Fashion appears to decree everything nowadays days. From what you wear to what you name your dog, everything you do is dictated by the need to be cool. Cute dog names are hard to come by and even harder to choose. This is because no sooner is something in fashion, than it is out again.

Who would want to choose a cool dog name that may not be fashionable tomorrow? People tend to play it safe as a result, hence why the same names have been so popular for so long. To try and break that cycle, five cute dog names are listed below with the reasons why you should choose one of them for your dog.

Phoenix: What could be cooler than a bird that goes up in flames and then rises from the ashes? Phoenix is one of the cute dog names that will never go out of fashion because it is based in mythology. It has a timeless quality which has somewhat surprisingly failed to boost its popularity.

Star: Star is one of the cute dog names because it has so many connotations that you can have a hard time finding out where to begin. A star in the sky is a phenomenon and a star can refer to someone that outperforms in a certain field. It is a high form of praise and thus is definitely a cool dog name.

Lady: Lady is one of the most popular dog names but it is also one of the cute dog names because of Disney. Lady and the Tramp was a huge hit and made the name popular but also gave it some credibility. In this case popularity is second to coolness.

Elvis: The coolest of cute dog names. Elvis Presley was definitely cool and remains cool today even after his death. It is immeasurably cool to name your dog after such a tremendous star who has never gone out of fashion himself.

Shadow: There is a dark and mysterious quality about Shadow that makes it a cool dog name. It would be used to best effect on a large dog however because it wouldn’t have the same strong effect with a small breed.

Whatever cute dog names you consider for your pooch, it is a certain method of giving your dog an identity of its own and your dog memorable to others.

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Keeping the attention of your dog while training is not always an easy task. Dogs are very easily distracted, and it is important to not allow the dog training sessions to be ruined by boredom. Making dog training fun for the dog and the human alike is essential to creating a happy, well-balanced and well-trained dog.

Providing random positive stimuli throughout the day is a great way to keep the interest of your dog. Doing things the dog enjoys, like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with other dogs, are great ways to keep the dog’s attention, but you must reward him for small successes.

For instance, in order to reward the dog for coming to you when you call him, ask the dog to come to you, without giving any clues about a walk, a car ride, or other treats.

After the dog has come to you and obediently sat down, attach the leash and start the reward. This can be either the afore-mentioned walk in the park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog enjoys doing.

Providing some kind of reward, whether a treat, a special outing, or just a tickle behind the ears, every time the dog does something you want him to, is a good method to maintain your dog’s motivation while you are dog training.

If your dog knows something good is going to happen every time he follows your command, he will be motivated to please you every time.

Distraction training.

When training a dog, it is important to not allow distractions spoil the training. The dog must be taught to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs, other animals and loud noises, and focus on what is being taught These types of distractions can also be used as rewards when training the dog to come when called.

For example, if your dog enjoys playing with other dogs, whether in a local park or with the neighbour’s dogs, let him play freely with those other dogs. Then go into the park or yard and call your dog.

When he comes to you, provide lots of praise, treats and other rewards, then immediately allow the dog to go back to playing with his pals. Do this several times and praise the dog each time he comes to you.

The dog will quickly learn that coming to your call results in good things (treats and praise) and not bad ones (being taken away from the park).

This so-called distraction training is one of the hardest things for your dog to learn, because dogs are social animals by nature, and leaving the pack is one of the hardest things you can ask your dog to do. Most dogs will be understandably unwilling to leave their doggy companions, but it is vital to persist in dog training.

Training the dog to come to you may require some creativity on your part at first. For instance, waving a favourite toy, or a lure, is a great way to get your dog’s attention and put the focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick click can be a good motivator too when you are training your dog.

Once the dog begins to become used to coming when called, you can begin to reduce and then stop the visual cues and focus on making the dog obey just your voice. It is important that the dog responds to voice commands alone, as you will not always have a toy or lure to hand.

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