Famous Dog Names

Introduction

What do you know about dogs? How about the nature and some of the personality traits with which they have been blessed? If you know anything at all about canines, some of the stories that you hear which describe courage, loyalty, protectiveness and love should not surprise you. You can look through historical accounts of many wars, terrorist attacks (like 9/11 here in the U.S.), and a huge variety of dangerous and deadly circumstances in which loyal canines rescued their beloved human families or owners from certain death. And, let’s not forget the stories about canines, which are just as courageous, loyal and loving, who were rescued by tender hearted individuals, in many types of situations, whom were vitally important to changing the life of the rescuer as well as that of the rescued. Your new puppy could be dubbed with a moniker which brings honor and recognition to these canine heroes.

Famous Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Dog with a Famous Dog Name

Smoky

You may think that fluffy little lap-warmer (who’s likely sitting there right now) isn’t much use except to fill that space, but the story about Smoky, a Yorkshire Terrier who was found in a foxhole during World War II will certainly melt your heart and usher in a renewed belief in the power of canine love and loyalty. You see, during WW II, a soldier found her in a foxhole in New Guinea in 1944. She was the delight of all of the men in his unit, bringing not only smiles and laughter as she performed the tricks her owner taught her, but she also brought a bit of “home” to those lonely and homesick men. Her value became more than abstract when, the group being moved to the Philippines, it became necessary to run a new telegraph wire under an existing airfield runway. Because they needed to get the job done quickly, without undue hazard to the fighting unit while the work was being done, they realized digging under the airstrip was not the best option. They devised a plan to utilize Smoky to crawl through an existing 70 foot pipe which ran under the airstrip, dragging the telephone wire with her. The pipe was small and, in some places, had partially filled with dirt, further restricting the size of the pipe...but small rays of daylight could be seen through it. Smoky crawled, scratched and scraped her way through the pipe, bringing the valuable wire with her, making it possible to reinstate communications for the unit. She later was taken to various military hospitals in the areas of her owner’s deployments where she was utilized for therapy purposes for wounded soldiers. She brought smiles and hope to those injured, lonely and homesick fighting men.

Or, how about Shana? She was half wolf and half German Shepherd who is credited with saving an elderly couple after becoming trapped by a vicious snowstorm. She found them trapped by the snow and began to dig a tunnel through which she was able to pull them to safety.

Or how about Hachiko? He’s an Akita who lived in Japan with his owner. He went to the train station and waited for his owner to return home from work every day. He was 18 months old when his owner died of a cerebral hemorrhage but he continued to go to the train station every day, awaiting the return of his beloved master. He was found dead on a street in 1935, 9 years after the death of his master.

If you take the time to browse through some of the historical information about dogs down through the ages, in wartime, in the literary field, movie and TV industry and even the social media sites, it won’t take long before you’re reaching for a tissue to catch those tears of joy or sadness as you read their stories. You will see bravery, love, loyalty, mischief, abuse and rescue as you acquaint yourself with these “heroes” of our hearts. I found stories about Chihuahuas and I found stories about Great Danes, Saint Bernards and Mastiffs and all dog breeds, crosses and sizes between. Their breed, size, color, or pedigree really doesn’t matter; their hearts are what matters. Dogs can show unconditional love which is something we all need. So, don’t be afraid to name your Toy Poodle Brutus if you feel it fits his brave heart or your Irish Wolfhound Tinkerbell if she is bright and active - don’t be bound by any “rules” for that very important name for your precious pup!

