| "Dog of Death" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 19 |
| Directed by | Jim Reardon |
| Written by | John Swartzwelder |
| Production code | 8F17 |
| Original air date | March 12, 1992 |
| Guest appearance | |
| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I saw nothing unusual in the teacher's lounge"[1] |
| Couch gag | Homer gets to the couch first and lies down. The rest of the family arrives and sits on him. Homer flails his arms. |
| Commentary | Matt Groening Al Jean Jim Reardon |
"Dog of Death" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 12, 1992. In the episode, Santa's Little Helper falls ill and the 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, Bart stumbles upon the trained Santa's Little Helper and is attacked, but the dog eventually recognizes his old friend and stops.
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Jim Reardon. The writers enjoyed the previous episodes centered on Santa's Little Helper and decided to create another one, which resulted in "Dog of Death".
Since airing, the episode has received positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 14.2 and was the highest-rated show on Fox the week it aired.