Importance of a Dog's Name

Nice article!

Yup. Made me think I might have to change Spike's name. He's been such a hard dog to handle I don't have the same name response from him than I do from the others.
He's gotten so much better over the last few months maybe it'll help even more. I can give each of his sides a name. Spike = his devil side and ? = his sweet side.

I don't think it matters what we call our dogs as long as they respond positively.

Could you not re-condition him to Spike?

I use my dogs names as a signal for them, I'm speaking to just you!.... you come, you stop, you can go...etc. if I speak to both it's....puppies, come, drop, stop... I know trainers say, never use their name with a negative but.... when there's more than one dog they need to differentiate as to who you are calling or commanding.

Eg. If Jess is mucking up & I just say.... stop it! Tyson gets disturbed that I've told him off for something he hasn't done. But if I say, Jess, stop it! He dosent care as he knows I'm speaking to her.

Caryll wrote:I don't think it matters what we call our dogs as long as they respond positively.

Could you not re-condition him to Spike?

I've been trying but TBH Spike will always just be how he is. He's been conditioned to certain behaviours from the moment of being born. He's always been very skittish and the coprophagia is a survival instinct. He was so severely neglected I can't help but think the only way the pup(s?) survived is by recycling anything available to him(them).
He's a good dog most of the time.