It isn’t every day that a new and wonderful life form enters your life. Bringing a puppy, or a grown dog can be an emotional process. When adopting, this process can be long and drawn out, with months in between to think of the name of your chosen adoptee, if they don’t already have a name. If you are bringing home a puppy that is young and needs to be named, it can become taxing and frustrating as well!
Choosing a name for your dog is very important because this is the name they will be expected to respond to and identify with. Dogs can also be picky about names, only responding to the ones that sound good to them! Allow us to come to the rescue and make this process easier on you as well as your best friend.
How to Go About Choosing a Name
Choosing a suitable name for your dog is dependent on a few factors. You must be aware of your dog’s personality, his physical traits and all the things that make him unique and one of a kind. The name should also be appropriate for the dog, or if named in a jovial fashion, be a good pun. Once you have chosen what to name your pupper, here are a few steps you can follow to see which one sticks!
- Get your puppy in a good or playful mood before attempting this exercise. Typically try this after meal times or at play time.
- Do not offer treats to him while undertaking the exercise. The treats will attract him to you, and will not give effect to the name calling.
- Pick the names you plan to call him, and attempt to call his attention to yourself by standing a distance away.
- Only use one name at a time and give him some rest between names.
- See which name he responds to the most, and shortlist from here!
As far as suggestions for names go, here are some to help kick start your imagination. You can pick a name from this list, or pick a derivative! Most of all, remember that naming your dog should be fun and easy, and not stressful!
Male Dog Names to Choose From
Names Inspired by Cartoon Characters
You’ve watched cartoons all your childhood, and most of these names will ring a bell for you. Naming your dog after your favourite dog from the early cartoon era will make every single day you spend with your pooch nostalgic and is guaranteed to bring back memories of a happy childhood!
- Scooby – From Scooby Doo, the cartoon and live action film.
- Spike – The big bulldog from Tom and Jerry
- Odie – The dog in Garfield
- Blues – From Blue’s Clue’s
- Snoopy – the dog from Peanut
- Astro – From The Jetsons
- Clifford – Clifford, the Big Red Dog
- Droopy – Droopy the Dog, the cartoon
- Goofy – From the Disney Universe
- Santa’s Little Helper – Bart Simpson’s dog
- Pongo – the father of 101 Dalmatians
- Patch – one of the 101 Dalmatians
- Tramp – From Lady and the Tramp
- Bruno – Cinderella’s loyal dog
Names Inspired by Musicians
Are you a music enthusiast? These names will surely ring a bell for you, as well as for your dogs! Make sure to check the meanings to see which band the names go with. What’s better, is if you have a painting commissioned in the name of your favourite musical icon, with your dog’s face replacing theirs!
- Axl – Axl Rose
- Bono – The singer from U2
- Bowie – David Bowie
- Buddy – Simmie Sims III
- Elton – Elton John
- Floyd – Pink Floyd
- Freddie – Freddie Mercury
- Hendrix – Jimmy hendrix
- Iggy – Iggy Pop
- Kurt – Kurt Cobain
- Slash – Like the band
- Prince – The classic singer
- Sting – The iconic band
- Police – The singers of ‘Every Step You Take’
- Elvis – The King of Music
Names For Posh Pooches
For some posh puppers and dog parents, its all in the brand! And why shouldn’t it be! These amazing brand names can easily double as dog names for your male puppies and dogs. Choose wisely, or you might invite an attitude to match the brand!
- Harley – Harley Davidson
- Diesel – Like the Brand
- Armani – Georgio Armani
- Christian – Christian Louboutin
- Barney – Barney Stinson
- Gabbana – from Dolce and Gabbana
- Gucci – The big fashion house
- Oscar – The Academy Awards
- Louis – Louis Vuitton
- Valentino – Maison Valentino
- Versace – Gianni Versace
- Champagne – The bobbly
- Jimmy Chew – a play on Jimmy Choo
- Porsche – The luxury car brand
- Hermes – Makers of the Birkin
Superhero Inspired Names
These superhero names are for the Marvel and DC universe enthusiasts. Make no mistake, these names are as badass as their characters, and will suit the super abilities of your little pupper!
