Bull Terrier – Rocky Kanaka

What Happened to Spuds MacKenzie? Learn About this Bull Terrier’s Legacy and Retirement

Rocky Kanaka — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:12:07 +0000

The Original Party Animal Spuds MacKenzie was a famous canine character widely featured in Bud Light ad campaigns in 1987 and 1988. Spuds MacKenzie was portrayed as a fun-loving, Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses-wearing dog whose life revolved around parties, Bud Light beer, and beautiful women!

Spuds MacKenzie was an instant hit following his debut in a Bud Light advertising campaign for Super Bowl XXI in 1987. Soon you could buy Spuds MacKenzie shirts and other branded trinkets, and Spuds began appearing in pop culture references, and even the news. Believe it or not, this lovable character created a swirl of controversy, and Bud Light retired Spuds in 1989.

An adorable white English Bull Terrier with a black spot around his eye, the Spuds MacKenzie dog remains an easily recognizable icon despite stepping out of the spotlight more than three decades ago. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly happened to Spuds, what the Spuds MacKenzie breed is like, or why Anheuser Busch abandoned this cultural icon, keep on reading!

Who Was Spuds MacKenzie?

The character Spuds MacKenzie was dubbed the “Original Party Animal” and enjoyed sipping cold Bud Light on the beach surrounded by gorgeous women. The real Spuds MacKenzie dog was a female Bull Terrier named Honey Tree Evil Eye—just Evie, for short—from North Riverside, Illinois. Miss Evie played Bud Light Spuds MacKenzie from 1987 until her retirement—and the characters—in 1989.

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What Breed Was Spuds MacKenzie?

The breed of Spuds MacKenzie is called an English Bull Terrier. Compact mid-sized dogs, Bull Terriers are goofy, playful, mischievous, and curious dogs who form strong bonds with their humans. An incredibly unique-looking breed, the Bull Terrier is the only dog breed with triangular eye openings. Their long angular snouts are another distinctive feature of the breed along with alert upright ears, a stocky muscular build, and short silky fur.

What Breed is the Famous Target Dog Bullseye?

English Bull Terriers stand around 21–22 inches tall and weigh between 50–70 pounds. The average lifespan for these pups is around 12–13 years.

Source: Amazon

How Did the Original Spuds MacKenzie Die?

The dog that played Spuds MacKenzie death occurred around four or five years after the last official Spuds MacKenzie commercials aired. Evie died of kidney failure in 1993 following a full life with her beloved family.

Controversy & The End of Spuds MacKenzie

Strangely enough, the good-natured Spuds MacKenzie Bud Light premiered for a Super Bowl ad almost immediately fueled a controversy. First, outrage flared when consumers learned that Evie—the canine actor portraying Spuds—was a female dog and not a male dog. As ridiculous as this may seem, the situation quickly escalated.

The first time Spuds appeared, a Senator from South Carolina began a smear campaign against Bud Light, claiming that the lovable character was a way for the brand to convince children to buy and drink beer. This particular controversy continued throughout the three years of Spuds MacKenzie’s existence. Christmas ads featuring Spuds dressed as Santa were banned in Ohio, arguing both that the ads appealed to children, and that they violated state laws prohibiting alcohol advertising using Santa’s likeness.

National organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving added fuel to the fire, filing lawsuits against Bud Light and appealing to the Federal Trade Commission in the interest of “public safety.” While the FTC did not find issue with the Spuds MacKenzie Bud Light campaign, Anheuser Busch decided to put an end to the hubbub and retire the character officially in 1989. Spuds has only appeared in one ad since, but not in his corporeal form!

Spuds MacKenzie Fun Facts

Enough about the drama—get to know a little more about your favorite beer-promoting pooch! For a fictional character with only three years of active relevance, Spuds MacKenzie managed to drum up a lot of attention.

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Anheuser Busch sponsored rescue dogs from Spuds’ hometown!

