"of ""TV Guide"". This issue was released with 24 different covers, all featuring different characters from ""The Simpsons"". Santa's Little Helper Santa's Little Helper is a recurring character in the American animated television series ""The Simpsons"". He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. The dog was introduced in the first episode of the show, the 1989 Christmas special ""Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"", in which his owner abandons him for finishing last in a greyhound race. Homer Simpson and his son Bart, who are at the race track in hope of winning some money for Christmas presents,"
"Santa's Little Helper, becomes very excited and runs away from home to the dog racing track, where he falls for (and mates with) a female greyhound named She's the Fastest. She is given to the Simpsons by her owner, the Rich Texan, and soon gives birth to 25 puppies. Eventually, the puppies become difficult to manage, and Homer and Marge attempt to sell them. After his offer is rejected, Mr. Burns steals the puppies. Bart and Lisa track the puppies to Mr. Burns' mansion, where they discover he plans to make a tuxedo out of them. Bart and Lisa sneak"
"the last few drops. ""Springfield Shopper"" reporter Dave Shutton takes a photo of it that appears on the front page of the newspaper. This gets the attention of Duff Beer, who announce that Duffman will be replaced with Santa's Little Helper, as their new mascot, Suds McDuff. Suds McDuff boosts sales of Duff Beer, and the family's fortunes explode, causing Homer to embrace Suds for his success. However, this prompts Santa's Little Helper's original sleazy owner and racing trainer (from ""Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"") to visit the Simpsons and prove that he owns the dog by showing the"
"Santa's Little Helper, as they enjoyed the previous ones, particularly season one's ""Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"", in which the Simpson family receives him. Reardon commented that one of the hardest feats with the episode was to make Santa's Little Helper not express any human expressions, as the staff preferred animals on the show to behave exactly the way they do in real life. The plot of ""Dog of Death"" was based on an experience Swartzwelder had with his own dog that also suffered from bloat. However, unlike the events in the episode, Swartzwelder's dog did not receive treatment"
"Bart's Dog Gets an ""F"" ""Bart's Dog Gets an ""F"""" is the sixteenth episode of ""The Simpsons""<nowiki>'</nowiki> second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 7, 1991. In this episode, the Simpson family's dog, Santa's Little Helper, manages to infuriate Homer and Marge by destroying Homer's new shoes, ruining a family heirloom, and devouring Homer's cookie. As a result Homer considers giving him away while Bart is forced to train Santa's Little Helper at an obedience school so that the family will not have to give him away. At first, the dog is"
"due to his refined magical skills. He is the shortest and wears a red hat with a pompom. His undershirt is usually untucked. He is the brains of the three and a mechanic like Guilfi. He is always willing to help people, but usually jumps in without thinking. He has the power to change into any animal for any period of time. Balbo is a polar bear that acts as Santa's assistant. In one episode it is revealed that Santa found him when he got lost at sea on an iceberg and separated from his parents. Santa found him and"
"Santa's Little Helper was his dog to begin with. To solve the problem, Bart and Mitchell let Santa's Little Helper decide which owner he prefers, by having both of them call him. After briefly getting distracted by his own tail, Santa's Little Helper chooses Bart. Chief Wiggum arrives with Laddie, who immediately sniffs out a bag of marijuana in Mr. Mitchell's pocket. Bart and Santa's Little Helper head home, leaving the police to ""finish up"" with Mitchell, as more officers arrive with beer and dates. The episode uses the full opening sequence because the story came out short. Despite this,"
"Santa's Little Helper, and Homer and Bart's attempt to retrieve Raymond from Helper's mouth backfires when the little bird falls back into the dog's mouth and slips into his stomach twice, (the first time where Bart tries to get the bird out) where he's instantly digested. After a symbolic funeral, Bart (who even cries) has a hard time coping with the loss and becomes so mad at Santa's Little Helper that he starts to act coldly towards him, leaving Homer and Marge worried as they are aware that Bart has trouble forgiving people even for the smallest offense (evident by"
