Top 10 Wackiest Dog Names
Pet Owners Describe How They Named Dogs
For many a dog owner, Max sounds mundane and Bailey is simply boring. In order to pay homage to those who take pride in their pets’ unconventional names, VPI Pet Insurance set out for the second year in a row to find the 50 most unusual dog names in the United States. VPI employees selected 50 unusual dog names from the company’s database of more than 470,000 insured pets, and narrowed them down by voting for the 10 most unusual names in each category.
Here, the top 10 dog-naming winners reveal how they came up with such quirky names.
1. Doogie Schnauzer MD
Juan Valdez initially picked the name Doogie for his miniature schnauzer because it went well with Dexter, his other miniature schnauzer. Eventually Doogie became Doogie Howser and naturally progressed, because of the dog’s breed, to Doogie Schnauzer. When time came to register Doogie Schnauzer, Juan added the MD for “My Dog.”
According to Juan, the name couldn’t fit any better. “He’s a perennial pup,” said Juan. “He still looks like a puppy, even though he’s six, and, of course, Doogie Howser was known for his youth.” Juan said that people love the name, especially if they are familiar with the series, and that everyone at the veterinarian’s office knows his dog by name because “no one forgets Doogie Schnauzer MD.”
2. Sargent Sausage
Heidi Schardine has nicknames for all her pets—Private Peanut, Commander Cucumber—but Sargent Sausage is no nickname.
“When people hear Sargent Sausage they expect to see a wiener dog,” said Heidi Schardine. “He doesn’t look like a Sargent Sausage to other people, but he totally does to us.” Heidi and her husband rescued the blue heeler mix and immediately fell in love with his unique personality, a personality they felt needed a unique name to match.
Though he usually goes by “Sarge,” Heidi admits that the full name comes out when she needs to get his attention. “I end up shouting, ‘Sargent Sausage!’ without even thinking about it,” said Heidi. “People crack up. They think it’s a joke, but I tell them, ‘No. No. It’s his real name. You can look on his birth certificate.’”
3. I Am Sparticus
You can’t give a 200-pound English mastiff a normal name. At least, that was Natilee Carter’s reasoning. “He is a giant,” said Natilee. “He’s gorgeous. We can’t even take walks without people stopping us and wanting to touch him, or take his picture.” Natilee and her husband knew that the 38-pound puppy they brought home was going to be something special. To find an appropriate name, they looked to some of their favorite movies for inspiration. Motivated by the movie 300, Natilee’s husband recommended they find a masculine Roman name. Natilee, whose favorite movie is That Thing You Do, remembered a song from the soundtrack titled “I Am Sparticus.” They both liked the name and it stuck. “It’s different, but he’s different” said Carter. “He’s quite the conversation piece.”
4. Lunchbox
There are a lot of words that could be used to describe Beth Larocca’s English bulldog, but only one word says it all: Lunchbox. “Her shape just fit,” said Beth. “She looks like a lunchbox. Plus, she eats everything.” A longtime English bulldog owner, Beth believes all good English bulldogs should have a good name. Before Lunchbox she was the proud owner of Gorby, and she once met an English bulldog named Pot Roast. “Everyone loves the name Lunchbox and I can’t imagine her with any other name,” said Beth. “She went as a lunchbox for Halloween a few years ago and people loved it.”
5. Angus Sir Loin
When Roy Mattson needed a name for his Scottish terrier, the name Angus initially crossed his mind. The breed’s Scottish origin motivates many Scottie owners to choose the name Angus, but Roy thought that Angus alone was missing something. The name just didn’t seem to fully capture the personality of the goofy young dog who slept on his back with his paws in the air. “Angus Sir Loin just popped into my head,” said Roy. “People always get a chuckle when they hear his full name.”
6. Bam-Bam Noodle Butt
Before Jennifer Booth’s Chihuahua had a name, she had a reputation. “My kids called her Little Butt because she chewed up their Pokemon cards,” said Jennifer. “I liked the name Noodle, but my girlfriend liked the name Bam-Bam.” In order to satisfy all parties, Jennifer combined the names to create Bam-Bam Noodle Butt. Besides the laughs inspired by the name, it serves a functional purpose. No matter which name is called, or what variation of the name is used, Bam-Bam Noodle Butt will respond.
“Everybody laughs when they hear the name, but it works really well,” said Jennifer. “And her butt does wiggle like a noodle when she walks.”
7. Mouse Meat
After caring for a rambunctious shar pei, Kathy Powel wanted to find a little lap dog. The miniature dachshund she eventually adopted was only four weeks old when Kathy first saw her, so small Kathy could only think that compared to her shar pei, this tiny pup was mouse meat. Kathy tried other names, but nothing worked quite like Mouse Meat. “She’s a dapple, which is fairly rare in a litter, so I think it’s appropriate that she has a rare name,” said Kathy. “People always ask me how I got the name. Really, it just popped in my mind and kind of stuck.”
8. Fluffernutter
A fluffernutter sandwich, according to Jim Jacques, is made by spreading peanut butter on one piece of bread, marshmallow fluff on another, and putting the pieces together for a sandwich. When Jim first saw his brown, white and sable Papillon, the dog’s unique color instantly reminded him of a fluffernutter sandwich. “He’s very distinct looking, so a distinct name fits him well,” said Jim. “People always stop to ask, ‘What’s her name?’ because he’s so cute they think he’s a girl. The name always makes them laugh.”
9. Kanye East
Appearance isn’t always the determining factor when naming a pet - sometimes it’s attitude. “Kanye has always been crazy, ever since he was a puppy,” said Kelvin Morgan. “He would just go nuts, he would get so excited, and there was something about the way he presented himself, like he was in charge, and all-knowing. It kind of reminded me of Kanye West.” Not wanting to give his one-of-a-kind dog a name already in use, Kelvin came up with his own variation of the name: Kanye East.
“The name suits him well,” said Kelvin. “He loves the spotlight and he loves attention. Everybody asks me about the name. I think my mom is embarrassed by it, but everyone else likes it.”
10. Inspector Foo Foo
Jordan Wright’s Shih Tzu never starts a day without giving his report. If anything is amiss, if anything is out of place, if anything has been tracked in or dropped on the floor: Inspector Foo Foo is all over it.
“He’s a very nosy dog and tidy housekeeper,” said Jordan. “If something is out of place in the house, or if there has been a message left on the answering machine, he will look at you until you have figured it out. He is not the ‘Inspector’ for nothing.”
While the inspector title came naturally, “Foo Foo” was a result of the Asian origin of his breed and a tribute to Wright’s former Pekingese, Mr. Woo.
“People like the name,” said Wright. “They think it’s funny and it fits him to a T.”
If you enjoyed reading about these fun dog names, you may also like to read about the top 10 wackiest cat names. Want to be inspired? Read the complete list of 50 wackiest dog and cat names.
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