Evie lived in North Riverside, Illinois, but she was originally from a kennel in Woodstock, Illinois. As a tribute to Evie and the Spuds MacKenzie character, Anheuser Busch sponsored a number of dogs from the same shelter over the years.

Is the Spuds MacKenzie dog breed a Pitbull?

No, but English Bull Terriers are related to Pitbull-type dogs. Bully breeds are thought to originate with Bull Terriers and English Bulldogs, but they aren’t widely considered Pitbull-type dogs.

Two famous cartoon cartoon dogs are based on Spuds MacKenzie.

Well-known cartoon TV shows Futurama and The Simpsons each created characters parodying and inspired by Spuds MacKenzie. Futurama’s version is a bit more obvious with the name “Slurms MacKenzie the Original Party Worm” but the Simpson’s version is far more well-known. Believe it or not, Santa’s Little Helper is based on Spuds which makes him the perfect companion for beer-loving Homer Simpson!

Spuds MacKenzie inspired the song “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot!

After seeing Bud Light’s Spuds MacKenzie Super Bowl commercial, Sir Mix-a-Lot felt moved to make a song about a type of beauty he wasn’t seeing on TV. Most women on TV in the 80s—including the women who hung out with Spuds—were thin white women, and Sir Mix-a-Lot wrote Baby Got Back as an ode to diverse beauty.

Bud Light conjured the spirit of Spuds for one more Super Bowl ad in 2017

Spuds MacKenzie was featured in one last ad campaign following retirement in 1989. Bud Light’s commercial for Super Bowl LI in 2017 included Spuds in the form of a ghost who loves beer and helps a hapless man reconnect with his friends. As an adorable tribute to the original Spuds MacKenzie, the home in the commercial had the house number 1989! Since then, Spuds has not been summoned back into the world of the living.

What Breed is the Famous Target Dog Bullseye?

Rocky Kanaka — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 23:31:25 +0000

Target—Targét, if you will—is one of America’s favorite places to shop. Whether you need new socks, a gallon of milk, or a new wardrobe, you can find it at Target. The Target logo is iconic, and every American knows those big red balls outside Target entrances, but the most iconic Target symbol has to be the Target dog!

The Target bullseye dog is aptly named “Bullseye” and he’s been the store’s mascot since 1999 when he appeared in his first advertising campaign for the brand. The OG “Bullseye” Target dog was actually named Smudgie. Smudgie was an AKC champion white Bull Terrier who also went by his much fancier show name Kingsmere Moondoggie. Bullseye caught the public’s attention immediately, and Target began selling Bullseye plushies the same year, which you can still buy more than twenty years later.

Since the Target brand introduced Bullseye to the world, he has become a staple in American pop culture, but how much do you know about the breed behind the brand?

The English Bull Terrier is a visually distinctive breed, even without the Target corporation’s logo on its face! Let’s dive into the deets on this breed, and chat a little more about Bullseye the Target dog…or dogs.

Meet 4 Internet Famous Bull Terriers

Bullseye the Target dog is a white English Bull Terrier, but Bull Terriers come in around a dozen standard colors including brindle, red, and tricolored variations. Let’s take a look at a few Bull Terriers who share their lives on Instagram.

1. Bond

^Source:^@Dynagon3

Bond is a white English Bull Terrier with black spots on his ears. Bond is a cheerful boy who is always smiling, and you can find him wherever his human is!

2. Trixie

^Source:^{@Trixie_The_English_BullTerrier}

Trixie is a gorgeous two year old tricolored mini English Bull Terrier who would spend all day running around outside if she could. A good girl with lots of energy, Trixie will always play with her canine friends.

3. Sia

^Source:^{@Sia.BullTerrier}

Miss Sia is a seven-year-old brindle and white Bull Terrier who loves absolutely everyone—humans, other dogs, even cats! Sia has a big personality, but she’s a total snuggle bug who just wants to love on you.

4. Ernie

^Source:^{@Ernie_English_BullTerrier}

This handsome boy is Ernie, a red and white Bull Terrier with great vibes who loves to go on adventures. Ernie is a social pup, and he’s always up for a day spent playing with his buddies or shadowing his human in case a treat happens to appear.

