207 Actually Good Dog Names Ending in Y or IE [Organized]

So, you’ve decided to buy a pup. You’ve done your research on breeds and found a reliable and ethical breeder. You’ve seen pictures of the new litter and picked an adorable pink-nosed grey-eyed furball.

Before we move any further, congratulations are in order. A new family member!

Now that you have a new member in the family, you are pressed to get everything ready. The crate, food, bowl, bedding, leash, accessories, puppy-proofing the house-the list can be dauntingly endless.

And now, you must also think of a name!

I’m sure you’ve got some names in mind. But it’s not just a word that you randomly pick up from a book or a magazine, is it? Is it fair to give any name to that sweet, loving pup in your lap? Don’t they deserve a name befitting their personality?

Quite a bit of thought goes into a name. Suppose you’ve had experience with children, yours or a relative’s, other pets, your child’s imaginary friends or dolls, and so on. In that case, you’ll know it isn’t an easy task! As we go further, we will explore many aspects and scientific reasons that will help you narrow down the perfect name.

One of the trickier aspect of picking puppy names is that they are a ling term fix.

How Important Are Names

You have no idea what life is like for a Dick. Oh no, I apologize. I’m not using any swear words. You’d understand if you knew a Dick. I have a friend with the last name Dick, and he has always been mortified. Not the kind you might have experienced. This is a whole new level of mortification. Imagine being called out in school, during those long high school years, or at graduation.

So, why am I talking about my friend with an unfortunate name?

The point is – that a name – whether a first or a last – is quite important, even for dogs.

It is more challenging to choose a name for a human baby because anything remotely funny will give the meaner kids a chance to bully or outcast them.

In comparison, choosing a dog name is much simpler. Because whatever you name him or her, people will find it cute. But that does not mean you call him ‘Dawg.’ It’s not fair to your pup. He’s a one-in-a-million, and he deserves better!

Another challenge when picking puppy names is that male dog names and female dog names can differ – and given that names are diverse it can be hard to pick correctly. In general for dogs boy names and girl names will not matter that much because dogs don’t associate in the way humans do.

Can Dogs Even Remember Their Names?

Research shows that dogs can learn about 160 odd words. If your pup learns only a handful, don’t be upset. It’s not like he needs to pass the entrance test to puppy school. And it’s not an indicator of his cognitive abilities! But I digress.

Dogs learn words through deductive reasoning and positive reinforcement. For example, when you see him first thing in the morning and say ‘Good Morning, Bobbie!‘ he does not know what you’re saying. Still, your positive enthusiasm helps him realize that you’re saying something good.

They will also understand what you’re saying through your body language. So when you want to teach things like their name, you must use classical conditioning. When you call out their name, they must be able to recognize it and come running to you.

You can make use of treats for conditioning as well. Hold the treat to your nose and call out their name. When they look at you and respond, say ‘Yes!’ and give them the treat. 

Gradually increase the distance between you and your pet, and repeat the conditioning over a few weeks. Now, it’s time to test your pup. Call his name from different corners of the house. If he comes with a wagging tail, then he has recognized his name. Try calling out using other words. If he comes to you no matter what you say, he has not learned his name, but he’s responding to the tone of your voice.

Watch your pup for other indicators as well. Here are some signs that will help you understand whether your dog knows his name.

Strategies to Pick a Good Dog Name

Dogs don’t understand human words. What they understand are sounds. So the commands that you utter are all sounds for them. The tone you use helps them perceive what you mean.

The same goes for their names too. They don’t understand the meaning of their names. To a dog, it won’t matter if you name it Rick, Mick, Hick, Lick, or anything else. What matters is that you call them with affection. And that it should bring your puppy running to you – tongue sticking out tail wagging. We want a good name for our pets because they deserve all the dignity we can afford them. They are family members, after all.

What Kind of Names Do Dogs Respond To Best?

1. Two Syllables Are Best

As you’d probably know by now, you use short command words with your dog. This is because short words are easy for them to understand. Experts advise that we use words with one or two-syllable only.

