SpongeBob SquarePants

Puff, who is a blowfish expanding into an air balloon. This allows them to be trained to behave in a way that is not specifically the most natural to their breed; nevertheless, the accumulated experience of thousands of years shows that some combinations of nature and nurture are quite daunting, for instance, training whippets to guard flocks of sheep. incident involving Mrs. Of course, dogs in general possess a significant ability to modify their behavior according to experience, including adapting to the behavior of their "pack leaders"—again, humans. Stephen Hillenburg announced publicly that SpongeBob and Patrick are not gay. The example of canine neoteny goes even further, in that the various breeds are differently neotenized according to the type of behavior that was selected. It has been incorrectly reported that James Dobson, a leading figure among many conservative Christians, believes SpongeBob is homosexual or promotes a homosexual lifestyle. Compared to wolves, many adult dog breeds retain such juvenile characteristics as soft fuzzy fur, round torsos, large heads and eyes, ears that hang down rather than stand erect, etc.; characteristics which are shared by most juvenile mammals, and therefore generally elicit some degree of protective and nurturing behavior cross-species from most adult mammals, including humans, who term such characteristics "cute" or "appealing".

Many fans have also pointed to the fact that many more characters besides SpongeBob were featured in the commercial, and SpongeBob's appearance is only a few seconds long. This paedomorphic selection naturally results in a retention of juvenile physical characteristics as well. A spokesman for the foundation suggests that anyone who thought the video promoted homosexuality "needs to visit their doctor and get their medication increased."[2]. This is true of many domesticated animals, including human beings themselves, who have many characteristics similar to young bonobo. The video has sparked controversy because some conservative Christian groups believe that the We Are Family Foundation was using it to promote the normalization of homosexuality in American schools. As with many species, the young wolves are more social and less dominant than adults; therefore, the selection for these characteristics, whether deliberate or inadvertent, is more likely to result in a simple retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood than to generate a complex of independent new changes in behavior. More recently, SpongeBob was featured in the pro-tolerance "We Are Family" commercial, along with many other cartoon characters. This rapid evolution of dogs from wolves is an example of neoteny or paedomorphism.

Puff, SpongeBob's parents, Pearl/Octavious Rex, Plankton/Mama Krabs, Gary/Snellie, Plankton/Karen, Patrick/Mindy, and in many early episodes there is a slight romantic relationship between SpongeBob and Sandy, automatically disproving any rumors that Spongebob could ever be homosexual); aside from the "Rock-a-Bye Bivalve" controversy there are arguably no gay relationships at all. Deliberately crossing two or more breeds is also a manner of establishing new breeds. Krabs/Mrs. However, without genetic testing of the parents, the crosses can sometimes end up inheriting genetic defects that occur in both parental breeds. Mr. Such deliberate crosses may display hybrid vigor and other desirable traits, but can also lack one or more of the desired traits of their parents, such as temperament or a particular color or coat. There are actually many heterosexual relationships on the show (eg. Sometimes mixed-breed dogs are deliberately bred, for example, the Cockapoo, a mixture of Cocker Spaniel and Miniature Poodle.

But some fans argue that SpongeBob has a human-like sexual identity, because sometimes he will panic when he's shown not wearing underwear, as if he were a human, and run back to his pineapple and hide. Mixed breeds, or dogs with no purebred ancestry, are not inherently "better" or "worse" than purebred dogs as companions, pets, working dogs, or competitors in dog sports. In support of this statement, in early episodes it's revealed that SpongeBob reproduces by budding and making baby sponges come out of his holes; this is not so different than what real sponges do. Mixed-breed dogs or Mongrels are dogs that do not belong to specific breeds, being mixtures of two or more in variant percentages. Stephen Hillenburg, creator of the show, states SpongeBob to be asexual, as he is a sponge. In February 2004, the Canine Studies Institute in Aurora, Ohio, arranged recognized breeds of dogs into ten categories. In three episodes, SpongeBob is portrayed for brief moments in women's clothing, although it should be noted that other cartoon and slapstick characters, such as Bugs Bunny, have done the same; in this regard, SpongeBob falls squarely in the pantheon of characters who have actively gone above the limits and endured controversy as a result. The behavior and appearance of a dog of a particular breed can be predicted fairly accurately, while mixed-breed dogs show a broader range of innovative appearance and behavior.

