Dog Names that Start with Oy

Throughout history, dogs have provided many beneficial services for humans. They have provided protection for our property and ourselves, provided sustenance by helping improve our ability to hunt, and most importantly they have provided us with a source of unconditional love and companionship. While the spotlight dog isn’t technically a dog, in the world of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series Oy, a Billy-Bumbler provides the same sort of love and protection for Jake Chambers, the son of the last gunslinger Roland Deschain. Billy-Bumblers are described in the third book, The Waste Lands, as a combination of raccoon and woodchuck, with a little Dachshund thrown in, and depicted by the author in the forward of the fourth Dark Tower book, Wizard and Glass, as looking like a combination of badger, raccoon, and dog. Oy is a black and grey striped animal, with gold-ringed eyes that are unusually bright and intelligent, a long, graceful neck and a furry, corkscrew-like a tail. Jake first encountered when the group he was with stopped to camp along the road to Lud.

Oy, like most dogs, is extremely loyal to his chosen human, Jake; unlike dogs in the real world, however, Oy has a rudimentary speaking ability. In fact, the Billy-Bumbler gave himself the name Oy in response to one of the first things that Jake says to him, “Come on, Boy.” While Billy-Bumblers are considered to be fairly intelligent creatures, the characters in the story remark on Oy’s exceptional intelligence, referring to him as the smartest bumbler that they have ever encountered. Through his interactions with Jake and his group, Oy develops stronger emotions than most Billy-Bumblers and seems to develop a sense of humanity. Oy develops a strong bond with Jake, who he calls ‘Ake, providing a much-needed sense of lightheartedness to Jake’s serious and harsh quest. Their bond that eventually leads to the two being able to communicate telepathically and even the ability to switch bodies with one another.

He stays by Jake’s side, and even when Jake is dying, he provides comfort by licking the blood off of his face. After Jake’s death, Oy stays with Jake’s father, Roland, and becomes part of his ka-tet, transferring his loyalty to the gunslinger. As Roland’s companion, Oy proves his dedication again by confronting Mordred, who comes in the middle of the night with the intent to kill Roland, losing his own life in the process.