Every puppy deserves to have its name registered in purebred dog history.

What do Cocoa Puff, Snickerdoodle, George W. Bush, Splash's Surfer Girl, Taco Bell Baby, Shaquille O'Neil and Brittney Spears have in common?

They all like to wag their tails. They bark. They have four legs. And they're just a few of the names people have chosen for their purebred dogs when they've registered them with the American Kennel Club.

Yep. They're somebody's best friend — of the canine species — dogs!

When you register your purebred dog with the AKC, you give your dog — and yourself — the chance to participate in exciting events such as agility, obedience, retrieving trials and dog shows. You also choose a name for your dog that will give your best friend a permanent place in purebred dog history!

Every time someone registers their dog with the AKC, its name becomes part of a gigantic registry, or list of purebred dogs. The registry is more than 100 years old and contains the names of millions of other purebred dogs.

It takes a lot of thought to come up with the right name for your best friend.

Like a family tree, the registry allows the AKC to trace the exact ancestry (called a pedigree) of every registered purebred dog. The registry guarantees when you buy any purebred dog that is eligible to be registered with the AKC, the dog is indeed purely bred. For example, when you choose a Poodle, you get a real Poodle. Its parents were Poodles, its parents' parents were Poodles, and their parents were Poodles. The same goes for more than 150 AKC breeds from the tiny Chihuahua to the huge Great Dane.

"Once a dog has been registered with the AKC, its name can never be changed," said Delores Alonso, the assistant vice-president of AKC Registration.

For many, the name they write on the AKC registration form is an important choice.

Years ago, in the 1960s a man named Lyndon B. Johnson was President of the United States. His wife was Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson.

While Johnson was serving as President, a new dog owner submitted an AKC registration application requesting the name, "Lady Bird Johnson" for her purebred dog. At the time, the AKC's registration rules didn't allow anyone to name their dog after famous people. So the AKC sent the registration form back to the owner and explained she needed to choose a different name.

The owner was so set on naming her dog after the First Lady that she wrote a letter to the President's wife, explained the situation and requested permission to name her dog "Lady Bird Johnson." The First Lady wrote back telling her she would be honored to have the dog named after her! The dog owner forwarded the letter from the White House to the AKC, and the AKC changed its rule. Today, people still name their dogs after famous politicians, actors, actresses, musicians and sports stars without having to get the stars' permission.

Puppies learn their names at an early age.

Serious dog breeders often use their dog's name to identify their dogs as coming from the lines, or generations, of dogs they have worked hard to breed and perfect.

Jean Hetherington, a renowned Bulldog breeder took one look at her chunky Bulldog puppy and knew his name would be "Frigate."

"He was so sturdy, he looked like a battleship," Hetherington said.

But "Frigate" is only the dog's "call name," or the name folks use for him on a daily, casual basis. His formal, official AKC-registered name is quite distinguished: Ch. Hetherbull Bounty's Frigate.

What's in the name? In Frigate's case, his name indicates his history and the fact that he's a successful show dog.

First, the "Ch." is short for "Champion," a title added to Frigate's official name after he competed in dog shows and earned enough wins and points to be honored as an AKC champion.

Can you guess what Hetherbull stands for? Here's a hint: Look at Jean's last name and look at what breed Frigate is.

Jean's last name is Hetherington. She took "Hether," part of her last name, combined it with "Bull" part of the Bulldog breed's name and came up with "Hetherbull."

Jean has been breeding (or raising litters of puppies) for 40 years. She has used "Hetherbull" as part of the AKC-registered name of every Bulldog puppy she's owned or raised. Jean refers to "Hetherbull" as her "kennel name."

Breeders often identify dogs from their stock by carefully choosing their names.

"We use the Hetherbull prefix on all our Bulldogs. It's the kennel name we use to identify our dogs," Hetherington said. "We've also used Hetherpom (for their Pomeranians), Hetherchow (for their Chow Chows) and Hetherdale, for their Airedale Terriers."

And how does "Bounty" fit in to Ch. Hetherbull Bounty's Frigate? That's a name Jean threw in to honor a close friend.

"Bounty was a friend of mine who helped when the litter was born," Hetherington explained.

When people choose an AKC-registered name, they often use the opportunity as a chance to show their creativity and sense of humor. If a breeder is naming a litter of puppies, he may pick a theme, such as ice cream and include the names of his favorite flavors that reflect the colors of the dogs' coats. Or, he may pick a movie and name the pups after actors, actresses or characters from the movie.

So, when you register your dog with the AKC and choose his name, remember, give it some thought and have fun!