This episode was never aired in the Philippines India, Israel, and Italy because the people there may have thought the episode resembles homosexuality. These problems are not limited to purebred dogs and can affect mixed-breed populations. In the 2002 episode "Rock-a-Bye Bivalve", SpongeBob and Patrick adopt a baby scallop, furthering the rumours because of the implications that the two made major life decisions together, as a couple would. Even prize-winning purebred dogs sometimes possess crippling genetic defects due to inbreeding. Around the beginning of the third season, SpongeBob and Patrick were frequently depicted holding hands. These considerations come into play among breeders who enter their dogs in dog shows. Notably, SpongeBob's cheerful attitude and his close friendship with Patrick led some viewers to the conclusion that the sponge was the next gay icon. Other organizations define a breed more loosely, such that an individual may be considered of one breed as long as 75% of its parentage is of that breed.

However, SpongeBob's popularity has made the controversy surrounding it more noticeable and of a larger scale. Dogs that are bred in this manner often end up with severe health or behavioural problems. Many of its cartoons, including Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, The Angry Beavers, Invader Zim, and The Fairly OddParents, have sparked controversy in one way or another. Some groups use a definition that ultimately requires extreme inbreeding to qualify due to the low gene pool. This is not new for Nickelodeon. The definition of a dog breed is a matter of some controversy. Despite the show's popularity, SpongeBob has had to endure much controversy. Despite these differences, dogs are able to distinguish dogs from other kinds of animal.

The song can also be found on The Yellow Album. Because of this, some breeds are highly specialized, and there is extraordinary morphological diversity across different breeds. A choral version was recorded for the SpongeBob Christmas special where the last words, "SquarePants", were replaced by "Christmas special". Many of these are the product of a deliberate process of artificial selection. A cover of the song by Avril Lavigne can be found on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (soundtrack). A few basic breed types have evolved gradually during the domesticated dog's relationship with man over the last 10,000 or more years, but most modern breeds are of relatively recent derivation. It is sung by Patchy the Pirate, voiced by Pat Pinney, and can be found on the soundtrack, SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights. Many dogs, especially outside the United States and Western Europe, belong to no recognized breed.

The theme song, primarily based on the sea shanty, "Blow the Man Down", is the principal song used in the series. As all dog breeds have been derived from mixed-breed dog populations, the term "purebred" has meaning only with respect to a certain number of generations. SpongeBob has been picked up for a fifth season on Nickelodeon, with potential for a sixth season; new episodes will air from 2006 to 2007. There are numerous dog breeds, over 800 being recognized by various kennel clubs worldwide. Regarding the new order of SpongeBob cartoons, Cyma Zarghami, Nickelodeon’s chief executive, responded, “It just doesn’t feel like we should stop yet.” This is quite relevant, as recently the show has seen some of it's highest ratings since it's peak years in the early 2000's, and, while some more observant fans are skeptical, has returned without an excessive amount of fans believing it has "jumped the shark". In a number of countries around the world, apart from being kept as pets, certain breeds of dogs are slaughtered as a source of meat and specifically raised on farms for that purpose. The episodes are projected to have finished airing sometime in 2007. The relationship is theorized to have developed in this way.

The Star Online eCentral reports that Nickelodeon has ordered 20 more episodes of SpongeBob Squarepants, bringing the show’s total amount of episodes to 100. With their sharp senses, they would also be valuable as an alarm against marauding predators. Many fans are outraged, but it should be noted that the change in format is at Nickelodeon's insistence, rather than the SpongeBob creators. Canines would have been beneficial by chasing away other vermin or scavengers. This practice began with the airing of the episode "Selling Out" on September 23; its companion episode, "Funny Pants," premiered the following week on September 30 (Nickelodeon did air "Selling Out" and "Funny Pants" together as a rerun on October 9, 2005). Canines who attacked people or their children were likely killed or driven away, while those more friendly animals survived. For the first time in SpongeBob's run, Nickelodeon began airing 11-minute segments of new episodes separately, spread over two weeks. Wild canines who scavenged around human habitations received more food than their more skittish or fearful counterparts.

