From Abraham Lincoln’s dog Fido to Eric Knight’s Lassie, a name can be a defining moment for man’s best friend. As part of this year’s Christmas Appeal, we want your help to name two of Canine Partners’ puppies.
One of the chosen charities this year, Canine Partners trains assistance dogs to help perform specialist tasks so their owners can live more independent lives. These valued service animals begin their training early in life, but first they need the perfect name. Canine Partners are expecting several brand new black and yellow labradors and golden retrievers to make an appearance over the Christmas season and we’re inviting you to name two of them.
Ronnie Paskouis, puppy training manager at the charity, has some advice for what makes a good puppy name: “A good name for an assistance dog is short, clear, and full of character – it needs to be something dogs can recognise and be easy for people to pronounce. It should sound distinct, ideally with two syllables, and we try to avoid names that sound like our commands. We like to use playful names that capture the unique spirit of our puppies in training and match their personality.”
The readers whose suggested names are considered the best fit will be selected by Ronnie.
Two winners will have their suggested names used and will receive a cuddly puppy toy, optional regular updates as the dog they named progresses through training, and a Telegraph goodie bag.
The competition opens on Sunday 2 November at 1pm and will close on Tuesday 2 December at 1pm. The winners will be announced once the puppies have been born and named. You can enter the competition by filling in the form below and read the terms and conditions here.
Canine Partners is one of four charities supported by this year’s Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal. The others are Prostate Cancer Research, Motor Neurone Disease Association and The Not Forgotten. To make a donation, please visit telegraph.co.uk/appeal2025 or call 0151 317 5247.