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Choosing a dog name can be TIRING...
Endless searching through dozens of sites is exhausting!
Yawn one last time and stretch if it helps... Then ease back and enjoy! You're sure to find the perfect name for your new puppy or barely used rescue dog below!
It's true that there's an art to it, but naming a dog has also been the focus of scientific studies.
Research indicates that dog names with one or two syllables are usually better and more easily picked up on by the dog or puppy. Of course, this isn't a hard and fast rule, but studies also suggests that gruff consonant sounds "G" and "C", for instance, both hard and soft (and not necessarily as the first letter of the name), elicited the best responses.
Ending the dogs name with a vowel sound, like long A, E, I, O, or U is also more effective in helping your dog to understand and distinguish his name from other words and commands. Names like Jovi, CoCo, Tango and Khaki would be examples of attention grabbing names for your dog.
But naming a dog can be very personal. And for perfectionists who feel like they need to find the perfect name, it can be overwhelming. That's where we come in.
Without further ado, below are some of our favorite male dog names as well as some suggestions sent to us by other readers. Enjoy!
1. Moxie
2. Cruiser
3. Pugly
4. Fabio
5. Tango
6. Money
7. Alphie
8. Dorito
9. Winston
10. Painter
11. Mojo
12. Frisbee
13. Dapper
14. Bentley
15. Hunter
16. Atticus
17. Atlas
18. Carson
19. Stormy
20. Pretzel
There are a lot of really cool foreign words that make great male dog names! They can roll off the tongue just right and end up sounding like a really cool name for a dog! Most of these would be great as girl dog names, too!
Is your new puppy white? Consider Avorio which means Ivory in Italian...
Abunai- "Dangerous" in Japanese
Akuma- "Demon" or "Devil" in Japanese
Amor- "Love" in Spanish
Argento- "Silver" in Italian
Armanno- "Soldier" in Italian
Avorio- "Ivory" in Italian
Baffi- "Bearded" in Italian
Baka- "Silly" in Japanese
Belladonna- "Beautiful lady" -Italian
Bruno- "brown-haired" Italian
Bisoux- "kiss" in French
Carina- "Cute" (feminine-Italian)
Chikara- "strength" or "power"- Japanese
Constantine- "Bold" in Italian
Cyrano- French dramatist with large nose
Elmo- "Loveable" in Italian
Fabrizio- "Craftsman" Italian
Fresco- "Fresh" Italian
Jigoku- "Hell" in Japanese
Kanoa- "The Free One" Hawaiian
Kaimi- "The Seeker" Hawaiian
Kawaii- "Cute" in Japanese
Keona- "God's Gracious Gift" Hawaiian
Kokoro- "Heart" in Japanese
Kuro- "Black" in Japanese
Konnichiwa-
"Hello" in Japanese
(a cute word we like!)
Leona- "Like a Lion" french
Loni- "Heavenly" Hawaiian
Lupo- "Wolf" in Italian
Mako- "Shark" Hawaiian Term
Matteo- "Gift of God" Italian
Mondo- "World" Italian
Nero- "Black" in Italian
Pana- "Friend" Spanish Slang
Rolf- German name (The Sound of Music)
Rosette- A "Rose" in French
Seamus- (Shay-mus) Irish for James
Senshi- "Warrior" in Japanese
Sicily- An Island in Italy
Silvio- "Silver" in Italian
Suki- "Affection" or "Liking" in Japanese
Tempest- "Storm" or "Outburst"-French
Tito- "Giant" in Italian
Vedette- "Guardian" Italian
Yoshi- "Here I come" in Japanese
A
Abercrombie
Aldo
Alto
Alphie
Amadeus
Amos
Archie
Arturo
Arrow
Ashes
Asia
Atlas
Atticus
Augusta
B
Bacon
Bach
Bailey
Bandit
Banjo
Banks
Barker
Barkley
Benji
Bennet
Bentley
Bird
Boomer
Bosley
Boston
Brendyl
Brewster
Bruiser
Bugsy
Buster
Butch
C
Caesar
Caleb
Cali
Cappy
Captain
Carson
Cash
Casey
Cassidy
Castro
Champ
Chance
Chaucer
Charlie
Cheeto
Chevy
Chewy
Claude
CoCo
Conan
Cooper
Courage
Crash
Cruiser
Cupcake
D
Dallas
Dante
Dapper
Desi
Destin
Diesel
Ditto
Domino
Donut
Dorito
Ducky
Duke
Dutch
E
Eddie
Edwardo
Einstein
Elton
Elvis
Eminem
Enrico
Excelsior
F
Fabio
Ferdinand
Ferris
Flash
Fonzi
Fozzy
Frankie
Frito
Fred
Frisbee
G
Garfield
Gibson
Gizmo
Gandhi
Gilly
Grady
Groucho
Guido
