When Homer's court case determines that a dog's life is more vauluable than a human's, the canines recognize their position of power and begin to assert their dominance.
Tropes:
- Continuity Cavalcade: Nearly every single dog that appeared in a previous episode reappears, including the dog prostitute from "Today I Am a Clown", and the inexplicably-real Poochie.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Homer, in a drunken stupor, gets surrounded by growling dogs, he starts to rattle off all of their breeds before realizing his predicament.Homer: Let me guess. Collie, dachshund, Tibetan mastiff, otterhound, Swedish vallhund, Finnish spitz, Norwegian lundehund, Catahoula leopard dog, lagotto romagnolo, and three wolves! (screams in terror)
- False Reassurance: Gil ends up adopting the Van Houtens' chihuahua, which it licks him, thinking Taquito likes him. The caption for when it barks reveals he's licking Gil's meat for when he is dead.
- Fantasy Twist: Homer being sued for all he's worth makes Bart and Lisa wonder if they'll be sent to live with other families. Relishing the prospect of being free to do whatever he wants, Bart pictures himself immediately selling off both his kidneys and winding up with a headstone that describes him as a "STUDENT OF LIFE, BUT NOT OF ANATOMY." Per usual, this doesn't kill his buzz in the least bit.
- Hidden Depths: Homer is able to quickly and correctly identify dogs by breeds, including some rather obscure ones.
- Hypocritical Humor: When Chief Wiggum locks up Dr. Budgie.Chief Wiggum: Dogs locked up in cages? That's no way to treat a dog! Now, lock him up in a cage... like a dog.
- Ignored Expert: As Dr. Budgie is taken to jail, he warns that, without humans asserting their dominance, the dogs will turn on them and take over the town, which is exactly what happens.
- Kick the Dog: Marge literally kicks the alpha dog, the Van Houtens' chihuahua, out of the park to assert dominance. She then apologizes for it.
- The Main Characters Do Everything: Although the story sets up for Gil to be the savior of the town in an ironic twist, Marge beats him to it, to his disappointment.
- Mama Bear: Marge steps in and punts the alpha dog after the pack corners Bart and Lisa. Although her action reverts the rest of the dogs to their former state of respect for human authority and saves the entire town, her only thought was of protecting her kids.
- Mister Big: The alpha dog ruling Springfield turns out to be Taquito, Milhouse's pet chihuahua.
- Never My Fault: Pulled by the GPS app that incited the incident, deleting itself soon after.App: I was never here, I saw nothing.
- No Sympathy: Everybody stops caring about Gil when Homer says he had to run over him to avoid doing the same to a dog.
- Overly Pre-Prepared Gag: When Santa's Little Helper passes out in his doggy door, Homer tries to have Snowball II grab him by the collar — enduring multiple clawings by a very reluctant feline — just so he can say, "Well well well! Look what the cat dragged in!" Bart and Lisa agree it was Worth It.
- Redemption Quest: Gil's determination to be the one to save the town from the dogs, after his life was declared to be of less worth than a dog's, is framed as this, which Homer acknowledges doesn't make much sense as he didn't actually do anything wrong.
- Sadistic Choice: While speeding in an alley where both Gil and Santa's Little Helper are eating from trashcans, Homer has to choose between hitting one to avoid the other. He chooses to hit Gil, and the ensuing trial sets the plot in motion.
- Savage Wolves: Wolves start moving into Springfield when the dogs start taking over.
- Status Quo Is God: Lampshaded during the town meeting where they decide they're giving dogs too much power.Mayor Quimby: I say "status", you say...
Everybody else: Quo! - Tempting Fate: Gil misses the chance to become the town's hero to buy a sandwich and Homer tries to comfort him by stating he at least still has the sandwich.
- Too Dumb to Live: In an Imagine Spot, Bart plans to sell his kidney for money, but gets too greedy and decides to sell both kidneysnote Headstone: Bart Simpson; Student of life, but not of anatomy
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Mayor Quimby says Springfield isn't on the map because the map company doesn't know which state the town is in.