"Dog of Death ""Dog of Death"" is the 19th episode of ""The Simpsons""<nowiki>'</nowiki> third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 12, 1992. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper falls ill and the Simpson family must make budget cuts to pay for his operation. Although the dog's life is saved, the family begins to feel the strain of their sacrifices and starts treating him badly, causing him to run away. Santa's Little Helper ends up in the possession of Mr. Burns, who trains him to become a vicious attack dog. Several days later,"
"Santa's Little Helper (film) Santa's Little Helper is an American comedy film starring The Miz, Paige, AnnaLynne McCord and Maryse Ouellet. The film was directed by Gil Junger. The film was released direct-to-DVD and digital on November 17, 2015. Dax (The Miz) is a greedy, materialistic corporate hatchet-man, who we first see while closing down a community youth center just days before Christmas. Dax is subsequently fired in a corporate powerplay and, as he has been living beyond his means, loses his girlfriend, car and will soon be evicted from his house. Meanwhile at the North Pole, Santa Claus (Eric"
"emotional range. And both will growl and possibly snap if you try to take their food."" Although animals in cartoons often behave with ""semi-human awareness"", Groening said on the DVD audio commentary for the episode ""Two Dozen and One Greyhounds"" that he prefers animals in cartoons to behave exactly the way they do in real life. As a result, Santa's Little Helper is depicted in this way on the show. There have, however, been some exceptions for gags, but most of the time the staff of ""The Simpsons"" tries to keep animals acting realistically. Several journalists have commented on the"
"Two Dozen and One Greyhounds ""Two Dozen and One Greyhounds"" is the 20th episode of ""The Simpsons"" sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, 1995. The episode was written by Mike Scully and directed by Bob Anderson. Frank Welker guest stars as Santa's Little Helper and various other dogs. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper has puppies with a dog that he met at the greyhound racetrack. The episode is inspired by Walt Disney Pictures' 1961 animated film ""One Hundred and One Dalmatians"". The producers decided to have Mr. Burns communicate"
"novelist, Theodor Storm, wrote the poem ""Knecht Ruprecht"" in 1862. In the German version of ""The Simpsons"" television show, the family dog is named Knecht Ruprecht rather than Santa's Little Helper. Knecht Ruprecht Knecht Ruprecht (; English: ""Farmhand Rupert"" or ""Servant Rupert"") is a companion of Saint Nicholas as described in the folklore of Germany. He first appears in written sources in the 17th century, as a figure in a Nuremberg Christmas procession. The companions of Saint Nicholas are a group of closely related figures who accompany Saint Nicholas in German-speaking Europe and more widely throughout the territories formerly in"
"a water pump in the tongue, a built-in pedometer, reflective sidewalls and little vanity plates."" In promotion of ""The Simpsons Sing the Blues"", the music video for the album's second single, ""Deep, Deep Trouble"" premiered shortly after this episode's first broadcast. Bart's Dog Gets an ""F"" ""Bart's Dog Gets an ""F"""" is the sixteenth episode of ""The Simpsons""<nowiki>'</nowiki> second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 7, 1991. In this episode, the Simpson family's dog, Santa's Little Helper, manages to infuriate Homer and Marge by destroying Homer's new shoes, ruining a family heirloom,"
"""Herald Sun"" named this episode's chalkboard gag, ""I saw nothing unusual in the teacher's lounge"", the third-best chalkboard gag in the show's history. While reviewing the episode in 2011, Nathan Rabin of ""The A.V. Club"" noted, ""perhaps because he’s a fucking dog, Santa’s Little Helper is never developed as fully as the other characters, so the requisite episode-ending orgy of sentimentality when Santa's Little Helper is joyously reunited with Bart feels a little cheap and unearned."" Dog of Death ""Dog of Death"" is the 19th episode of ""The Simpsons""<nowiki>'</nowiki> third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the"
"in ""Little Orphan Annie"", as well as the layman's term ant itself). They care for her as they would a child, but realize that she is near death. They decide to release her, so she can live out her last days in the wild, but as soon as they let her go Santa's Little Helper eats Annie. The episode was written by Michael Price and directed by Bob Anderson, his second credit of the season after ""Rednecks and Broomsticks"". The episode also features the second appearance of Kevin Michael Richardson who first appeared in ""Homer the Whopper"" and Joe Mantegna"
