South Dakota Dog Names

Introduction

A Midwestern US state, South Dakota is named for the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes. The state is the 5^th least populous and 5^th least densely populated of the 50 states. The Missouri River bisects the state, dividing it into two halves; residents of the state refer to each half as “East River” and “West River”. The majority of the state’s population is in the eastern part of the state, with ranching the predominant activity in the western part.

When looking for the right moniker for your canine companion, looking to South Dakota may offer you options that are just right for your pal. The state has much to offer, including a variety of naming opportunities.

South Dakota Dog Names in Pop Culture

Featured Famous South Dakota Dog

Mochi

Sioux Falls, South Dakota is home to a record setting dog. Mochi, also called “Mo”, is the record holder for the longest tongue, hers measuring in at 18.58 cm (7.31 inches) in length. A Saint Bernard, Mo is eight years old and is often stopped by strangers looking for a photo with the record-breaking pooch. Her owner, Carla Rickert, adopted Mo six years ago and describes her as a “resilient, happy-go-lucky dog”. Mo willingly dresses in costumes and enjoys snacks of sweet potatoes.

Another well-known dog in the state is Cisco, South Dakota’s first (and only) search and rescue dog. A live search dog, Cisco’s job is to find people that are alive and is trained in the area of structure collapse. He will search for something and bark when he has found it, alerting his handlers to his find. A Belgian Malinois, Cisco was sworn in to the Rapid City Fire Department in 2014 and is under the care of his handler, a 14-year firefighter named Jeremy Gibbons.

When a group of firefighters were called to the scene of the collapsed former Copper Lounge building on December 2, 2016, Cisco and Gibbons were included. The two were flown to Sioux Falls, and Cisco got to work. He explored the rubble with no hesitation, conducting a thorough search. Cisco turned out to be key in the location of two dogs that remained missing. He kept returning to two spots in the rubble. One of the spots was where someone had already been found before Cisco arrived. It was assumed that Cisco noted lingering scent. The second spot got a lot of his attention. Gibbons reported the spot and later that night a dog was found alive in that location. Two days later, barking was heard from the pile of rubble. It turned out that there was a surviving dog in the first spot Cisco focused on.

Gibbons and Cisco have trained together throughout the country. Cisco is always with Gibbons when he is at the first station and trains with the team. He has his own Facebook page, with the idea of letting the state of South Dakota know that he is a resource that the state has available. The pair continue to train together since Cisco has been sworn in; Gibbons builds courses out of donated materials that Cisco can train on. Photos and videos of the training exercises are available on his Facebook page.

South Dakota Dog Name Considerations

Don’t despair if you are feeling frustrated in trying to choose the right name for your new canine companion. You are certainly not alone. Upon realizing that you will be calling the name of your pooch thousands of times over the years to come, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. If, like many people, you are seeking a name that fits your dog while also holding meaning for you, take a look at the state of South Dakota as you seek the right moniker for your pup. If you feel a connection to the state, a particular part of it, or something that it represents, a South Dakota-inspired name for your dog may be the way to go. Each time you call the name of your new pal, you will be reminded of a place that means something to you.

A South Dakota-inspired name may also be a good choice if there is something about your dog that reminds you of a dog from the state; for example, your dog may bring to mind the sled dogs in the film Iron Will. A name inspired by the state is also a good choice if your dog shows an interest in an activity that makes you think about South Dakota. If your dog loves spending time with you and your motorcycle, for example, you may think about Sturgis, home of one of the world’s largest motorcycle events.

Regardless of why you are considering a name inspired by South Dakota, you will find that there are plenty of possibilities presented by the state.

