26-year-old plans to name her future daughter after her grandma; after learning about it, her SIL adopts a dog and names her in that exact name

Author image for Ayala Sorotsky
Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor
Nov 24, 2025 11:00 AM EST

We're not here to hand out medals in the Family Drama Olympics - we'll leave that to the experts on group chats and holiday dinners. But dogs? Dogs we understand. Dogs are pure, goofy, emotional-support potatoes who just want treats, naps, and whoever's willing to throw the squeaky toy for the fiftieth time. They are blissfully unaware of baby name lists, family heirloom traditions, or which sibling said what to whom in 2019. They just show up with love. Simple. Clean. Drama-free.

Which is why it always feels a bit… icky when a doggo ends up caught in the grey zone of a petty family feud. We're obviously thrilled for every dog who gets adopted - there is no scenario where "new dog gets loving home" isn't a net win for the universe. But it's harder to feel unfiltered joy when the adoption seems engineered not out of love but out of rivalry. No dog deserves to be weaponized in a family feud. Naming your pet should be a moment of excitement and bonding - not a tactical move in a fight with other family members. Dogs are not pawns, even if they do knock over the actual chess pieces.

And honestly? The whole thing just reeks of bad faith. Maybe some selective memory, maybe some strategic denial - who knows. But at the end of the day, our hope is simple: that the dog is adored, cherished, and treated with the unconditional affection they give so freely. Even if their human might need a little help learning the difference between "pet name" and "petty move".

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  • 01
    Hi, first time posting to reddit but figured I'd give it a try after watching so many Kall me Kris videos about reddit.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 02
    I (26F) and my husband(26M) had been planning baby names for quite some time. Although we are not expecting any time soon.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 03
    My husband was on the phone with his sister when she asked what baby names we had picked out.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 04
    He asked me for permission to share and I thought it would be fine. It was not.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 05
    A week later my sister in law got a dog and named it after our daughter.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 06
    little Pomeranian dog in a lighty setting, looking cute and smiling with his tongue out
    via Pattarawat

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    Normally I wouldn't be super upset, however the name we picked out was a family name.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 08
    We were planning on naming our daughter after my grandma who is not doing well. So not only did she take the name but now I have to hear them reprimanding the dog every holiday with the name that I held dear to my heart.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 09
    We did attempt to have her change the name the day she got the dog but she said no.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 10
    She also said she "doesn't remember" us telling her our baby name and claimed the dog was named after a popular actress.
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 11
    two women in a feud, one woman trying to talk to the other and reaching her hand out, the other turns her back on her and waves her hand dismissively
    via jmartinstock

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 12
    Am I overreacting or am I validated for feeling upset?
    via Fit_Industry94
  • 13
    MortgageOld8824 Match her energy. Get a dog and named it after your SIL.
    via MortgageOld8824

  • Well… that's certainly one solution of many that exist… But, yes, we're not surprised someone mentioned it. Read on to see the rest of the opinions and suggested solutions - humorous or not. See if you can find your opinion represented within them.

  • 14
    poofypanda_ I mean.. I would be weirded out by that tbh. If it's a name that I would want for my future kid and my sil named her dog after said name I would be upset to can't lie.
    via poofypanda_
  • 15
    JustJesseA Yeahhhhh this is silly if you're not expecting. Just because you like a name doesn't mean everyone is barred from using it. You don't even know if you will ever have a daughter...
    via JustJesseA
  • 16
    Ahrjun NOR if you know for sure she did choose that name for dog knowing it's what you picked out for your baby. This depends on chain of events.
    via Ahrjun
  • 17
    She learns about what name you both have picked for your kid. Within a week, she has a dog and decides to name her what you picked. Then she tells you that she does not remember ever hearing that name before. It's hard to believe she forgot what her brother wanted to name the kid within a week.
    via Ahrjun
  • 18
    I'd be upset too because it does come off like she did that intentionally. But also, why would she? Is there a chance she genuinely did not recall that name and did name the dog after a popular actress?
    via Ahrjun
  • 19
    Yes, you don't own a name but also how many of us are going to learn from our sibling what name they have picked out for their kid and then decide to give that same name to the pet we adopted a week later?
    via Ahrjun
  • 20
    JHsquared I wouldn't be stoked about it but it's not like she stole the name for her own kid. Even then, if the name is important to you then it's fine for two people (or in this case, a person and a dog) to simply have the same name.
    via JHsquared
  • 21
    Also since you mentioned you won't be expecting anytime soon, not only is it a bit unreasonable but also could very well turn out to be irrelevant. Depending on the dog breed/size/current age, by the time you do have a daughter (keep in mind it's possible that you may have one, two, three+ sons before ever having a daughter, if you do) the dog could honestly pass on by that point anyway.
    via JHsquared
  • 22
    Buhos_En_Pantelones "Named it after our daughter" You don't have a daughter. God I hope this is fake...
    via Buhos_En_Pantelones
  • 23
    Holiday_Trainer_2657 YOR If you ever have a daughter, and if you still want to use the name, just use it.
    via Holiday_Trainer_2657
  • 24
    bad2behere Borrow or buy a snake or tarantula and name it after your SIL. Or start calling SIL Fido.
    via bad2behere
  • 25
    Competitive Height_9 Yes you are. You don't own the name, they can call their dog whatever they want.
    via Competitive_Height_9
  • 26
    Beautiful_Hall_6397 Yes you are overreacting. The end
    via Beautiful_Hall_6397

  • Is it really “the end”? We're not sure. Yes, these last comments do support anyone naming their dog however they like - which is something we generally support as well - but is this specific case relevant for this? We're not sure this end is really “the end”, as this comment concludes.

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Tags

ask reddit feud family drama dogs baby names dog names drama pets sister-in-law reddit story family feud aio sister in law names pet family reddit thread Reddit name
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