In the world of animal metaphors and phrases, the dog often gets the short end of the fetched stick.  In the span of a single “dog day afternoon,” for instance, we might “work like a dog” till “our dogs are tired” and, hounded by demands till we feel like one sick puppy, it seems as if even our night has “gone to the dogs.”  But then, there is always one saving verbal grace. The pooch is still, as always, “man’s best friend.”  [Patrick McDonnell gives the gift of warmth with ‘Mutts’ musical]  As for seemingly as long as there have been comics, the dog has been the cartoonist’s trusty companion. So to celebrate official National Dog Day today, we toss out these odes to throw a bone to our six favorite cartoon canines:  [%u2018Nobody Knows You’re a Dog': Creator Peter Steiner knows the idea resonates as real as ever]  Annie may be orphaned To a Warbucks lacking scruples But like a laid-off teacher She and pal Sandy both lack pupils!  Snoopy owns a Van Gogh A pool table and works renown But the ultimate thing he “owns” Is the well-“heeled” Charlie Brown.  Garfield squats like orange lasagna A mound of apathy and odious snark. Give us a housepet way more engaged *We’ll just pop him some Ritalin for that bark.  Santa’s Little Helper Can talk and fetch and smile The biggest race he can’t win, alas, Is vs. Snoopy in plushy toy aisles.  Jake is the most flexible of friends As brother and mentor and sitter Only a wild shape-shifter, after all Could sire a uni-corndog litter.  Marmaduke and red dog Clifford are slobbery and super-sized Give us sweet old Farley, instead For better or for worse, he saved a life.
To celebrate the day, here are our favorite cartoon dogs — from Snoopy to Santa's Little Helper on "The Simpsons."