APAW – Poodle Pups for Working Roles

Originally written as a dialogue with APAW recipients of trained adult dogs, by Jillian Gartner [Emerson] on 6/3/2016. Some of the responses will be included at the end of this post.

(This concept applies to dogs, humans – any species that recognizes that a unique sound refers specifically to them alone).

As you all know, every APAW dog has a very special and unique name that is carefully selected for them; a name that wouldn’t even be _appropriate_ for the vast majority of other dogs in the program, never mind _perfect_ for another.

“… because names can have an effect on self-concept, names can indirectly influence how we act. However, research into the ways names affect people has uncovered a link that shows that our names–or at least other people’s reactions to our names–influence the way we behave even more directly.”

— H. Edward Deluzain; http://www.behindthename.com/articles/1.php

This is why nearly every APAW dog receives a ‘word’ name; each name is chosen not only due to it’s special significance for that dog, but also for the instant emotional and intellectual reaction it will trigger in the majority of people who ever hear it… and thus will reflect positively from the person back to the dog, increasing the likelihood of the dog responding in the desired fashion.

APAW puppies are presented with their name before their ears open around 3 weeks old, and it is the first human sound they hear. It is used over and over again through-out all of their positive interactions with people, at a much higher frequency than any other word or cue. By the time they are learning to wait or stay (6-8 weeks old), they are beginning to recognize their name as uniquely theirs, not to be shared with any other being.

Every day that goes by, their experience and understanding of their name gets stronger and stronger, and it becomes their identity.

If a dog or person’s name is going to be changed, it is only fair to do so _before_ they come to identify the name as their own.

Trained dogs placed through APAW cannot have their names changed. Any new owners of puppies sold after 12 weeks of age are strongly encouraged not to change the name, or to choose something which sounds similar.

When APAW accepts a dog over this age into our program, the dog is not automatically given a new name. If they know their name – they respond to it happily and attentively and in a different manner than they respond to other words – then they will keep their name.

Only if it is considered unsuitable – slang, derogatory, poor impression, etc – will it be changed, and if the dog liked their name the new one will sound similar to respect and build upon the dog’s prior good associations.

If the dog has _negative_ associations with their name or no recognition at all, that is when I will choose a new name, so that the dog may start fresh – new sounds, new expectations, new life, new attitude – all geared towards making them the most successful assistance dog they can become.

Anyone who has worked/trained with an animal extensively will probably recognize that the name of the animal is so uniquely ‘them’ that there never could have been another name – if a different name had been chosen in the beginning, the animal would have grown up to be a different being… genetically the same, but a different personality and therefore a different thought process and different influences for making different decisions.

“The process that gives names their influence is the so-called self-fulfilling prophecy. Briefly explained, the self-fulfilling prophecy works this way. A man introduces himself to us as Percy. Immediately, our unconscious mind goes to work dredging up all the images and associations we have with that name. Without realizing it, we develop a mental picture–a set of expectations–of what a Percy is like. This mental picture causes changes in our own behavior that are so subtle that we are not aware of them. However, Percy picks up on the messages we are sending by our actions, and he makes unconscious changes in his own way of acting to satisfy what he thinks we expect of him. In other words, we set up a situation which forces Percy to behave the way we think Percys are supposed to behave.”

— H. Edward Deluzain

While I (Jillian) accept name suggestions from everyone with each litter, I do not let others actually match a name to a specific puppy (unless I have already approved the name for that pup). [2023 edit for clarity – this is in reference to naming puppies that would be kept and raised by APAW to become assistance dogs, not for homes purchasing a puppy as their own]

In order for the name to be the most perfect name for that dog as an adult, it needs to be matched to the characteristics that the dog already has, or be chosen to balance negative characteristics in the preferred direction.

This even goes beyond the meaning of a word, right to it’s very sound – words/names/sounds can be soft or sharp, light or heavy, weak or strong, loud or quiet, curved or sharp…

In the comments below, I’m happy to answer through my perspective any questions you have on this topic.

Let’s talk about some of the adult APAW dogs and how they’ve matured into their names; why was their name selected, what does it signify, and most importantly – in what ways have they grown into it?

Post an APAW dog’s name below and we’ll talk about all the influences that went into the name.

**NOTE – this concept only applies to the call name (not the registered name), as that is the name which the dog is aware of and responds to the reflection of others’ perceptions.

[Another reply from Jillian within the initial conversation with APAW recipients]: In these comments we’ve identified a bunch of dogs whose names fit them perfectly… Can you imagine if some of the names with similar meaning were swapped? Could Glimmer and Twinkle trade names? Atlas and Achilles? Comrade and Courage? Dandy and Gander? Harmony and Serenity? By meaning alone perhaps some trades could work, but when you also consider the sound you realize ‘Twinkle’ is fast, alert, sharp and ‘Glimmer’ is gentle, modest, and soft. ‘Dandy’ is peppy and light footed and ‘Gander’ is sturdier and more physically and psychologically sound. ‘Onyx’ is strong and steady, gentle, smooth, rock solid at your side. ‘Atlas’ has the physical stability but lacks the loyalty – it is sharp, more alert, and less epic. ‘Blossom’ is gentle and sweet, and even though the meaning could suggest fragility, the sound suggests strength and resilience.

To you, reader of this re-published post via the APAW Poodles website, do you wonder about the reasoning behind the names of any of our current dogs? Feel free to leave a comment to ask!
Does your dog have a name with special meaning for them? Please share below, we’d love to hear about it.