What is Shohei Ohtani's dog's name? How the MLB world met Decoy and why he has his own bobblehead

Kyle Irving

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What is Shohei Ohtani's dog's name? How the MLB world met Decoy and why he has his own bobblehead image

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is one of the most popular athletes on the planet so it shouldn't come as a surprise that his dog has shared that spotlight.

Even with Ohtani's level of stardom, his personal life is relatively unknown. It caught fans by surprise when he announced his marriage, considering no one even knew he had a girlfriend. The same goes for when a puppy popped up during his virtual AL MVP speech in 2023. Everyone immediately wanted to know more about Ohtani's pet.

Since that moment, Ohtani's dog has become a fan favorite. He got his own bobblehead giveaway at Dodger Stadium and even threw out the first pitch.

For more on Ohtani's furry friend, The Sporting News has you covered below.

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What is Shohei Ohtani's dog's name?

Ohtani's dog is a Dutch Kooikerhondje named "Dekopin" in Japanese, which means "flicking someone's forehead."

American fans can just call him "Decoy" for short, according to Ohtani.

"I figured it would be hard for American people to pronounce it," Ohtani said at the time through his former translator, Ippei Mizuhara.

How the MLB world met Shohei Ohtani's dog

Decoy made his first-ever national appearance in a surprise pop-up during Ohtani's virtual 2023 AL MVP speech.

Decoy sat with Ohtani as he awaited the AL MVP announcement.

He then gave his owner a high-five after he earned the prestigious honor for the second time in his career.

On a night when the 2023 American League's best player should have been the center of attention, it was Decoy who stole the show.

MORE: Sporting News predicts the MLB postseason

Shohei Ohtani's dog's bobblehead giveaway

The Dodgers really leaned into Decoy's popularity in Ohtani's first season.

The marketing team ran a giveaway campaign in August featuring a golden Ohtani bobblehead that was holding Decoy.

The item was so popular that Dodgers fans lined up outside the stadium for as many as 10 hours before the first pitch — which was also thrown out by Decoy.

MORE: How much will Shohei Ohtani's historic 50th HR ball fetch in open market?

Shohei Ohtani's dog first pitch video

On Shohei and Decoy's bobblehead night, it was only right that the dog got involved in the action.

The Dodgers had Decoy "throw" the first pitch, running a baseball to Ohtani, who sat behind home plate.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.