Dog owners will explain that there is no proven method for selecting a good name for a new dog or puppy. Whether they need to come up with girl or boy dog names, they will normally choose a name that sounds trendy or a name they like rather than putting some thought into what the name really means.

Popular boy dog names have meanings, as do human names, so more often than not the meaning will not suit the dog it is given to. Here we give a guide to the top five boy dog names and what they really mean.

In general, one of the first things you have to do when you get a new dog or puppy is pick a dog name for him or her. For most dog owners, this actually requires little thought. They just pick a dog name out of thin air and that is the name by which the unfortunate hound will be known forever. However, there is something you ought to think about when going through dog names in order to make sure that you choose the right one.

First of all, dogs can sense attitude and tone of voice better than we can. If you choose a dog name for comic value or after someone you don't like, your dog will know by your tone of voice that something is not right. As a result, their attitudes may change towards you or they may refuse to respond to your commands. Dogs' names should mean something but should not hinder their training, so you should really take the decision of the dog name carefully.

Despite dogs being very intelligent creatures, they can't process the same amount of information that we can. As a result, dog names should never be more than two syllables long. If they are more than that, most dogs will not respond. Max, Sam, Becky, Lady, Molly and the like are excellent dog names because they are short and the syllables are easily heard. They respond to these dog names and that will improve your chances of training them successfully.

However, dogs' names should help them form an identity of their own. Common names don't really allow them to do that, so finding something simple but unusual can help their characters a great deal without damaging their ability to respond to a command.

Max: This is probably the greatest boy dog name and the meaning is surely why most people choose it for their hound. It literally means "the greatest". After all, every dog owner thinks that their dog is the greatest.

Jake: Jake is short for Jacob, which means "champion". This is an apt boy dog name, if your puppy has taken over the whole house within a short time of getting inside it!

Buddy: Buddy is a familiarization of Budd, which means "messenger". This boy dog name would be apt for a working dog or one you might possibly train to retrieve the newspaper from the porch in the morning. It is a very popular boy dog name throughout America.

Bailey: The boy dog name Bailey is French and means "steward". This is pretty apt if your dog is responsible and sensible, so it is apt for a Newfoundland or collie puppy.

Sam: Sam seems to mean "an answer to prayers". This is a good boy dog name for sedate dogs that are easy to train and are largely quiet!

Few new dog owners consider a name's meaning when picking a boy dog's name, so instead of just going ahead with your first idea, it may be worth taking the time to find a dog's name that is really suitable for your dog. After all, it doesn't cost you anything to spend some time considering your dog's name.