Firehouse Dog Names

Introduction

People have been fighting fire throughout history; the first firefighting teams in ancient Rome were composed of a line of people passing buckets to one another from the nearest water source to the structure that was burning. The first fire hose wasn’t developed until the late 1600s, and they didn’t become particularly effective until the early 1800s when metal rivets were used to hold the material together. Fire brigades began utilizing horses and carriages to transport the water and hoses, and they employed dogs to run alongside the carriage to help protect the horses and the occupants. When firetrucks came on the scene the sight of the firedog was so expected that they continued riding with the firemen and providing assistance, and they continue doing so even today.

Firehouse Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous Firehouse Dog

Jake

The job of the firehouse dog has changed somewhat over the centuries. Canine firefighters were initially enlisted to help protect the carriage and horses, but the advent of the firetruck did little to reduce their usefulness. They frequently rode on the firetrucks and served as mascots and companions for the firemen as well as pest control in the firehouse. Many of them even helped the firemen with their duties during fires; there are many records of firedogs saving lives and becoming heroes in their own right. The modern firedog still performs many of these tasks, but they also have added jobs such as accelerant detection and fire safety education.

The breed most often associated with firefighting is the Dalmatian; their long legs and endurance meant that they were better able to keep up with the wagons that were used to fight fires in the 1800s and they had a special connection with the horses that pulled the carriages. While the Dalmatian breed is still frequently associated with firefighting, modern firehouse dogs come in many different varieties, from Boston Terriers to Pit Bulls, many of them rescued from fires themselves. Jake, a Pit Bull-type dog from Hanahan South Carolina, is one such dog.

One April afternoon in 2015, firefighter William Lindler was washing his car when the familiar smell of smoke drifted by him. When he saw flames coming from his neighbor’s shed, he grabbed his firefighting gear and returned to put out the fire. A female Pit Bull-type dog came running out of the structure with several young puppies in tow, but Lindler observed that one little dog had become trapped by a chunk of burning ceiling. Lindler went to great lengths to retrieve the pup, but the tiny canine, just three weeks old, had suffered burns to 75% of his body, including to the pads of his paws. The pup was taken to a veterinarian, but once there his owners were unable to pay for the expensive medical treatments and poor Jake was abandoned.

Lindler, concerned for the young dog’s welfare, contacted the veterinarian to ascertain his status. When he learned that Jake had been abandoned, he adopted the dog. Initially, Lindler planned on training the pup to be a therapy dog, to help burn victims better recover from their own injuries, but further observation showed the firefighter Jake’s true destiny, as a fire accelerant detector and fire safety educator.

Firehouse Dog Name Considerations

There are several methods that people can use to choose a name for a new canine companion. Some individuals consider a name based on a favorite book, movie, or television show, while others will select one that honors someone they admire, either the name of someone that they know personally or someone that is known for their expertise in a specific field, like an artist who names their pooch Vincent, after Vincent van Gogh or the architect who calls their dog Frank, after Frank Lloyd Wright. If you plan to indoctrinate your dog into a specific career field, the career that you choose can inspire you as well. Owners of dogs that are slated to become firehouse assistants have a wide base of titles to choose from, including the names of famous firedogs, like Bush, a firehouse dog that worked at the Old Vigilant Firehouse in Washington DC in the late 1800s, or Sparkie, a heroic firedog that was employed by the Central Frisco Fire Department in the 1980s. Another option is to give the canine a moniker related to the history of firefighting, such as Marcus, after Marcus Licinius Crassus, who was the first person to organize a fire brigade in Ancient Rome, or Molly, after the first recorded female firefighter in 1818, Molly Williams. You can also consider a handle related to fire, like Aiden, Serafina, Inferno, or Edana.

