Nick Names for Common Dog Breeds

Just like we casually refer to a telephone as a “phone” or a television as a “TV,” people who spend a lot of time around dogs—especially those in the veterinary field—often develop their own shorthand for dog breeds. These nicknames become second nature, part of the everyday language of pet professionals.

This habit recently sparked confusion when a client overheard a veterinary technician mention a “Golden in back.” The client paused and asked, “A golden what?” (Perhaps imagining something far more magical than a dog!) In reality, the technician was referring to a Golden Retriever.

This raises an interesting question: what other dog breeds are commonly referred to by shortened names or nicknames? Let’s take a look at some popular examples.

Here is our list:

1. Labrador Retriever = Lab
2. Yorkshire Terrier = Yorkie
3. German Shepherd Dogs = GShep (Gee-shep) or commonly written as GSD
4. Retrievers (Golden) = Golden
5. Beagles = Beags
6. Boxers = Box
7. Dachshund = Doxie

8. Poodle = Pood
9. Shih Tzu = Tzus (pronounced zoo)
10. Bulldog = Bully
11. Miniature Schnauzer = Schnauz
12. Chihuahua = Chi-Chi
13. Pomeranian = Pom
14. Pug = Puggy
15. Rottweilers= Rotty or Rottie
16. Boston Terrier = Boston
17. Cocker Spaniel = Cocker
18. German Shorthaired Pointers = GSP’s or “Shorthairs”
19. Maltese = Malty
20. Shetland Sheepdogs = Sheltie
21. Doberman Pinscher = Dobie
22. Pembroke Welsh Corgi = Corgi
23. Great Danes = Dane
24. Siberian Huskies = Huskie or Husky
25. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels = Cavalier
26. Miniature Pinschers = Min Pin
27. English Springer Spaniels = Springers or ESS (pronounced E-S-S)
28. Mastiff = Mastie
29. Brittany Spaniel = Brittany
30. Weimaraner = Weimies or Weim
31. Basset Hound = Basset
32. Bichons Frises = Bichon
33. Australian Shepherd = Aussie
34. French Bulldogs = Frenchie
35. West Highland White Terriers = Westie
36. Papillon = Papi
37. Havanese = Havi
38. Collies = Collie
39. St. Bernards = Bernie
40. Bullmastiffs = Bullie Mastiff
41. Bernese Mountain Dogs = Bernese
42. Vizsla = Viz
43. Bloodhound = Bloodie
44. Newfoundland = Newfie
45. Scottish Terriers = Scotties
46. Chinese Shar-Pei = Shar-Pei
47. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers = Chessie
48. Cairn Terriers = Cairns
49. Lhasa Apsos = Lhasas
50. Pekingese = Pekes
51. Akita = Kita
52. Chinese Crested = Crestie
53. Rhodesian Ridgebacks = Rhodies
54. Border Collies = BC
55. Airedale Terriers = Airedales
56. Alaskan Malamutes = Malamutes
57. Great Pyrenees = Pyr
58. Bull Terriers = Bully
59. Italian Greyhounds = Iggies
60. Brussels Griffons = Griffons
61. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers = Wheaten
62. Whippets = Whip
63. Chow Chows = Chows
64. Australian Cattle Dogs = Aussies
65. Portuguese Water Dogs = PWDs or Water Dogs
66. Irish Setters = Setters
67. Shiba Inu = Shiba
68. American Staffordshire Terriers = Amstaff
69. English Cocker Spaniels = Cocker
70. Pointers (German Wirehaired) = Wirehair
71. Japanese Chin = Chin
72. Old English Sheepdogs = OES or Sheepdog
73. Samoyeds = Sammy
74. Silky Terriers = Silkies
75. Parson Russell Terriers – Jack Russell Terriers = JRT or Jack Russell
76. Beauceron = Beau
77. Dalmatians = Dally
78. Cardigan Welsh Corgis = Corgi
79. Belgian Malinois = Malinois
80. Irish Wolfhounds = Wolfhound
81. Border Terriers = BC
82. Wire Fox Terriers = Wires
83. Giant Schnauzers = Schnauzer
84. Bouviers Flandres = Bouviers
85. Staffordshire Bull Terriers = Staffie
86. Schipperkes = Schip
87. Swedish Vallhunds = Vallhunds
88. Toy Fox Terriers = Fox Terrier
89. Basenjis = Senji
90. Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs = Swissies
91. Gordon Setters = Gordons
92. Tibetan Terriers = Tibbie
93. English Setters = Setter
94. Afghan Hounds = Afghan
95. Norwich Terriers = Norwich
96. Norwegian Elkhounds = Elkhound
97. Welsh Terriers = Welsh
98. Borzois = Borzoi
99. Keeshond = Kees
100. Flat-Coated Retrievers = Retriever
101. Smooth Fox Terriers = Smooths or Smoothies
102. Standard Schnauzers = Schnauzer
103. Belgian Tervuren = Terv
104. Tibetan Spaniels = Tibbie
105. Wirehaired Pointing Griffons = Griffon
106. Pointers = Pointer
107. Bearded Collies = Bearded
108. Australian Terriers = Aussie
109. American Eskimo Dogs = Eskie
110. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers = Toller
111. Anatolian Shepherd Dogs = Anatolian
112. Norfolk Terriers = Norfolks
113. Manchester Terriers = Manchesters
114. Kerry Blue Terriers = Kerry
115. Neapolitan Mastiffs = Mastiff
116. Plotts Hound = Plotts
117. Spinoni Italiani = Spinone
118. Salukis = Salu
119. Belgian Sheepdogs = BSD
120. Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens = PBGV
121. English Toy Spaniels = ET
122. Clumber Spaniels = Clumbers
123. Briards = Bree
124. Welsh Springer Spaniels = Welsh Springer
125. Affenpinschers = Affen
126. Irish Terriers = Irish
127. Miniature Bull Terriers = Minnie Bull Terriers
128. Tibetan Mastiffs = Mastiff
129. Bedlington Terriers = Bedlington
130. Lakeland Terriers = Lakeland
131. Black Russian Terriers = Black Russian
132. Spaniels (Field) = Spaniel
133. Greyhounds = Greys
134. Kuvaszok = Kuvasz
135. German Pinschers = GP
136. Black and Tan Coonhounds = Coonhound
137. Scottish Deerhounds = Deerhound
138. American Water Spaniels = Spaniel
139. Lowchen = Little Lion Dog
140. Ibizan Hounds = Ibizan
141. Pulik = Puli
142. Polish Lowland Sheepdogs = PON
143. Curly-Coated Retrievers = Retriever
144. Komondor = Komo
145. Pharaoh Hounds = Pharaohs
146. Sealyham Terriers = Sealyham
147. Irish Water Spaniels = Water Spaniel
148. Dandie Dinmont Terriers = Dandies
149. Glen of Imaal Terriers = Glenie
150. Harriers = Harry
151. Finnish Spitz = Spitz
152. Skye Terriers = Skyes
153. Canaan Dogs = Canaan
154. Spaniels = Span
155. American Sussex Foxhounds = Foxhound
156. Otterhounds = Otter
157. English Foxhounds = Foxhound
158. American Pit Bull Terrier = Pit bull or Pit