Bull Terrier Basic Info

English Bull Terriers are a unique breed easily singled out for its distinctive facial structure and features. The only breed to have triangular eye openings, the Bull Terrier also has a long and wide triangular face, erect triangular ears, and a sturdy build—these dogs look almost geometric.

There’s plenty more to the Bull Terrier than just its looks, so let’s dive into some details about the breed.

Bull Terrier Temperament

Bull Terriers are sometimes compared to human toddlers for their playful, energetic, yet stubborn and independent personalities. Bull Terriers absolutely love their humans and can be very affectionate, but they will also happily ignore your commands if they are stuck on an activity. Determined and brave, Bull Terriers can be a little reactive towards other dogs, and aren’t known for doing well with small children.

If you have the time to dedicate to a high energy pup, and you’re looking for a goofy dog with a mind of its own, a Bull Terrier might just be right for you.

Bull Terrier Size

Bull Terriers are medium-sized dogs that stand between 21–22 inches tall and weigh around 50–70 pounds.

Bull Terrier Health

Badly bred Bull Terriers are highly susceptible to heart and kidney issues and hearing loss. These issues can mostly be avoided by buying puppies only from ethical breeders, and the only other health problem to be aware of specifically for the Bull Terrier breed is patellar luxation.

Bull Terrier & Target Dog FAQ

There’s so much to learn about the Target dog breed—AKA the English Bull Terrier—we couldn’t possibly fit it all in one blog! To close this beginner’s guide out, we’re answering the top questions about the Bull Terrier.

Do Bull Terriers shed?

Yes. Bull Terriers have a short coat and are moderate to low shedders.

What kind of dog is the Target dog?

Once and for all, what breed is the Target dog? The breed of the Target dog—and all Target dogs that have come after—is English Bull Terrier.

What is the difference between a Pit Bull and a Bull Terrier?

The term “Pit Bull” is often misunderstood to mean one specific breed. The uninitiated may refer to four or more distinct breeds as “Pit Bulls” but no such breed actually exists. In the dog world, “Pit Bull” is used to refer to a family of dogs that includes:

-American Pitbull Terrier
-American Staffordshire Terrier
-Staffordshire Bull Terrier
-American Bully

Some people also place English Bull Terriers, American Bulldogs, Cane Corsos, and other “Bully breeds” under the Pit Bull umbrella. In truth, the English Bull Terrier is actually an ancestor of the dogs we consider Pit Bulls today. Unfortunately, some Bull Terrier owners will experience limitations thanks to breed specific legislation aimed at Bully breeds.

So, next time someone asks you “what is the breed of the Target dog?” you can confidently confuse them by saying that it’s a Bull Terrier, and that it’s not a Pit Bull, but it also is a Pit Bull.

What is Target’s dog named?

The Target dog’s name is “Bullseye” according to Target’s marketing, but the canine actors that have played the Target dog have names they use when they aren’t performing. The original Target dog was named Smudgie, and he debuted as Bullseye in 1999. Nikki—another white English Bull Terrier—embodied the beloved mascot from at least 2014 to around 2019.

While these two notable pups are the best known featured Target dogs, a number of dogs have been used over the years. Target dog duties include being featured in commercials, standing on red carpets, attending store openings, and more, so there need to be multiple to keep up with Bullseye’s busy schedule.

Who owns the target dog?

Today’s Target dogs live with their trainer David McMillan in Los Angeles, California. McMillan has been training Target dogs since 2001, and he keeps at least three white English Bull Terriers at a time to take turns playing the famous Bullseye.

Fun fact: Several Target dogs through the years have been rescue dogs!

How is the Target logo painted on the Target dog?

According to Target, the bullseye logo is “created with Humane Society-approved vegetable-based paint that is applied by a professional makeup artist.” Designed to be completely safe and non-toxic, the bright red bullseye wipes off easily after the doggy actor is done working.