[XTeacher]

Congrats on your new pup - he's adorable! As far as his name goes, I foster small dogs for a local rescue - some owner surrenders, some strays. Names are given/changed frequently, no matter the age of the dog. Dogs adjust easily. I'd leave your pup's AKC name alone and just call him the name you like as his kennel name (the name you plan on calling him). When I was younger, we did the same thing with horses. They may have had a registered name used for show purposes, but most had a stable name that they were called on a daily basis.