what's in a name - Page 1

If you were in the market for a young adult and you found an adult with bloodlines that you liked, who had some training from a person and club you felt was quality training, had great drive, had a hip cert. and was priced reasonably and was not being sold for any known fault reason; would you buy the dog?.... here's the catch.  He is registered with the name "Thor of windybrook" (completely made up name). 

Are you biased ( most will not admit they are, but for sake of the question you can answer "some" or "others") against names that do not sound distinctly "germanic" or otherwise GSD in their type, like Slovak names, or have things like, von der, or Haus, etc.

If a dog were trained to do an entire SchH routine in completely english terms, would you (only you can answer honestly for yourself) think less of that dog or trainer?

I personally would have to see the name and go from there.

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I would buy him in a Heartbeat!  I'm all for the Go. The fancy names and all the rest are for Show. Good dogs are where you find them.  A dog like that is whats called a Gambler's Dream.  Just think how good it will feel when you blow away the Competition with "Sugar Britches of Tootsie Roll Farm"

I would buy it if it's what I was looking for.  Who cares what the name is.  Many trials don't say the whole name anyway.

LOL this is something I havn't even thought about but I guess I do laugh at some dogs names. Would I not buy an outstanding dog because of the name he was given? I doubt it, who the hell calls their dog their registered name anyway? A good dog is  good dog and hard enough to find just to throw him to the curb for a bad kennel name.

As far as the commands...I have been doing German with my dogs for many years and it has gotten old to me and I feel every other GSD owner has now copywritted the commands. My new pup I am teacheing in English but not the typical heel, sit, come, down. So that not anyone can start yelling out commands to my dog. Only issue with that is I am now lapsing into the wrong commands when I switch dogs and the other is looking at me like I am smoking crack! haha I would not think less of a dog or trainer for using their own terms/commands other than German.

Interesting thread. LOL

OMG!  I can't imagine anyone getting so picky about the registered name of the dog that they would think less of the dog for not having a European sounding name.  Say it ain't so!

I remember a thread some time back where someone was complaining about a breeder who named their kennel "Wiggle Butt Acres".  The poster made a huge stink over it, if I remember correctly, as if that alone were reason to trash the place.

That made me think of my ancient Roman history classes (studied Latin, and Greek & Roman Mythology - yes I AM the alpha geek) when we read accounts of gladiators who chose "stage names" like "Violet" and "Pearl", as if such a name were a complete joke, or perhaps a ploy to make his opponent overconfident.  Can you imagine yourself standing in the ring before the Emporer saying, "We who are about to die salute you," standing next to a guy named "Rosemary"?  LOL

I like to see people show some creativity with names.  Why spoil the fun by trying to be too serious?

One of my friends had a "V" litter and I made her promise to name one of the black males "Vader".  Black male puppy, Darth Vader... priceless!

Show me a good working dog with good drives, solid nerves, and good temperament and I wouldn't care if the name was "Creampuff's Dreaming of Candy Canes".  LOL

Yvette

There should be more to a dog than the name! I never understood why breeders here in the U.S. always have to have German kennel names, often with the wrong spelling or grammar. Quite a few German judges have commented favorably on English kennel names. If I were American, I would be proud to have a great English name as to showing off my and my dogs' heritage. For example: I always admired the kennel name "Sunrise". Too bad she is not breeding anymore.  This to me sounds a lot better than these "butchered" German names. This is where judges and visitors crack jokes about, not an English kennel name. Other European kennels do not need German names to succeed: Look at all the French, Italian and Czech kennels.

Chris

I give commands in English.  To do otherwise would be pretentious on my part as I don't speak German fluently.  I am American and our language is English.  If I was fluent in German and had German ancestry (which I do), then it would be okay, but to learn two dozen or so words in German and train your own dog with those commands is silly. Yes, yes, I know what some will say.  I just disagree.  If you purchased a dog already trained in German, that is another matter (of course, then the dog is training you ), but to join a Schutzhund club and follow the crowd and train using words they have to teach you, is silly.

I don't care what anyone named a dog, if it is good dog, I'm all for having it.

One of my females imported from Germany is named Hilda.  A male is named Gotz.  Both are dumb names for dogs IMO, here in the U.S., but I am sure that a dog in Germany named Elvis or Tampa, would sound just as dumb to those in Germany.

I do call Hilda, Hilda, but we call Gotz, Rex.

I have to admit though, that when going back through pedigree's, names like "Sister Mary Gene of Meadowbrook" does not instill a lot of confidence in me that the dog was a go getter.  Of course I know the name means nothing, but it does have a sissy connotation to it.

Silbersee" Sunrise kennel owner is still breeding ,,,she just doesnt live in Dallas,,Irving any longer.....if that is who you are talking about,,,,

the next question is, if there were a dog "Rosemary's Baby" (a dog like mentioned in the beginning, great drives, good training, great health/hip certs, etc.) the only difference is THIS dog is out of "Cinnamon Snap" and "Rosemary the wonder dog" and Cinnamon's parents are "Dazzling Dancer Man" and "Flower Power" and Rosemary's parents are "Jack of no trades" and her dam is "Jill on the Hill." 

Now, ALL of these dogs have great drive, well titled, excellent health clearances, outstanding temperament.  However, the liklihood is that you are not going to personally meet any of them but the dam of "rosemary's baby" and maybe the sire. 

So we are left with simply looking at the pedigree.  It's not really a big deal and I'm certainly not bashing anyone, even someone who might say, I would buy a dog with that pedigree, because honestly I am pretty sure I would be biased against it.  Maybe in part because people DONT name dogs like the names I gave so this is all a moot point, but it is interesting to consider that we do in some ways have biases, it isn't something we can get away from, it is part of our humanity I think in some ways.

By the way, I am available for any naming suggestions on your next litters since I know you just LOVE the names I came up with!!