Sports Inspired Dog Names

With the gift of athleticism that is innate in almost every breed of dog, it is no wonder that many adorable pups have sporty names or have played roles depicting athletic characters. Out of the numerous dogs in modern pop culture who were named after sports, there is none more popular than veteran canine actor Soccer the Dog.

Born in May 17, 1988, Soccer, a Los-Angeles based Jack Russell Terrier who was named after the sport of the same name, has enjoyed fame at an early age. During his starting years in the show business, he has been featured in a variety of television commercials for big companies such as Mighty Dog Dog Food and Nike Athletics. Deciding to take things to the next level, his trainer, Jackie Martin Kaptan, brought Soccer to an audition for a starring role in a canine-centered television series. Eventually, Soccer landed the role for a talking dog named Wishbone, beating out over a hundred other canine actors who went to audition for the same role.   

The PBS television series, entitled Wishbone, aired from 1995 to 1998, with Soccer playing the role of the titular character. The character Wishbone lived in the fictional Oakdale with his owner, named Jack Talbot. The show’s premise revolves around Wishbone and his daydreams of portraying the lead characters in a variety of classic literary stories. During these “daydreams”, Wishbone is not seen as a dog but as whichever character he chooses to play for that episode. In the show, only the other characters in his daydreams and the audience are able to hear Wishbone speak.

The show became a major success for PBS and was critically praised for its imaginative retelling of classics. Throughout its entire run, Wishbone received numerous awards, including a Peabody Award, Television Critics Association honors and four Daytime Emmy Awards. Apart from the awards, the show also paved the way for several book series adaptations that were published way after the show’s run has ended.

The success of Wishbone was a huge milestone for Soccer’s acting career and helped establish him as a bonafide canine superstar. He appeared in almost every single episode of the television series, although other Jack Russells were available as back up in case Soccer could not make it. After Wishbone ended in 1998, Soccer “retired” with Kaptan on a ranch located in Plano, Texas, the same ranch where most of the Wishbone episodes were shot. When Soccer passed away in 2001, he was buried in the ranch. Thanks to his role in the iconic show, Soccer is considered to be one of the most renowned and cherished canine television characters of the 90s.