Perseus ranks 1835 in the pet registry with 55 male animals. It's one of the heaviest mythological name picks in this bracket — a Greek hero who slew Medusa and founded Mycenae. Giving this to a pet is either a statement of grandiose affection or a knowing joke about a kitten who can't even defeat a dust bunny.
The Mythology Name Tier
Perseus sits at the top of Greek hero names: he predates Hercules in the mythological timeline and is arguably more foundational. Pet names from Greek mythology cluster disproportionately around cats and large male dogs — owners who want the gravitas without the ubiquity of Zeus or Apollo. Maine Coons and Great Danes both carry Perseus with appropriate scale.
The Practical Name Problem and Its Solution
Four syllables. PER-see-us. Daily callouts at the dog park require either full commitment to the full name or a reduction to Percy, which is its own perfectly serviceable name. Percy is warm, slightly old-fashioned, charming — a good landing point. The human name Perseus is rare but recorded in SSA data, so you're not alone in taking this name seriously.
The Counter-Reading: Expectation vs. Reality
Perseus the hero was the only man alive who could look at Medusa without turning to stone. Your Labrador retriever probably cannot. The gap between the name's grandeur and any pet's actual behavior is part of the appeal for many owners — but worth acknowledging before committing to the full weight of a demigod's name.