After airing three new episodes on Fridays from May 6 to May 20, Nickelodeon did not premiere any new SpongeBob episodes until September 2005. It is also now generally believed that initial domestication was through mutual desire. The first new episode of Season 4, "Fear Of A Krabby Patty/Shell Of A Man", was a huge hit with many fans who had long been bored with the show and many more faithful ones who have been waiting for new episodes for years. Domestication of a wild dog may occur within one or two human generations with deliberate selective breeding. So far, four new episodes and nine segments of new episodes have aired, with more upcoming including a sixth Mermaidman & Barnacle Boy. Current research indicates that domestication, or the attributes of a domesticated animal, can occur much more quickly than previously believed. The new episodes began airing on May 6, 2005. While some dog breeds possess one of these characteristics, they rarely possess both.

TV advertisements for SpongeBob's fourth season first aired publicly during the 2005 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Wolves typically have a "brush tail" and erect ears. See Controversy for more information.. The phenotypic characteristic that distinguish a wolf from a dog are tenuous. Ironically, that movie would also be considered Rugrats' jump the shark moment by many fans.). The general reproductive isolation which is required to define dogs and wolves as separate species is purely a result of lack of opportunity, stemming from a general mutual unfamiliarity, suspicion, mistrust, and fear. (It was around this time that the animated series which it is based on, Rugrats, was at the height of its popularity. Additionally, unintentional crossbreeding occurs simply because dogs and wolves live in the same environment.

The Rugrats Movie, on the other hand, earned over $100,000,000 in the United States. This interbreeding still occurs with dogs living in the Arctic region, where the attributes of the wolf that enable survival in a hostile environment are valued by humans. As its movie only achieved over $85,000,000 in revenue in the United States, perhaps because of the shows popularity showing something of a decline at the time of it's release. The Eastern Timber Wolf is a direct ancestor to most, if not all, of the North American northern sled dog types. The president of Nickelodeon announced that the show would continue without Hillenburg featuring Paul Tibbitt as supervising producer and Derek Drymon taking over Hillenburg's spot as executive producer. The Chinese wolf is probably ancestor to the Pekingese and toy spaniels, although it is also probable that descendants of the Chinese and European wolves encountered each other over the millennia, contributing to many of the oriental toy breeds. The show continued to gain high approval ratings despite a lack of new episodes, and many fans feared they would never air. The European wolf, in turn, may have contributed many of its attributes to the Spitz dog types, most terriers, and many of today's sheepdogs.

Following this, the movie was released in November of that year. The Tibetan Mastiff is an example of an ancient breed. SpongeBob Meets The Strangler/Pranks A Lot" was the last episode of this season, and aired in October of 2004. The Indian wolf is also thought to have bred with descendants of the European wolf to create the Mastiffs and eventually leading to the development of such diverse breeds as the Pug, the Saint Bernard, and the Bloodhound. Fans were devastated and online petitions were widely distributed to convince Nickelodeon to produce more episodes by showing continuing fan support. Many of today's wild dogs, such as the dingo, the dhole and pariah dogs, are descended from this wolf. Due to rumors of a movie, there was high speculation that the show would be cancelled and that 2003/2004 would feature the last season of new episodes. The Indian Wolf is thought to have contributed to the development of more breeds of dogs than other subspecies.

The year also saw another more low-budget show with popularity (The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius), but things changed late in the year. For example, the Japanese wolf and the Eastern Timber Wolf posses different distinctive colouration, hunting and social structures. The beginning of the third season produced many classic episodes and focused on the same style and animation concepts. Although all wolves belong to the species Canis lupus, there are (or were) many subspecies that had developed a distinctive appearance, social structure, and other traits. 2002 also saw a bright side, as the first part of that year saw SpongeBob at its peak. The detailed history remains unexplored and until further evidence is available, the following section on wolf ancestors must be considered purely speculative. SpongeBob, however, was the leader of all these shows and had by this time started its now famous merchandise line. Their results indicate multiple independent origins of dogs and/or of frequent interbreeding between early proto-dogs and wolves throughout a vast geographic range.

