How to say "puppy" in Japanese

• 子犬こいぬCommon
  nounThe usual word for a puppy, a young dog. It works in everyday speech and writing alike, and unless you have a particular stylistic reason to choose otherwise, this is the word to reach for.
  子供こどもの頃ころ、小犬こいぬを飼かっていた。↗

  I had a puppy when I was a boy.
• パピー
  nounA loanword also meaning puppy. It is less common and tends to appear in breeder or pet-trade contexts; learners will rarely need it, and 子犬 remains the safer choice.
• 犬の子いんのこ
  nounGlossed as puppy or whelp, but it is less common and can read simply as 'a dog's child or offspring' depending on parsing. Seldom the word you want; use 子犬 instead.
• 犬コロいぬころ
  nounA colloquial, affectionate-sounding way to say pup or puppy. Less common than 子犬 and casual in flavor, so it suits informal speech rather than neutral writing.
• 犬っころいぬっころ
  nounCovers pup, puppy and whelp with a casual, folksy tone. It is less common and is really an affectionate or rough colloquialism; learners should default to 子犬.

Use 子犬 as the default word for a puppy; the other entries are rarer variants, so reach for them only when you specifically know or want their tone.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 子犬こいぬpuppy
• パピーpuppy
• 犬の子いんのこpuppy
• 犬コロいぬころpup
• 犬っころいぬっころpup