Greek Dog Names

Dogs are an important part of Greek mythology; you can find dogs in many Greek stories, and they are the god's favorite pets. One of the most well known mythological dogs is Cerberus, also known as the ‘Hound of Hades’. This was a gigantic three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the underworld, preventing the dead from escaping. Besides having three heads, Cerberus also had a serpent's tail, lion’s claws, and a mane of snakes. As one of his twelve labors, Heracles had to get Cerberus to the land of the living. This was imposed just because of the impossibility of the task, because the three-headed hound was a terrible, untameable monster. Nonetheless, Heracles succeeded, and brought out the dog. Cerberus also had a two-headed brother named Orthrus, who was in charge of the Geryon’s castle.

Another great mythical dog is Argos, which is the faithful hound in Homer’s Odyssey. Argos was a strong, fast, hound that belonged to Odysseus. Odysseus had to leave for Troy though, and it took him twenty years of wrestling over the seas to get back home. When he returned, Odysseus disguised himself as a beggar to avoid being recognized and make a surprise attack to regain his home. But Argos, living in terrible conditions after years of abandonment, recognizes his master as soon as he sees him. Although now old and incapable of moving, Argos drops his ears and moves his tails as he sees his beloved owner, and then let himself die, after waiting for twenty years for his master’s return. This represents a dog’s true loyal nature, depicted in one of the world's literary masterpieces.

And lastly, there is also Laelaps. A female hunting dog that belonged to Zeus, Laelaps, known as the "Golden Hound’ was given the job to protect baby Zeus, the future King of the gods. Later, when Zeus fell in love with Europa, he gave her Laelaps, the dog that never failed to capture her prey. Eventually, Laelaps was given the task to capture the Teumessian fox, a giant fox impossible to capture. This was the dog that always catches its prey, chasing the fox that couldn’t not be caught. This chase went on and on until Zeus decided to turn them both into stone, freezing them forever in their chase.