Introduction to naming your Husky

One of the single most important things you can ever do for your husky is to choose the right name. A name is so much more than just a way of referring to your dog; it can be the difference between having an obedient trained husky and one that ignores your commands. This guide would explain everything from how to choose a proper name for your husky to the huge difference that name would make in your husky’s behavior.

The Basics of selecting a name for your dog

First, I will begin by covering the basics of naming your dog: When choosing a name for your husky, choose one that is easy to pronounce in your family’s native tongue. For example, if you speak English in your household, choose a name that is easy for English speakers to pronounce (Please NOTE: it does NOT necessarily have to be a name of English origin, just one that is easy for English tongues to pronounce).

Do not choose a name that rhymes with frequently used words such as the names of other family members or words used in training commands, especially if you use those words negatively. For example, a husky dog sled racer would not give their husky a name like “Lush” since it rhymes with the command “Mush”. Another example is a name like “Cop”, it is a common word and it rhymes with the command “Stop”.

Use a name that is easily recognizable for your husky, such as words with two syllables. Do not risk confusing your husky by using a name like “Chastity”. Instead, consider abbreviating the name to something like “Chaste”.

Give your husky a name that you would want to keep all of the time. If you are giving her a name based on a characteristic, be sure it is a permanent attribute or one that you will not mind calling her in the absence of that attribute. For example, your husky would blow her coat twice every year, so a name like “Furry” or “Fluffy” may seem inappropriate around those times.

Consider your husky’s origin: This is a pure cosmetic preference and does not have any significant logical impact. Huskies are originally from cold climates (like Alaska or Siberia) and some owners like to give their husky a name like “Snow Flake” or even an Alaskan/Inuit name like “Miki”. For most people, honoring their husky’s heritage is important, but be sure to remember the guidelines of husky naming even if you want to give kudos to the original husky breeders.

The huge impact your husky’s name can have

Never say your husky’s name in a negative or angry tone; all dog breeds can recognize a person’s emotion from their tone of voice. Your husky should always be pleased and happy to hear his name, so associate his name with treats and positive words such as “Good boy” in a praising tone.

Never use your husky’s name to punish him; in fact, do not ever call your dog for punishment. Punishing can entail more than simply scolding; punishment is anything that your husky perceives to be a bad experience. For example, some huskies may perceive getting a spray of water on his face to be a bad experience or a method of punishment. The last thing you want a husky to do is to associate his name or any recall command, such as “come here”, with a bad experience. Here is the reason why: As sled dogs, huskies have a very strong running instinct hard-wired into their DNA. If you give huskies a chance, they would run for miles without ever turning back because it is what they were originally bred to do! Everyone knows that you cannot trust a husky off its leash; in fact, escaped huskies are very common and losing one is extremely tragic. You’d definitely want your husky to be motivated to come when you call her instead of being motivated to run away even faster; proper recall training (the “come” command) may be the difference between a lost husky or one that is safe at home. Always associate recall with a good experience such as praise (“Good girl!”).

To Be Continued, See below…

There’re more husky naming tips & guidelines where this came from

The scope of this topics goes beyond this article. This article was an excerpt from a free mini e-book called “Guide to Naming Your Husky”. Yes, the full e-book is completely free, continues the rest of this article and contains more chapters such as “The proper way to teach your husky his name”. Please invest the time to download and read this free e-book because it would make a huge difference. To download the mini e-book as well as a list of Husky Dog Names visit Husky Dog Names