Tobias is one of those names that sounds like it has a backstory. It's the full Greek/Latin form of Toby, from the Hebrew Tobiah meaning "God is good" — three syllables with real linguistic weight, more formal than Toby by exactly the right amount, and increasingly popular as both a human name and a pet name in the current decade.
Literary and Biblical Roots
Tobias appears in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, where he travels with the archangel Raphael on a healing journey — a narrative rich enough to give the name a quiet sense of adventure. In literary culture, Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development gave the name a comedic dimension that some pet owners are absolutely aware of when choosing it. The human name Tobias has been climbing US charts since 2010 and currently sits in the top 200, driven partly by the literary Divergent series character Four (born Tobias Eaton).
Sound and Nickname Dynamics
To-BY-as: the stress falls on the middle syllable, which gives it a natural cadence. Toby is the obvious daily-use form, and it's warm and completely functional as a standalone pet name. The full Tobias on paperwork with Toby in the yard gives owners the same formal/informal flexibility that William/Will provides. Toby independently is a well-used pet name.
Breed Fit
Tobias works well on gentle, medium-to-large dogs — Golden Retrievers and Bernese Mountain Dogs carry it naturally. The name's warmth matches dogs with an emotional availability that the name implies.