'forever home' - constant abandonment and re-adoption is extremely stressful. The current owner should be involved in bringing the dog over and getting it used to your house in several visits. In your case, you will have an advantage over most adoptive families in that you can bring over all her current "equipment" which will help her get acclimated to her new place. You have to expect some regression while she undergoes the transition - so be patient if she pees inside or chews on things she shouldn't.

By the way, I doubt very much that it's legal for a condo board to kick out current resident dogs. Usually existing dogs are "grandfathered" in - this is a very cruel policy. We have overburdened shelters as it is from people who should never have had a pet, people who didn't spay/neuter, or people who didn't have any idea what was involved in owning or training an animal. When we adopted our twice-abandoned 18 month old dog, we had to fill out an 8 page application about the anticipated costs, expectations, plans during vacation, and "what ifs" if we were to move to a place that didn't allow dogs. These are good questions for any adoptive family to go through. We did rename her, as do many families at the shelter we used. Some vets and others say it is a GOOD idea to rename - it helps set the change in the dog's mind and have her see you as the new authority figures.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.D.

answers from Jacksonville on

I'd try to keep it. By now she probably already knows her name.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

We adopted a dog that had been through some rough times. We changed her name from Serena to Athena to help give her some confidence :) I think it may have been easier since it sounded similar, but we didn't have any confusion at all.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I'd call her Jaida new name for a while and let her get used to it.

First of all she's going to mourn losing her family. Changing her name right off might make her even more confused. I'd change it if I really wanted to but do it a bit slower.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.T.

answers from Houston on

Apparently dogs responds mainly to the first syllable of their names. Which is why all working sheepdogs have only a one syllable name. So shorten it to Jade, or something that sounds similar

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.M.

answers from Orlando on

My dogs name is Ella - and to be honest, she will come to ANYTHING , lol - if she thinks you are calling her , she will come.

S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

we adopted our dog at somewhere between one and two years old, and changed his name. he was fine with it.
and ALL of our animals have one to four nicknames that sound nothing like their real names, and they know all of them too.
khairete
S.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions