Gazing fondly at a litter of gorgeous little Labrador puppies snuggling up to their mother, have your thoughts ever drifted to the origin of the name Labrador?

For the benefit of those who have never actually wondered, the full title of the Labrador is the Labrador Retriever. The breed first made its appearance on the isle of Newfoundland, Canada, where these dogs worked hard with their fishermen owners. Their love of water made them the ideal choice for catching and 'retrieving' fish.

In 1903, the breed was recognised by the Kennel Club and the Labrador's popularity has been soaring ever since.

But what about the meanings behind the names people chose for their dogs and the thought processes behind them?

The name Bo has suddenly sprung into prominence thanks to the appearance of the White House puppy, though some people spell in Beau, just to be different.

And speaking of names with a difference, there's no end to the possibilities.  Recent canines we have encountered – apart from the usual Hollies, Mollies and Dollies – have included the upmarket Latin-named Septimus (a couple's seventh hound), Decimus (their tenth), and Monty Zuma, whose owner was well travelled.

Another couple (husband a Freudian psycho-analyst, wife a school teacher) named their dogs Oedipus and Electra, though frequently shortened their names to Eedie and Ellie. 

A Welsh vicar, renowned for his sense of humour named his dog Mephistopheles purely for the pleasure of horrifying his neighbours by standing at the door of his vicarage at the dead of night calling his dog in.

American dogs are often named after stars of stage and screen.  Abbott, Angelica, Andress, Aston, Ava, Bardot, Bette, Bing, Bogart, Caine, Carrie, Clark, and so on.

Ben and Shep are among the most popular names for male dogs in England.

Rover and Lassie seem to have gone right out of fashion.  Today,  Baxter, Buster, Tess, Tessa, Molly, Milly, Merlin and Rosie are often seen skipping around parks and beaches.

Popular dog names in Ireland include Paddy, Murphy, Blarney, Clancy, Dana, Dingle, Fagan, Jig, Joyce , Shannon and Tara.  And in Scotland: Jamie, Angus, Bonnie, Clyde and of course Scottie; depending on the breed.

Labradors and Golden Retrievers are ever-popular as family dogs.  They are wonderful with children and other animals, they travel well, thrive on their daily walk and (with the odd exception) are completely trustworthy.

Both of these breeds are constantly in demand for training as guide dogs.  They can also be seen helping disabled and hearing-impaired people.  They make excellent search and rescue dogs too.

But what about other breeds?

Did you know, for example, that traditionally the Doberman Pinscher was popular as a tax collector's dog?  That the clumber spaniel is recorded as having been a French Revolution emigree.

The American foxhound was chosen as the Pilgrim Fathers' dog but the big-eared  Basset Hound was 'the French aristocrat'.  The hairless Chinese crested is apparently, generally known as the powder puff.  Mary, Queen of Scots chose the English toy spaniel as her lapdog.  The Pug was popular with kings and monks.

The noble Irish Wolfhound was the war dog of Irish chieftains.  Cuchulainn, the mythological Hound of Ulster wasn't a dog at all.  He was a warrior, otherwise known as Setanta.

Irish wolfhounds, renowned for their sweet disposition, have long been known as hunters.  They were enormously popular with ancient Roman emperors.

In years gone by, the wolfhound was prized in Ireland for hunting stag, deer, elk, wild boar and wolves.  They are believed to be ancestors of the Scottish deerhound.

Summer holidays for dog owners can be a pain if the unfortunate dog has to go into kennels or stay at home with some sort of animal 'aunt' or 'uncle'. Hence the rise in self-catering holidays throughout the United Kingdom where children and dogs are welcome. 

These can be in the country, or by the sea.  Go surfing (in both senses of the word) along the beautiful beaches of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset and the whole area known as the English Riviera.