That same year, Invader Zim aired, created by comic book writer Jhonen Vasquez; it had a dark but silly sense of humor (similar to Vasquez's other comic books) that managed to attract a very loyal cult following consisting more of teens and adults than young children (though also containing a moderate amount of preteens). Verginelli examined ancient DNA evidence from five prehistoric Italian canids carbon-dated to between 15,000 and 3,000 years old, 341 wolves from several populations worldwide, and 547 purebred dogs. It focused on a sense of humor similar to SpongeBob’s, only more realistic, slightly crazier (and more suggestive to "adult" topics), and with more pop culture references; this show managed to become a hit as well and currently ranks behind SpongeBob as Nick's second most popular show. On balance, and in agreement with the archaeological evidence, 15,000 years ago is the most likely time for the wolf-dog divergence. In 2001, The Fairly OddParents aired from the then-small Frederator company. (2005), however, suggest both sets of dates must be reevaluated in light of recent findings showing that poorly calibrated molecular clocks have systematically overestimated the age of geologically recent events. By then it was clear to the world that SpongeBob had opened the door to many other cartoons to use more "adult" senses of humor and come from smaller companies. Verginelli et al.

The show began its second season in 2000 with more high-quality animation and even more popular episodes. (2002) indicated a "common origin from a single gene pool for all dog populations" between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago in East Asia. Many people attribute the "Fall Of Rugrats/Klasky-Csupo/Rise Of Low-Budget Cartoons" to SpongeBob. Vilà, Savolainen, and colleagues (1997) concluded that dogs split off from wolves between 75,000 and 135,000 years ago, while a subsequent analysis by Savolainen et al. SpongeBob's signature voice (provided by Kenny) and humorous style was enjoyable to both younger and older audiences. Genetic analyses have so far yielded divergent results. After about a year, it surpassed Rugrats as Nick's most highly rated show. Dog burials at the Mesolithic cemetery of Svaerdborg in Denmark suggest that in ancient Europe dogs were valued companions.

Although it struggled in its early days, its ratings flew up. Rock art and skeletal remains indicate that by 14,000 years ago, dogs were present from North Africa across Eurasia to North America. SpongeBob, with its generally lower-class animation and humor style more rooted in clever word-play and culture-references unlike the potty humor that made Rugrats so popular, was expected to be just another one of those shows. Remains of smaller dogs from Mesolithic (Natufian) cave deposits in the Middle East, dated to around 12,000 years ago, have been interpreted as descendants of a lighter Southwest Asian wolf, Canis lupus arabs. At this time, Rugrats was at the height of its popularity and had already outlived dozens of other lower-budget cartoons. Their likely ancestor is the large northern Holarctic wolf, Canis lupus lupus. In 1999, SpongeBob aired its first episode, "Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome", after the 1999 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. The earliest dog fossils, two crania from Russia and a mandible from Germany, date from 13,000 to 17,000 years ago.

Krabs' line, "SpongeBoy, me Bob!." The Krusty Krab was originally spelled with the letter C rather than K, but Stephen Hillenburg thought K's were funnier. Domesticated dogs may have interbred with local populations of wild wolves on several occasions (so-called introgression). Hillenburg later chose the alternative name "SpongeBob." The original name was once referenced in the show by Mr. Fossil bone morphologies and genetic analysis of current and ancient dog and wolf populations have not yet been able to conclusively determine whether all dogs descend from a single domestication event, or whether dogs were domesticated independently in more than one location. The name "SpongeBoy" did not make it into the show since the name was already officially trademarked by Bob Burden, creator of Flaming Carrot. Converging archaeological and genetic evidence indicate a time of domestication in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. SpongeBob used to be named SpongeBoy, and used to wear a red hat with a green base and a white business shirt with a tie. Wolf remains have been found in association with hominid remains dating from 400,000 years ago.

