Introduction
The Land Before Time Dog Names in Pop Culture
In The Land Before Time franchise, Spike is an orphaned Stegasaurus, but unlike the other dinosaur characters, Spike doesn’t speak much, only uttering a few words throughout all of the movies. He is adopted by Ducky’s mother, and in many cases, the group treats him a little like they would a beloved pet. His kindness and gentleness make him a popular character for many fans, both young and old.
Spike, the Labrador Retriever and English Mastiff mix, was also quite popular with audiences as he played one of the most recognizable canine characters on film, Old Yeller.
Like Spike in The Land Before Time, Spike, the dog, started out homeless and alone, but he was adopted from the Van Nuys Animal Shelter by well-known animal trainer Frank Weathermax. While Spike didn’t show signs of his greatness at first, Frank had trained several other big canine stars including the canine actors who played Toto from Wizard of Oz, Asta from The Thin Man, and Lassie, from the franchise of the same name. When Frank’s wife, Connie, read a description of Old Yeller she immediately thought of Spike, and when Frank got a notice that Walt Disney had purchased the movie rights, she urged Frank to contact Disney Studios.
When Spike first auditioned for Walt Disney, Mr. Disney wasn’t impressed. The dog playing Old Yeller had to be able to be vicious, first when protecting the boys from wild boars, and again when the character develops Rabies symptoms after contracting the disease from the boar. Spike was playful, loved kids, and was focused on fun. By the time that Frank had finished working with Spike, the dog would bark and growl ferociously on cue but would revert back to his normal, happy go lucky attitude as soon as he was done.
Spike performed admirably, helping to create one of the most emotionally wrenching scenes in movie history. While he is best known for his role as Old Yeller, the dog continued his acting career afterward as well, going on to perform in The Silent Call, The She-Creature, and A Dog of Flanders, as well as making an appearance or two on the television show, The Mickey Mouse Club. Spike ended up retiring in the Weatherwax household and producing progeny. One of his sons went on to be featured in the 1964 film Island of the Blue Dolphins, and one of his grandsons acted alongside Steve McQueen and Robert Preston in the 1972 movie Junior Bonner.
The Land Before Time Dog Name Considerations
The fourteen Land Before Time franchise spanned twenty-eight years and provides a source of inspiration of many different names. Some of the names lend themselves to dogs with specific physical attributes; for instance, a particularly large dog may suit Doc or Sue, while dogs with a smaller stature may fit tags associated with the Tinysauruses, like Big Daddy, Chatter, or Skitter. If the canine that you are naming is talkative, names like Petrie, Duckie, or Tippy may be suitable, and protective dogs may be better served with a name like Topsy, like Cera's protective father, or Mrs. Mama, a dinosaur who is quite protective of the eggs in her nest.
Male The Land Before Time Inspired Dog Names
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Topsy
Cera’s father is known as Mr. Threehorn by the children, but his wife calls him Topsy
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Tippy
A vocal young Stegosaurus who befriends Spike
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Tickles
A Megazostrodon who befriends Ducky and the first named mammal in the franchise
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Thud
Screech and Thud are raptors that play minions to Red Claw
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Thicknose
Mr. Thicknose is a Pachyrhinosaurus that also serves as a teacher to Littlefoot and his friends
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Tar
Tar pits are peppered throughout an area known as The Mountains that Burn
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Spike
Ducky found Spike hatching from an egg all alone when Littlefoot and his friends were first traveling to the Great Valley
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Skitter
The first of the Tinysaurus herd to befriend Littlefoot was named Skitter
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Shorty
Littlefoot’s brother by adoption
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Screech
Screech and Thud are raptors that play minions to Red Claw
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Saro
An old friend of Littlefoot’s grandfather
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Rocky
Rocky and Dusty are twin Tinysauruses; Dusty often finishes Rocky’s sentences
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Rhett
Another young Apatosaurus in Ali’s herd
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Red Claw
One of the most ferocious of the Tyrannosaurus Rexes
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Pterano
Petrie’s uncle Pterano is a charismatic and proud Pteranodon
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Petrie
Petrie is a nervous but loyal Pteranodon who is friends with Littlefoot
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Nod
An adolescent Nodosaurus that pals around with Hyp
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Mutt
An adolescent Muttaburrasaurus that pals around with Hyp
