“Hi, I’m _____. Good to meet you!” Our names are usually the first things we tell other people about ourselves. And the names we go by often tell folks about us, our personalities, or our interests. In only a word or two, we give people glimpses into who we are and what we’re about. As we’ll see in this episode, names are pretty important—and powerful. Choosing the right one takes time, thought, and a little creativity.
To help understand how pup names work for different people, I spoke with Pup Dog Log from Greater Cincinnati Pets and Handlers and Pup Stolas Sloughwycke from North & Central Florida Pets & Handlers and the 2022 Florida Puppy. They tell very different stories of how they chose their names and what a name does for a pup, but they basically make the same overall point: A pup’s name is a chance to tell our story and show our priorities. And they can help us achieve our goals within the community—whether that’s to stand out or to blend in.
From Stolas’s experiences with names in animal shelters to Logan’s experience meeting other pups who share his name, we talk about a variety of considerations to ponder when selecting a name. But like so many of the topics discussed on this show, names are only the beginning of a conversation. Ask questions and learn other pups’ stories. You’ll find that a name is a great way to get to know someone’s history.
