Man applauded for refusing to change his dog’s name after neighbour asks him

‘You are not obligated to rename your dog,’ one person writes in defence

Dog names often vary between those that are very obviously names for pets and those that could be human names too.

In a recent Reddit post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” subreddit, one man explained that his neighbour’s daughter has the exact same name as his dog, so he was asked by the neighbour to change his dog’s name.

The owner wrote that his dog’s name was Charlotte and, after living at his current home for over a year, he still continues the same routine with her when she has to go to the bathroom. He lets her out into the backyard, and she won’t come back in until he calls her name.

Recalling a recent instance of calling Charlotte he wrote: “I stuck my head out and called her name, but this time, alongside the familiar sounds of my dog galloping up the porch steps, was an adult human voice shouting something along the lines of ‘WHY ARE YOU CALLING MY DAUGHTER??’ At first I thought it might just be my new neighbours getting into a spat, until a couple minutes later I heard pounding on my front door.”

The Reddit poster claimed a man began screaming at him and questioning why he was calling his two-year-old daughter. In response, the OP [original poster] explained that Charlotte was also his dog’s name. “He rolled his eyes at me and said I ‘better’ change my dog’s name because he doesn’t want his daughter getting confused and running into my house,” the man wrote.

“I told him that’s not going to happen because not only did my dog have the name first, we also lived here first, plus I don’t like strangers making demands of me before even attempting to be polite. What I DIDN’T say but really wanted to say is that teaching his child stranger danger is his responsibility, not mine,” the Reddit post continued.

According to the man, his neighbour claimed that he had to be the one to change his dog’s name because “a human child obviously has priority over a dog for a name”. The dog’s owner then questioned whether or not he was in the wrong for not listening to the neighbour’s demand.

AITA for not changing my dog's name when my new neighbor's child had the same name?
byu/Fatal_Foxtrot inAmItheAsshole

Many people took to the comments to defend him. “You are not obligated to rename your dog. Continue with your usual routine. If their daughter were to come over, you just don’t answer the door or you simply tell her to go back home,” one comment began. “You can get a restraining order or file a report if that neighbour harasses/threatens you.”

Another commenter agreed, writing: “This person just sounds like the most entitled moron.

“Regardless of who lived there first or who had the name first, to demand someone change their dog’s name (a name they would already have learned and be familiar with) is both ridiculous and so disrespectful.”

The comment continued by issuing a warning to the original poster about the situation possibly escalating. “Make sure to keep a close eye on your dog but also your neighbour. It sounds far-fetched, but, if he’s wild enough to knock on a total stranger’s door and start an argument then he’s likely crazy enough to do all kinds of things,” they wrote.