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Mo
A colorful aquatic dinosaur known as an Opthalmosaurus that temporarily gets stranded in the Great Valley
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Milo
Milo, Lydia, and Plower are Ceratogaulus, a type of horned gopher, who think that Spike is “The Big, Wise One”
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Loofah
The leader of a herd of yellow-bellied Beipiaosaurus dinosaurs
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Littlefoot
The franchise centers around a young Apatosaurus named Littlefoot
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Ichy
Ichy, a type of Cretaceous-era bird known as an Ichthyornis, helps her friend Dil to navigate
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Hyp
An adolescent Hypsilophodon who tends to bully other young dinosaurs
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Guido
A small flying dinosaur with feathers which has never seen another dinosaur like himself
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Doc
A wandering Diplodocus that Littlefoot idolizes
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Dana
Cera’s nephew
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Chomper
A young, purple Tyrannosaurus who is friends with Littlefoot
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Bron
Littlefoot’s father is named Bron
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Big Daddy
The leader of the Tinysaurus herd
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Female The Land Before Time Inspired Dog Names
Votes | Name | Vote |
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Twoped
Mrs. Twoped is a friend of Tria’s
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Tricia
Cera’s baby half-sister
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Tria
Cera’s stepmother
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Treestar
A type of star-shaped leaf that is rare in the Mysterious Beyond, but plentiful in the Great Valley
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Swimmer
Ducky’s mother and Spike’s adoptive mother is referred to as Mama Swimmer
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Sue
A Supersaurus who befriends the other longnecked dinosaurs in the Great Valley
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Ruby
Ruby is a compassionate pink Oviraptor that became friends with Littlefoot towards the end of the franchise
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Plower
Milo, Lydia, and Plower are Ceratogaulus, a type of horned gopher, who think that Spike is “The Big, Wise One”
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Old One
The Old One is the matriarch of a group of migrating Apatosauruses
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Night Flower
A type of golden flower that only grows in the Land of Mists
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Mrs. Mama
Ducky calls a Diplodocus Mrs. Mama after falling into her nest of eggs
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Maia
Mrs. Maia is a Maiasaura who lives in the Great Valley
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Lydia
Milo, Lydia, and Plower are Ceratogaulus, a type of horned gopher, who think that Spike is “The Big, Wise One”
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Lizzie
Big Daddy’s daughter is named Lizzie
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Gobbler
Locusts are referred to as Swarming Leaf Gobblers in the Great Valley
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Flyer
Petrie’s mother is typically referred to as Mama Flyer by fans of the franchise
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Etta
A Pteranodon who helps Littlefoot to find his father, Bron
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Elsie
A Plesiosaur who gives Littlefoot and his friends a ride when they get stranded on an island
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Dusty
Rocky and Dusty are twin Tinysauruses; Dusty often finishes Rocky’s sentences
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Ducky
Ducky is an energetic and talkative Saurolophus that is friends with Littlefoot
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Doofah
An optimistic yellow-bellied Beipiaosaurus who is a friend of Loofah’s
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Dinah
Cera’s niece
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Dil
A Deinosuchus who depends on her friend Ichy to help her navigate due to her poor eyesight
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Dara
Dara is Doc’s companion
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Chatter
One of the Tinysaurus herd members is named Chatter
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Cera
Cera is a strong-willed triceratops who is close friends with Littlefoot
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Bubbles
A plant known as Sweet Bubbles (grapes) are Ruby’s favorite food
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Ashley
Many fans believe that the Great Valley is based on a valley in Utah that is now known as Ashley Valley
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Annie
The Land Before Time franchise has earned several Annie awards
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Ali
An Apatosaurus that befriends Littlefoot
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