People often tell us that Oscar is perfectly named…he LOOKS like an Oscar.  It’s true and it’s no coincidence.  However, what people probably wouldn’t guess is that instead of picking the name to match the dog, I picked the dog to match the name! 

When we decided that we were going to add a four-legged family member, before even considering things like breed, temperament, size, etc. - I had made up my mind about one thing…our new dog was going to be named Oscar.  I don’t know why, but I was fixated on Oscar…the name seemed to sum up everything I was looking for in a dog….tough, loyal, dignified, affectionate and maybe just a little bit stubborn (like me!!). 

So, the search was on for a dog that looked like an Oscar.  Now I’m pretty sure that experts would strongly discourage you from choosing a dog based on what you wanted to name him - and don’t get me wrong…we also did our homework to make sure that our choice of breed would fit our lifestyle.  But sometimes you’ve just got to go with your heart…I can’t imagine how we could have ended up with a more perfect Oscar or a better canine addition to our family.

So where is this going, you ask?  Well I stumbled on this list of the top 100 dog names in NY.  See if your choice of dog name (or the name you inherited, if you adopted an older dog) makes the top 100.  Oscar came in at 83…

Or if you’re going the traditional route of picking a name AFTER you pick the dog.  Check out this site for a list of 2,000 dog names.