Yes, we all know that there are cat people and dog people. One might go so far as to say that under some circumstances cats may even be the ultimate preferential choice. (Others might not.) But on an animator’s table, the ARFs have it paws down. So many dandy dogs of all shapes and sensibilities have been brought to life through the artist’s pen, far surpassing any comparable quantity of relevant feline examples. And though there are more than a kennel’s worth, here are the 10 most memorable cartoon dogs.
Muttley, “Wacky Races” & various Hanna-Barbera series
Muttley took the term “bad dog” to sky high levels, consorting with known criminals, particularly his master, Dick Dastardly, in too many nefarious plots to count. Lots of dogs careened about the Hanna-Barbera cartoon universe, but this fan favorite was the top. He did speak infrequently in a mumbly gibberish, but his trademark wheezy giggle, usually at Dastardly’s expense, made us all smiles. (Photo courtesy of: CBS/Photofest)
Mr. Peabody, “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”
Usually dogs are content enough to travel in a moving car with the windows down. But Mr. Peabody, with his superlative intellect, had grander ideas about transport. His curiosity and love of history drove him to build his very own time machine. In it, he and his boy, Sherman, paid visits to the some of the most famous figures from the past. And while his penchant for puns sometimes caused an offscreen brass instrument to groan, we all cheered whenever his “Peabody’s Improbable History” appeared among the other cleverly chaotic “Rocky and Bullwinkle” adventures. (Photo courtesy of: ABC/Photofest)
Pluto, “The Chain Gang” & various Disney shorts and specials
Like any good dog, it’s always great to see Pluto. Now how a talking mouse can own a dog who himself cannot articulate language and be about the same size is a larger question beyond the scope of this article. The Disney world is a magical one and Pluto is one tried and true mascot. First appearing in the 1930’s short, “The Chain Gang,” Pluto was a bloodhound pursuing Mickey, who had escaped from prison. But in the films that followed, Mickey and Pluto were lifelong friends, as can probably be said about the rest of the world’s relationship with this perky long-eared pup. (Photo courtesy of: Disney)
Brian, “Family Guy”
When your household’s most level-headed influence is the family dog, you know it’s got its share of dysfunction. Writer, martini-lover, friend to liberal causes, if you want to find an easier dog from this list to relate to, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Yes, big problems seem to come the Griffin family’s way at least once every week and it is usually Brian (sometimes abetted by baby Stewie) who manages to bring their house to order. From the way he walks and the way he talks and the way he exercises judgment, you would think Brian was human himself. But get him near a running vacuum cleaner and you realize he is definitely all dog. (Photo courtesy of: Fox Broadcasting/Photofest)
Ren, “The Ren and Stimpy Show”
They may not have been the dog and cat living together that Ghostbuster Peter Venkman warned about, but mass hysteria was not an uncommon byproduct of many a Ren and Stimpy adventure. Actually Ren’s personal hysteria was an even more common occurrence for he was the most short-tempered, aggressive, psychotically paranoid chihuahua ever drawn. And we loved every minute of him. Living with roommate Stimpy, with all his dopey goodness, might drive anyone insane. But it’s likely Ren was that way way before that fat cat ever crossed his path. (Photo courtesy of: Nickelodeon/Photofest)
Dug, “Up”
If your house is going to be set aloft by thousands of helium balloons, you might as well share the ride with a dog named Dug. With a device on his collar that can translate his thoughts into English, here is finally proof that what a canine is thinking is really as unintelligent as we imagined. But that doesn’t matter when those words are also full of love and loyalty. And as the wondrous action of the film progresses, Dug proves himself a genuine dog hero, as if the collar instead carried a small keg of brandy. (Photo courtesy of: Photofest/Buena Vista Pictures)
Scooby-Doo, “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?”
No dog ruled Saturday mornings like Scooby-Doo. A best in show-stopper of a Great Dane, with fine features and a superhero insignia of a dog tag, Scooby, flanked by his friends, habitually fell upon one otherworldly mystery after the next as they travelled together from town to town in their decidedly groovy van.
Scooby was no Lassie: he was cowardly — often running away from danger, sometimes right into his equally frightened owner Shaggy’s arms; he was easily controlled by the enticement of snack items; and he could not contain his ticklishness, sometimes when a dire situation most called for silence or composure. But despite his shortcomings, Scooby always saw his cases solved, usually by unmasking some supernatural entity as a simple human fraud. Justice was sweet for Scooby but not as sweet perhaps as the possible reward of a pizza pie. (Photo courtesy of: Warner Home Video/Photofest)
Santa’s Little Helper, “The Simpsons”
Strangely, the only dog on our list who just acts like a dog. This greyhound may be a loser at the track, but he won The Simpson’s hearts during the Christmas special that launched the series and in the ensuing decades that followed, the rest of the world. SLH is not the smartest, handsomest, or most obedient dog, but he is there at your feet when you need him most, just like the best of our own non-animated, four-legged friends. (Photo courtesy of: Fox/Photofest)
Tramp, “Lady and the Tramp”
Tramp and his Lady are from opposite sides of the tracks. He an alley-dwelling dog who lives by his wits and calls home wherever he happens to curl up for the night. She an upper class pampered pooch with an impressive roof over her head and a big heart that longs for the scrappy mutt. Solid breeding and a stable home-life mean nothing when love comes a-howling. We’re talking about Tramp here, and any dame would see that his attributes outweigh his pedigree. Circumstances and biases conspire to keep him and his love apart, but once you’ve shared the most romantic meal ever captured on film, that’s just doggone impossible. (Photo courtesy of: Buena Vista Distribution Company/Photofest)
Snoopy, various “Peanuts” Specials
Snoopy is not just a cartoon dog. He’s a phenomenon. The lines that curl and connect to create his shape and world are simple ones. But Snoopy is anything but. Sure he’s a litterful of contradictions: loyal, mischievous, attention-hungry, temperamental, compassionate, and loving; but his influence has soared beyond the strip and television frames and made him one of the most recognized and revered images the globe has ever seen.
Snoopy’s exploits as a WWI pilot, for example, so endeared him to fliers in the real world that he was made their unofficial mascot time and again on airlines, Vietnam warplanes, and NASA space shuttles. And for all he’s meant and given to international admirers, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. How a small, curvy reservoir of white and black ink can leave a continent-sized mark on this planet is too much to contemplate, even while lying atop the sturdiest of doghouses. (Photo courtesy of: CBS/Photofest)