During production of the show, Hillenburg provided a concept of short comics with the same style of the show, but the characters looked different. The relationship between man and canine has deep roots. Another crew member with previous Nickelodeon cartoon experience was former Angry Beavers story editor Merriwether Williams, who worked on that show for its first few seasons and switched to SpongeBob in July 1999. As reflected in the nomenclature, dogs are a subspecies of wolf and are thus still able to interbreed. Drymon had worked with Hillenburg on Rocko's Modern Life as well, as did many SpongeBob crew members, including writer Tim Hill and voice actors Tom Kenny and Doug Lawrence. Molecular systematics indicate that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (Canis lupus). He teamed up with creative director Derek Drymon, who had worked on shows such as Doug, Action League Now!, and Hey Arnold!. In the UK, it is illegal to kill dogs, even if they are on your private land; you are required to contact your local Police Force, DogsTrust, or the local branch of the RSPCA, who will arrange its collection.

When Rocko's Modern Life was cancelled in 1997, Hillenburg began working on SpongeBob (although some sketches trace back to 1996). Feral dogs often form predatory packs that attack livestock and occasionally also prove dangerous to humans. One of the producers was Stephen Hillenburg, a cartoon worker/marine biologist who loved both his careers. Abandoned domestic dogs who become feral are particularly dangerous; they lack the survival skills of wild canines, as well as the genetic and learned fear of the humans' world. SpongeBob's history can be traced back to 1993 when Rocko's Modern Life first aired. Bodies are sometimes tied to fences as warning to other dogs, especially in rural United States and Canada. LEGO recieved license to produce SpongeBob SquarePants building sets, beginning to sell them in August 2006. Wild dogs are shot by farmers in an effort to protect livestock.

There were contests tied in with the movie where you could win SpongeBob-related items or a trip to the Cayman Islands. The same creatures that wolves, coyotes, and foxes attack as prey, especially sheep and poultry, are similarly attractive prey to dogs. In October 2004, a NASCAR Busch Series race was named The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300, presented by Lowe's and broadcast on TNT featuring Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowe's stock car and Kyle Busch's #5 stock car painted for the race with the SpongeBob Movie paint schemes. In most jurisdictions, dogs are destroyed for killing other creatures, so dogs should be prevented from any encounter with livestock or wildlife that might lead to a predatory response. Events in the past with the SpongeBob SquarePants theme include an exhibit at Underwater Adventures Aquarium in the Mall of America called SeaCrits of Bikini Bottom during the summer of 2003. With formidable skills and weapons as hunters as well as large and unfussy appetites, dogs often menace livestock and wildlife. More recently, a tie-in beverage for 7-Eleven convenience stores has been created, a pineapple-flavored Slurpee. Canine aggression upon humans is ordinarily not tolerated, but any human aggression against an animal having formidable means of self-defense is foolhardy in the extreme.

SpongeBob was also featured on VH1's I Love the 90s: Part Deux: 1999 as part of a commentary by Michael Ian Black. There are hundreds of shades of provocation that may or may not lead to an attack upon a human. Plankton, a character from the show. Provocation can range from something as seemingly innocuous as a toddler pulling a dog's tail, in which case the dog might nip to discourage the behavior, to something completely inobvious to humans, such as an odor or a movement that sets a dog off, to blatant human aggression or violence towards a dog, causing it to defend itself. The ransom note was signed by someone in Minneapolis, Minnesota claiming to be Sheldon J. However, their sharp teeth and claws can inflict injury in an attack; a large dog can knock a human down. There have been kids meal tie-ins at Wendy's for SpongeBob's House Party Special in 2002 and at Burger King restaurants in 2001, 2003, and for the movie in 2004; in 2004, thieves stole nine-foot-high by nine-foot-wide SpongeBob inflatables from the Burger King restaurant franchises, demanding Krabby Patties as ransom. After thousands of years of domestication and selective breeding for dogs whose aggression towards humans goes no further than a ferocious bark that strongly indicates dislike of a human behavior, most dogs are unlikely to attack people.

