Man's Best Friend Trivia Quiz

Answer: Snoopy

Charles Schulz published the first comic strip 'Peanuts' in 1950, syndicated in seven newspapers. By the time of his death in 2000, it was featured in over 2500 newspapers, from 75 countries, and translated into over 20 languages. Then there were the other media forms - movies, television shows, games, several stage shows, and a seemingly endless stream of merchandise. Charlie Brown is one of the central children, along with his beagle Snoopy, famed for his happy supper dance and his rich fantasy life - particularly when his doghouse is transformed into a WWI Sopwith Camel, and he does battle with the Red Baron. Snoopy seems to be very fond of Charlie Brown, even though he has trouble recalling his name, referring to him as "The Round-Headed Kid".

Answer: Lassie

Lassie has featured in movies and on television over the years with a number of different human companions (starting with 1943's film 'Lassie Come Home', starring Pal and Roddy McDowall), but for those of us who were the right age for it, the television show 'Lassie' that first aired in September 1954 was the definitive version. For the first three seasons, she lived with the Miller family: young Jeff (Tommy Rettig), his mother Ellen (Jan Clayton) and her father "Gramps" (George Miller).

In the fourth season things changed to the Martin family, whose foster son Timmy (Jon Provost) brought Lassie with him to their farm.

In the fifth season, his foster parents started to be played by June Lockhart and Hugh Reilly, and the show's ratings recovered, starting the period of greatest popularity.

In 1964, the boy and his dog theme was abandoned, and Lassie went to live with a forest ranger - which allowed the introduction of spectacular scenery with the new colour broadcasting. Somehow, Lassie always managed to fetch the required help and save the situation. Pal played Lassie in the pilot, but retired before shooting started, and Lassie was played by a series of his descendants, starting with Lassie Junior (1954-1959).

The selection of the first boy lead for the series was based on the affinity between Tommy Rettig and Pal during his audition.

Answer: Krypto

Krypto made his first appearance in 'Adventure Comics' #210 in March of 1955. He was intended to be a one-off character, appearing in a Superboy story, but was so well received that he became a recurring character. Over the years, his backstory has changed, but the original story had him as Kal-El's pet back on Krypton, used to test the rocket system Jor-El was setting up to send Kal-El away from the doomed planet.

His rocket followed a different path, so he arrived on Earth years after Superboy, who joyfully took him home to stay with the Kent family. Of course, Krypto developed the same kind of superpowers as Superboy under the Earth's yellow sun, and had to assume the persona of Skip to keep a low profile.

When the two were engaged on a mission, however, he donned a red cape attached to a gold collar with a tag resembling the logo on Superboy's chest. (I will leave discussion of the 'modern' Krypto to others; I prefer to remember the comic books of my childhood.)

Answer: Eddie

During the run of 'Frasier' (1993-2004), Eddie lived with Martin Crane (John Mahoney), and was tolerated by Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce), who did not share their father's fondness for the frisky terrier played by Moose for many years, then by Moose's son Enzo. Eddie and Frasier frequently engaged in staring contests, and Frasier usually ended up doing what the dog wanted. Terrier owners do not refer to them as terrorists for nothing! However, Eddie was never able to stand up to Frasier's ex-wife Lilith (Bebe Neuwirth) when she visited.

Answer: Dino

All right, Dino may not actually be a dog, but he is awfully doglike for a Snorkosaurus! Dino first appeared on the animated television show 'The Flintstones' in 1960, and was voiced (barked? growled?) by the legendary Mel Blanc. His appearance changed somewhat during the first season, but by the end of it he had gained his name, species designation, and final purple-with-black-spots coloring. One of the running jokes in the show involved Fred's arrival home, only to be floored by the excited Dino leaping on him, and licking his face. Dino was a moderately good watchdog, and an excellent playmate for the younger members of the show when they were added near the middle of the show's six season run.

Not that brave, though - when the neighbouring Rubble family acquired a hopperoo (a dinosaur version of a kangaroo), Dino was initially terrified, but he and Hoppy eventually became friends. Dino has appeared in many later Flintstones productions, but I prefer to recall the 1960-1966 version.

Answer: Rin Tin Tin

The original Rin Tin Tin was a German shepherd rescued from a World War I battlefield, who became a movie star. The name, however, has been carried on by a number of other dogs, some of them his descendants. Rin Tin Tin IV was originally planned to be in the television series 'The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin' (1954-1959), but he failed the screen test, and the part went to multiple other dogs, primarily Flame Jr (although the publicity for the show led viewers to believe otherwise, and fans of the show actually visited Rin Tin Tin IV at his ranch home).

The premise of the show was that Rusty (Lee Aaker) and his dog were being raised by the soldiers living in Fort Apache, a US Cavalry post, after an Indian raid had killed the boy's parents. The two of them helped the soldiers maintain law and order. I find it hard to even write this description of what seemed at the time a harmless children's adventure series. How times and perceptions have changed.

Answer: Max

'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' has been part of our lives in the original 1957 book by Dr Seuss, in a 1966 animated television special, and on screen in a 2000 film starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch. (And probably a lot more of which I am blissfully unaware.) As part of the Grinch's plot to steal everything in Whoville, so keeping Christmas from being celebrated, he disguised his dog Max as a reindeer, and himself as Santa Claus. Poor Max had to haul the sleigh, loaded with everything the Grinch could grab from Whoville, to the top of Mt Crumpit, where the contents are to be destroyed by pushing them over the edge of the mountain. I've always felt sorry for Max, what with the dressing up and then the heavy hauling!

Answer: Scooby Doo

It's hard to believe the Saturday morning television series 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!', about an anthropomorphic Great Dane and a bunch of teenagers who get involved in solving mysteries, only lasted a single season, 1969-1970. The franchise, however, has lasted over 50 years, mostly following the formula of the kids discovering an apparently-supernatural mystery, Scooby and Shaggy (full name Norville Rogers) being mutually terrified (and Scooby leaping into Shaggy's arms) before the monster or supernatural activity is shown to be a hoax covering criminal activity, and the villains are unveiled.

Answer: Hooch

'Turner & Hooch' is a 1989 comedy starring Tom Hanks as Scott Turner and the French mastiff Beasley as Hooch, the pet of Turner's long-time friend Amos, who is murdered near the start of the film, with Hooch as the only witness. The boisterous dog initially causes distress for the restrained, organised man, but the two develop a bond as they search for Amos's murderer. Learning to relate to a dog becomes a first step towards developing a romantic relationship.

Answer: Santa's Little Helper

Santa's Little Helper joined the Simpson family in the first syndicated episode of this long-running animated series, 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire', which first aired on 17 December 1989. After coming last in a race, the greyhound is abandoned, and Bar convinces Homer to take them home - since Homer has just lost all his money betting at the track to try and parley his meager earnings as a Santa into the money needed to replace the annual Christmas bonus that did not happen, the new dog looks like being the family's only Christmas present.

It is most fitting that they gained their pet because he was a loser, and fit right in. There are ups and downs in the relationship, of course - and in one episode Bart actually gives Santa's Little Helper away, after buying a highly-trained collie named Laddie using his father's credit card - but when Laddie is repossessed since the bill cannot be paid, Bart tracks down SLH and restores him to the family. Trying to decide what to write about SLH made me realise that he has been featured in a number of the show's more memorable episodes - I feel the onset of an entire quiz on him!