30 Jun 2016

Share this story

Mr Pickles’ distinctive name and his larger than life personality have made him top dog in the neighbourhood.

The cairn terrier Sydney silky cross was originally called Gizmo by owners Kathy Ousey and Craig Forster but he earned his new title when he stole a cheeseburger and ate everything except the gherkin. From then on he has been Mr Pickles, Mr P, or just Pickles when he’s misbehaving, and everyone remembers him.

“When we go to the park near our house all these children will come running up, screaming ‘Mr Pickles! It’s Mr P!’. He’s infamous. It’s not just his name, it’s his big personality,” Ms Ousey says.

“He’s immensely happy, everything that happens to him is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. The best walk, the best breakfast and the best playtime with other dogs. He’s an extremely enthusiastic dog, and he’s so much work.”

Mr Pickles’ name is a stand-out, but of the other 36,843 dogs registered with the Christchurch City Council by the end of May this year the most common names are Bella (560), Max (437), Charlie (393) and Molly (392). The rest of the top 10 includes, Ruby, Jack, Toby and Rosie. Interestingly, Jack and Charlie also feature in the top 10 most popular baby names for 2015.

Registration details confirm what most people already know, Christchurch’s favourite dog breed is the labrador retriever, with a total of 4643 labradors registered in the city.

The next most popular breeds are Staffordshire bull terriers (2596) and bichon frises (2414). Border collies, Jack Russell terriers, cocker spaniels, smooth fox terriers, German shepherds, Huntaways and miniature schnauzers also make the top 10 breeds list.

Some of the more unusual breeds include the Basset Hound (32), Saint Bernard (25), Chow Chow (12), Shiba Inu (11) and the Giant Schnauzer (3). Fashionable cross breeds include spoodles (cocker spaniel crossed with poodle), poochons (bichon frise crossed with poodle), boradors (labrador retriever crossed with border collie) and maltichons (maltese crossed with bichon frise).

Across New Zealand there are 552,236 dogs registered, meaning Christchurch’s registered canine population accounts for about 6 per cent of the total. Our human population makes up about 8 per cent of the country’s population.

Mr Pickles

Mr Pickles' distinctive moniker sets him apart from other dogs.

There are six dogs in Christchurch called (Footrot Flats-style) Dog. Snoopy features 31 times, Scooby Doo nine times, but Hairy Maclary only twice.

The owners of dogs named Polar Bear, Frodo, Yogi, Bam Bam, Fonzie and Ewok can take a bow wow for originality. And you might hear red-faced owners calling out at local parks for Hash Brown, Sherlock Bones, Fizz Pop Bang, Dave Growl, Obi Wan Kenobi and Prince Charles.

Ms Ousey says Mr Pickles is the perfect name for her pooch. “When I first named him I was a little bit embarrassed but we’ve just got used to it now. The name suits him so well. There’s not a single name in the world that would suit him better.”

Council Head of Animal Management Mark Vincent said the number of registrations showed thousands of responsible dog owners loved their dogs and their pets brought them a lot of joy. He thanked owners for giving their dogs proper care and respect. "I personally know from rescuing many dogs from shelters, that they deserve the best."