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Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Pet licensing data reveals the top dog names and breeds in the area
You don't see Spot run around here much.
 | TOP PET NAMES IN SEATTLE | ||
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Of all the dogs licensed in Seattle, only 13 are Spots. Rarer still are Rover, Bingo, Lassie and Fido.
But shout the name Max in almost every neighborhood in this city and dogs from the rambunctious golden retriever to the gentle bichon frisé may answer your call.
You may get a herd of cats, too. But no potbellied pigs. (The three registered pigs in Seattle answer to Percy, Charlie and Duke.)
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Max is the hands-down favorite name for dogs and cats, according to a Seattle Post-Intelligencer review of pet licensing data collected by Seattle Animal Control. The data also shows that dogs outnumber licensed cats citywide, a trend that holds true for King County as well.
"Our outdoorsy active lifestyle lends itself to dogs," said Shelah Frey, secretary of the Seattle Kennel Club, who has two Labrador retrievers.
The 27,989 dogs licensed in Seattle are only about one-fifth of the total canines in the city, which could easily top 100,000, said Don Jordan, Seattle Animal Control manager.
There are 21,346 licensed cats, but it's anyone's guess how many more felines are roaming local alleys and greenbelts -- not that anyone's counting.
Seattle, is, after all, a dog's world. Doggie day lounges thrive here; companies allow dog days at work.
It's a dog-centric city from Jim Ball's viewpoint. The retired merchant marine said he takes his miniature dachshund, Sam, on the bus with him. They both frequently visit the new Belltown off-leash park, one of nine permanent areas in the city where canines can roam free.
If Seattle is a city of dogs, then the Labrador retriever is the dog of Seattle. One in every 10 dogs licensed with the city is a Labrador. That's more or less in step with the rest of the country. About 15 percent of all animals registered with the American Kennel Club are Labs.
"They're big and cuddly, and they like to do things," said Leslie Irizarry, who has two Labs -- a golden one named Kepler and a black one named Cassiopeia. "They're obedient. They want to please you. And they're so good with little kids."
The Haller Lake resident said her dogs tend to reflect her personality. "I'm a really friendly person and I get along with people. I don't want a very aggressive, barky dog."
Golden retrievers are the second most popular breed in Seattle, followed by German shepherds, Australian shepherds, Rottweilers, cocker spaniels and pit bulls.
"Households with children are more likely to own pets than single ones," Jordan said.
So it's no surprise that the most dogs live in ZIP code 98115, which includes the family-heavy neighborhoods of Ravenna, Wedgwood and Sand Point. Dogs are also prevalent in Sunset Hill and Loyal Heights, followed by Green Lake, Wallingford and Phinney Ridge.
"We're closer to the water, we're in a family housing zoned area," said Anne Toomey, 50, a machine adjuster who lives near Golden Gardens with a somewhat snoopy Welsh corgi named Toby and a rather slow-moving basset hound named Millie.
Downtown and Belltown -- favorite haunts of professionals and singles -- had the fewest dogs and cats.
Labrador retrievers dominate in almost every neighborhood, but there are pockets in the city where particular breeds are bigger or smaller.
Reanna Channer, 24, whose two black Boston terriers don't crowd her Belltown apartment, notices smaller animals such as pugs, Chihuahuas and poodles closer to the city.
Her neighborhood had fewer dogs than any other in the city, but that doesn't necessarily mean folks there are anti-canine.
"We like our dogs here in Belltown," said Richard Nelson, a longtime resident who has noticed more downtown landlords courting pet owners. "Landlords have gotten more competitive."
His English bulldog, Scooter, suits his lifestyle and downtown apartment living. "I need a lazy dog. I don't have time to take him out five times a day," he said.
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Frey, of the Kennel Club, said certain dogs congregate in certain neighborhoods because "we covet what we see."
In the Bellevue neighborhood where she lives, Frey said she and most of her neighbors have more purebred dogs.
"When they're walking their dogs, they're always brushed, neatly groomed, well taken care of," she said. "If you live in a high-crime neighborhood, you may have a dog that looks more vicious or protective."
Rottweilers, pit bulls, Chihuahuas and chow chows are most commonly found in the ZIP code 98118, which covers parts of Rainier Beach, Seward Park and the Rainier Valley.
Maltese, a toy breed that boasts long, silky, white hair often tied with a bow, is most popular in Queen Anne. Havanese, a small toy dog with untrimmed hair, rules in ZIP code 98177, which covers Blue Ridge and parts of Broadview.
Dandie Dinmont terriers, long, low-slung types that owe their name to a Sir Walter Scott book, congregate in Montlake. Japanese chin and Old English sheepdogs hang out in the West Seattle neighborhood that hugs Beach Drive. Miniature pinschers like the neighborhoods of Haller and Bitter lakes.
The papillon, a toy dog with butterflylike ears, is most often found in Magnolia, as are the companion-friendly Cavalier King Charles spaniel and borzoi.
Shih Tzus, the lap dog of luxury, prefer neighborhoods with views of the Sound, such as Alki, Sunset Hill, Sand Point and Magnolia. The aristocratic Afghan hound likes parts of Capitol Hill and Madison Valley.
A dog's ZIP code only tells part of the story. Names reveal even more.
Seattleites steered away from old-fashioned names, opting for offbeat choices such as Dementia, Guinness, Wingnut and Hose Head.
Hose Head? OK, but it wasn't a mainstream choice like Max.
"It's just a strong, stoic, easy-to-call name," said Therese Sangster, 32, of Queen Anne, walking her mixed Labrador and Great Dane around Green Lake one afternoon. But she threw in an extra "x" in his name, because "we don't want him confused with the other dogs," she joked.
Lucy, Maggie, Buddy and Molly were right behind Max. The rest of King County preferred Buddy, followed by Max, Molly, Maggie and Bailey.
Eddie may be the name of Martin Crane's Jack Russell terrier on TV's "Frasier", but in Seattle, Jack is the preferred name for that breed. Seattleites favored Chico for their Chihuahuas, Sadie for their golden retrievers, Bailey for their beagles and Bear for both Rottweilers and Pomeranians.
The city's literary reputation doesn't appear to extend to its dogs. There are only four Hamlets, one Chaucer and one Gulliver. But there are four Shaqs, 20 Kobes, 14 Magics and two Ichiros.
The city's patriotism is two-thirds of the way there: There are 16 dogs named Red and 47 named Blue, but none named White. There is, however, one Whitey.
Jordan has kept his finger on trends in names and breeds during his 15 years working with the city's animal shelters.
Fads come and go. In the early 1990s, wolf-hybrids were common, followed by Rottweilers.
"Lately I see a lot of young males with pit bulls and pit bull mixes. It's become kind of a macho statement," he said.
In a city that runs on caffeine, naturally you'll find a share of dogs named Latte and Cappuccino.
Adam Braun, a 33-year-old chef, has heard all kinds of names at the off-leash park near Golden Gardens where he takes his Rhodesian ridgeback daily.
Maybe it's his culinary bias that perks his ears, but he has noticed dog owners calling out to Crouton, Nutmeg, Parsley and a couple of Sages.
His own dog? He named him Stubborn, because, well, "Obstinate didn't have the right ring to it."
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