The Hobbit Inspired Dog Names

Tolkien has certainly inspired many people over the years.  His flair for fantasy is truly unique. The way he constructs different races, religions and languages, along with multiple subplots and characters makes it feel somewhat real to us.  The Hobbit is action packed and takes place in a world we can believe in.  You can watch the movies and read the novel several times and still find yourself surprised by something you missed last time you read the book or viewed the film. 

In popular culture, the movies are recent which means younger generations are familiar with at least adaptations of Tolkien’s work, increasing its popularity.  The spotlight name for this guide is Gandalf, inspired by Hobbit character, Gandalf the Grey.  Gandalf is a lovable, powerful and intelligent wizard that appears in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels and movies.  He is very brave and loyal. The name Gandalf is said to come from Norse mythology and there are also Swedish links to the name. 

A North Carolina Shiloh Shepherd named Gandalf received national media attention in 2007 for his heroic rescue actions. This Shiloh works as a rescue dog, which is common for the Shiloh breed.  Gandalf caught the scent of boy scout that had been missing in the North Carolina mountains for four days.  Search and rescue had scoured the area with trained dogs for days, and a heat-sensing helicopter had joined in the search for the 12-year-old boy and were not able to locate him. Until Gandalf appeared on the scene.

Following the rescue, the boy was rushed to hospital.  He suffered from extreme dehydration and exposure to cold. Without the help of Gandalf, the boy’s fate could have been very different.  Just like Gandalf in The Hobbit, this Shiloh showed bravery, resilience and intelligence.  Shilohs were originally a herding dog, but they make great family pets as they are gentle, with a kind temperament.  Sources suggest that they often find themselves in receipt of the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen award. 

Gandalf is not the only Hobbit inspired name to gain media attention.  In 2008, a giant Newfoundland dog named Bilbo hit headlines after his Lifeguard owner was prevented from taking him onto the beach due to summertime by-laws.  There was a petition created by the public in that area, because Bilbo had previous saved three lives while patrolling with his owner.  It was agreed that he could go on certain days of the week due to the nature of his work.  Sadly, in 2015, Bilbo hit the headlines again, as his owner had reported his death on Social Media.