What was the name of Alexander's dog?
Answer
Peritas
Answer
Peritas
Alexander the Great's dog was named Peritas. Ancient writers describe Peritas as Alexander's favorite dog, a personal companion remembered alongside the king's famous horse, Bucephalus.
Very little is known with certainty about Peritas. Plutarch reports that Alexander raised and loved the dog, and that after Peritas died, Alexander founded a city and gave it the animal's name. The city was probably somewhere in the region of modern Pakistan, near the Hydaspes River, although its exact identification remains uncertain.
Other stories connect Alexander with exceptionally powerful dogs, including accounts of animals that fought lions or elephants. Those tales may explain why Peritas is sometimes portrayed as a Molossian or another large ancient hunting dog, but the breed cannot be established reliably. The name is also occasionally confused with Bucephalus, who was Alexander's celebrated war horse, or with Cerberus, the many-headed guard dog of Greek mythology.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026