The Dog House

Spike is in the yard building his dream-house—a simple wooden kennel—but his progress is hampered by Tom, whose chaotic pursuit of Jerry repeatedly results in the destruction of the bulldog's precious project.

Spike is my one of my favourite supporting characters from the T&J series (Puttin' on the Dog and Fit to Be Tied are pure class!), but this one-note short starring the tough bulldog didn't make me laugh as much as his previous appearances. The first couple of times his kennel gets smashed are fairly amusing, but the gag soon gets rather tedious. The cartoon's funniest moment doesn't involve the obliteration of the kennel at all: it sees Tom tugging on a rope, repeatedly causing Spike to bash against the other side of the fence. If only the rest of the action had been up to that scene, we could have had another Spike classic on our hands!

Some of the story mayn't come much of a surprise, but any fan of Tom and Jerry will thoroughly enjoy The Dog House. I most certainly did. It was interesting to find a rare occurrence in where you don't feel sorry for Tom and where despite his threats that Spike is a little tamer than usual. The Dog House is well paced, and has a lot of fun gags, especially with Spike as a daisy and Tom with the steam-roller/lawnmower machine. The animation as ever is detailed, clean and sumptuously coloured, while the music is upbeat and catchy as well as managing to compliment and enhance the quality of the gags. All three characters are very entertaining to watch. Tom and Jerry play to their strengths, and that is the same with Spike, who is actually the characters we feel for most this time around.

Overall, fun and beautifully animated. Not among Tom and Jerry's masterpieces but still one to be enjoyed thoroughly. 9/10 Bethany Cox

It's always a treat when Spike turns up in a 'Tom and Jerry' toon. 'The Dog House (1952)' is, essentially, all about the bulldog and his attempts to build himself a home. That home constantly ends up as collateral damage in Tom and Jerry's various cat-and-mouse calamities, which forces our poor and increasingly frustrated canine to start construction over and over again. With its efficient narrative, glorious sight-gags and fast pace, the piece easily sits among Hanna-Barbera's best efforts - even if it isn't necessarily a stand-out entry. It's helped immensely by the three-handed dynamic at its core, which sets it apart from others of the kind. It's an entertaining experience throughout. 7/10

"If one more thing happens to my little dream house, there is going to be murder!"

When he hears threats like that - always delivered to Tom by either Spike the dog or Mammy Two Shoes the maid, it's music to Jerry's ears......and the devil sets to work to make sure that DOES happen. His goal is always to see that Tom gets what's coming to him.

Spike hasn't built the house yet; he just has the blueprints, but he's working on it. Unfortunately, every time he's trying the build the house the stupid cat - who is always chasing Jerry - gets in the way, ruins what has been built.....and pays a big price. Spike never bluffs. If he promises something; he'll deliver!

Actually, Spike shows more patience and tolerance in this episode that you would think. Tom, in the beginning, accidentally demolishes the in-progress dog house but later he acts nasty himself....so you wind up rooting for the dog in this one.

Some of the gags in here are good, such as Spike looking like a daisy or a few other odd things. Actually, the poor dog takes the brunt of the violence in this cartoon. In fact, I can't think of another Tom and Jerry where Tom deserved punishment more than this one. I usually root for him, but not here.