New Plymouth dog owners play it safe when it comes to naming their pooches, with Bella proving the top dog in the naming stakes.

It is the most common dog name registered with the district council, with 155 pooches answering to Bella followed by Poppy (138), Charlie (122), Max (120) and Luna (118).

Animal Control Supervisor Scott Goldfinch said there were also more unusual choices.

“Then there are the unique names, like Autobot and Winnifred Wolf Allen. And personally, I really like Ronnie Barker.”