Changing a dog's name

Just use the two names together and over time, slowly drop the one you want to change from. They'll get the hint more quickly if you pair the new combo with some treats! I wouldn't worry about it, older pets in shelters have their names changed too and seem to adapt pretty quickly as long as then get the rewards and affection from their new families!

Wait until the dog shows signs of settling into the new environment. The other responders are right, you CAN change a dogs name at anytime by rewarding it for giving you the eye contact that you want when you call it by the new name, So, there's no rush for you to do this. It's just that in adoption cases, for the first few days,the dog doesn't even know when it is going to be fed or get to go out to potty. That is enough to learn in the beginning. Then when you see it's confident and bonding with you, THEN go ahead and change the name.

You can change names of animal at any age. They don't know it's a name. It's a sound they respond to like any other command word they learn. My son changed the name of a dog he got when the dog was 4 years old, another from the shelter when it was 6 years old No problem. Within a few days, they got it. I got one of mine from the shelter too at over a year and changed her's too. They want your love and affection and don't care what you call them. All our dogs respond even if we call them silly nick names, which we change all the time.

don't change it. how would you feel if you were 4 and some strangers wanted to change your name after adopting you? why is her name so important? will you love her less if you don't change her name? if your answer to that question is "yes", then you don't deserve to own a pet.

I don't think it matters for a cat because they pretty much respond when they want to respond, no matter what you call them. I think dogs are different. When I adopted a four-year-old corgi/sheltie mix from the humane society, I did not change her name even though I thought it was a silly name (Tippy). I felt she had been through enough changes and stress. She lost her home and loved ones, had to live in a kennel for a while, and had to get used to a new home and a new owner. The least I could do was let her keep her name.