Dog Names that Start with Al

Dog names that start with "Al" are not as common as other names.  This may be in part due to how closely related "Al" names are to people names.  Most dog owners like to choose non-human names for their canine companions.  However, some dogs in pop culture have had names that start with "Al"  One well-known dog, at least among Trekies, is Alfa Canine 177.  The name Alfa is a Greek variation of Alpha and means beginning.  The name is often used to describe the leader of a pack.  Being an alpha dog is also a common concept in popular culture today.  In the original Star Trek television series, Alfa 177 was a planet the crew of the USS Enterprise explored in the 23rd Century.  Captain Kirk found the Alfa 177 canine planetside and later the dog-like creature became a stowaway onboard the ship.  Alfa was not given a formal name in the show nor is there one in the Star Trek canon, so he remains Alfa 177 Canine in popular culture.  This dog-like creature was gentle and calm as Captain Kirk stroked its fur.  Alfa is described as looking like a small, medium-haired dog with a full mane, a single horn protruding from its head, and a golden antenna.  When Alfa 177 Canine was discovered onboard the Enterprise, the crew attempted to transport it back to Alfa 177 but something went wrong, and the dog split into two different creatures.  One dog remained gentle and calm while the other was aggressive and mean toward anyone who would approach it.  Eventually, the crew found a way to combine the two creatures and attempt to get it back to Alfa 177.  Unfortunately, the attempt was too much for the poor creature who died in the process.

A second dog in pop culture that had a name starting with "Al" was Alex the Dog from the Stroh Brewing Company.  This dog predated Budweiser's  Spuds MacKenzie in the 1980s.  Alex was a source of entertainment in the Stroh Beer commercials.  In one particular sequence, Alex's owner was playing poker with his buddies when one of them said they could go for another Stroh.  Before he got up, Alex's owner told him to hold on and called for Alex to retrieve two beers.  The Golden Retriever and Irish Setter mix dutifully got off the couch and the next sound audiences hear is the refrigerator door opening.  Alex grabs two bottles and opens them.  Audiences hear, and don't see, the sound of two beers being poured into a container but next, instead of Alex coming out with the two opened beers in question, they hear the sound of Alex lapping up a beverage from his water bowl.  Alex's owner calls out that he'd better be drinking his water and then everyone laughs.