Famous Fictional Dogs

Hey Y’all, welcome back to the dog blog. Normally I like to talk about my dog, but I decided that today I’m going to switch it up a little. Today I’m going to take a look at the best known dogs throughout media and what makes them similar or unique. The dogs we’ll be looking at today are Argos from The Odyssey, Toto from the Wizard of Oz, Lassie from Lassie Come Home, [Nana from Peter Pan], Old Yeller from Old Yeller, and Happy from my blog.

As the oldest good boy on this list, I’m going to start with Argos from The Odyssey. The Odyssey follows the story of Odysseus as he tries to return home after the Trojan War. When Odysseus left Ithaca, Argos was known for his strength and speed as Odysseus’ hunting dog. However, when Odysseus returns 20 years later, he finds Argos in a pile of trash by the stables. Argos recognizes Odysseus, but lacks the strength to run to his master. In this action of remembering Odysseus, Argos demonstrates his loyalty to his master. This trait of loyalty is the main link I’m going to focus on between these dogs. In real life, one of the most common descriptors of dogs is that dogs are loyal. Loyalty is often seen as a part of a dog’s nature. Dogs are pack animals, so instinctively they want to remain close to people. Dogs also form emotional connections with their owners, which helps further a sense of loyalty in the owner. However, in media the limits of loyalty are often exaggerated as I will show you.

In Argos’ case, simply living for over 20 years exaggerates his loyalty as the average age for a dog is only 13 years old. Since Argos dies immediately after seeing Odysseus, Argos’ loyalty keeps Argos alive. Argos’ strength is the second trait his story focuses on. The Odyssey focuses on how used to be the fastest and strongest hunting dog on Ithaca, but he became weak after Odysseus left. This display of strength differentiates Argos from the other dogs on this list.

The next dog on my list is Toto from the Wizard of Oz. In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and Toto get swept into a tornado and are transported to the wonderful world of Oz. Toto’s loyalty shines throughout Oz. When Dorothy first wakes up, Toto comforts her simply by remaining by her side. This act of staying with Dorothy pictures Toto’s loyalty to Dorothy. Toto’s other characteristic within the Wizard of Oz is bravery. As a small dog, Toto should not fight larger threats. However, in some versions of the Wizard of Oz, Toto dumps the water onto the wicked witch. Toto’s loyalty to Dorothy connects him to the other dogs, but Toto’s bravery sets him apart. Third, we’ll look at Lassie from Lassie Come Home. Lassie Come Home follows the story of Lassie, a small collie, as she deals with English economics. Lassie befriends Joe, a poor English schoolboy, and starts following Joe home from school.

Did you like this example?

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