bignoseduglyguy

Where is the Isle of Dogs?
The Isle of Dogs is the area that lies within the large U-shaped loop in the River Thames in the East End of London in England. This stretch of the river has Limehouse Reach upstream to the west, Blackwall Reach downstream to the east. Although not a true natural island, the area is separated from the land to the north by the entrances to the former docks and one must drive across bridges to venture 'onto' the island.

Why is it called the Isle of Dogs?
I don't believe that anyone can give a definitive answer to this question. The peninsula which is now called the Isle of Dogs was originally known as Stepney Marsh or Stebunheath but how it came to change is not clear. I have heard any number of stories trotted out when this question is asked by unwary visitors, especially in the island's pubs! A few, commonly held to be the most likely, are recorded below with their sources where known.

"First recorded as Isle of Doges Ferm 1593, probably simply descriptive of a marshy peninsula frequented by (wild or stray) dogs."
A Dictionary of English Place-Names, Oxford University Press, © A.D. Mills 1998

"The earliest reference to the area as the Isle of Dogs is on a map of 1588. This makes it possible that one of the attributions for the origin of its name, as the place where Henry VIII kept his hunting dogs, could be true. On the other hand, it could equally well have been a dismissive term. At any rate this early mention rules out another theory, which is that the name comes from the dykes and windmills erected by Dutch engineers in the 17th Century to drain the marsh. "
LDDC Completion Booklet © English Partnerships reproduced on The LDDC History Pages

"Isle of Dogs. So called from being the receptacle of the greyhounds of Edward III. Some say it is a corruption of the Isle of Ducks, and that it is so called in ancient records from the number of wild fowl inhabiting the marshes. "
E. Cobham Brewer. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Finally, I found this interesting question posed on a page about a traverse of the Thames basin
"Time for an etymological question: the name for the Canary Islands is actually derived from the Latin Canariae Insulae (literally: Isles of Dogs) - named by passing sailors who could hear dogs barking on the shore (probably at a bunch of unnamed yellow birds). All very interesting we're sure that you'll agree: so anyone who can explain to us why this particular part of London shares the same name and with a Canary Wharf to boot will receive our thanks and all credit when we replace this paragraph with the explanation."