We currently didn't have a dog when we got "Sharky", and we didn't really have a specific breed in mind either. There was a flyer up at the grocery store, "Free Rottwhiler, Very Kind Dog". We went to go see this Rottie, who just licked our faces. And then we brought him home. The next thing to do was change his name; "Sharky" didn't really fit his personality. So we chose the name Carl, after the books.