Choosing A Kennel Name

edited February 2015 in Breeding
So I just registered my kennel domain and have been curious as to how everyone came up with their kennel's actual names. Is there a process or tradition for Japanese Kennel naming or can it be anything? If I remember correctly, the kennel name can no longer have "kennel" in the name for registering with Japanese organizations. Is that correct?

edit: My domain is not my kennel's name, it's HokkaidoKen.us

Comments

  • I remember @shishiinu said the usual NIPPO naming scheme was like... "[place] [name] sou".

    I have a stand-in name because I knew what characters I wanted to focus around, but I didn't know how to make it work with other characters and I didn't want to look STUPID, so I used "kishu" as my other characters because I thought it might be less of a risk to use.
  • aw, I want to choose a kennel name! I imagine this all the time and have several in my mind's back pocket- but I only have Matsu and one intact male dog doesn't get me the right to name anything.
  • @WrylyBrindle Jujers isn't intact?! I'd want a Juno pup whenever the time is right for another Kai :( Today is a sad day
  • edited February 2015
    Yes, [Place] [Name] (Sou/Kensha - optional) is traditional. For example I have or know dogs from Miyagi Kozaki Kensha, Miyagi Fujiwara, and Miyagi Ibukisou.

    If you don't live in a place with a Japanese name or have a Japanese surname, however, you end up having to get more creative. I chose Kaiju because my first import was named Gojira (Godzilla) and I decided to name the rest of my dogs after kaiju monsters to match. I wanted Kaiju Kensha for the alliteration, but AKIHO no longer allows Kensha in the kennel name and changed it to Kaijusou.

    My friend named his kennel after the town he grew up in, Daechi South Korea. The hanja for the town is 大峙 which is "Daiji" in Japanese. So his kennel is Daijisou.

    The "sou" is optional however. Another friend's kennel is simply Taiheiyo (Pacific Ocean) and another, Minami (south). I suggested Ouzora (big sky) for someone in Texas and Okuchi (outback) for someone in Australia.

    Of course all of these examples are for Japanese Akita kennels with AKIHO. I have seen a couple kennels in Europe that choose Japanese names but don't follow the pattern at all. Notably, they put the kennel name before the dog's name instead of after "Go". Sometime they use No, 's, or just let it stand alone. Examples: Kaiju No Hachi Go, Kaiju's Hachi Go, Kaiju Hachi Go.
  • A while back I asked about Suteishii Kennels to find out what it means. Apparently its just the Katakana for Stacy. I felt like a dummy for not reading it out loud and figuring it out myself. XD
  • @cezeig - nope, she is spayed. :( I wasn't taking a very long view at the time. I regret it, BUT.. that horse has left the barn. I hope someday when my dog count is lower to have the opportunity to add a compatible Kai girl. But as you all know, it both is and isn't that simple. No way is Jeff up for 5 adults - 1 of whom is on the cRaZy bus & 1 of whom is a senior and requires a higher chunk of budget allowance to maintain (Reilly costs 2x as much to keep as any other of my dogs, mostly due to supplements and medications)- and a litter of puppies. But life is long- and I can't see that far ahead...
  • Yep, nothing all that original about mine :)
  • This is something I had been wondering about recently, too. Not sure that I'd ever be in a position to have a kennel name, but I came up with one because it was fun. I don't know that it is any good or makes sense at all, but it sounded cool to me. lol
  • @WhoBitMe - This may have already been discussed elsewhere, but I am lazy this morning... Is Meitou intact?

    Also, what is the name that you came up with? :-D
  • The NIPPO naming convention differs from the KKA naming convention, and I think probably for the Hokkaido Preservation Society too. So keep that in mind, @cezieg.

    For our Kai I chose Yamabushi 山伏 Kensha 犬舎 (Yamabushi Kennel) because I wanted to give a nod to the spiritual significance of the area where the Kai Ken originated from. Also, since we live in the mountains, I felt it was a suitable name.

    For our Kishu/Tosa side project, I went with Hakuzan 白山 Kensha 犬舎 (Hakuzan Kennel), however I will register it as Hakuzan Sou with NIPPO (or maybe Beikoku Hakuzan Sou). Hakuzan is an alternative spelling to Shiroi Yama (白い山), which translates to "white mountain" or "castle mountain" ... I chose this name because we live on a snow covered mountain.
  • I suppose I should say the characters I DID actually want to use are "懐旧" (kaikyuu), which means something along the lines of "nostalgia" - but I always interpreted it like looking back on old things fondly.

    I liked it for the central theme of a kennel name because Nami, being sesame, is kind of a disappearing thing in the breed. Additionally, the sire to her litter is from a strong hunting line and background - something the breed is known for, but not terribly common anymore.

    I thought it would be a nod to history.

    Right now I'm using "紀州懐旧荘" (kishu kaikyuu sou).
  • edited February 2015
    @sunyata I don't know that is has specifically been brought up, but yes, Meitou is intact.

    [Edited to remove kennel name text]
  • Haha, @WhoBitMe - one of my pups from Nami's litter was Seidou, but "青銅", meaning "bronze". He's actually the one in my display picture.
  • So after thinking of different names with my Dad, we came up with a great kennel name for my kishus. We used the area where we live and went with a wolf themed name just cause it sounded cool. We used sagami 相模 from the name of the kanto area where our house is and roushya 狼室 which means the room of the wolves or wolf den. So the name comes out as sagami no roushya 相模の狼室. For the people thinking of names, think of name with meaning to you and your dogs. I would try to stay away from what a kanji means and try to make name out of it. It's always hard for non native Japanese to think of Japanese nippo names but if you need help with it feel free to let me know.
  • The translator in me cringes when I hear a lot of kennel/dog names that non-Japanese speakers have chosen. Pasting together words that do have meaning does not equal a cool kennel/dog name in Japanese.
    That being said, ask @shishiinu for help with names. I get so many requests for that, and half the people don't take my advice anyway lol.
  • Does the kennel name have to be in Japanese? I'd imagine that an English name would be less insulting than a butchered Japanese one.
  • I'm sure I am guilty of the dog name that sounds stupid in Japanese.
    Oh well! I'll just try to do better in the future by actually asking :)
  • For our Kishu/Tosa side project,
    For a moment I thought you had a side project of breeding Kishu and Tosa together... XD
  • Yeah, I figured I was on the wrong track and that I had done something stupid. Removed it so it won't make anyone cringe.
  • Or you can be like me and just make up a name! Then translate/try to match the sound to katakana, lol.

    My kennel namesake is Airreyalis (air-yah-les). Yet my Shikoku are registered as "dog's name beginning with the letter of litter" Areyarisu. UKC registration to also follow that format.

    Definitely decide on a name you will love and forever be happy with it! ♡
  • edited February 2015
    @ShikokuSpirit haha yeah I've been thinking that I'll actually be having to just come up with one. I've been turning names over in my head and, as I don't actually have a permanent residence (the nature of my current (contract welding) & future (pilot) career are both "go where the work is"). Chances are that I'll be moving at least twice in the next ten years, as airline work has employees changing cities when they transfer to a new "office".

    I've been thinking either "Wanderer's Spirit/Nomad Spirit" or "Clever Spirit" in the proper Japanese translation. Genko is a clever little trickster, so I figured it would be fitting. I asked @shishiinu for a hand to avoid giving @TheWalrus any extra cringe haha ;)
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