“My favorite western movie has always been Tombstone, and Doc Holliday is my favorite character,” says Amber H. When it came time to name her newly adopted pup, she found a little wild west inspiration. “I realized in his puppy photo that he looked like a ‘Doc,’ and ‘Pawlliday’ came soon after.”
Amber’s pet naming quick draw paid off when Doc Pawlliday, her Australian Shepherd, took home the title of “Wackiest Dog Name” for 2023.
When she’s not coining clever pet puns, Amber and Doc are always on the move. “I'm always, always, always going,” she laughs. “Everybody says I'm just super busy, but I wear a lot of hats a lot of different days. So, that's why I cherish my time with my dog so much.” That involves a lot of time spent at the pool and diving off docks into nearby lakes—an activity that Doc has taken on competitively in recent months.
Luckily, we found time in Amber’s busy day to talk with us about her Wacky Pet Names experience—and her four-legged outlaw. Here’s what she had to say.
What was it like being a Wacky Pet Name nominee?
“I went all out,” Amber remembers. “I mean, I was messaging everybody, and I said, ‘Oh, y'all are going to have to vote for my dog.’ I was like, ‘I know y’all are tired of hearing about his name, but I need you guys to be ready to vote.’”
When she signed on, Amber didn’t realize just how much attention her pup would get, including local press and more. She continues, “So, once I realized kind of how big of a deal it was, and how Nationwide was really going all out for it, I was all for it. Because like I said, anybody who knows me knows dogs are my favorite people.
“So, any chance I can get to celebrate any kind of pets, especially mine, I was all for it. So, I was very, very excited.”
Anything you want to say to Doc’s adoring fans?
“Thank you for tolerating us is basically all I can say,” Amber laughs. “I know I feel like I just kind of overstayed my welcome. But for the most part, I was like, ‘If I have the opportunity to brag about my dog, I will.’”
Of course, Amber’s friends and family were happy to support Doc’s push for the title of wackiest pet name. “They love him. I had friends texting me, saying, ‘I sent it to my friends in California, and they're going to vote for him, too’ … My mother—my God, she was sending it to everybody! You know, I had a lot of supporters, a lot more supporters than I thought I would have … it was a wonderful week, and I had a very good time, just bragging about my dog all week, honestly.”
What was your takeaway from the experience?
“I mean, a lot of people think this is probably really silly, but nobody celebrates enough good news anymore,” Amber says. “It's something super fun, and I'm glad [Nationwide] highlights things like this. It brightens a lot of people's days—not just mine, but I'm sure everybody else who is involved, too.”
Did you have any other favorite Wacky Pet Names?
“I gave my other votes to Me’Shell and Prison Mike,” Amber says, smiling. Me'Shell, a turtle from Illinois who was a contender in the first year of exotic pet name prestige, whereas Prison Mike, an Abyssian from Minnesota, took home the title of wackiest feline name.
How did you choose a pet name for your dog?
Sometimes, a great pet name is something that’s almost predestined. Naming Doc Pawlliday was one such occasion: “I actually named him before I got him … I was fairly confident in that, it just felt right [from] all his fluffy pictures. I was driving home one day, I was on the back roads coming home, and I just ran his puppy picture through my head.… For some reason, the name Doc kept popping up, and I thought, ‘Oh, he could be a Doc. He's quite chunky, he's fluffy, he looks like a Doc to me.’ Right before I got home, in the driveway I went, ‘Oh my gosh, he could be Doc Pawlliday.’”
What is your secret for choosing a great pet name?
“One thing that I always thought of was don't be scared if you don't have a perfect name for them the day that you bring them home,” Amber says. “They're not going to get it right away anyway, so just wait to see what their personality is.”
She also recommends tapping into your interests for inspiration: “There’s a lot to be said for people who have really strong fandoms … or they have themes that they want to go by. You can absolutely do that. Just give them a second to get settled in and see what their personality is like.”
Any other advice to share with pet parents?
“I had a dog before who needed lots of medical care,” Amber says. “I did not realize that a lot of his medical bills and vet stays and stuff could've been paid for [so] the day I brought Doc home, I put him on pet insurance.
“I've been a broken record for people bringing puppies home, ever since. I tell them, I'm like, ‘Please do it now, rather than later.’ And I know that it's just this spiel that people are tired of hearing from me, but I've seen the opposite side of not having it, and I think it's just good peace of mind.”
Testimonial provided by an actual Nationwide member. Views expressed by the member belong solely to the member and not Nationwide, its affiliates, or employees. Actual insurance plan availability and coverage may vary.