Male Firehouse Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
4	Flint A hard grey rock that can be used to create a spark when struck against a surface like steel
2	Blaze A large, brightly burning fire
2	Felix A well-known Chicago firedog from the early 1900s who was photographed in 1920 aboard one of the first motorized pump trucks
1	Inferno A large, out-of-control fire
1	Jake A Pit Bull-type dog that was saved from a fire at three weeks old and was adopted to be an arson detection dog by the Hanahan Fire Department in South Carolina
1	Quench Firemen often stop large fires by quenching them with water
1	Riggs The Bulldog mascot to Fire Factory Engine 58 Ladder 26 in New York City
0	Aiden A Celtic and Gaelic name meaning little fire
0	Buff A fire dog in Chicago, Illinois during the late 60s and early 70s
0	Bush A beloved firedog from 1869 memorialized on the Old Vigilant Firehouse in Washington DC
0	Cheddar A liver-spotted Dalmatian dog that teaches fire and pedestrian safety to kids in DeKalb County, Georgia
0	Chester One of the arson detection dogs in Surrey in the UK
0	Gibil A skilled Sumerian god of fire and smithing
0	Hoser Hoses are typically used to help put out fires
0	Kojin A Japanese god of fire, hearth, and the kitchen
0	Kresnik A heroic golden fire god of Slovenia
0	Logi The Norse jotunn who personifies fire
0	MacKay A Scottish name meaning son of fire
0	Marcus Marcus Licinius Crassus developed the first Roman fire brigade in the third century
0	Murphy Golden Retriever firedog for the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department
0	Nero A firedog mentioned in the kid's books Clifford the Big Red Dog; one of Clifford’s brothers
0	Nip A black and tan mongrel who earned four medals of honor for heroism in Brooklyn in the early 1900s
0	Obayana A name from Nigeria that means king of fire
0	Paytah A name from the Sioux people that means fire
0	Polo A mixed breed dog that gave his life to protect eight-month-old Vivian Poremski from a fast-moving fire
0	Rowtag An Algonquin name that means fire
0	Smokey A black Lab firehouse dog who was rescued from a house fire in Jacksonville, Illinois, and starred on the show Chicago Fire
0	Sparky The fire dog icon used by The National Fire Protection Association
0	Svarog Slavic god of smithing, fire, and the sun
0	Vulcan Roman god of crafting and fire

Female Firehouse Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
1	Fia An Italian name meaning a flickering fire
1	Molly The first known female firefighter was Molly Williams in 1818
1	Vesta Roman goddess of hearth and fire
0	Ashly An accelerant search dog for the Dallas Fire Department in Texas
0	Brande A feminine version of the name brand, short for firebrand
0	Brigid The Irish and Celtic goddess of fire, poetry, arts, and crafts
0	Chantico An Aztec goddess of volcanoes and hearth fires
0	Cinderella An English name meaning little cinder girl
0	Clover A mixed breed dog who was rescued from a shed in Madeira Beach, Florida and became the first mascot for their firehouse
0	Edana An Irish name that means a tiny flame
0	Ember A small glowing piece of wood or coal in a dying fire
0	Enya A name from Ireland that means little fire
0	Flame A fire is made up of flames
0	Hestia Greek goddess of hearth and fire
0	Houri A name from Armenia that means flames
0	Iansa A Brazilian goddess of fire and wind
0	Kalama A Hawaiian name that means flaming torch
0	Keegan An Irish name that means bright, shining flame
0	London The Great Fire of London in 1666 was a major force in standardizing firefighting methods
0	Lottie One of the arson detections dogs in Surrey in the UK
0	Pele The Hawaiian goddess of fire and wind
0	Pinky A Dalmatian firehouse mascot who also played steed to the monkey mascot of the Fire Department in New York City, Mrs. Herman
0	Ruby Ruby was saved from a fire that killed her owner and another dog, and now works with firefighters in Georgia to teach fire safety to kids
0	Serefina A Hebrew and Israeli name that means burning fire
0	Shelby The dedicated firedog for the Bladensburg Volunteer Fire Department
0	Sparkie The name given to the firedog at the Central Frisco Fire Department since the first Sparkie in the 1980s
0	Sparkles Sparkles the Fire Safety dog from Clarksville, Arkansas helps kids to learn about fire safety
0	Tilly One of the arson detections dogs in Surrey in the UK
0	Tinder Dry, flammable material that is often used to start a fire
0	Twenty A Dalmatian who was particularly helpful to the morale of NYC’s Fire Department Ladder 20 after losses from 9/11