I bet you didn’t know about most of these dog name origins!
Have you ever wondered where the popular Labrador Retriever got its namesake or why a Beagle is called a Beagle? And, who in the world was Jack Russell, and why is that animated dog breed named after him? The truth is that there are hundreds of dog breeds worldwide, from the Zuchon to the Affenpinscher.
And usually, breed names seem to fit perfectly with the canines they describe: “pug,” for instance, captures the breed’s flat face and stout body. The roots behind many popular dog breed names go back centuries and are traced to the breed’s country of origin.
Every dog owner knows why they gave their beloved pooch its name, but how well do you know the story behind their BREED names? Don’t worry if you don’t… That’s what Pet Compilation is for! So, let’s look at 12 dog name origins and where they got their monikers.
Dog name origin of labrador retrievers
Labs originated in the Canadian region, now known as the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Strangely, they came from Newfoundland.
Fishermen perfected a canine breed they dubbed the St. John’s water dog, which were excellent swimmers who would jump in the water and haul fishing nets back to shore. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Earl of Malmesbury started bringing these hard-working hounds to his English estate and teaching them to recover the ducks he hunted.
The earl referred to his pack of pups as his “Labrador dogs” in a reference to their home region, and the name seems to have stuck as their popularity increased.
Dog name origin of pugs
The word “pug” was first used in a far more general context than how we use the term today. One of the earliest known uses dates back to 1580, when the Middle English pugge was a typical term of endearment for any pet, person, or plaything.
By the 1600s, the word was used to describe a “small imp or demon,” which might be an accurate description of hounds who jump on the sofa when they’re not allowed. But, the specific phrase “pug-dog” first emerged in print in 1749, and from then on, the name “pug” became most closely associated with canines.
It’s also worth mentioning that “pug” was used in Great Britain throughout the 1800s to describe a “thing that’s stumpy or squat,” which is an apt descriptor of this dog breed if you think about it.
Dog name origin of jack russell terriers
Yup, as you might have guessed from the intro, Jack Russell was a real person, folks! John Russell was born in England, in 1795, and he became quite a hunting aficionado over the years. While learning to become a clergyman at Oxford, he met a milkman with a terrier named Trump, who seemed to be the perfect pooch for fox hunting.
After persuading the milkman to sell him the canine, Russell began breeding Trump to develop a line of terriers with the energy to hunt foxes all day and the fearlessness to go after a game that had plunged into holes. Russell has two dogs named after him.
We all know about the Jack Russell terrier. But there’s also the Parson Russell terrier, which is a similar breed with longer legs. It also takes its name from Jack Russell and is identified as an entirely separate breed.
Dog name origin of dachshunds
The dachshund is a breed with a surprisingly brutal origin. When the species was first created in the early 17th century, hunters attempted to develop an elongated, fearless dog that could dig its way into a badger’s hole and battle the tenacious little mammals.
Their name reflects this early purpose. Fun fact: Dachshund means “badger dog” in German.
Dog name origin of poodles
The poodle may be considered nowadays as a fancy, snobby dog, but it had fairly rough-and-tumble roots as a gun dog. Its name reflects its early work as retrievers who would swim out after waterfowl.
Pudeln used to be a Low German word that meant “to splash.” So these heroic retrievers were known as pudelhunds, a.k.a. “water dogs.” The word eventually evolved into what we now know as the English poodle.
Dog name origin of beagles
The actual origins of the word beagle are a bit vague. But anybody who has spent any time around this breed will believe the most commonly assumed story.
The American Kennel Club has been able to trace the name back to the 16th century, when the canines became associated with the French word becguele, meaning “noisy person,” due to the racket of their howls during hunts.
Dog name origin of lhasa apsos
This small dog’s name sounds weird, but its origins are specific. The Lhasa Apso was initially bred as a watchdog for Tibetan courts and monasteries.
It was tough for intruders to sneak past these watchful, yipping pups. Lhasa hails from the city of Lhasa, Tibet’s longtime capital. And apso is a Tibetan word meaning “bearded,” this canine breed’s name means that it’s a longhaired dog that originated in Tibet.
Dog name origin of weimaraners
The stunning gray dogs with expressive eyes have been around since the 19th century. According to their origin story, that’s when Grand Duke Karl August of Weimar began to breed hunting dogs that had strong noses, were fast, wouldn’t back down from big game like wildcats or wolves, and were intelligent.
Karl August’s breed supposedly became fashionable among his fellow Weimar noblemen, and the species also gained popularity as a bird-hunting canine.
Dog name origin of schnauzers
The breed name “schnauzer” comes from the Middle English snute, meaning “snout.” That term eventually developed into the German noun Schnauze, which means “snout,” and later the verb schnauzen, meaning “to growl.” From there on, the German word Schnauzer was forged, directly translating to “growler.”
This breed made its way to the US in the 1920s, as reported in the August 1923 edition of Dog World: “A new breed has come to America: The Schnauzer!”
Dog name origin of cairn terriers
These feisty little terriers were created in the Scottish Highlands, where they were recognized for their abilities as hunters of mice and any other small prey like rabbits.
The pups were particularly talented at hunting in the cairns, which are manmade piles of stones that sprinkle the region as navigational markers. So, this breed became known as the Cairn terrier.
Dog name origin of dalmatians
This dotted breed takes its name from Dalmatia, an Adriatic territory that lies primarily within modern-day Croatia. Dalmatians have long been used as guard dogs and lookouts in the region, but it’s not quite clear that they originated there.
Writings and paintings show Dalmatian-like dogs in various areas of Europe as far back as the 14th century, and the canines have been used in Dalmatia since at least the 18th century. Since the hound was most commonly associated with the area, it became widely known as the Dalmatian.
Bouvier des Flandres
This herding hound’s name is actually pretty straightforward if you know a bit of French. The breed was created in Flanders, and French farmers who cherished their working spirits named the Bouvier des Flandres, which translates into English as “cow herder of Flanders.”
So what do you think? Did you find your beloved pup on this list? Let me know in the comments below. And if you liked this article, check out: 16 Common Dog Myths You Think Are True