Male Famous Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
7	Air Bud A series of movies of the same name featuring a Golden Retriever who can play various sports
7	Fifty The two legged Pit Bull who was shot in both of his right legs, requiring amputation, and now promotes respectful and dignified treatment of Pit Bulls
7	Shadow Part of a trio of animals in the movie Homeward Bound series
5	Appollo One of a number of canine rescue dogs who helped search and rescue survivors from the World Trade Center on 9-11-01
5	Benji Mixed breed dog best known for his roles in Benji and Petticoat Junction
5	Brian Griffin A fictional dog found in the animated TV series The Family Guy
5	Mops The royal dog of Marie Antoinette
5	Sinbad The United States Coast Guard mascot, 1930’s through 1940’s
4	Barry Rescue dog of the Swiss, a Saint Bernard who saved about 40 people in the Alps, especially a child, found lost in the snow
4	Napoleon A little fictional dog in Sydney, Australia who dreams of becoming a wild dog, going far away
4	Rover The first canine movie star, playing the starring role of the 1905 silent movie Rescued by Rover
3	Balto A Siberian Husky who was the last leg in a dog sled race to get diphtheria antitoxin to infected children in Nome, Alaska
3	Lentil A French Bulldog who was born with a cleft palate, now serving as a therapy dog for kids afflicted with cleft palates
3	Lex The United States Marine Corps mascot from 1999 to 2015 when he was retired
3	Nipper A dog originally found in an English painting His Master’s Voice, also known as the RCA dog
3	Wishbone An educational TV series of the same name, Wishbone being a dog who imagines himself as many famous and historical characters
3	Yogi A Golden Retriever who saved his master in a biking accident which paralyzed his master
2	Bingo The “Cracker Jack” dog seen on the box with Sailor Jack, both introduced as mascots for the product in 1918
2	Hooch A French Mastiff who survived abuse and drugs to change lives of prisoners, elderly and autistic children
2	Laika he first dog in space, being aboard Sputnik 5 when it launched in 1957
2	Odie A fictional dog who appears in the Garfield comic strip, full of playful antics
2	Spike The main antagonist in the cartoon series Tom and Jerry
0	Capitan A German Shepherd who hasn’t left the side of his beloved master since he died -- visiting his gravesite daily since 2006
0	Hamilton Pug A twitter star who tells his own story of rags to riches in Ohio to New York City
0	Hot Dog Jughead’s dog from the Archie comic series
-1	Charlie B. Barkin A German Shepherd mix who is the main protagonist in the movie All Dogs Go to Heaven
-2	Chance A member of a trio of animals in the movie Homeward Bound series
-2	Rin Tin Tin Rescued during WW I, appearing in TV series of same name, promoted military use of dogs in WW II
-3	Argos The beloved dog of Odysseus as told in the fictional writing Odyssey
-3	Brutus Popeye, the sailor man's nemesis

Female Famous Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
8	Millie English Springer Spaniel belonging to President George H.W. Bush and wife, Barbara
7	Katrina A black Labrador who saved a man from drowning during the flooding after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans
7	Sadie Trippawd Black Labrador who detected an explosive device outside the U.N. Headquarters in Kabul in November, 2005
6	Belle A Beagle who made a cellphone call to save owner’s life by using her mouth to “bite dial” 911 to get help for diabetic owner who had collapsed
6	Che A 80-pound Chow and Golden Retriever mix who is credited with saving the life of her owner by laying on top of her owner during a house fire
6	Eve A Rottweiler who pulled her paralyzed, paraplegic owner from a burning truck
6	Shelby Winner of the 45th Skippy Dog Hero Award for saving 2 adults and 2 children from carbon monoxide poisoning
6	Smoky A Yorkshire Terrier who was a war dog, serving in WW II, provided therapy and encouragement to wounded soldiers by going to Veteran’s hospitals until her death in 1957
5	Marnie Of Instagram fame, a 16 year old Shih Tzu rescue dog from Connecticut with more than 2 million followers
4	Blue Protagonist of the Blue’s Clues TV series
4	Maya An adopted Pitbull who saved her owner from a vicious male attacker and potential sexual assault
4	Patty A yellow Labrador Retriever who saved her owner from drowning in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic in 2001
3	Ginny A Jack Russell Terrier, of Instagram fame, who lives in the U.K. who has over 300,000 followers; she is credited with saving the lives of over 900 cats
3	Nellie A black Labrador Retriever who saved her owner, who was deaf, from an intruder
3	Susie She’s an older adopted dog who promotes awareness for adoptable senior dogs
2	Sallie A brindle Staffordshire or Pitbull Terrier who served as regiment mascot for 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War
2	Verdell The “real” star of the movie As Good as it Gets with Jack Nicholson
1	Honey An English Cocker Spaniel puppy, who at the age of 5 months, saved her owner’s life after a serious car crash by going for help, operating purely on instinct
1	Lady One of the 12 confirmed dogs on the Titanic (many more were likely in the cargo hold), but only 3 surviving
1	Maddie A rescued Coonhound who travels with her owner to promote how rescue dogs can change a life
1	Pal Though a male dog, he played the role of Lassie in the TV series of the same name, with many subsequent “Lassies” being his descendant
0	Denver You Tube video of Denver stealing and eating kitty treats has received over 400,000 likes since its release in 2011
0	Mishka The talking Husky who is seen on a YouTube video seemingly repeating “I love you”, has over 4 million views and over 600,000 subscribers
-1	Shana A half wolf/half German Shepherd mix who saved the lives of an elderly couple from death in a treacherous snow storm
-1	Strelka One of two of the first dogs in space to return alive, in Sputnik 5 in 1960
-1	Zoey A Chihuahua in Colorado who took rattlesnake bites to save a one-year-old boy’s life
-3	Blondie Adolph Hitler’s favorite dog, a German Shepherd
-3	Misa Minnie Yorkshire Terrier rescue dog who won the Modern Dog Star Dog Contest and is a fund raiser for rescue dogs
-3	Roselle A 9/11 heroine, she lead her blind owner down 78 flights of steps to safety just before Tower 1 collapsed after the attack of the World Trade Center on 9-11-01
-3	Toto Female Cairn Terrier of Wizard of Oz Fame