I used to be a dog groomer. Once of my regulars was a sweet dog named Fido.
My Daddy had a dog named ‘Rounder’
Close to ‘Rover’ , I think.
That was one of his safer named dogs. Usually they had unsavory or naughty-word names. He liked to shock the neighborhood church ladies.
The mascot for Dog 'n Suds drive ins is named “Rover” - does that count?
It wasn’t until I got a black, 40lb, mixed-breed collie/lab/whatever that I noticed just how many black, 40lb, mixed-breed collie/lab/whatevers existed.
When I was a little boy (60 years ago) there was a little-old-lady down the street who had a black poodle named “Jiggs”. When her dog wandered off, she’d go out on the sidewalk and yell, “Jiggs,Jiggs,Jiggs, JIGABOO GET BACK HERE!!”
I remember my dad cringing over that, and having a talk with me and my sibs.
My best friend had a Newfoundland dog when we were growing up and his name was Spot. When I first met him, I asked where his spot was, because all I could see was black fur. She told me when he was a puppy he looked like a black spot on the carpet, so they named him Spot.
The owner of the restaurant I used to run had a dalmatian named Spot.
The most common names I’ve heard at the dog park are Bella and Loki.
That’s not what I think of when I hear the name Tallulah.
Some quotes that might prove you named the pooch appropriately:
If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.
Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.
I think the Republican party should be placed in drydock and have the barnacles scraped off its bottom.
I’d rather be strongly wrong than weakly right.
I had a Dalmatian named ‘Lucky’
I figured she was lucky to be alive. She was the most vicious dog I ever owned.
You missed my favorite:
My father warned me about men and booze but he never said anything about women and cocaine.
My grandfather used to bring home dogs from his rounds delivering and picking up laundry. My grandmother named every one of them Lucky because they’d be lucky to last a week before being given away again.
Photographic proof, my mom on the left:
We had a cat named Socks in the mid-90’s. Not after the Clintons’ cat, but after the popular children’s book that probably prompted Chelsea to choose the name, just as my 7-year-old did.
A good friend of mine has a dog named Lola. My friend met her as a stray dog in Romania and brought her to Germany. She’s very shy, but I can’t help it to call out “Hier kommt die fesche Lola!” (Here comes the snappy Lola!) everytime I meet her, after Marlene Dietrich’s song from “The Blue Angel”.
I named the neighbor’s cat who adopted me and my apartment as a second home two years ago Ada after Ada Lovelace. She doesn’t do much math, but is a very intelligent cat.
I think Bonzo should be on your checklist of obvious dog names.
Years ago, friends nearby had a Bonzo.
In contrast, our dog at the time was Bus Stop F’tang F’tang Ole Biscuit Barrel.
Because Spot was never a dog, right?
My mother as a child had a dog named “Rags”, which was another of those generic “classic” dog names, though you don’t see it very much now.
I also think “Rex” belongs on that list.
A lot of other “classic” names for black dogs were ethnic slurs, as per kayaker’s example in post #25.
I’ve known pet dogs named Rex, Caesar, Hercules and Sophie.
I have a Huxley, but he’s a rabbit. Named after Thomas, not Aldous.
Now I come to think of it, that would be a good name for a bulldog.
This upcoming March 15th, I have both a Ceasar and a Brutus coming in. I am a bit concerned.