Dogs of Rochester Hills: A Look at Popular Names and Breeds
(Kurt Metzger, Feb. 6, 2023)
Rochester Hills, MI – This edition of ‘The Dogs of Oakland County’ takes us to our third largest community – Rochester Hills. With a 2021 population of 76,028, Rochester Hills ranks behind Troy and Farmington Hills, and just ahead of Southfield and Waterford Township.
According to the Oakland County dog license database, Rochester Hills’ 29,711 households are home to 3,232 dogs. A total of 154 breeds were identified, including the Mixed Breed / Mutt category. Figure 1 presents the Top 15 ‘breeds’ living in Rochester Hills.
It is no surprise, judging by national rankings, that, once again, the Labrador Retriever is #1, more than doubling its nearest rival, the Golden Retriever. The Shih Tzu just edged out the German Shepherd for 3rd place, its highest ranking so far. Coming in at #5 is a personal favorite, the Mixed Breed or Mutt.
As I have said before, personal experience has shown me that there are mixed breeds that are ‘designed’ and usually named, such as the Goldendoodle (which ties for 8th at 90), the mini-Goldendoodle (9), the Labradoodle (of which there are 50), the mini-Labradoodle (3), the Cockapoo (28), the Puggle (5), the Schnoodle (12) and the Daisy Dog (6) – a mix of the Bichon Frise, Poodle, and the Shih-tzu, and then there are those that are simply mutts. Coming in a #6 is the Yorkshire Terrier, followed by the Poodle, Goldendoodle and Chihuahua.
The last tier consists of the Beagle, Maltese, Australian Shepherd, Dachshund, Boxer and Border Collie.
A final observation is that a number of breeds have a country in their name, showing that Rochester Hills dogs bring diversity to the city’s back yards and dog-friendly parks. There are 6 Americans, 3 Australians, 1 Belgian, 2 Chinese, 1 Dutch, 5 English, 1 French, 3 German, 2 Irish, 1 Italian, 1 Japanese, 1 Newfoundland, 1 Norwegian, 1 Portuguese, 1 Rhodesian, 1 Scottish, and 2 Tibetan.
I thought that a few Westminster Dog Shows would make me an expert on breeds, but I must admit that each community I study provides another breed or two to my study list. To our existing list of Shiba Inu, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Plott, Mountain Cur, Blue Heeler, Finnish Spitz, Mountain Feist, Biewer, Boykin Spaniel, Kuvasz, and Lagotto Romagnolo, I am adding the Treeing Walker Coonhound, the Redbone Coonhound, the Kooikerhondje, the Leonberger, the Alaskian Klee Kai, and the Glen of Imaal Terrier.
Every year the Social Security Administration releases a listing of the Top Names for babies born in the previous year. I have always enjoyed pouring over these lists to see how spellings have been altered to produce “uniqueness,” and how popular books, movies and television have spurred increases in a particular name. I have also had many opportunities to name pets over the years and met a variety of names – many being “people names” in my walks around the neighborhood. The listing of Rochester Hills dog names has not disappointed.
Figure 2 presents the Top 15 Dog Names (those with 25 or more listings) for the area. It is interesting to note that, even with 3,232 dogs to name, the winner – Bella – was only mentioned 46 times. Lucy was the only other name to show up more than 40 times.
While Rochester Hills dog owners followed the trend of TV and movie characters, cars, beers and other cultural references, there were a few that caught my eye. Among them were: Nymphadora; Nova S. Cotia; Eggroll; Greenbean; Stanley Cup; Pepper Doc Grant; Benjamin Franklin; Enzo Ferrari; Hermes Socrates; Clark W. Pugswold; Dr. Theodore Wilson; Diana Ross, and D.J Catnip (a Jack Russell Terrier).
Among the dogs of Rochester Hills is one who “has a little bit of everything,” and a name as unique as her lineage – Bendel. Named after a clothing designer and department store creator Henri Bendel, this beautiful mutt is a rescue who has appeared along with her person, Mayor Bryan Barnett, in numerous Rochester Hills promotional videos over the years. Whether she’s out for a walk in the one of the city’s parks or trails, napping in the corner of the Mayor’s office, or making an appearance in the local news, Bendel is known as the unofficial City Dog. But, Barnett says, “she never lets it go to her head.”
Oakland County requires dogs to be licensed. Residents can do so through the city clerk’s office or through Oakland County. Learn more at the City of Rochester Hills website, or Oakland County Animal Shelter and Pet Adoption Center.
Visit the Data-Based Stories Archives on Oakland County Times for stories on voter turnout, population shifts, Dogs of Oakland County, and other statistics-related stories, thanks to Data Expert Kurt Metzger.
Join in the conversation on the Oakland County Times Facebook Page, and share your puppy’s picture or special name! Also check out these other ‘Dogs of Oakland County’ stories to see how Rochester Hills compares:
