Bow as a male pet name is a single syllable with multiple possible meanings: the decorative bow (as in bow tie), the bow of a ship, the bow used to play stringed instruments, or a simple echo of "bow-wow." At rank 2175 with only 44 registrations, it's genuinely rare, and the simplicity is the entire point.
Minimalist One-Syllable Naming
Bow sits alongside Ace, Rex, and Blaze in the single-syllable male dog name category that prizes clarity. One-syllable names are the most functional for training: distinct, sharp, impossible to confuse within a sentence. Boxers and Pit Bulls suit one-syllable names with strong consonant openings.
Beau vs. Bow
Beau (French for handsome) is significantly more common and sounds identical to Bow in American English. The two are homonyms in daily use. See Beau for the more established spelling with the same sound and none of the pronunciation ambiguity.
Counter-Reading: Pronounced Two Ways
Bow-tie and bow-of-a-ship are pronounced differently (BOH vs. rhymes-with-cow). Most people will read BOH, which is what you want. But some won't. Beau eliminates the ambiguity entirely while keeping the sound. Worth considering before the name tag is engraved.