There are many beloved dogs that are named after actual places. The Yorkshire Terrier is perhaps the most famous of these. Yorkies, as they’re affectionately known, are named after the largest country in England, where the dogs were initially bred to help handle rodents in the Northern English countryside.
We know plenty of the planet’s cutest pooches. Yorkies are incredibly affectionate, both when it comes to integrating with their human family, and around children. The less said about their interactions with other dogs though, the better. As well as that, they’re incredibly easy to train, thanks to their eagerness to impress their owners.
But what of their real-world home location? Well, Yorkshire is renowned for having incredible countryside scenery and is a hotspot for tourists both in the UK and from abroad. And the county’s cities aren’t bad either.
The biggest cities in Yorkshire are Leeds and Sheffield. Both are known for their love of sports, with Leeds United, Sheffield United, and Sheffield Wednesday all hailing from the county.
The clubs’ stadiums – Elland Road, Bramall Lane, and Hillsborough – all allow Yorkies entrance with their owners. Both cities have bustling nightlife, as well as plenty of leisurely activities to enjoy. If you are a fan of exciting table games like the ones on this page, then you will love heading to the casinos in Sheffield City Centre with your Yorkie who is more than welcome to attend with you.
As well as the world-famous Yorkshire Terrier, there are plenty of other dogs named after real-world places. Here are our top picks.
Maltese
Another tiny dog that is named after a real-world place is the Maltese. These tiny cuties have become popular both with regular everyday folk and with celebrities thanks to their tiny stature and their glorious white coat. These pups are well known for their playful nature and are a great addition to any family.
In fact, even royal families have been known to own Maltese over the years. Both Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I was known to have these little white rascals playfully roaming around their palaces. The Maltese only grows to a maximum of 12 inches long, so they are easy to transport around if needed.
But where does the Maltese originate from? Well, as the name suggests, they hail from a tiny island called Malta, which is just south of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea.
Malta is a country with a rich history. They famously repelled an invasion from the giant Ottoman empire in 1565. The country was also the most bombed country throughout World War II, with the Axis powers of Germany and Italy aiming to break the country’s spirit.
Spoiler alert, they didn’t. And that famous stubbornness is reflected in the country’s most famous export, the Maltese.
These days, Malta is a tourist hotspot. Locations such as Sliema and St. Julian’s attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Surprisingly however, you won’t see many Maltese’s roaming the streets with their owners, most of the highly sought-after dogs have been shipped overseas and nowadays, not many remain in their homeland.
German Shepherd
If you hadn’t heard of Yorkshire or Malta, then we’re sure you’ll have heard of Germany. The Central European nation is of course the homeland of the German Shepherd. And the German Shepherd is the first dog on our list that isn’t a tiny little specimen.
These dogs can grow up to a size as big as 25 inches and up to a weight of around 100 lbs. Indeed, they are big units. And their intimidating stature is often why you will often see German Shepherds being utilized as guard dogs and building sites and factories.
These big boys can have a notorious reputation, but that is simply due to their caring nature. To prevent your German Shepherd from being over-caring and sometimes even aggressive, then they do need to be taught how to socialize and also how to be obedient at a young age.
The German Shepherd is known as an Alsatian in the United Kingdom, with the powers that be in the country not wanting any negative attention given to the dog courtesy of its German routes after World War I. The Great War is when these giant dogs were introduced Stateside, with many American soldiers bringing the dogs home with them following the culmination of the war in 1918.
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is one of the world’s most beloved dogs. Thanks to their Arctic-looking coat and gorgeous blue eyes, they are instantly recognizable.
Many people mistake the husky for being a big dog however, they are somewhat half the size of the aforementioned German Shephard. Huskies are renowned for their love of running, after all, it is what they were bred to do in the Arctic Circle.
As their name suggests, the Husky originates from Siberia in Eastern Russia, some 3,500km east of the capital Moscow.
