Is the name of our open space (and the associated lake) “Waterdog” or is it “Water Dog”? This is far from a settled debate, but our take—as you can gather from our name—is that the correct form is “Waterdog”. We did some research before naming our group, and here’s how we landed on our spelling:
The park is named, not for a dog, but for a salamander. The salamander itself has a varied history where the spelling of the name is concerned, with some older sources using “water dog” or even “water-dog”. However, official sources have long since converged on the spelling we use today, “waterdog”.
Muddying the waters further, the salamander that Waterdog Lake is named after is likely the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense). While not technically waterdogs, these salamanders have been informally called that in the past.
Confusing! So, where does that leave us? The City of Belmont has largely standardized on the “Waterdog” spelling on its website and materials, although some signs at the park still read “Water Dog”. We’ll keep using the “Waterdog” form.