Pluto

### Relatives

Fifi the Peke (mate)Five puppies (children)Pluto Junior (son)Pluto's Kid Brother

## Physical description

### Eye color

Black

**Pluto** is Mickey Mouse's pet dog and closest companion, first appearing as a nameless bloodhound in *The Chain Gang*. Pluto 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.

## Background

### Personality

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. He acts as Mickey's sidekick, best friend, conscience on 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.

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. 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.

While intelligent enough, Pluto can be a bit clumsy and his childlike persona is often mistaken for stupidity. He's not immune to being outwitted but can get back on track which is usually bad news since Pluto can have a nasty temper. He has two consciences. One evil (which is Pluto's devil counterpart) and one good (which is Pluto's angel counterpart). They occasional appear in hard situations and Pluto tends to listen to the negative side at the beginning but the positive doesn't take no for an answer, having Pluto do good in the end.

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.

Pluto also has a tendency to fall in love rather quickly. Whenever this would occur, Pluto would usually stop at nothing to win the heart of the girl in question. Some of the girls Pluto has been smitten with include: Fifi the Peke, Dinah the Dachshund, and Tiki. Despite his recurring love bug, the cartoon *Pluto's Penthouse Sweet* showed that Pluto's friendship with Mickey can overshadow his love interest.

## History

### 1930-1950

Pluto first appeared, unnamed, in the 1930Mickey 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*.

Pluto is also considered one of the first Disney characters to break out of the "rubber hose and circle" formula style the studio had relied on; the dog's design gave him the appearance of actually being round instead of flat. In addition, Pluto is one of the first cartoon characters that is actually shown to have thought processes through the use of character animation. His thought processes are showcased in a landmark scene from 1934's *Playful Pluto*, in which Pluto becomes stuck to a piece of flypaper and attempts to figure out a way to get himself unstuck.

Pluto is sometimes billed as "Mickey's Pal Pluto" (which is also the title of a 1933 cartoon), as he is very devoted to his master. Even though he's been known to run in the opposite direction when confronted by something frightening, Pluto is protective of Mickey. In many cartoons, Pluto tried his doggedness to assist his owner, and nothing made the happy hound happier, even if their plans didn't always turn out as expected. *Puppy Love* (1933) found Pluto accompanying Mickey on a romantic visit to Minnie; the pooch tries to help out with spring cleaning in *Playful Pluto* (1934); and in *On Ice*(1935), the curious canine was out for a day of ice-skating, even though in Pluto's case it is thanks to two pairs of skates attached to his paws by Donald Duck.

Audiences so took the loose-limbed hound to heart that, even as continued to co-star in many of Mickey's films, he was given his own series of solo-starring cartoons, starting with *Pluto's Quinpuplets*(1937), but even before that he became the only Disney standard character to star in his own Silly Symphony, *Mother Pluto* (1936). Pluto has a veritable kennel-full of supporting players, including his nemesis, the bullying bulldog called Butch, and not one but two canine-cuties as sweethearts Fifi, the temperamental Pekinese and also Dinah the long-lashed dachshund. Interestingly, in "Pluto's Quinpuplets", Pluto and Fifi are seen as "Mr. And Mrs. Pluto," the parents of five mischievous mutts. Pluto is also seen as the pop of a pup in *Pluto Junior* (1942) and as the big bro of a little guy in Pluto's *Kid Brother* (1946). In films such as *First Aiders* (1944), Pluto has been teamed with Figaro the feisty feline from *Pinocchio* (1940), whose annoying antics gets the easily frustrated pooch's hairs up. A definite highlight for the humble hound was *Lend a Paw* (1941) which was awarded the Oscar® for Best Cartoon of the Year.

### 1950-present

Throughout the 1950s, Pluto would continue to appear in short films. But, as the studio began focusing on other endeavors such as their animated features, the introduction of television, and the début of Disneyland, Pluto's career in animated shorts would eventually cease; his last theatrical cartoon in the original *Mickey Mouse* series being *The Simple Things* (1953).

Afterward, Pluto would make appearances in comic stories and some episodes of the Walt Disney anthology series, until finally vanishing from the mainstream audience for nearly three decades. Unlike the rest of the classic cast, Pluto did not return for the short film *Mickey's Christmas Carol*, instead reappearing in the 1990's short *The Prince and the Pauper*, reprising his classic role as Mickey's dog and companion. From this point, forward, Pluto's vocal performance would be provided by Bill Farmer, who also began voicing Goofy around the same time. Pluto's red collar was also revamped as an identical green collar for most modern appearances, something that was first introduced in *Society Dog Show* (1939)

Today, Pluto remains one of Disney's most recognizable and popular characters, appearing in various forms of media, and every incarnation of the *Mickey Mouse* franchise. Along with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, and Daisy, Pluto is one of the six leading characters of the Walt Disney Company.

