Well, you’ve just made the leap and added a new member to your household. Congratulations! Dogs make wonderful additions to the family ‘pack’–in fact, some pet parents would say that dogs are better than children. (More on that concept at a later date.)

But your new family member needs a name. If you’ve adopted your dog from a shelter, chances are that he or she already has a name–either one given by the prior owner, or a moniker bestowed by the shelter workers. But what if you don’t care for the current name–or you feel that it really doesn’t fit the dog? If you’d like, you are free to change your new CBF’s (canine best friend’s) name to something that may be more appropriate to his breed, appearance, or personality.

First take a good look at him. Is he a big dog or a smallish fellow? Remember, if he’s still a puppy, he’s likely to get bigger, depending on his age at the time of adoption. What breed is he–or if he’s mixed, what’s the dominant breed? What color is he? What is his personality like? Is he a couch potato–or is his patron saint Our Lady of Perpetual Motion? (I made that up–so don’t go looking for her feast day on your religious calendar.) All of these factors can be considered when choosing the perfect name for your new pal.

For instance, if he’s lean and loves to run fast, you could name him Speedy or Flash. (The last one is also appropriate for future superheroes.) If his breed originated in a place other than the United States, consider giving him an ethnic name. For example, Irish Wolfhounds are an ancient breed originating in (you guessed it) Ireland, and were bred as hunting dogs and guard dogs. They are known for being ‘gentle giants’ that are intimidating by size alone–a male adult can be over 7 feet tall on his hind legs–and were the pets of kings throughout the centuries. So a name either based on ethnicity, size, or both would be appropriate for such a creature. (Merlin comes to mind as the perfect name for a male Wolfie–or Fiona for a female.)

A Scottie just begs to be named either something beginning with ‘Mc’ or after something to do with Scottish tradition. I have known Scotties named after both of these–my parents’ neighbors had a male named ‘McTavish’ and a family member had a female named ‘Piper’. I do have one request for this breed–PLEASE don’t name the dog ‘Haggis’, which is a kind of nasty-sounding dish made from meat scraps and oatmeal and cooked in a sheep’s stomach. (If I have offended any readers of Scottish descent with this statement, I apologize. I’m part Scottish too, but I think haggis is only for those daring–or hungry–enough to try it. But I digress…)

What is he bred to do? If he’s a hunting dog, you might name him Winchester (after the rifle). If he’s a herding breed, you might use that as your cue. If he’s a toy breed such as a Yorkshire Terrier, give him a name that’s either indicative of his size–or you could go in the opposite direction and give him a name that might suggest that he’s big and mean, such as ‘Killer’ or ‘Brutus’. ‘Tinkerbell’ is a cute but overused name for a female Yorkie. Personally, I like ‘Pixie’–that is, if I had a Yorkie. (I prefer the bigger models.) If your dog is one of the ‘giant’ breeds, such as a Great Dane or a Mastiff, a dignified name is a good choice. My brother-in-law used to have a Bullmastiff named Winston Churchill–a fine name for a 165-lb. dog who actually sort of resembled the ‘real’ Winston Churchill. (Actually, a ‘dignified’ name is a good choice for any male dog, unless he’s so goofy that such a name really doesn’t fit.)

If you observe your dog and use your imagination, you’re sure to come up with the perfect name for your new best friend!