Fozzie Bear is the comedy Muppet who tells jokes that don't quite land but keeps telling them anyway, accompanied by a little "Wocka wocka wocka." As a pet name, Fozzie implies an animal who is enthusiastically trying to be charming regardless of results — which describes a remarkable number of dogs accurately.
The Muppet Pipeline
Fozzie is unambiguously a Muppets reference for anyone who encounters it. The Muppet Movie (1979) through the contemporary franchise revival has kept Fozzie culturally present across multiple generations. The name is one of the more benevolent Muppet character names available — Fozzie is warm, sincere, and essentially harmless in a way that Animal or Gonzo are not. Golden Retrievers and Labradoodles appear with this name above average, probably because their fluffy, enthusiastic energy matches the bear's visual and personality profile.
Sound and Nickname Logic
Fozzie has the same "-ie" ending that dominates contemporary dog naming (Ollie, Teddy, Archie, Herbie) but with a more distinctive onset that makes it impossible to confuse with anything else. It has good carry-distance and an inherent warmth in its phonetic structure. The name doesn't shorten further in any obvious way, which means the pet keeps the full form in daily use.
Counter-Read
Fozzie is deeply committed to a playful, slightly self-deprecating register. It doesn't adapt to serious contexts. For the same Muppets family with a different energy, Kermit offers a more stoic alternative, or explore all pet names.