Changing an adult dog's name?

Dogs most definitely DO recognize words. However, you can change your dog's name and it shouldn't cause her any undo confusion.

All you do is say "come here, Bogey!!" "Bogey, come on girl!" in an upbeat tone of voice, clap your hands, give her a treat for coming. Tone of voice is important, praise for coming is really important. She'll be responding to the words she already knows, which are "come" and "here" and probably "good girl", things like that. In probably less time that you think, she'll be associating her new name with those words if you use her name enough.

Dogs can learn more than we give them credit for - just give her a chance.

So many dogs that come in have such bad names - if you do a rhyming name it is easiest for them to learn the new one. It goes over very well though no matter what. New situation for them, new things going on. They accept their new name as just something with the new people. Most won't answer to the old name in a few days (though don't try it because you could confuse them). Call the new name, and every time they respond in the first three days they get a treat. They will learn to love the new name!

It's nice you are so concerned about the dog. I have gotten 3 of my 4 animals from animal rescue, and have changed all their names...believe me they'll come to any name when they are hungry. Just keep saying it a lot. After reading some of the replies it seems some owners changed their dogs name quite a bit and it worked for them ...we tried to keep the name pretty close to the same like Lady to Lacey etc. It seems like we always have a "E" sound on the end of our pets names, but they get called so many cutesy names and they come to them all, have fun, it will be fine...and before you know it she'll be coming to you just because she knows she's loved.

Your attitude is fantastic. My dog has about eight names and it's the intent that makes everything so nice. The tone, the heart, the energy, the focus, the desire, you'll do just fine.

Don't be afraid. Be confident and the dog will enjoy your leadership.

I also bought an older female Boston and I hated her name too, they named her Snuggles and it is on her AKC papers. I renamed her Penny with no difficulties, it took a little while (a week) for her to get used to but she now responds to Penny!

It'll be OK, just change her name.

My dogs names are Bruno, Daisy and Gunner, but I rarely call them by their names unless they're not listening. Most times I call them Bub, Babe and Butt....i dont know why, its just what comes out when i talk to them. They don't mind at all and respond to both their nicknames and their normal names, just start intergrating your name in with her name and she'll get used to it (a sudden switch might confuse her), eventually you can drop her given name altogether

I changed an 8 year old dogs name when we first got him an he responds great to it, and doesn't even respond to his old name

You could try. Just call her the name you prefer and like help her out like for example with my dog i changed his name to eddy so i would be like eddy, come here and I would clap. Everytime she comes to you when you call her by the name you want give her a treat.

Does she know her current name?? Then use "current name" Bogey. Use them together for a while..... then switch using Bogey "old name". Then drop the old name.

You have already answered your own quetion. I have changed 1 of my dogs name and didnt have any problem. So go with what you want to. your dog will listen.