"by Don Payne, based on the area where his mother lived, where one side of town would spread rumors about the other side. Larry Doyle then pitched that the two sides of Springfield would be divided because of a telephone area code. The episode features cultural references to The Who and the Norman Rockwell painting ""Freedom of Speech"", and has received positive reviews from critics. A badger takes up residence in Santa's Little Helper's doghouse. After several failed attempts to lure it out (including sending in Homer, whom the badger attacks), Homer calls animal control. When he is unable to"
"Bart enlists Laddie to help him bury his ill-gotten credit card. Later, repo men arrive to take back all of the things Bart has purchased. Lisa demands an explanation, and Bart is forced to admit the truth. When a repossessor asks for the $1,200 dog to be returned, Bart identifies Santa's Little Helper as the dog he purchased. The greyhound is herded into the truck and Bart sadly watches as it drives away. Noticing that Santa's Little Helper is gone, the family begins to bond with Laddie, except for Bart, who fears for Santa's Little Helper's fate. When an exhausted"
"""Kamp Krusty"". Santa's Little Helper follows the trail of Homer Simpson and Marge Simpson's clothes, leading him to Bart Simpson's treehouse, where they were having sex. Chief Wiggum and Officer Lou arrive at the scene, having been called by Ned Flanders. Homer tells them the kids are fine, before showing them a postcard from Kamp Krusty. The scene switches to the camp, where everything is getting ruined by Bart and the other bullies. The traumatized kids return on a bus, guided by Krusty the Clown. The kids are taken to therapy and the therapist says to Marge to keep an"
"Santa's Little Helper runs inside. As the episode begins, Homer Simpson is watching TV when he sees an advertisement for a self-lifting chair. He gets interested in buying it, but it costs $1,100. Homer goes to Moe's Tavern to get some ideas to raise money. Lenny and Carl give him the idea for crowdfunding. He records a failed video for a website, which moves almost everyone in Springfield, so he gets enough money to buy a chair in almost no time. Meanwhile, at Springfield Elementary's club sign-up day, Lisa Simpson is trying to get signatures for The Magic Club, where"
"Stop! Or My Dog Will Shoot ""Stop! Or My Dog Will Shoot"" is the twentieth episode of ""The Simpsons""<nowiki>'</nowiki> eighteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 2007. When Santa's Little Helper rescues a lost Homer, he becomes a local hero and the Simpsons decide to enroll him in Police Dog Academy, where he is teamed with Lou and they become a crime-busting duo. Bart's excitement quickly vanishes after an incident with a jaded Santa's Little Helper, so to appease Bart's depression after the loss of his dog, Marge agrees to buy"
"a party for the completion of the treehouse, and Homer is trapped inside, semi-conscious. Homer calls for Santa's Little Helper to save him, but Santa's Little Helper refuses and runs away, but not before doubling back to grab a roasted turkey from the flames. However, Snowball II does save Homer, leaping from Lisa’s arms and climbing the treehouse to wake Homer up by scratching him (she tries nudging him gently at first). Homer is disgusted by Santa’s Little Helper’s cowardice. Santa's Little Helper follows Homer everywhere he goes- looking to regain his affection- but Homer shuns him at every opportunity."
"running joke in the show to be as vague and ambiguous as possible whenever hinting at which U.S. state the town of Springfield might be located in. Homer, the father, works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, a position at odds with his careless, buffoonish personality. He is married to Marge Simpson, a stereotypical American housewife and mother. They have three children: Bart, a ten-year-old troublemaker; Lisa, an eight-year-old child prodigy; and Maggie, a baby who rarely speaks, but communicates by sucking on a pacifier. The family owns a dog, Santa's Little Helper, and a cat,"
"Strangles. Bart takes Strangles to show and tell at school, where Strangles escapes into a school lab and unintentionally knocks over beakers of ethanol and nitric acid, mixing both substances and creating a toxic cloud. Bart, being the only person still stranded in school trying to find Strangles, collapses from the smoke, (remarking ""It smells like some chemicals cut one""). Both Santa's Little Helper and Strangles arrive to save Bart, who chooses his faithful dog to save him. Santa's Little Helper goes back to living with the Simpsons. Groundskeeper Willie adopts Strangles, and places him in the fire hose coil."
