i say leave it the way it is... i hear "******" and "Cracker" every single day where i live - and never once have i heard it used in the derogatory sense.
strange culture we live in.
you can call your friends the "N word" all day long, every day, 365 days a year then ONE day its going to cause a stir with someone.
however, since the society we live in will utter the phrase daily, however - shun its use on screen - you might as well just name the dog "Niggs" or "Nick" or "Digger"
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