The word is derived from Calvin Broadus' nickname: "
Snoop Doggy Dogg"
The spelling "dogg" is often mistakened with the correct spelling of "dawg". The word "dawg" is often used when referring to or gretting friends -- mainly used by
the Black American community.
Alternative words used instead of "dawg" are: homie, gangster, G, n*gger, bro, brava, etc.