Cuddling up to his human after a day of doing Labrador-type things, like sleeping, eating and eating some more, for Milo, is sweet. Photo: Tina Raymond.
How sweet it is. Not only does Milo the chocolate Labrador have the best life, but he also officially has one of the best names.
Milo, along with Luna and Daisy, have just been named the most popular names for our dogs, as judged by humans from Bupa Pet Insurance.
Yes he is a chocolate Lab, and yes he is sweet, but his human Tina Raymond of Macgregor said she couldn’t take credit for giving him the name – he came with it when she and husband Matt adopted him last year from a Labrador rescue group. Also, as a Canadian, the name was not yet part of her Aussie vernacular.
“He came to us as Milo,” she said, “so we decided to keep it. It seemed to suit him as such a quintessential Aussie name.”
Milo, is also, according to Tina, a bit of a “tornado”. His hobbies, like most Labradors, include sleeping, eating, digging and playing with his sister Izzie, a yellow Lab – whose name does not appear in the popular list but whom Milo seems to love more than treats themselves.
“He also loves a cuddle,” Tina said, adding that was fine, except he was yet to realise he was no longer a puppy.
“He thinks he’s still a lap dog,” she said, “and he also loves to sleep on Matt’s head.”
When told Milo was one of the most popular dog names this year, Tina said she was surprised, adding she’d never heard of another Milo in dog park circles.
“But I probably shouldn’t be so surprised,” she said, “because I know it is such a popular drink here.”
Milo drinks in all the attention while his sister Izzie and human Matt can only look on in his wake. Photo: Tina Raymond.
For the fifth year running, Luna has taken out the most popular dog’s name, with Daisy and Milo as runners-up.
Although the push towards giving dogs human names has gained ground, remarkably the name Brian has yet to make the list. Can’t understand why when it is clearly the best name for a big black boofy lab with the IQ of a battered sav.
Yes, he was my dog and a day doesn’t go past when I don’t miss his bison-like breath, wallpaper-peeling farts or his ability to tail-wipe clean whatever’s on the coffee table as he comes lumbering past…
But we live in hope: in this year’s list, some glam names made the popularity list, including Gucci, Chanel and Chloe, while others ranged from Thor to Tinkerbell and Yoda to Snoop. Humans hungry for a different sort of name for their hounds dished up gems like Bagel, Chilli, Peanut and Biscuit – which also made the list.
Some chose to take a punt on their sporting heroes, with dogs named Pepe and Kobe (or full name Kobe Bryant if it’s really naughty) scoring own goals.
Thankfully, Scruffy, Spot and Socks look to have dropped off the list, along with Fluffball and all its derivatives, and here’s to those owners who chose to name their dogs after their favourite tipple: Bundy, Whiskey, Brandy and Bubbles. Cheers.