The same rationale applies to dog names too. If you give them a name that’s longer than two syllables, it could get lost in doggy translation, and you won’t get the desired result when you call them.

Sure, Kareem Abdul Ja-Bark might sound rather royal for your large-sized poodle pup, and it looks great on paper. But you may want to shorten it when you call him. After a couple of weeks of calling him Kareem Abdul Ja-Bark, you’ll get tired, and he’ll get confused. He may not even respond to his sentence-long name.

Eventually, you may just end up calling him ‘Kareem’ or ‘Kar’ and stop at that. And that name does not sound very dog-friendly.

2. Avoid Confusion with Command Words

Command words are short, usually one-syllable words designed to give short yet specific instructions to dogs. Words like ‘stop’, ‘no’, ‘sit’, ‘heel’, ‘come’, ‘go’, ‘fetch’, ‘wait’, and ‘drop it’ – these are all short words that your dog will perceive in context. Similar sound to commands spells for trouble. 

If you keep a name that sounds similar to your command words like ‘Shae,’ your dog might hear ‘stay.’ ‘Bo’ could be perceived as ‘no,’ and ‘Sketch’ with ‘fetch.’ They would get confused in the end, not knowing when to respond to commands and when to their name.

Eventually, they won’t respond at all. So avoid using names that rhyme with command words.

3. Test Run In Public

Remember that most of the time, you will call your dog in public places – primarily parks. A name like Cujo or Ghoul may sound fancy, but nobody wants to pet a new puppy with names that remind them of horror stories. So, when you’re settling on a name, make sure it isn’t associated with something terrible. 

Also, ‘Fartface’ can sound funny while in the house, but dogs being intuitive, can sense mockery. You don’t want them to feel like a joke, do you? Every animal deserves respect, and even if something is amusing for you, it might not be so for them. It could even affect their confidence.

Imagine going to the vet and having them call out ‘Fartface’ or ‘Smellfungus’ in front of a dozen other patients. Their laughs and snickers would send your dog straight to the ER!

Please choose appropriately.

4. Human Names

Your aunt Charlotte may find it impressive that you named your Cockapoo after her. She might even come and give her blessings for honoring her. But Uncle Tom would get cross if you called out ‘Tom! Come, Sit!’ and your pooch came running to you, obeying your command.

So, there are two reasons why it would not be the best idea to have human names for your dog.

The first: others may not like it.

The second: The more people choose human names for their dogs, the more they end up anthropomorphizing their pets.

What does that mean? It means giving human attributes to pets.

Dogs are respectable, intelligent living beings, no doubt. But they aren’t people, and you cannot expect them to learn to adjust to each social scenario you find them in and get punished as humans get, can you?

207 Dog Names Ending in Y or IE Mega List [Organized]

You can name your dog on characteristics-his personality, the heritage of his breed, his coat color, and so much more. It can also be your favorite fruit, your favorite cheese, the weather, flowers, or an incident that he is still remembered by. Some peiople want unique names, others traditional. Some want their dog to be tough and will only consider masculine names (though most of us just want awesome names for our dog).

Names that end with a Y or IE sound are usually melodious and catchy to the ears.

I bring forth a list of names, divided by their types, so it gets easier for you to skim through:

18 Cool Dog Names Ending in Y That Match Your Puppy’s Personality

11 Dog Names Ending in Y Inspired by Nature:

20 Dog Names Inspired by Food That Ends In Y, Ie, Or An ‘ee’ Sound

207 Actually Good Dog Names That End In Y, IE, [Ee Sound]

A-D

E – K

K – O

P – Z

I hope you can find the perfect dog name ending in Y or IE sounds for your dog! My favourite is Pixie. (editor note: Mine is Mickey! – shoot us an email at hello [at] oodlelife.com if you name your pup from this list or need advice from Bridie and Chris!)

If you are looking for other dog name inspiration check out the 53 Actually Good Star Wars inspired dog names – or gray dog name shortlist.

We also have a list of old man dog name (classy) and the 300+ best Maltipoo names, and 150+ Goldendoodle names.