Odd names for a dog

BY TOM HUNT

Compared with his canine peers Aeroplane Ears and Puss Puss, Wellington the dog can hold his head high when called.

Wellington is a seven-year-old English springer spaniel and among the dozens of dogs registered with councils around the country last year to have quirky names.

Alfred Popsicle, Warrengale Sir Brian, Castro Kennedy, Doc.net, Stolen, Snoop Dog and Aeroplane Ears all feature on Wellington City Council's list of dog names.

And the owner of Maxwell Smart Agent 86 could end up out of breath trying to call back the dog if it is refusing to bring back a stick.

While naming children after liquor may be a no-no, the same taboo evidently does not apply to canines. Budweiser, Rheineck, Merlot, Bourbon, Budweiser, Cider and Clicquot are all monikers held by capital canines.

Wellington's owner, Ed Trotter, said he got the dog after moving from Wellington to North Canterbury and wanted something to remind him of his former home.

"Little did I know, I was going to take up a deputy principal position back in Wellington," the now-former Miramar Christian School deputy principal said.

Some friends could not understand what he was talking about when he referred to Wellington "but they get the idea sooner or later".

Dog owners with a penchant for giving their best friends odd names were not isolated to Wellington.

Dogs registered last year with Palmerston North City Council ranged from the descriptive – Black Dog – to the bizarre: Freight Train, Doodle Bug, Lunch Box and Puss Puss.

Not everyone there expresses their individuality through dog names through – Max is the most common name, with 100 registrations, followed by Jack with 88 and Bella with 68.

Porirua City Council had its own list of peculiar names, among them Bruce the Bandit, Nobby Nobs, Fred C Frankenpoodle and Bam 600.

Wellington vet Allan Probert said many families took as much time choosing a dog name as they would for their children. "You get those in foreign languages, you get the bizarre ones where people have a bit of a sense of humour."

*What's the funniest or most unusual pet name you've heard? Post your comments below.

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