Spaceman Spiff races for his life
against several aliens, crash-landing on a distant planet (as usual) only to be stalked by a big-eyed, strange monster!
Except it's not a monster... it's a pug. As the story switches to real life, Calvin finds himself accompanied with the dog. His attempt to get rid of it merely causes it to yap like there's no tomorrow. Calvin's mom tells him that its name is Tug, and he's to watch it for the day.
Calvin and Hobbes ignore it and start playing Calvinball, but it soon gets into trouble by trying to bury the MTM. Hobbes has Calvin get it some water afterwards, but he ignores it, as apparently he lost his thirst in the few seconds it took Calvin to get the water.
Later, while the duo ignore him again and watch cartoons, Tug buries the MTM again, and Calvin crazily gets him back once more. Unfortunately, it turns out Calvin's parents are getting groceries for a half-hour, and Calvin has to watch him.
The duo bemusedly watch Tug goof around in their room, when it suddenly spots a cockroach and immediately starts yapping once more - until it touches him ever-so-slightly, upon which he bolts from the room and continues barking. It then starts running around like a maniac. Hobbes finally gets it to stop by coercing it to go outside and play fetch, where it cannot find the ball - even when Calvin literally puts him right in front of it.
When he finally gets it, Calvin throws it into the woods, where he is presumably lost. The two aren't worried - the MTM can teleport him back, right? Unfortunately, the MTM is nowhere to be found - and Calvin's parents are coming home relatively soon! After using the Time Pauser and digging several holes, they ride the wagon into the woods.
Eventually, it turns out that the MTM was in one of the holes, and Tug had came in earlier while they were making lunch. He uses a Time Vortex to restore things to normal, and all is well again.
Tropes:
- Anti-Climax
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking and Take That!:Hobbes: But if he's hurt? What if he's trapped by a wolf and a rock? What if he's about to attacked by an eagle?! What if he's stuck somewhere watching an old rerun of Ainsley Harriet's Ready, Steady, Cook?!
Calvin: Oh, stop exaggerating.
Hobbes: But it's something to consider! He could be watching The Brittas Empire at this very moment!
Calvin: Stop it.(Beat)
Hobbes: Calvin… What if he's watching Fear Factor?
Calvin: Okay, stop it! You're scaring me!
Hobbes: We can't just leave him in a world where they're still making those sick Saw movies!
Calvin: Shut up! Just shut up! - Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Remarked upon by Hobbes:"He's a furry little emotional rollercoaster."
- Badass Adorable: More like Badass
Ugly Cute, but Tug is extremely agile. To wit:Tug hit the wall straight on, somehow rebounded into a tuck roll, let his back right paw touched the ground for one-eighth of a second, launched twenty feet from that one push, and managed to hit Hobbes at roughly seven thousand miles per hour. - Bottle Episode: Only those who appear in the strip (barring the MTM and Tug) appear here.
- Character Title
- Evil-Detecting Dog: Discussed:Calvin: Did you hear the theory that when a dog barks at nothing, it's barking at a ghost or a spirit?
Hobbes: Nah, that's a load of hooey. - Exactly What It Says on the Tin
- Faint in Shock: Calvin faints when his dad suggests getting a pug (after he'd spent the entire episode watching over Tug). In addition, Hobbes slumps over, and the MTM shuts itself off.
- Groin Attack: Referenced:Hobbes: That bark. It's like someone is repeatedly kicking Aaron Neville in the business.
- Hell Is That Noise: Calvin and Hobbes find the dog's yapping annoying.
- Irony: Tug tackles Hobbes in the same manner as Hobbes himself usually does to Calvin. Lampshaded:Calvin: Ah. He's reenacted our wonderful 'Welcome Home' Ritual.
- The Load: Tug.
- Parrot Expo What:Mom: Calvin, we're going out to the grocery store real quick, and we need you to watch Tug.
Calvin: You need me to what?! - Sanity Slippage: Tug ends up driving Calvin insane.
- Rapid-Fire "No!": Calvin when "rescuing" the MTM.
