The key is repetition, repetition, and more repetition. Use your dog’s name frequently and whenever you’re playing with, feeding or grooming him. Avoid using it in stressful situations, or when he has any kind of “puppy accident.” You want him to have a strong, positive connection with his name. If he grows up fearing he’s done something wrong when he hears his name, you may have trouble getting him to come to you when you need him to, as when he’s running freely in the park or at the dog beach.

Sources of Inspiration for Pet Names

• Pet names should reflect your lifestyle, your pet’s personality or your expectations for him or her. Explore your interests. Favorite television shows, movies, plays, actors and characters are fertile areas for ideas. For example, “Cujo” became hugely popular after the Steven King novel and subsequent movie.
• For art lovers, potential puppy names include Frida or Kahlo for a female, Van Gogh or Picasso for a male.
• Surfers may end up with a Halfpipe or Point Break (inevitably shortened to Pointer).
• Computer whizzes may call their dog Linux, ASCII or Qwerty.
• Sci-Fi enthusiasts might consider Yoda, ET or Vincent. And you can bet a slew of Lord of the Rings dog and puppy names are popping up across the whole of the shire.
• Fans of space exploration might have a Sputnik or a Hubble.
• Colors are a big factor as well. You can find a lot interesting names for black dogs or names for white dogs.
• Are you a geography buff? Consider favorite countries or cities as your source of inspiration: Kenya, Bermuda, Sicily, Cairo, Milano or Victoria, for instance.
• Orthopedic surgeons might look to their career for inspiration and have a Radius, Scapula or Tarsus.
• For gourmets, Couscous, Chutney and Salsa are on the menu.
• One of the most relied upon sources for puppy names are favorite musical bands and singers of today and yesteryear: Ol’ Blue Eyes, Elvis, Ringo and Dylan dot the charts of popular dog monikers.
• Cartoons are an excellent source of pet names: animated cartoon characters like Scooby Doo and Casper (for white pets), and Dilbert and Dogbert.
• And don’t forget Super Heroes! Having a Captain America or Batman around as a security watch-pet wouldn’t be a bad thing, would it?

Matching Names

If you have a multi-pet household consider this:

• For a pair try Bert and Ernie, Fred and Ginger (or Wilma), Cayenne and Pepper or Teeter and Totter.
• For a trio, try Peanut, Butter and Jelly; Duchess, Princess and King; or Daisy, Lily and Petunia.

Guinea pigs need a large amount of fiber in their diet as their digestive systems are unable to function without it. Hay makes up 85 per cent of a guinea pig’s diet and should be absolutely everywhere. Look to buy hay that is green: green hay is generally good hay as it should be reasonably fresh and full of nutrients

Spread hay all around your guinea pigs environment, place it in paper bags, plant pots and on top of furniture – you even use it as your guinea pig’s bedding. This saves buying a different product for bedding and is less likely to cause skin irritations in your guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are grazing animals and should have access to grass to graze in their run at all times. They will also need other fresh greens including parsley, grass, dandelion leaves, kale and vegetables – remember to keep the greens and vegetables varied to avoid boredom. If you are not sure you can learn what guinea pigs eat online from animal portals.

Blackberry leaves, raspberry leaves and even rose heads are also popular. Remember to wash all greenery and vegetables before feeding, and introduce new foods slowly to avoid dietary upsets.

How often should I feed my guinea pig?

As a foraging animal a guinea pig will need feeding twice daily, in the morning and again in the evening. You can hide some of the vegetables you are feeding among your guinea pig’s hay to encourage foraging and provide your guinea pig with entertainment.

When re-filling the feed bowls, remove all the uneaten food, clean out the dish and replace with fresh food. Ensure you remove any uneaten vegetables and greens too, to ensure that the food on offer remains fresh and does not rot in the hutch. Use a heavy-bottomed bowl for feeding as these are less likely to be knocked over.