CC- I've got an opinion about doggie names. I read somewhere in a dog training book (a google might help here but I'm late to get dressed for a bike commute) that the best dog names are two syllables and end in a vowel. Why? Because "Slate" and "Duke" sound too much like single-syllable commands: sit, stay, down.

Apparently, dogs can remember their name better if it is much different than the command.

That being said, my little Mojo is so smart, he opens his eyes from snoozing on the couch when you call him "boy," "dog," "bud," or just spell out his name.

And my other pup, Java, potty-trained really quickly when we hung a small cowbell on the door. When the door opens, the bell rings. Quickly she learned that when she wanted to go potty, she just rang the bell.

Good luck!