OFTEN dubbed “man’s best friend”, a dog is the choice companion for many when adopting pets. This sentiment is also often shared by filmmakers when choosing an animal companion for lead characters of a show or movie.
For International Dog Day today, here is an unbiased rating of iconic animated canine characters in pop culture and some conversation starters in no particular order.
Snoopy from Peanuts
Ardent fans will know that the beloved beagle first appeared on Charles M. Shulz’s Peanuts comic strip in newspapers on Oct 2, 1950. Snoopy was not even introduced as Charlie Brown’s (Peanuts’s main character) pet in the beginning.
His first appearance was on an edition of Peanuts’s silent comic that came out on Oct 3, 1950 and Brown was not present in the strip. At the time, it is unclear how Snoopy became Brown’s pet. A comic strip in Feb 2, 1951 teased Brown’s ownership ambiguity over the floppy-eared good boy as he was seen chasing Snoopy away, only for Patty to tell him that Snoopy was, in fact, not following him.
In earlier comic strips, it was implied Snoopy was a neighbourhood dog who occasionally played with the children. It was not until the 1972 comic strip, released on Jan 30, that confirmed Brown was indeed the owner of Snoopy.
Snoopy, who started on all fours and eventually adopted more human-like characteristics, developed into one of the lead characters of Peanuts and is, now, so loved all over the world because of his imaginative, funny quirks. He even has a lunar module nicknamed after him – the Apollo 10 lunar module. It was lost for 50 years and rediscovered in 2019.
Ratings: 9/10. Most of the time he is unbothered unless there is food.
Blue from Blue’s Clues
Back then, children were sat in front of their television with their cereal bowls, on mornings when the show aired. Now, the kids who grew up with Blue’s Clues are parents too.
Blue is a playful, intelligent dog that leaves paw prints on three clues to solve a mystery. Steve (or Joe) will then have to decipher the clues – in other words, Blue’s clues.
But Blue was not meant to be a dog. She (yes, Blue is a girl) was meant to be a male orange cat but at the time, Nickelodeon, the company that produced the show, was already producing another show with a cat.
The voice for Blue is one of the creators. They did not have the funds to hire a professional voice actor, so the creators gathered every one involved in the show in a conference room and held a “bark audition”. When it came to the creator’s turn, her bark was the best and the rest was history.
Ratings: 8/10. Blue’s clues can sometimes be confusing.
Pluto from Mickey Mouse
Pluto is the top dog among celebrity canines. This bloodhound first appeared as a nameless character in The Chain Gang (1930) and he was later introduced as Mickey Mouse’s dog in The Moose Hunt (1931).
Pluto is portrayed as a well-trained dog with a strong dislike for cats, worth mentioning that he constantly beefs with Minnie Mouse’s pet cat Figaro as they compete for her attention and love. While he is loyal to Mickey and is quite intelligent, Pluto occasionally has a temper tantrum and is a bit clumsy. He also has two consciences (Devil and Angel) that helps him make decisions.
This loveable, charismatic dog was coincidentally (or maybe not) created at the same time as the discovery of the dwarf planet Pluto.
Ratings: 8.5/10. He listens to his Devil conscience way too often.
Scooby Doo from Scooby Doo, Where Are You?
The face of Mystery Inc and the best friend of Shaggy Rogers, this Great Dane is the titular character of the hit television series Scooby-Doo Where Are You! and is a key player of the gang when solving mysteries.
Famous for catch phrase “Scooby-Dooby-Doo!”, Scooby likes to pull pranks on the gang. Although a dog, he sometimes display bipedal “human” characteristics. This human part of Scooby Doo’s character is further emphasised by his ability to somewhat talk but enunciates each word as if it starts with a “R”.
In the show, Scooby Doo, whose legal name is Scoobert Doo, is a master dancer and possesses a voracioys appetite. It did not take long for him to waltz into the hearts of viewers after debuting in 1969. He is one of the few to star on both big and small screens.
Scooby Doo is not a one-trick pony as he is the only animated dog in this list to have a solid portfolio of careers, including a junior detective, actor, freelance journo and a customs officer.
Ratings: 10/10. He is the heartbeat of the gang.
Lady from Lady and the Tramp
Lady is that girl. When this American cocker spaniel was animated in the silver screen, she captivated every child with her fluttering eyes and luscious, curly ears.
Demure and cute, she lived a privileged life until she met street mutt Tramp, whom which she fell in love with and had four kids. Lady was introduced in the show as a pup gifted to Darling, Lady’s owner, by her husband. She was presented to her owner in a hatbox – this scene is based on a real-life incident with Walt Disney and his wife Lilian. Lilian’s birthday completely slipped Disney’s mind, so to make up for it, he gave her a chow puppy in a hatbox on Christmas.
Ratings: 8/10. Girlie loves a bad boy.
Clifford from Clifford the Big Red Dog
Clifford Howard is famously known for being two things – big and red. Originally a character in Norman Bridwell’s children’s book series Clifford the Big Red Dog, Clifford later became a television sensation following the premiere of the American educational animated cartoon, also named Clifford the Big Red Dog, in 2000.
Clifford is the two-year-old pet of Emily Elizabeth Howard and he is loyal, outgoing and friendly. His massive size is the show’s and the book’s physical metaphor for the amount of love Emily gives to him.
Clifford is the only dog in this list to have clear speech but he would only talk when he is with his other dog friends as he would give them friendly advice. However, in the books, he does not talk and the 2021 movie was the first media instalment of Clifford not speaking human languages.
Ratings: 11/10. Although naive, he always helps instead of causing trouble.
Dogs are the ultimate companion for mankind as proven by many filmmakers choosing to make them side-kicks, companions to main characters or the lead characters. So, on this special day, go hug a dog... or better yet help find a home for an abandoned one. That would indeed be the best way to celebrate International Dog Day.