## Films

### *Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas*

In *Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas*, Pluto appears in the last segment as Mickey's faithful dog and co-worker. Pluto helps Mickey gain enough money to buy Minnie a chain for her watch. When their boss Pete fires them and takes their money Pluto tries to find a way to help Mickey gain more money. Mickey and Pluto end up performing at a charity and after the performance, Mickey realizes he can maybe trade his harmonica for the chain. The owner states the harmonica is not worth much and when he hears Mickey sad melody on the harmonica he changes his mind. Pluto and Mickey return to Minnie's home and his presence was a bone.

### *Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas*

Pluto appears in the last segment in the computer-animated sequel *Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas*. In the short, Pluto runs away from Mickey after destroying the decorations and having a fight with Mickey. Pluto runs into a train and ends up in the North Pole. Pluto meets and befriends Santa's seven reindeer who name him Murray (as in "*Murray* Christmas"). Pluto begins to miss Mickey, while back in town, Mickey is looking for Pluto. Mickey meets Santa Claus and tells him about missing Pluto. Santa returns home and finds Pluto with his reindeer Donner and Blitzen. Santa and the reindeer return Pluto home. Mickey and Pluto reunite and celebrate Christmas together.

### *Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers*

Pluto plays a supporting role in the film. Here, Pluto lives alongside janitors, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The three dream of being musketeers after being saved by three as children. Pluto was also present as a puppy during the experience. However, their dream seems as far away as ever. Pluto often reminds Mickey never to give up, presenting him with the hat the musketeer gave him after the rescue years ago. Later on in the film, the villainous Captain Pete plots to steal the throne from Princess Minnie and hires Mickey, Donald, and Goofy to be her musketeer bodyguards. He believes they'll do a terrible job and prove no obstacle to his plans. On the day of meeting the Princess and her lady in waiting for Daisy, Pluto gives himself a facepalm as his friends made a terrible first impression attacking Daisy thinking she's a villain. Pluto is seen again after Pete's minion Clarabelle kidnaps Goofy. Pluto rushes to warn Mickey. Unfortunately, Mickey is kidnapped by Pete. Pluto is then seen with Donald and the freed Goofy rushing to save Mickey and then Princess Minnie. Pluto is last seen at the royal ceremony in which Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are dubbed royal musketeers.

### Cameos

Pluto can also be spotted in cameos in *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* from 1988. He is seen at the end of the film alongside Mickey, Minnie, and other cartoon characters rushing to see what has come to the villain who tried to destroy their home.

## Television

### *The Mouse Factory*

Pluto made recurring appearances in the live-action wrap-around skits alongside the other costumed characters and celebrity guests.

### *Mickey Mouse Works*

Pluto appears as a main character in the animated series *Mickey Mouse Works*, once again appearing as Mickey Mouse's faithful pooch. A recurring segment was the *Pluto Gets the Paper* mini-shorts, where he is asked to fetch the paper for Mickey but always winds up getting into trouble. Aside from this, Pluto also has his own cartoons reliving the classic Walt Disney cartoons using an expression to tell an entertaining story.

### *House of Mouse*

Pluto appears once again in the series *House of Mouse* as the club's official mascot. Despite being apart of the main cast, Pluto usually makes only cameo appearances in most episodes not revolving around him. A notable episode featuring him is "Pluto Saves the Day" in which Pluto feels unappreciated and becomes a hero after Pete poisons everyone with the Witch's poisoned apple. In another episode "Pluto vs. Figaro", Pluto needed a helper, Figaro, Minnie's kitten, after Minnie thinks Pluto has been working too hard.

Pluto also appears in *Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse*, where he tries to help Donald get into the Christmas spirit. In the film *Mickey's House of Villains*, Pluto is seen only in one of the *Mickey Mouse Works* cartoon shorts included as part of the film, *Mickey's Mechanical House*, but not in any of the bridging sequences or any of the other shorts.

### *Mickey Mouse Clubhouse*

Pluto reappears as the main character in the computer-animated series *Mickey Mouse Clubhouse*. Pluto joins in nearly every adventure Mickey and Friends set off on and helps the gang solve many puzzling problems. While being apart of the main cast, Pluto's role is usually supporting often adding comic relief rather than advancing the episode's plot like other characters.