"Friend with Benefit ""Friend with Benefit"" is the sixth episode of the twenty-seventh season of the animated television series ""The Simpsons"", and the 580th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 8, 2015. The show opens with a short parody of the Disney short ""Feast"" entitled ""Fat."" Santa's Little Helper is fed scraps from the Simpsons' dinner table until he gets too fat and dies. He goes to Heaven and God offers him a choice between Fit Dog Heaven and Fat Dog Hell. Fat Dog Hell flashes a ""Free Pizza"" sign and"
"the remaining animals all un-due the witch’s spell. Santa then defeats the witch by spraying bubble gum at her. He promises to reward Marlo though it isn't specified what Santa is giving him for Christmas. A boy named Balthazar cannot decide what he wants for Christmas. Santa and the elves decide to visit him and ask him. When Balthazar finds the squirrel Hoppy with them, he decides he wants to keep him. However, Hoppy falls out the window and is stolen by a man who sells animals. He decides to sell this rare squirrel, but not if Santa has anything"
"is joyous that their dog is well again, but soon begins to feel the strain of their sacrifices. As a result, the morale of the family suffers and they take their annoyance out on Santa's Little Helper. Feeling unwanted, he runs away from home and goes off on an adventure, only to be captured, taken to the dog pound, and adopted by Mr. Burns, who trains him to be one of his vicious attack hounds. After a long brainwashing process, consisting of the Ludovico technique, Santa's Little Helper is turned into a bloodthirsty killer. The family begins to regret all"
"Eleanor on the naughty list for her poor sportsmanship during the competition, thus disqualifying her from the position, and reveals it was Billie he was testing for the position of Santa’s Little Helper all along. Dax and Billie then share a passionate kiss under a magical snowfall. Santa's Little Helper (film) Santa's Little Helper is an American comedy film starring The Miz, Paige, AnnaLynne McCord and Maryse Ouellet. The film was directed by Gil Junger. The film was released direct-to-DVD and digital on November 17, 2015. Dax (The Miz) is a greedy, materialistic corporate hatchet-man, who we first see while"
"Today I Am a Clown ""Today I Am a Clown"" is the sixth episode of ""The Simpsons""<nowiki>'</nowiki> fifteenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 7, 2003. The episode focuses on Krusty's religion, Judaism. Dan Castellaneta won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his roles in this episode. One morning, the family is visited by Dr. Hibbert, who says that Santa's Little Helper has impregnated his purebred poodle, Rosa Barks, and he gives the puppies to the Simpson family, making them their problem. Bart and Lisa give out the puppies"
"for forcing them to abandon their beloved pet. They take him to an ostrich farm up state. Bart bids a tearful goodbye to Santa's Little Helper and tells him to never kill a bird. Homer manages to get into a fight with an angry and sociopathical ostrich which then turns on Bart. After being told that it is wrong to kill birds, Santa's Little Helper ceases to aid Bart in the fight, confused at his own loyalty (for Bart's sake or his orders) leaving Bart to strangle the ostrich to near-death in exactly the same manner Homer strangles him (leaving"
"to find Paws as a stuffed animal. Gus drives the reindeer sled to the toy store, so that they could rush back to the North Pole to save him with the magic icicle. With Christmas around the corner, the icicle doesn't have enough power to spare. Santa mourns over the loss of his best friend, which caused the magic to flow and turn Paws back into a full-grown dog named Santa Paws (Mitchel Musso) and Christmas is back on. Since Ms. Stout left the children alone and Will and Quinn are missing, Eli had informed Mrs. Gibson from Child Services,"
"going on strike. Presumably and strangely having no ability to shop without bag boys to pack their bags, they are unable to buy more food. When the Simpsons run out of food in their home, the family follows Santa's Little Helper into the attic, where he finds a 30-year-old box of animal crackers. Homer bites into a solid-gold giraffe, which is the winning contest piece for a trip to Africa. The animal cracker company initially refuses to honor the prize because the contest ended a number of years ago. But when Homer is hit in the eye by a sharp"
"One piece contains a credit card application, which Bart fills out under the name of his dog Santa's Little Helper, whom he claims to have the occupation ""butt doctor"". The company misreads the name as ""Santos L. Halper"", and the credit card application is approved. Before long, Bart receives a credit card. Bart goes on a shopping spree, buying the family some very expensive gifts from a mail order catalog: Vancouver smoked salmon and a radio-frying pan for Marge, a golf shirt with corporate logo for Homer, ""Trucker's Choice Stay-Alert Capsules"" for Lisa and many things for himself. The item"