Cartoon Dogs We Love
Our love affair with dogs extends beyond our living pets to the world of animation and cartoons. Some of the most beloved and memorable dogs have appeared in comic strips, television and movies including Sandy, the dog of Orphan Annie who first appeared in 1925, Snoopy from the Peanuts Gang who first appeared in 1950, and Chase, Skye, Rocky and Zuma of Pet Patrol first introduced in 2013. Let’s take a look at some of the most memorable cartoon dogs.
Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s constant companion and lovable beagle, is by far one of the most famous and adored cartoon dogs. The pick of the litter, Snoopy became a household name soon after Charlie Brown found him at Daisy Hill Puppy Farm and took him home. Snoopy is a precocious pup who can write, sing, play tennis, fly a Sopwith Camel airplane, ride a motorcycle and go into space as an astronaut among his many talents. He first appeared in the Peanuts comic strip in 1950 and has been a favorite Peanuts character the world over. Snoopy teaches us that we can be anything and do anything we put our minds to. His popularity inspired the world’s first Snoopy Museum dedicated to this lovable pup in Tokyo, Japan. Take a virtual visit of the Snoopy Museum. Image Courtesy Apple TV/Youtube.
Scooby-Doo is the lovable Great Dane companion of Shaggy Rodgers. Scooby first appeared in the television series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? in 1969. Scooby and Shaggy do lots of odd jobs together and share similar traits like being hungry and being afraid of everything. They go on lots of adventures with their friends Velma, Daphne and Fred traveling in the Mystery Machine van and solving mysteries with the help of Scooby Snacks. Scooby-Doo’s family includes his sister Ruby-Doo and his nephew Scrappy-Doo. Scooby teaches us that even if we are afraid, we can still solve mysteries and get great snacks too! Learn more about Scooby-Doo at https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Scooby-Doo Image Courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Skye is a brown and white cockapoo and the first female member of the Paw Patrol. She is fun-loving, brave and smart and first appeared in 2013. Skye uses her helicopter to keep an eye out for emergencies and makes rescues with her grappling hook. She is a skillful helicopter pilot and enjoys flying. Image Courtesy Spin Master Entertainment.
Goliath is the sensible, lovable dog of Davey Hansen in the Davey and Goliath claymation series that premiered in 1961. Created by Art Clokey, who also created Gumby and Pokey, Goliath is a talking dog but only Davey can hear him. Whenever Davey gets into a sticky situation, Goliath is always there as Davey’s conscience giving him advice and an encouraging word. With Goliath’s help, Davey learns about respect, kindness, faith, and love. Image Courtesy Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
Pluto and Goofy are some of the best loved Disney characters, and yes, they are dogs. They are lovable, fun and silly. Pluto is the companion and side-kick of Mickey Mouse. He made his debut in the 1930 Disney film The Chain Gang although he was unnamed in that movie. It wasn’t until the 1931 film, The Moose Hunt, that he was called Pluto and became Mickey Mouse’s dog and best friend. What makes Pluto different than most of the other main Disney characters is that he’s pretty much a dog with few human characteristics. He doesn’t speak but he does communicate through his movement and facial expressions.
Goofy made his debut in the 1932 film Mickey’s Review appearing as Dippity Dawg. He is often part of the comedic trio of Mickey, Donald and Goofy. Goofy is anthropomorphic having many human characteristics. He is the first of Disney’s classic characters to star in a full-length motion picture, A Goofy Movie in 1995. Goofy is a bit clumsy and, of course, goofy but he's a lovable and fun-loving dog. Image Courtesy The Walt Disney Company.
Dug is among the many dogs in the 1990 Disney movie Up. He is the friendly, optimistic, lovable Golden Retriever. A happy dog, Dug’s thoughts and barks are translated into English through a special device on his collar. He befriends the humans Carl Frederickson and Russell and adopts them as his new family. Dug is currently starring in his own Disney series aptly named, Dug Days.
Image Courtesy Disney-Pixar.
Gidget is a white Pomeranian with blue eyes, and one of the main characters in the 2016 Universal Studios film The Secret Life of Pets. She is bouncy and happy but can be tough when she needs to be. Gidget lives in an apartment in New York City and has a crush on her neighbor dog Max. She is very loving towards him and and when he turns up missing, she organizes a search and rescue party to find him. Image Courtesy Universal Studios.
Mr. Peabody is a precocious, brilliant talking beagle in the Rocky and Bullwinkle series. He invented the Way-Back Machine and has a penchant for knowledge and history. Mr. Peabody first appeared in 1959. He is the smartest dog around graduating “Wagna cum laude” from Harvard University at the age of three. With his red-haired adopted human son Sherman, Mr. Peabody explains moments in history using his Way-Back machine and always ends his lesson with a pun. In one episode, Mr. Peabody explains to Sherman that Marie Antoinette should have issued an edict giving every citizen a loaf of bread. The problem was “she couldn’t have her cake and Edict too.” Image Courtesy DreamWorks Classics/Jay Ward.
Some dogs can be ghostly like Zero, Jack Skellington’s dog in the Disney film Nightmare Before Christmas. With a glowing pumpkin on the end of his nose, Zero guides Jack through the fog on Christmas Eve. He has an elongated nose and long ears resembling a Dachshund with a white flowing body like a ghost. Although a ghost, Zero breathes while he is sleeping and is the only character in the movie that does not speak. Image Courtesy Buena Vista Pictures.
Bonus Dog: A special tip of the snout to Fluffy, the magical three-headed dog from the Warner Brothers film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Though technically not a cartoon dog, Fluffy is a life-like animation created for the movie. Fluffy was acquired by Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was used to protect the Philosopher’s Stone. Very large and protective, Fluffy could never resist falling asleep to the sounds of music. Image Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
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