Several episodes revolved around Pluto such as *Pluto's Best* where he competes with longtime rival Butch and others like *Pluto's Puppysitting Adventure* which has Pluto and Mickey watching over Clarabelle's puppy Bella. Pluto's most important role in the series is Mickey's sidekick joining him on most adventures and seen with Mickey more than all other characters. In the recent episode *Pluto's Tale*, Pluto was the central character who must rescue Princess Bella from the evil Wizard Pete.

Pluto is also featured in the spin-off series *Mickey Mousekersize*.

### *Mickey Mouse*

Pluto returns in the 2013 *Mickey Mouse* television series.

His very first appearance was in "Dog Show". In this episode, he and Mickey were getting ready for a dog show, practicing tricks in the park when Goofy arrives. Believing that they're playing as opposed to practicing, Goofy decides to join in on the fun and grabs a stick to play fetch with Pluto. Pluto chases the stick and catches it, but accidentally runs off the edge of a cliff and gets hospitalized. Due to this, Mickey cleverly gets the idea to have Goofy take Pluto's place in the dog show.

Pluto reappears in "Space Walkies", where he and Mickey travel to outer space, though Pluto's uncontrollable habits (such as his uncontrollable bladder and urge to chase Chip & Dale) cause chaos.

Pluto plays another central role in "Doggone Biscuits", where he is left in Minnie's care while Mickey goes out of town. Pluto's favorite treats are incredibly fattening, however, and despite Mickey's warnings, Minnie accidentally feeds the entire bag of treats to the pup, resulting in him gaining a massive amount of weight. The rest of the episode revolves around Minnie struggling to restore Pluto's health and figure before Mickey comes home.

Pluto also has a central role in "Coned!", when Mickey puts on a dog cone to show Pluto it's not so bad being coned, he ends up blindly putting himself in danger so Pluto has to keep him safe.

In "Year of the Dog", Pluto is a stray living in the streets of Shanghai. Upon smelling the food coming from a nearby home owned by Mickey, he sneaks inside and eats nearly every meal, apart from the main dish. Mickey catches him in the act, and a chase ensues. In the end, upon realizing Pluto was stray eating for survival, Mickey warmly takes the pup into his home.

### Other shows

Pluto appeared in the opening theme for the 1950's television series *The Mickey Mouse Club*. As Mickey and the gang perform the song, Pluto creates music with the use of his drums, even having a solo.

He also makes a minor cameo in the *DuckTales* episode "Down and Out in Duckburg": in Scrooge McDuck's nightmare of what his life and that of his friends would be like if he lost all his money, Pluto is a stray dog whom Scrooge must wrestle for a little bit of food.

Pluto had a brief cameo appearance in the first episode of *Quack Pack*, "The Really Mighty Ducks".

Pluto also appears in *Mickey and the Roadster Racers*, but plays a minor role and does not typically partake in the main storyline (the races) of the show.

## Trivia

* Pluto was also shown to be the pet dog of Donald Duck and Goofy on occasions.
* Pluto spoke once in his career - "Kiss Me" in *The Moose Hunt*. He also had one somewhat-spoken line after that - "Huh?" in *Pluto and the Armadillo* and *Mickey and the Seal*.
* Like Sora becoming friends with Donald and Goofy, and Riku becoming friends with King Mickey, Pluto may be the Disney friend to the original character, Kairi, in *Kingdom Hearts II*, as he keeps her company during her capture in *The World That Never Was*.
* According to an interview that is an extra to the DVD of *The Three Doctors*, Pluto was to be the namesake for the *Doctor Who* character K9 but the Walt Disney Company would not permit this.
* Pluto (sort of) sings "You Belong To My Heart" in *Pluto's Blue Note* from the 1945 film, *The Three Caballeros*.
* Aside from Goofy, Pluto is the only other parent in the Sensational Six group. Coincidentally, both characters were voiced by Pinto Colvig and are currently voiced by Bill Farmer.
* He is the only member of the Sensational Six who doesn't appear in *Disney Universe*.
* Pluto's head design is actually quite similar to Goofy's, minus the buck teeth.
* Pluto is also the name of the Roman god of the Underworld (his Greek counterpart is Hades). Coincidentally, Pluto (the dog) was actually created at the same time as the discovery of the dwarf planet named Pluto, which was at the time considered as the Solar System's ninth planet.
* Coincidentally, the more recent photographs of Pluto (the dwarf planet) taken by the Hubble Space Telescope reveal it to be the exact shade of orange as Pluto's (the dog) fur.
* Pluto talks to himself in the comics by Floyd Gottfredson.
* On the Walt Disney Studios lot, there is a curb dubbed "Pluto's Corner". On the curb is a hydrant, while Pluto's footprints can be seen on the pavement. Only three footprints are seen, meant to indicate that Pluto took a restroom break in that spot.