adventure; miso-flavored salmon fillet recipe Why to not take naming your new hunting dog in vain

DON’T TAKE NAMING IN VAIN

By Scott Haugen A s a new gun dog puppy owner, one of the most important decisions you can make is what to name your dog. What you decide to call your pup should be based on one thing, and that’s getting a quick response from your dog when you call his or her name.

To achieve a quick reaction from your dog when calling it, pick a hardhitting, one- or two-syllable name. Good examples include Jake, Sage, Cassie, Bella, and so forth, because of the hard consonant sounds each has. When raising, training and, eventually, hunting with your dog, you want instantaneous responses when you call its name. Not only is this necessary for obedience, but also for safety purposes.

When calling your dog, it should elicit an immediate response. This starts with a strong name your dog will recognize its whole life. (SCOTT HAUGEN) with a strong name your dog will recognize its whole life.

Having a dog that immediately responds to your call will help keep it from running in front of a car, getting tangled up with other dogs, and even keep it from pursuing snakes, big game animals and other critters you don’t want it messing with. Their name should be so ingrained in them and should be so familiar with it, that when you sternly call or shout their name they should instantly respond.

Don’t want your dog to pee on a certain spot, eat food off the counter, or jump on strangers to lick their face as they approach? A hard-sounding name can be the ticket to thwarting such behavior.

NOT LONG AGO I was at a dog-testing event. One gentleman had a great-looking dog, but it was very disobedient. To top it off, it didn’t know its own name, which was clearly evident in its lack of response when the man tried communicating with it.

“I let my little daughter name it; she liked Felicity,” the man shared.

That’s a cute story, but it wasn’t the best of choices for a hunting dog name. Don’t let children name your dog, unless that name rocks a hard resonance.

We chose Echo and Kona for our gun dogs’ names. It took the family a few days of getting to know Echo’s personality before we finally agreed on a name that fit her. Kona was a different story, as his name was chosen before he even came home.

My dogs, as with all well-trained canines with solid names, instantly respond when I sternly say or shout

their names. They also quickly react when they’re leisurely called to, as when coming in from going potty or roaming and playing in the yard. Calling in a dog from leisure time is much different from sternly, loudly calling them in order to get an instantaneous reaction.

The key in picking a dog’s name is to understand the name is actually a command. When you call the dog or demand its immediate attention by calling its name, you’re actually saying – in one word – “Hey dog: stop doing what you’re doing right now and start making your way in my direction, immediately.” Of course, a dog would not grasp that sentence, but it will respond to its name, fast.

Be sure to pick a name that does not rhyme with a training command. Kit is not a good name because it rhymes with “sit.” Joe isn’t a good name either, as it rhymes with “whoa.”

People names make great names

Being aware of your pup’s behaviors, looks and body positions, and knowing how to clearly communicate with your dog based on these signs, will make you a better trainer, and your dog, happier and very disciplined. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

If you have more than one dog or know you’ll be hunting with friends who have dogs, make sure the names don’t sound similar. Also, avoid picking names that rhyme with training commands. Here, author Scott Haugen shares a fun upland hunt with his dogs Echo and Kona. (SCOTT HAUGEN)

for dogs, or you can name them after an object or their actions. Echo, for instance, we named because of the way her cute little bark echoed through the house. Kona, with his black shiny coat, was named after our favorite black sand beach in Kona, Hawaii.

AVOID GETTING CAUGHT up in long, fluffy names or names with multiple soft syllables for your dog. This isn’t like naming your child these days. You need to decide on a name a dog will respond to, no matter the situation in which you’re calling it.

Naming your dog isn’t a popularity contest; rather it’s a deliberate, wellthought-out decision. After all, when it comes to a dog’s name, you want one it will recognize and respond to its entire life. CS

Editor’s note: To watch Scott Haugen’s series of puppy training videos, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.