Guinness
Gumbo
Gumby
Gunner
H
Hanson
Harley
Harry
Harpo
Herbie
Hollywood
Hooch
Hoagie
Hitch
Hunter
Hutch
I
Isaac
Ishmael
Itchy
Italy
Ivan
Izzy
J
Jack
Jake
Jamar
Jarhead
Jazzy
Jeeves
Jeter
Jesse
Jethro
Jones
Jovi
Jughead
K
Kain
Kahlua
Kalypso
Kelly
Kelsey
Khaki
King
Kip
L
Leroy
Levi
Linus
Lionel
Loki
Lorenzo
Louis
Lucky
Luka
M
Maestro
Maverick
Max
Mickey
Miles
Milo
Moby
Mocha
Mojo
Monroe
Mozart
N
Nacho
Nano
Napoleon
Neiman
Nemo
Nestle
Neville
Newton
Nikko
Niles
Nixon
Norman
O
Oakie
Odie
Olly
Omar
Oozie
Opie
Opposum
Opus
Oscar
Otis
Ouija
Ozzy
P
Painter
Paulie
Parker
Peanut
Peck
Pedro
PeeWee
Penguin
Pepe'
Pepper
Pepsi
Peso
Petey
Peve
Picaso
Pierre
Pilot
Pluto
Polo
Pookie
Pretzel
Pugly
Pugsley
R
Racer
Raimey
Rainy
Reese
Ricki
Rico
Rider
Riley
Rebel
Rocket
Rolo
Rollo
Romeo
Rosco
Royce
Rudy
Rupert
Rusty
S
Sailor
Sam
Scrappy
Scratchy
Sebastian
Shadow
Shady
Shaggy
Shamus
Sharky
Shatzi
Shep
Shiloh
Shot-gun
Shotsy
Smitty
Snickers
Snoopy
Spirit
Spock
Spot
Sprocket
Spuds
Sterling
Stormy
T
Taco
Tango
Tattoo
Taylor
Taz
Tiki
Tinker
Titus
Toby
Toto
Tucker
Twiggy
Tyson
U
Uber
Uggie
Usher
Ulysses
V
Victor
Viper
Vesper
Van Gogh
W
Waddles
Waldo
Walker
Warner
Weasel
Wellington
Wendell
Whistler
Whitey
Wilson
Winky
Winston
Woodstock
Y
Yancy
Yankee
Yeager
Yeates
Yoda
Yogi
Yonkers
Yoshi
Yo Yo
Yuppie
Z
Zane
Zavier (Xavier)
Zeppelin
Zeus
ZigZag
Zippo
Zombie
Zorro
Click here to see Female Dog Names that might also make cute Male Dog Names!
Opposite names can be fun!
Of course you could give your dog a name like Kitty and get a few laughs, but how about reverse naming your dog for even more amusement!
For instance, 'Pookie' would be a comical name for a pit bull. The same as naming a docile poodle 'Killer' or a black lab 'Whitey' will definitely get a few laughs at the dog park.
Or, if you're not into clever word play, consider what getting this dog will mean to you? Does it mean that you'll finally have an excercise partner; someone to walk with (Walker), ride in the passenger seat beside you? How about (Rider) or (Shot-gun)?
Now that you've found the perfect male dog name, don't forget training is a very important part of the bond you share with your dog.
Training your dog simple commands, like coming when he's called isn't automatic just because he knows his name. If you want your dog to do this consistently, it begins with simple commands which are easy to teach and easy to learn.
A well trained dog is a happy dog!
Whether you're looking for a non-shedding dog or maybe a small breed dog to warm your lap and "protect you" from the mailman, you can't go wrong with a rescue dog!
Worried about your dog allergies? Learn more about "Hypoallergenic" dog breeds.
Does your dog already have a name? Maybe a name that was given by someone else? Or maybe you just no longer like the name you gave him... (we don't judge). In either case, a dog can learn a new name within a few times of being called by it. He may be confused for a day or two, but he'll catch on quicker than you might think.
Can I rename a rescue dog? I've heard this question a lot! The answer is 100%, yes. My dog, Joy is a rescue. That's her in the picture above. Her name was Bella when I rescued her. She started responding to Joy on her very first day in our home. Every now and then, I'll call her Bella, just to see if she responds... nope.
By the way, if you're still looking for the perfect dog for you, did you know that most rescue dogs are already housebroken, out of their chewing phase and even an old dog can learn a new name ♥
Click here to see all the other benefits of choosing rescue!
Learn more about me, my art, the mission of this site and Rescue Dogs Are Better here.
We also welcome you to contact us if you have any questions about anything you saw or read on this site.
Great!! We'd love to hear it!
Use the contact link just below or drop it in the comments!
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