Dinah

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In *The Sleepwalker*, Dinah first appears watching from a hole in a fence as Pluto sleeps and licks his bone. She sneaks up, pulls away his bowl containing the bone, and takes it for herself. When Pluto wakes and sees her licking his bone, he chases her through the neighborhood and takes it back. Later, while Pluto sleepwalks, he gives his bone to Dinah, but each time he wakes he thinks she stole it and angrily retrieves it. The chase escalates until Pluto destroys Dinah's doghouse in rage. There he discovers Dinah has puppies, now without shelter. Overcome with guilt, Pluto gives Dinah and her puppies his own doghouse and a pile of his bones. Grateful, Dinah gives Pluto a kiss, and he happily goes back to sleep in the rain.

In Their Own Story

The short opens with Pluto sleeping happily, licking his bone. Dinah, watching from a hole in a fence, wants the bone too. She sneaks up and carefully pulls away Pluto's bowl containing the bone, taking it for herself. Pluto's tongue detects the bone is gone before he wakes, and he is shocked to see Dinah licking his bone. Furious, Pluto chases Dinah through the neighborhood and takes the bone back. Soon after, Pluto goes back to sleep and begins sleepwalking. While in this state, he gives his bone to Dinah, but every time he wakes up, he thinks she has stolen it again and angrily takes it back. Pluto finally snaps when he catches her trying to bury the bone. He chases her back to her doghouse and destroys the house in rage. It is here that Pluto makes a shocking discovery: Dinah has puppies, and they now have no shelter. Overcome with guilt, Pluto quickly gives Dinah and her puppies his doghouse to stay in, along with a pile of his bones. Grateful, Dinah gives Pluto a kiss, and an overjoyed Pluto happily goes back to sleep in the rain.

Reader's Guide

Dinah the Dachshund is a minor but recurring character in the Pluto cartoon series. Her first appearance is in *The Sleepwalker* (1942), where she is introduced as a dachshund who steals Pluto's bone. The short establishes her as a clever and persistent character, capable of sneaking up on Pluto and taking his bone while he sleeps. Her design changes in later appearances, such as *Canine Casanova* (1945), *In Dutch* (1946), *Pluto's Heart Throb* (1950), and *Wonder Dog* (1950), where she becomes Pluto's recurring love interest. In *The Sleepwalker*, her role is primarily as an antagonist who triggers Pluto's sleepwalking and rage, but the story ends with her receiving Pluto's kindness after he discovers her puppies. Key moments include her first theft of the bone, the sleepwalking sequence where Pluto gives her the bone, and the final scene where she kisses Pluto in gratitude.

Did You Know?

• Dinah the Dachshund made her debut in the 1942 short *The Sleepwalker*, starring Mickey's dog Pluto.
• In her first appearance, Dinah steals Pluto's bone while he sleeps, leading to a chase through the neighborhood.
• Pluto destroys Dinah's doghouse in rage before discovering she has puppies, prompting him to give her his own doghouse.
• Dinah later appears in four more shorts: *Canine Casanova* (1945), *In Dutch* (1946), *Pluto's Heart Throb* (1950), and *Wonder Dog* (1950).
• The short *The Sleepwalker* was released by RKO Radio Pictures and produced by Walt Disney Productions.