My New Dog: Breed Guesses and Name Suggestions

September 2, 2015 7:18 PM

Getting a new rescue dog tomorrow and am having no luck coming up with a name. I also have no idea what kind of dog this is.

There have been a few similar dog name questions asked recently but those dogs look VERY different than mine, who's style is hard to pin down. You can see the cute guy here. My impressions from our first meeting are that he is mellow, happy, friendly and easy going.

He has some terrier I think, but I'd welcome guesses if you think you know what breed(s) might be in the mix. He looks grey & white in the photo, but the grey is actually brownish-red. He has the recessive gene that cause brown noses and hazel eyes.

I'm so happy to be a two-dog family again. Thanks in advance!

posted by mulcahy to Pets & Animals (41 answers total)

That's a Benji if ever I saw one.

And I had no idea there was a brown nose recessive gene. My dog has that, too.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 7:26 PM on September 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

Bumble or Jeepers!
posted by Diagonalize at 7:29 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

My first thought was Barkley or Benji but I think
Dickens (as in "cute as the dickens") would be even better - two syllables, good constanent sounds, human name but not a common first name.
posted by metahawk at 7:32 PM on September 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla. Rufus for short.
posted by cecic at 7:43 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

He looks like a Mr. Moxie or a Mr. Rumples.
Congratulations on your new member of your family!
posted by bookmammal at 7:49 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Franklin!
posted by missmary6 at 7:51 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

You can call him whatever you like but that dog's name is Winston.
posted by phunniemee at 7:55 PM on September 2, 2015 [7 favorites]

He is absolutely precious, congrats!

Fred.
posted by Fig at 7:57 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Tralfaz
posted by Rob Rockets at 7:57 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Sir Didymus.
posted by wintersweet at 7:59 PM on September 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I came to say Fergus. But phunniemee has it right. it's Winston.
posted by bentley at 8:02 PM on September 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

Murdoch. He looks like he has some shih tzu in him.
posted by apparently at 8:05 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Seconding Rufus. Or Baxter! I keep imagining him with a jaunty red bow tie.

Congratulations on the new addition to the family!
posted by divined by radio at 8:09 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Rufus is a fine name, but that looks like a Barnaby to me. (Though I may have been watching too much Midsomer Murders lately.)
posted by rafaella gabriela sarsaparilla at 8:17 PM on September 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

I can't tell what size he is, maybe a Bearded Collie mix? I think I might call him Louis.
posted by BoscosMom at 8:17 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Oh wow! These are great ideas - Keep 'em coming! I should mention that these names of previous and current dogs are off limits: Fergus : ), Nosey Flynn, Ollie & Seamus.
posted by mulcahy at 8:19 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

That dog looks like a Charles to me. Maybe an Edgar. Possibly a Winston.
posted by erst at 8:23 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

That there is Buster.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:27 PM on September 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Roo
posted by Sassyfras at 8:49 PM on September 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Oskar
posted by Klaxon Aoooogah at 8:49 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

He is clearly a Milton.
posted by TwoStride at 9:03 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Greystoke. Mouser. Zonker.
posted by smartyboots at 9:10 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Harold.
posted by cranberrymonger at 9:13 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Well, shoot, if your family has already had Fergus and Seamus, I think this handsome fellow has gotta be Finbarr (or maybe Angus).
posted by argonauta at 9:29 PM on September 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

He's got poodley feet. Hair texture looks a little poodleish as well.
posted by cookie-k at 11:16 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Ewok Mogwai
posted by y2karl at 11:18 PM on September 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I also thought perhaps some poodle in the mix. A friend's labraspoodle (Labrador, spaniel, poodle mix) has a similar look around the face, and fur texture.
posted by yesbut at 11:55 PM on September 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

He kinda has a cairn look to him. Definitely a terrier mix of some kind. He is very, very cute.
posted by cairnoflore at 12:34 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I looked at his picture and thought "winston". If you're a Downton Abbey fan, he *might* be Mr Bates. Congrats to the whole family--he looks like a great addition!
posted by janey47 at 2:18 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Harvey
posted by sciencegeek at 2:35 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Malachy or Mac.
posted by ReluctantViking at 5:59 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Mort or Monty.
posted by thefang at 6:57 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Hairy Maclary (from Donaldson's Dairy)
posted by Poldo at 7:50 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I thought, aww, what a scruff muffin! Which led me to the name Scruffin.
posted by Squeak Attack at 9:16 AM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

He is gorgeous. Facially he looks a bit like my dog who was a Jack Russell/Tibetan Terrier happy accident. How big is he?
posted by intensitymultiply at 12:30 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have been thinking of his name all day... I named one of my cairn fosters Declan... His adopters loved the name.. It goes well with Seamus.

My little cairn Is called Toby. It suits him well. If I could figure how to post his pic you could see the resemblance in facial features, ear and body shape. Hair looks a little cairn like but maybe a softer texture. Hair color is not cairn like but omg is he cute.
posted by cairnoflore at 5:14 PM on September 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Well we brought the boy home and he's doing great except for a bit of a sore leg. You can see him in action and get a better idea of his size here. Intensitymultiply - he's 25 pounds... there may be some Tibetan in there, may be some cairn. Seamus seems very happy to have him here.

Lots of names to try out. All let you know what I decide.
posted by mulcahy at 7:26 PM on September 3, 2015 [5 favorites]

Just watched your video and grinned all the way through it--your new little guy just won the doggie lottery by joining your family! You can tell that your dogs are going to be best buds. Congrats again and good for you for rescuing that little guy--rescue dogs are THE BEST!!
posted by bookmammal at 7:58 PM on September 3, 2015 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: ALrighty! We have a name. First let me say THANKS for all the great ideas! I did give Winston serious consideration but on picking up my new dog, I saw he was not a Winston. In the photo in the original post, he DID look like a Winston but in person, or as seen here, he is thinner and not Winston-y at all.

I had pretty much decided on Declan, after seriously considering Mr.Bates, Dickens and quite a few others - then a Friends rerun came on - the one where Rachel is replaced at work after having a baby - and so my dog is Dermot. He's definitely Dermot.

Also, when I picked him up the rescue gave me paperwork from the county animal shelter which had him listed as a Jack Russell Terrier mix. I don't know if that's their guess, or what the person surrendering Dermot told them. He doesn't seem to shed at all so maybe Jack Russell/poodle. Or Jack Russell/Cairn?

He also does not bark...at all...ever.

Thanks again dog lovers!
posted by mulcahy at 3:06 PM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Whoops. Here's the correct link to the thinner "real" version of my dog, Dermot.
posted by mulcahy at 7:43 PM on September 5, 2015

Awwww! He is such a cutie.

I was thinking Jack Russell/Mini Schnauzer mix. He definitely has a Schnauzer tail.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:14 PM on September 5, 2015