Canine chaos hits television this month with the return of two annual favorites — The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, airing Feb. 12-13 on USA Network, and Puppy Bowl III, airing Feb. 4 on Animal Planet.
With this kennel full of cuties in store for our TV screens, that got us fetching recollections of some other memorable mutts we’ve seen over the years on various sitcoms, dramas and even commercials. Here, divided by groups like at Westminster (though slightly less snobby; we actually recognize Jack Russell terriers and mixed breeds!), are some of our favorite dogs from TV history:
Working Group
Scooby-Doo (Great Dane) — various TV and movie incarnations
Zeus and Apollo (Dobermans) — Magnum, P.I. (1980-88)
Yukon King (Alaskan husky) — Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (1955-58)
Astro (Great Dane) — The Jetsons (1962-63)
Herding Group
Buck (briard) — Married With Children (1987-93)
Lassie (collie) — various TV and movie incarnations
Rin Tin Tin (German shepherd) — The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954-59)
Ladadog (sheepdog) — Please Don’t Eat the Daisies (1965-67)
Maximillion (bionic German shepherd) — The Bionic Woman (1976-78)
Bullet the Wonder Dog (German shepherd) — The Roy Rogers Show (1951-57)
Nunzio (Welsh corgi) — Dharma & Greg (1997-2003)
Toy Group
Ren Höek (Chihuahua) — The Ren & Stimpy Show (1991-96)
Freeway and Freeway Jr. (Loewchen) — Hart to Hart (1979-84)
Chester (Pomeranian) — The Nanny (1993-99)
Taco Bell Chihuahua — Taco Bell commercials (late 1990s)
Sporting Group
Comet (golden retriever) — Full House (1989-95)
Brandon the Wonder Dog (golden Labrador retriever) — Punky Brewster (1984-88)
Ubu Roi (black Labrador retriever) — Ubu Productions; trademark phrase for company, “Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog,” heard at the end of shows like Family Ties
Vincent (yellow Labrador retriever) — Lost (2004-present)
Spunky (cocker spaniel) — Happy Days (1974-84)
Hound Group
Santa’s Little Helper (greyhound) — The Simpsons (1989-present)
Snoopy (beagle) — Charlie Brown specials
Flash (basset hound) — The Dukes of Hazzard (1980-85)
Duke (bloodhound) — The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-71)
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog — Late Night With Conan O’Brien (1993-present)
Spike the Wonder Dog (Siberian tiger hound) — Rugrats (1991-2004)
Schotzie (dachshund) — That ’70s Show (2002-06)
Reckless (bloodhound) The Waltons (1972-81)
Huckleberry Hound (bloodhound) — Huckleberry Hound (1958)
Mr. Peabody (beagle) — Rocky and His Friends (1959-61)
Dog the dog (basset hound) — Columbo (1971-77)
Terrier Group
Eddie (Jack Russell terrier) — Frasier (1993-2004)
Spuds MacKenzie (bull terrier) — Bud Light commercials
Magic (Airedale) — Old Navy commercials
Wishbone (Jack Russell terrier) — Wishbone (1995-98)
Bijoux (Jack Russell terrier) — Hooperman (1987-89)
Non-Sporting Group
Bandit (bulldog) — Jonny Quest (1964-65)
Emperor (Shar-Pei) — Hill Street Blues (1981-87)
Claude (French poodle) — The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-71)
Max (bulldog) — Jake and the Fatman (1987-92)
Deputy Dawg (bulldog) — Deputy Dawg (1960)
Mutts/Unknown Breed
Higgins (cocker spaniel/poodle/schnauzer mix) — Petticoat Junction (1968 episode; went on to play “Benji”)
Dreyfuss (St. Bernard/golden retriever mix) — Empty Nest (1988-95)
Murray (collie/shepherd mix) — Mad About You (1992-99)
Underdog — Underdog (1964-73)
Brian Griffin — Family Guy (1999-present)
Tramp — My Three Sons (1960-72)
Sui (terrier mix) — The Crocodile Hunter(1996-2006)
Nipper (fox terrier/bull terrier mix) — RCA records commercials
Happy (terrier mix) — 7th Heaven — 1996-present
Arnold the Semi-Wonder Dog (pit bull/Lab mix) — Life Goes On (1989-93)
Eddie McDowd (German shepherd/husky mix) — 100 Deeds For Eddie McDowd (1999-2002)
Stinky (briard mix) — Dharma & Greg (1997-2003)
Clifford — Clifford the Big Red Dog (2000-03)
