Zeke the Wonder Dog Zeke the Wonder Dog is the stage name of a series of Frisbee - catching dogs that have performed during halftime shows at Michigan State University Spartan football games since the late 1970s . Zeke . The original Zeke was a yellow Labrador owned by Gary Eisenberg , who as a junior at MSU in the mid - 1970s competed with Zeke in the disc - catching national championships held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena , California . Officials in the MSU Athletic Department noticed Gary and Zeke ' s success and in 1977 invited them to perform during a Spartan football game . They did so , and a new tradition was born . In 1978 , head coach Darryl Rogers was quoted as saying Zeke was the best receiver in the Big Ten . He awarded Zeke a football letter , " to this day the only non - human to letter at Michigan State . " After 1981 , Zeke performed on a limited basis before his retirement at the age of ten in 1984 . He died in 1987 . Keze . Keze ( pronounced " Kee - zee " ) , no relation to Zeke , was a chocolate Lab and the runt of her litter ; her small size made her a more agile performer than her larger " brother " . Keze ' s name , the reversal of Zeke , was the result of " a contest run by the " Lansing State Journal " that received more than 12 , 000 entries . " She performed for a single season in 1981 . The following year , she was hit by a car and killed . Zeke II . After a hiatus of eighteen years , in 2002 the MSU Athletic Department revived the frisbee - dog tradition . Open auditions resulted in the selection of Dexter , a black Lab owned by Terry and Jim Foley of Holland , Michigan . Dexter , as Zeke II , was an immediate hit with MSU alumni who remembered the original Zeke the Wonder Dog , and quickly established himself with current MSU students who were likely too young to remember Zeke . Handled by Jim Foley , and with training guidance provided by the original Zeke ' s Gary Eisenberg , Zeke II performed throughout the 2002 – 2005 football seasons . In December 2005 , Dexter was admitted to the MSU Small Animal Clinic for an intestinal obstruction caused by having eaten a substantial amount of carpet at his home . Thanks to the efforts of Dr . Bryden Stanley and her staff , who completed a 90 - minute abdominal surgery , Dexter ' s life was spared . Zeke II returned to halftime action for the 2006 football season , but prior to the November 11 game against Minnesota he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right rear knee and was again admitted to the MSU Small Animal Clinic . Dr . Loic Dejardin , an orthopedic surgeon at MSU ’ s Veterinary Teaching Hospital , repaired the damage . Two months of rehabilitation followed . In 2007 , Zeke II began to show signs of age , particularly with cataract s that were beginning to cloud his eyes and hinder his ability to see the disc . At the age of ten , Zeke II performed his final show on September 8 , 2007 , completing a brief two - minute routine while the Spartan Alumni Marching Band played the " Zeke the Wonder Dog Medley " — consisting of " ( How Much Is ) That Doggie in the Window ? " , " Who Let The Dogs Out " , and Led Zeppelin ' s " Black Dog " . Some of the Frisbees were tossed by Dr . Dejardin , Zeke II ' s orthopedic surgeon . On the morning of February 11 , 2012 , Zeke II died peacefully at the age of 16 . Zeke III . In anticipation of Dexter ' s retirement , the Foleys began training his replacement in 2006 , with Eisenberg again as their training advisor . Boo Coo , a 21 - month - old male pedigreed yellow Lab , debuted as Zeke III at halftime in Spartan Stadium on September 15 , 2007 .