Here boy!

Shep, Lassie, Gnasher, Wellard ... choosing a name for your dog can be a difficult process. Do you go for an acceptable family name, or do you go for something that makes you snigger. Or maybe you should be giving your pet something to live up to and name it after a celebrity?.

Well, now you can relax and pick from the top ten dogs names. Researchers have interviewed 20,000 dog owners and have come up with a definitive list of Britain's top dog names.

And sadly for EastEnders' Robbie Jackson, Wellard just doesn't make it to the list. No, Britain's favourite dog name is ... Max.

Unglamorous it may be, but there it is. And it's followed by Charlie, Ben, Jake, Barney, Jack, Buster, Toby, Jasper and Oscar.

And for the girls: Molly and Holly are most common, followed by Rosie, Poppy, Lucy, Ellie, Tess, Meg, Bonnie and Daisy.

Sound too much like one of the family? Well, dog psychologist Neil Walker says this is because we are such a canine-loving nation that we want to humanise our pets and give them an established place in the home.

"Dogs are very much seen as part of the family and as such owners can give as much consideration and thought to naming their dog as they do their own children."

But many of us like to give our pets an ironic name - usually inspired by alcohol or by famous canines.

Of those that are named after celebrities, Rocky, Tyson and Jade came out on top. Next came Lulu, Lennox, Spike, Ossy, Buffy, Robbie, Buzz and Obi.

Boozey owners polled by Argos chose Brandy as the top name, followed by Whiskey, Tequilla, Babycham, Scrumpy, Bubbles, Schnapps, Shandy, Rye, Saki and Rum.

Walker explains: "For a dog or a bitch its name is vital in terms of its future training and development. However, it must be remembered that the name in itself means nothing to the dog. Dogs do not understand the emotion, humour, or irony intended by the owner."