Pluto is Mickey Mouse's pet dog that first appeared as a nameless bloodhound in 1930's The Chain Gang. Named by Walt Disney, Pluto is 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.
Despite making his screen debut a year earlier, Pluto wouldn’t appear as Mickey’s dog up until The Moose Hunt in 1931. From then on, Pluto quickly grew in popularity, succeeding such characters as Minnie Mouse and Horace Horsecollar as Mickey’s usual sidekick. 1934's Playful Pluto is often credited as Pluto's defining short, mainly for a scene animated by Norman Ferguson, in which Pluto gets stuck to flypaper and must figure out a way to escape his plight, all with no dialogue.
Pluto's ability to convey emotion through pantomime made him a favorite amongst animators. His prominence in Disney shorts eventually surpassed even that of Mickey's, with several cartoons dedicating more screentime to Pluto despite headlining as a Mickey picture. In 1937, Pluto was given his own series of cartoons beginning with Pluto's Quin-puplets.