The show also spawned a large and popular merchandise line at Hot Topic, Claire's, RadioShack, Target, Wal-Mart, and Toys "R" Us stores. Animals are often given attributes such as "loyal", "cute", and "guardian", but these all have the potential to lure people into a false sense of security. Merchandise based on the show ranges from Kraft SuperMac & Cheese, Kellogg's cereal, and video games to boxer shorts, pajamas, and t-shirts. Humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize animals, particularly pets such as dogs, which are generally portrayed as being "man's best friend". However, in a more typical Nickelodeon-style move, Avril Lavigne did the movie theme song. More research is needed to determine the intelligence level of dogs, and the motivations behind their responses to their masters. Non-mainstream alternative rock bands such as Wilco, The Shins, The Flaming Lips and perhaps most notably Ween (who have contributed two original songs to the show and their 1997 classic "Ocean Man" to the movie soundtrack), as well as metal bands Pantera, Motorhead, and Twisted Sister have made appearances on the show and movies soundtracks, and classic thrash metal group Metallica even released a T-shirt featuring cartoon versions of them playing live with Spongebob & Patrick [1] (leading to as of yet unproven rumors that the band will appear on a future episode of the show). Despite understandably positive interpretations by dog owners, it is questionable whether these animals are truly capable of feeling emotions on a human level.

Unlike its mainstream-culture-promoting network, SpongeBob features many semi-obscure musicians who contribute to its soundtrack. Nevertheless, it is often unwise to anthropomorphize the responses of dogs. Fairly Oddparents), SpongeBob chooses to go for a more teen/adult friendly formula that was used in highly sucessful older Nick cartoons such as Ren and Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life, non-human young adults in crazy, unrealistic situations, with minimal pop culture references. Some research demonstrates that dogs are able to convey a depth of emotion not seen to the same extent in any other animal; this is purportedly due to their closely-knit development with modern man, and the survival-benefits of such communication as dogs became more dependent on humans for sustenance. While many newer cartoons revolve around pre-adolescents with strange lives and feature massive amounts of pop-culture references (eg. Many dogs are reported to have separation anxiety if their owner is away for an extended period of time. The show also, unlike many current Nickelodeon cartoons, is not "mainstream" or "cliche". Empirically, dogs are quite dependent on human companionship and may suffer poor health in its absence.

Its appeal to older audiences, as mentioned earlier, can be contributed to the show's crazy but witty and at times even sophisticated humor. Many dog owners consider having unconditional acceptance from a friend who is always happy to see them to be quite utilitarian, particularly if the dog also leads them to regular exercise. When naming reasons why many fans believe Nickelodeon has gone downhill in recent years, SpongeBob is often listed as an exception. Consequently, dogs are popular as pets and companions, independent of any utilitarian considerations. However, the characters are not immune from more adult avocations, including rock musicianship in a stadium performance reminiscent of a hard rock concert. Relationships between humans and dogs are often characterized by strong emotional bonds. Part of the show's appeal has to do with the childlike nature of SpongeBob and his best friend, Patrick, both of whom are idiots and display an innocence typical of human children. Excitement is evident as they see the hunters load weapons, take to the field, and begin the hunt.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, released on November 19, 2004, features a cameo appearance by actor David Hasselhoff, reprising his role from the Baywatch TV series. Hunters with dogs report the satisfaction that the dogs seem to exhibit. Ren and Stimpy, among others, had followed a similar path. Many hound breeds are excellent at treeing raccoons during hunting season. A certain quote by Patrick ("It's gonna rock!") has been used as a promo for rock stations. When trained, beagles are particularly adept at chasing through thick briars and brush after rabbits. SpongeBob is one cartoon in a long line of shows to put in more "adult" references, and has become so popular with the adult crowd that it has been shown on MTV and Spike TV. They typically have large, gentle muzzles to mitigate any potential damage to the game.

