When asked by a vetenarian what he's going to call the dog, Clark states that he was thinking of calling him "Krypto". First appearing in the 1955 Superboy comics, Krypto is the name of the Kryptonian dog that Jor-El sent to Earth to test the spaceship Clark Kent/Kal-El would take to earth. Krypto a.k.a. Superdog would have the same abilities as Superman and would aid him in his adventures.
When trying to pick a name for the Kents' new dog, Lois Lane's final suggestion (before the family settles on Shelby) is "Bud" - the real name of the dog portraying Shelby.
After Lois gives Krypto a bath she leaves a red towel on his back resembling the red cape that Krypto wore in the comics.
At one point in the episode, in his frustration at Lois calling the dog "Clarky", Clark says "We're not gonna call him "Clarky", okay? We're gonna call him "Bear" or "Bandit" or something." Tom welling (who portrays "Clark kent") actually had a mixed akita named bear while living in Vancouver.
Clark is seemingly unaffected by the kryptonite serum until it spills, perhaps suggesting that the vials containing it were leaded glass.