- Bruce – Bruce Wayne
- Hawkeye – The superhero from the Marvel Universe
- Bucky – Bucky Barnes
- Cosmo – Space dog from Guardians of the Galaxy
- Groot – Character from Guardians of the Galaxy
- Domino – A mutant from the X Men
- Deadpool – A funny Superhero
- Fury – Nick Fury
- Grimm – A founder of the Fantastic Four
- Foggy – A friend to Daredevil
- Loki – Brother to Norse God Thor
- Odin – Father of Thor
- Carter – A play on Peggy Carter, love interest of Captain America
- T’Challa – the last Black Panther
- Thanos – Villain in the Avengers
- Alfred – Butler to Batman
- Bane – Supervillain in Batman
- Robin – Sidekick to Batman
- Krypto – Superman’s Dog
- Tony Bark – A play on Tony Stark
Witty Puppy Names
Most of the names in this list are a play on famous personalities. You can pick the wittiest names that spark an interest in you, and try to call your pup by them! With all the funny stories associated with these names, it would make for a very good conversation starter to just call your dog over!
- Winnie the Poodle – a play on Winnie the Pooh
- Santa Paws – Santa Claus
- Doggy Howler – like Doogie Howser, M.D.
- Droolius Caesar – Julius Caesar
- The Notorious D.O.G. – The Notorious B.I.G.
- Fur-dinand – Archduke of Austria
- Bark Twain – Mark Twain
- Salvador Dogi – Salvador Dali
- L.L. Drool J – L.L. Cool J
- William Shakespaw – William Shakespeare
- Jabba the Mutt – Jabba, the Hutt
- Sir Arthur Canine Doyle – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Jake Gyllenpaw – Jake Gyllenhaal
- James Bone – Bond, James Bond
- Ryan Fleacrest – Ryan Seacrest
- Winston Furchill – Winston Churchill
- Muttley Crew – Motley Crew
- Karl Barx – Karl Marx
- Jude Paw – Jude Law
- Bark Wahlberg – Mark Wahlberg
Pop Culture Inspired Puppy Names
Sometimes, it is best to name your dog something hilarious, and yet adorable and appropriate for your pet. These names can come in any form and shape. Let the next few puns pay homage to all the characters from popular culture that we have grown to love – from former presidents, to horror movie protagonists, we have them all!
- Bark Obama – Barak Obama, the American President
- Hairy Paw-ter – Harry Potter
- Mr. Peanutbutter – From Bojack Horseman
- Sherlock Bones – Sherlock Holmes, the character penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- Chewbarka – Chewbacca, from Star Wars
- Fuzz Aldrin – Buzz Aldrin, the first man on the moon
- Ramen – Ramen noodles
- Courage – Courage, the Cowardly Dog
- Anderson Pooper – Anderson Cooper, the American Journalist
- DOTUS – Dog of the United States, like President of the United States
- Cat – the name of the dog from Cat-Dog
- Austin Pawers – like Austin Powers, from the movie series
- Bilbo Waggins – Bilbo Baggins, from The Hobbit
- Pup John Paul – Like the Pope John Paul
- Andy Warhowl – Andy Warhol
- 50 Scent – like the Rapper, 50 Cent
- George Bernard Paw – Like the writer, George Bernard Shaw
- Goblin – A small creature resembling a dwarf
- Jaws – A reference from the movie about sharks
- Lurch – The butler from the Addams Family
- Pennywise – The Clown from the movie and book IT
- Pinhead – A dangerous horror film protagonist from the Hellraiser series
- Rasputin – The alleged lover of the Tzarina of Russia
- Sparky – The dog reanimated in Tim Burton’s film Frankenweenie
- Bugs – Like Bugs Bunny, from the Looney Toons
