what's in a name - Page 3

Silbersee, I feel the same way and have had numerous debates with a friend of mine about it. I hate the butchered names. Now everyone can obviously do as they please but I sure wish they would not use a translator program or a dicitonary. But maybe got someone that speaks the language well to help. I can think of several kennels of the top of my head...Most german kennelnames are derived from a location, incident or family name that is intensly private and unique to the breeder and owner of the kennel. So when I see a kennel obviously in the Staates named after a location but in german, I can't help but grin just a bit. But like I said, to each their own.

But one of my friends insists that one, people will more likely buy from a kennel with a german name espcially if they are looking to buy a working line german shepherd. And I guess it is all about advertising after all.

I also have to grin when I hear sooo many people butcher the german commands. They might as well reteach a dog that was taught in german since their commands are even hard for me to understand by the time they use them. And I am sure the same goes for my english....I can butcher that also. I teach in what is easiest for me. My dogs are bilingual....not fully on purpose either.

I am very impressed with the number of level headed people on this thread.  And a bit embarassed to sdmit that names do matter to me.  Thor of Windybrook would in fact be off putting for me, although Ithis sort of name hasn't actually stopped me in the past.

On the other hand, certain Germanic names would actually be off putting, as well.  I could not buy a dog named Adolph, for example. 

SchHbabe:

>Creampuff's Dreaming of Candy Canes

Priceless! LOL

 I'm with 4pack on this; that a GSD's parents/grand-parents names catch my eye more than the idividual dog's name. Individual names I don't mind much. It's harder to take dogs seriously when they have silly, cutesy sounding names in the pedigree.

Actually, I have found over the years the German commands result in better compliance due to the actual phonetics.  "Hier", pronounced with two syllables is more audible than "Come" with only one syllable, for example. "Aus-s-s" can be dragged out, where "Out" cannot. "Platz-z-z" is more audible than Down, particularly at a distance on a breezy day or with loud background noise. I only use English for telling a dog something around the house that I have no intention of enforcing if he/she fails to comply. That is how I keep things straight in my mind, and hopefully preserve compliance on the training field.

Also, especially in the old days, we compete(d) under non-English speaking German judges. Training our dogs in German, the original language of the sport of Schutzhund, was sort of a compliment to the presiding judges, not to mention reducing confusion for non-English speakers straining to understand what we were saying and doing throughout their visit here.

SS

Well, if the dog isn't registered, it's quite simple to just change the name. And of course, if it IS registered, just pick a call name that you're comfortable with, and forget about the registered name, unless you're showing. I mean, really, who gives a damn?

My first GSD rescue was named...are you ready for this...???  LASSIE!!   

I changed her name to Lilli Marlene, after the old WWII song.

My current male was named "Ralph". After the former owner told me it was local slang for a marijuana joint, I changed it to "Ranger". Same first letter, as with the previous dog, so it was easier for the dog to make the switch.

I seem to have a habit of acquiring animals with dumb names. I once had a horse the previous owner had named "Miss Lollipop". I changed that one to Silver Lady. Maybe not very creative, but she was a lovely silver gray, and a real lady when you were handling her from the ground. On her back was a slightly different story.....

I agree, the german commands are easier for the dog to obey. I had a bitch I trained in English, and later switched to German commands and saw her response was 'better' so to speak. "Down" is such a soft word versus "Platz", for example. It's not about the language but the sound...I still use "Sit" versus "Sitz", and if naming a dog I always use a name that is easy for me to say over and over again.

One should think about the language, in any case.  When I was competing in AKC obedience with a good DDR sieger son in the 80s, the only gsd that could give me trouble was a bitch handled by a (nasty) French Canadian fellow, who was very hard on his dog.  But that's besides my point here, as I wish to point out that in an AKC show, his commands in French were an ADVANTAGE -- as his dog was not hearing meaningful commands coming out from all the surrounding rings.  My dog, competing in English, was hearing "heel!" and "come!" and "stay!" in adjacent rings while he was working.  There were times when I think the language advantage of my primary rival mattered.

There is also the name issue: if you are going to train in English in a ring allowing both name and command, you should not give your dog an s, k, or h name.  In general, you should not name a dog something that sounds like your 'no" command or even your "heel" or recall command.  I picked up a German dog named Nokia a few years back, which works when you say Nein but not when you say No.  A trainer in English would be dumb to name a dog No-kia.  She'd suffer doubt and ambiguity all her life!

And the phonetic issue: some words are easier to use in English, some in German, some in other languages.  I think fuss and aus are easier than heel and out, but in my experience, for some reason, down and come are easier to make audible in a loud vocie than are platz and hier.  Non disputandum gustibus est -- there is no disputing taste -- so why not use what works best?

I tried to train in Italian once, but my dogs all thought I was getting ready to feed them.

I don't think the language one uses matters one iota to the dog; IMHO no language is "easier" for dogs to understand.

I have found that a well trained dog is a well trained dog and good trainer is a good trainer in ANY language.

The language itself is merely cosmetic. 

Or are we suggesting that only dogs trained in German are high scoring dogs?!  Or successful?!