Goober is a term of affection for someone charmingly goofy — and it's also Southern American slang for peanut (from the Bantu word nguba). Either reading works on a dog, and both readings simultaneously work best of all. A dog named Goober has an owner who finds the animal's specific variety of awkward endearing rather than embarrassing.
The Goofy Dog Name Tradition
Pet names that explicitly acknowledge the animal's goofiness — Doofus, Weirdo, Goober — belong to a category of affectionate self-deprecation. The owner isn't naming the dog for its dignity; they're naming it for the quality that makes them laugh the most. Goober implies a dog who runs into things, misjudges distances, and stares at walls with profound concentration.
The Cultural Origins
Goober entered American English from West African languages through the slave trade — nguba became goober, and peanuts became goobers in Southern vernacular. The word's journey into affectionate slang is long and American. Owners who know this find the name has more history in it than its silly surface suggests.
Breed Fit
Large, enthusiastic, slightly uncoordinated dogs suit Goober best: Great Danes, young Labs who haven't grown into themselves yet, any dog who's all paws and good intentions.
The Counter-Reading: A Name That's Hard to Take Seriously
The dog can never be taken fully seriously at the vet's office. Most owners named Goober's owners have accepted this and find it suits the dog perfectly.