Czech Dog Names

Sometimes you cannot just talk about one dog. Sometimes, that dog is so cool that they never go anywhere without their partner. Sometimes, those two dogs complete each other so much that you cannot mention one without the other. Well, this probably goes for people as well when you think about it. Mirko is nothing without Slavko; Laurel is nothing without Hardy, you get the picture. In the big picture, Štaflík is nothing without Špagetka, and these two doggos are the stars of the day. 

The two friends with odd names for English speakers are characters of an animated series which ran from 1971 up until 2014! Rare are the shows that have such a long run, so this is by all means impressive. The director Václav Čtvrtek and the screenwriter Alena Munkova took inspiration from the puppet show called Psi život (which translates to Dog’s Life) and created the beloved cartoon that many Czech children watched for generations. 

The series follows the lives of two lovely dogs, the black Špagetka (pronounced as Shpagetka) and the white Štaflík (pronounced as Shtaflik). Špagetka is a long doggo, and his name can be translated as a noodle, and Štaflík is tall, and again, his name translates as a pole. They have another recurring character in the show, a raven called, simply Raven. All three of these animals were created by Jiri Munk, the co-author, who encountered them when he was a child and was inspired to turn them into cartoons. 

The series had three “seasons” with thirteen episodes each. The first season was in black and white, while the two others were in color. In their adventures, the two friends learn how to build a house, how to make a roof, how to paint, how to make a lovely garden, how to cook, how to read. They attended drama classes, theatres, they learned how to be good photographers, they played chess, they enrolled in a dance competition and participated in beauty pageants. They also went on hot air balloon rides, they became athletes, they visited famous Czech castles from the medieval ages, they went to school, and even celebrated Christmas.  

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and this beloved series did too. However, Štaflík and Špagetka will forever stay in the hearts of Czech children, who are probably adults now, and who will show their kids this fantastic show and keep it alive. These two pups are a national treasure, and in a dog-loving country such as the Czech Republic, it is unlikely they will ever be forgotten.