Pluto the Dog

Pluto is Mickey Mouse's pet dog and closest companion, first appearing as a nameless bloodhound. He is very unique for a character in Mickey's world, in that he is not anthropomorphic beyond showing a broad range of facial expressions; he is actually represented as a normal dog, lacking speech and the ability to walk upright.

Why He Is A Playful Mutt

 * 1) Like Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, he is one of the most famous characters in Disney's history.
 * 2) Pluto is truly a well-trained dog. Like his master Mickey, he can get into a large amount of trouble but has enough brains to escape the situation.
 * 3) He acts as Mickey's sidekick, best friend, conscience in some occasions, and pet. The pet is extremely loyal but on occasion does have the tendency to argue and be fussy with people or even Mickey.
 * 4) He shows a strong disliking towards cats. This hatred could have mostly been sparked by not only natural instincts, but the rivalry with Minnie's cat Figaro. The two constantly compete for Minnie's attention and love but in recent years have been much kinder to each other.
 * 5) Pluto is also famous for his powerful sense of smell. According to Mickey, Pluto can find anything and anybody with his nose. He appears to be a mixed breed containing both a bloodhound and a pointer.
 * 6) The pup has an A-list life: a good home, family, and the greatest owner for his type, but he has been accidentally mistreated. Being that he spends the most time in the house, he has been blamed for a handful of things. His pal Mickey has always forgiven him in the end as he is often reminded why Pluto is deemed his best friend. This situation showcases the strong bond between Mickey and Pluto who can be inseparable at times.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) His entire existence is mind-boggling; In a world of anthropomorphic animals with the ability to walk and talk, why is Pluto is the only one without it?
 * 2) *Though to be fair, this exact same problem also extends to other non-anthropomorphic animals within his universe, such as his canine foe Butch the Bulldog and his feline rival Figaro (Minnie Mouse's pet cat, who originated from Disney's "Pinocchio" (1940)).
 * 3) While intelligent enough, Pluto can be a bit clumsy and his childlike persona is often mistaken for stupidity.
 * 4) *He is not immune to being outwitted but can get back on track, which is usually bad news since Pluto can have a nasty temper, though not as bad as Donald's.
 * 5) Pluto can be featured in bad Disney shorts and was treated like a total Butt-Monkey in Pluto's Party or Pluto's Judgement Day to an unfair and sometimes disturbing degree.
 * 6) In Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004), he is flanderized into a misbehaving idiot. After he has disobeyed Mickey since Pluto wants to place the star on Mickey's tree with complete disregard of Mickey telling Pluto to wait, which has trashed Mickey's house by coincidence as a result. Mickey berated Pluto for his clumsiness. Because of this, Pluto leaves his home (and his collar) as if he was underappreciated (despite an earlier scene of Mickey showing unconditional love to Pluto) and he drastically ran away to the North Pole for whatever reason other than running away from his "problems". Just to come back home to Mickey when he felt 'homesick' after spending time with some reindeer.

Trivia

 * Pluto first appeared, unnamed, in the 1930 Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang as a bloodhound on the trail of escaped prisoner Mickey Mouse. The bloodhound character was adapted into Minnie Mouse's dog, Rover in The Picnic, and in 1931, Pluto's current name was given in The Moose Hunt.