Male South Dakota Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Aberdeen A city in the northeast part of the state; about 125 miles northeast of Pierre
0	Mitchell A South Dakota city located in the southeast part of the state
0	Pierre For the South Dakota state capital, located in the central part of the state
0	Brandon The largest suburb of Sioux Falls, located in the southeast part of the state
0	Cicero Cicero Peak is a mountain in Custer, South Dakota with an elevation of 6,168 feet
0	Sturgis A city in the western part of South Dakota that is known for one of the largest annual motorcycle events in the world
0	Dell Dell Rapids, a small city in the southwest part of the state
0	Canton A city in the southeast part of the state, about 20 minutes south of Sioux Falls
0	Rushmore For the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills in Keystone
0	Alvin Lake Alvin, an artificial lake formed by a dam on Nine Mile Creek
0	Byron Lake Byron, a South Dakota lake, is fed by Foster Creek and feeds to the James River
0	Llewellen For Llewellyn Johns State Recreation Area, a small park in Shadehill, South Dakota
0	Albert Lake Albert, in South Dakota, is named after John James Abert, a cartographer of the American West
0	Harris For Harrisburg, a suburb of Sioux Falls
0	Red For Redfield, a small city in the northeast part of the state
0	Custer For Custer State Park, a state park and wildlife preserve in the Black Hills
0	Kunchen For the South Dakota State dessert; kunchen is German for “cake”
0	Fisher For Fisher Grove State Park, located in the east central part of South Dakota
0	George For the George S. Mickelson Trail, a very well-maintained trail in the Black Hills that can easily be used by people of all ages and abilities
0	Herman Lake Herman State Park is located in the southeast part of South Dakota
0	Roy Roy Lake State Park is located in the far northeast part of the state
0	Gus The lead dog in the movie Iron Will, which takes place in South Dakota
0	Gutzon Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor of Mount Rushmore
0	Sparky For Sparky Anderson, a Major League Baseball Hall of Fame manager who was born in Bridgewater
0	Tom Tom Brokaw, television journalist, was born in Webster
0	Jefferson For Thomas Jefferson, one of the presidents sculpted in Mount Rushmore
0	Bob Game show host Bob Barker was raised on the Rosebud Reservation
0	Brock For Brock Lessner, USC fighter and WWE wrestler, born in Webster
0	Dennis For Dennis Daugaard, the Governor of South Dakota
0	Thune For U.S. Senator from South Dakota, John Thune

Female South Dakota Dog Names

Votes	Name	Vote
0	Brook For Brookings, South Dakota’s fourth largest city; located in the eastern central part of the state
0	Madison Home of Dakota State University; a city in the eastern part of the state
0	Pheasant The South Dakota state bird is the Ring-Necked Pheasant
0	Jane Calamity Jane, a Wild West figure, lived in Deadwood
0	Becky Basketball player and coach Becky Hammon was born in Rapid City
0	Mina Mina Lake State Recreation area; a wooded state park about ten miles west of Aberdeen
0	Belle For Belle Fourche, a city in the west central part of South Dakota
0	Summer Summerset is a small city in the western part of South Dakota
0	Peggy For Peggy Gordon Miller, who was the President of South Dakota State University from 1998-2006
0	Aurora A small town in the eastern part of the state
0	Alexandria A small city in the southeastern part of South Dakota
0	Lynn Lynn Lake, a natural lake in South Dakota
0	Pactola Pactola Lake, the largest reservoir in the Black Hills of South Dakota
0	Kampeska Lake Kampeska is an inland glacial lake in South Dakota
0	Cheyenne Cheyenne River is a tributary of the Missouri River, located in South Dakota and Wyoming
0	Cherry Cherry Creek is a tributary of the Cheyenne River, about 50 miles long, in the central part of South Dakota
0	Jewel For Jewel Cave National Monument in Custer, South Dakota
0	Keya Keya Paha River flows 127 miles through South Dakota and Nebraska
0	Ponca Ponca Creek is a stream that flows from the southern part of South Dakota into northern Nebraska
0	Terry Terry Peak is a mountain in the Black Hills, outside of Lead, South Dakota
0	Alex For the Hotel Alex Johnson, one of America’s oldest and spookiest hotels, in Rapid City
0	Gertrude For Gertrude Bonnin, a Lakota writer and activist who was born on Yankton Sioux Reservation
0	Augustana For Augustana University, a private liberal arts college with a Norwegian heritage
0	Rabbit The mascot of South Dakota State University is the Jackrabbit
0	Walleye For the South Dakota state fish
0	Pasque The state flower is the American Pasque
0	Dakota For South Dakota
0	Kristi Kristi Noem, U.S. Representative for South Dakota
0	Canary For Martha Canary, the real name of Calamity Jane
0	Rose For the Rose Quartz, the state mineral stone