Move Over, Rover: What to Name Your New Pup When the Ordinary Just Won't Do

by Kyra Kirkwood

Naming your dog is as important as bringing home the puppy in the first place. Move Over, Rover is the must-have guide that will help any dog owner choose the best–the only–name befitting of your dog’s particular breed and special individuality.

The key to finding the perfect name for your pooch is knowing its temperament. Take the Puppy Personality Test and learn if your rottweiler is a Couch Potato, Pretty Boy, or Cheerleader before perusing the nearly one thousand names and their meanings compiled in this book. More than a list of great names, Move Over, Rover has features on Hollywood hounds and how to draw inspiration from dogs of TV and film. There are also lists of presidential dog names, blast-from-the-past dog names, and literary dog names, as well as lots of other doggie-relevant information on everything from taking great puppy pictures to recipes for healthful puppy treats. Move Over, Rover is the indispensable guide for finding the perfect name for your pooch.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2009

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had already decided what to name our new puppy when I came across this book at the library but I couldn't resist checking it out. It starts with a quick personality quiz for your dog and the bulk of it is lists of name suggestions corresponding to that personality. There are also a variety of sidebars, in two main types. The first deal with tips for new dog owners such as grooming tips and how to take better pet photos. The second type of sidebars contain even more name suggestion lists such as names of dogs from cartoons or books. For me, it was fun just to read through the lists and think about names for pets someday in the future... or maybe even animal companions in a Dungeons and Dragons game.

[BAYA Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This light book attempts to take puppy naming to another level suggesting readers pick puppy names to match the dog’s personality. Is she a diva, a couch potato, or a jock? Find out by taking a quiz at the beginning of the book. Then find a name in corresponding chapter. In between name lists, read advice on how to care for your new dog, take cute pictures and bake homemade treats. Teens used to taking personality quizzes in magazines will find this format humorous. However, suggested names are sometimes unoriginal, like “Carol” for a hard-working pup. Nevertheless, the concept is cute and would most likely appeal to dog lovers.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Includes a list of names of famous people's dogs that confirms much of what you already knew: Paltrow = pretentious (dog name: Holden); Jake Gyllenhall and Sheryl Crow = secretly dating (Crow has a dog named Scout, Jake's dogs are Atticus and Boo); Renee Zellweger = most boring person on earth (dogs named Dylan and Woof).