Therapy Dog Names

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88 Votes

Introduction

The benefits of interacting with animals are numerous, it has been shown to drastically reduce the amount of the stress inducing hormone cortisol, improve overall outlook, and even to reduce blood pressure. In many stress inducing situations, such as hospitals, schools, and nursing home communities, it may not be appropriate or feasible to bring our own canine companions. In many of these situations, therapy dogs are brought in to help comfort those who are experiencing distress. They are trained to calmly handle a number of situations so that they can provide emotional support to all types of people in all sorts of places that might make other dogs nervous. Therapy dogs are there to offer their unconditional love to whoever needs it, no matter the person's race, religion, gender, or mode of dress.

Therapy Dog Names in Pop Culture

Therapy Dog Name Considerations

There are several ways in which to choose a name for a new canine companion. Some people name their pets based on their favorite books, movies or shows, while others prefer to choose a name that is inspired by their favorite activities, like a geologist who names their dog Rocky or the astronomer who elects to dub their pooch Star. If you have selected your new dog as a good candidate to work as a therapy dog, you can derive a name based on their future career as well. Therapy dogs need to be calm and composed in many different situations and it helps if they are also friendly, compassionate, and have a generally happy demeanor. Names that reflect these traits, such as Daylan, which means compassionate joy, or Filomena, which means loves mankind, may be appropriate for dogs with this career path. The names of mythological gods and goddesses that express those traits, such as Quan-Yin, a well-known Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy, or Belun, a Slavic god of light and peace would work well. Another option is to honor a particularly influential therapy dog, like Jofi, Sigmund Freud's dog, or one of the winners of the American Humane Society's Hero Dog Awards in the therapy dog category, such as the winner of last year's award Chi Chi, or that of the first dog to receive the honor in 2011, Stacey Mae. 

Male Therapy Dog Names

Votes Name Vote
0
Gareth
A Welsh and English name which means gentle
0
Hudson
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2015, Hudson became one of the first dogs to be fitted with a prosthetic paw
0
Jeb
A Greek name that means healer
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Mendel
A Yiddish name which means he who comforts
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Sparticus
An Akita who was one of the first therapy dogs to arrive at the Sandy Hook tragedy, who continued to visit the campus in the months that followed
0
Sunrta
A Hindu god of happiness
0
Xander
A Pug dog who became a therapy dog after he had to have his eyes removed
-1
Aladdin
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2017, Aladdin was a victim of severe abuse before becoming a therapy dog
-1
Belun
A Slavic god of light and peace
-1
Corwynn
An English name that means friend of the heart
-1
Dainan
A name from Australia that means kindhearted
-1
Daylan
A name from India that means compassionate joy
-1
Iason
A Greek name that means healer
-1
Jingles
The dog of Boris Levinson in the 1960s, Levinson eventually became known as the father of animal-assisted therapy in some circles
-1
Jofi
Sigmund Freud’s dog, who often attended therapy sessions
-1
Nari
An Italian name that means cheerful
-1
Rafiki
A Swahili name that means kind friend
-1
Sereno
A name from Latin-America that means calm and serene
-1
Smoky
A Yorkshire Terrier who was not only credited as the first recorded therapy dog but also helped run a telegraph wire for a crucial airbase during WWII
-1
Takoda
A name from the Sioux nation that means a friend to everyone
-2
Atuf
An African name meaning affectionate and kind hearted
-2
Barney
An Americanized derivative of the Hebrew name Barnabus, meaning comfort
-2
Blanket
Blankets are seen as symbols of comfort and security
-2
Erasmo
A Spanish name that means friendly
-2
Euston
An Irish name that means heart
-2
Foster
A name meaning to encourage, cultivate, or nurture
-2
Hector
A Pit Bull-type dog who was rescued from Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring and became a therapy dog
-2
Kuuipo
A Hawaiian name that means my sweetheart
-2
Pal
A pal is another name for a good friend
-2
Wadi
An African name that means calm and peaceful

Female Therapy Dog Names

Votes Name Vote
2
Hope
Therapy dogs often provide hope for their patients
1
Mango
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2016, Mango lost the use of her back legs in a car accident and utilizes a canine wheelchair
0
Althea
A Greek name which means one who brings healing
0
Chi Chi
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2018, Chi Chi is a quadruple amputee who was previously abandoned in South Korea
0
Cocomama
An Incan goddess of health and happiness
0
Dolce
The FBI’s first therapy dog, stationed in the FBI’s Memphis Division
0
Stacey Mae
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2011, Stacey Mae delivered teddy bears and stuffed animals to kids in hospitals and adults in nursing homes
-1
Achelios
A minor Greek goddess whose name means she who washes away pain
-1
Dyre
A Scandinavian name that means dear heart
-1
Eir
A goddess of healing from Scandinavia
-1
Elle
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2013, Elle helps people to overcome their fear of dogs and started a therapy dog reading group
-1
Filomena
An Italian name that means loves mankind
-1
Florence
Florence Nightingale’s findings helped to encourage the study of animal-assisted therapy
-1
Grace
A word meaning courteous goodwill
-1
Irene
A Greek goddess of peace
-1
Lexy
Lexy was the name of the first therapy dog stationed at Fort Bragg
-1
Mercy
Compassion or forgiveness, usually given by someone in authority
-1
Pax
The Roman goddess of peace
-1
Quan-Yin
A Chinese goddess of compassion and mercy
-1
Rehema
A Swahili name that means compassionate
-1
Samkhat
A Babylonian goddess of happiness and joy
-1
Stella
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2012, Stella was a regular at nine different programs where she visited up to twelve times a week
-1
Susie
Awarded the American Humane Society’s Hero Therapy Dog award in 2014, mixed breed Susie was mistreated by a previous owner before becoming a therapy dog
-1
Una
A name from Iceland that means friendly
-1
Yein
A name meaning kind and gentle from China
-2
Comfort
The name Comfort was often used after the Protestant Reformation and meant to strengthen greatly
-2
Elsa
A Pit Bull-type dog that became a therapy dog, despite being left without the function of her back legs due to a spinal embolism
-2
Rhea
Greek mother to the gods, also known as a goddess of comfort and ease
-2
Tomoko
A Japanese name that means one who is friendly
-2
Yoga
Many people learn yoga to feel calmer and more centered

Community Dogs with Therapy Dog Names