Sometimes it seems like the names for my pets almost choose themselves, and other times, it takes me a while before the name I like comes to mind.
When Chipper was a puppy, he was so tiny, and he reminded me of a little chipmunk wandering around on the floor. So, I named him "Chipmunk", and of course, it was not long before that got shortened down to "Chipper", and that is what he has been called for all of his life since then. The fact that he is also a chipper little dog, makes the name fit even better.
I had a little Poodle, his coloring was predominantly a grayish color, but with dark charcoal shades mixed in on his ears, and the tops of his ears were kind of highlighted with an apricot color. He was unusually beautiful to look at, and the mix of colors reminded me of the embers and ashes of a campfire burning out. So, I named him Ashley.
It suited him perfectly.