Mike on a pet is a specific kind of humor: the maximally ordinary name applied to an animal. It's the naming equivalent of calling a giant dog Tiny — the comedy comes from the mismatch between the context and the expectation. A dog named Mike suggests an owner with a dry sense of humor and possibly a contractor friend named Mike.
The Everyman Name as Pet Irony
Michael has been one of the most common American male names for most of the 20th century — number one or near it from 1954 through 1998. Mike is its everyday diminutive, a name so embedded in American life that it's almost generic. That genericness is exactly what makes it funny on a pet. The human name Michael means "who is like God?" in Hebrew — a theological question that a labrador retriever is unlikely to resolve.
The Monsters Inc. Reading
Mike Wazowski, the one-eyed green character from Pixar's Monsters, Inc. franchise (2001, 2013, and ongoing sequels), gives the name a pop-culture layer for owners who want it. A small, round, exuberant dog named Mike Wazowski is a complete personality statement. Sulley makes the obvious pairing.
Sound and Practicality
One syllable, hard M opener, the IKE sound that carries. Mike is effortless to call across any distance and impossible to confuse with a command. English Bulldogs named Mike have a specific blue-collar dignity that tracks. Browse similar names at pet names.