SpongeBob works at the Krusty Krab, a restaurant seemingly based on McDonald's or Burger King. They can follow hand, verbal, and whistle commands at great distance as the hunter directs them to the downed bird. Aside from the many undersea puns, some common products from the surface world have somehow found their way into Bikini Bottom, such as Canned Bread, Roast Beef, and even Pizza. At command, they dive into the icy water, swim out and retrieve the birds one by one. SpongeBob's telephone is shaped like a conch and referred to as a "shell phone". They can spend long hours in a duck blind and, after the hunter has fired at multiple ducks or geese, they can visually spot and remember the location of downed birds. In addition to this, instead of peanut butter, SpongeBob SquarePants uses what is called in Bikini Bottom "Sea-Nut Butter". As water dogs, the retrievers are unsurpassed.

Clams behave like birds, propelling themselves through the water with their shells and tweeting. Once the hunter approaches, at his command they will flush the birds to fly and for the hunter to shoot at. Jellyfish are the equivalent of bees (buzzing and stinging), but are collected or appreciated like butterflies and are used for their delicious jelly. They have a native ability to discover and "hold" upland game birds; to freeze them momentarily on the ground with their silent, elongated pointing stance. In relation to this, underwater worms bark (and act) exactly like dogs, and are kept on chains. Setters in particular have a long history as upland gun dogs. SpongeBob's house-pet is a snail named Gary, who meows like a cat (though characters have shown signs of being able to understand him). This often strengthens the bond between human and dog, since they must trust one another in a variety of environments and must learn how the other works and thinks.

The suggestion is that both the head and the pineapple have fallen from a tropical island to become underwater habitats. Many people compete with their dogs in a variety of dog sports, including agility, flyball, and many others. The main character, SpongeBob lives in a pineapple, while his neighbor Squidward lives in an Easter Island head and his other neighbor and best friend, Patrick lives under a rock. Dogs are also used for searching for or rescuing people and animals, such as in avalanches, at disaster sites, and for missing people or pets. A flurry of bubbles accompany many actions, just to remind the viewer everything is underwater. Most modern working dogs are put in positions which capitalize on their sensory or strength and endurance advantages over normal humans. Once, while out in the wilderness, Patrick questions how they could have a camp fire on the lagoon bottom—the fire is immediately extinguished with a sizzle. Dogs have served as guides for the blind, as commandos, and have flown into outer space.

Instead of cars, the residents of Bikini Bottom drive boats (with wheels). There are service dogs, guard dogs, hunting dogs, and herding dogs. This has a lot to do with the way underwater life and situations are represented, absurdly, as though they are almost equivalent to normal terrestrial lifestyles. Many breeds of dogs, but not least German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and Border Collie are commonly used as working dogs. The cartoon is designed to appeal to children as well as older viewers. An assertive dog may consider itself the alpha animal, considering its human master to be subordinate. Other shows have followed in this trend as well: The Fairly OddParents and Invader Zim took a similar role when they aired in 2001, and the former is now second only to SpongeBob in popularity. The dog is always aware of its rank relative to other individuals in the group.

SpongeBob follows some other Nickelodeon shows that have attracted "older" followers: The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rocko's Modern Life, the Kablam! skits, Action League Now!, and The Angry Beavers. Dogs thrive in human society because their relationships with humans mimic their natural social patterns. Low-budget cartoons had not garnered as much esteem as higher-rated (and higher-budgeted) shows, such as Rugrats, although when SpongeBob aired in 1999, it had obtained a substantial amount of viewers in the ratings to be considered popular. Dog society can be thought of as dog packs characterized by a companionate hierarchy, in which each individual has a rank, and in which there is intense loyalty within the group. SpongeBob is the first "low budget" Nickelodeon cartoon, according to the network, to become extremely popular. Dogs thrive in small social groups or packs which, from their viewpoint, can include humans. . The relationship between dogs and humans is rooted in history and dogs coexist with humans in a variety of ways.

SpongeBob SquarePants officially aired on July 17 of the same year with the second episode, "Bubblestand/Ripped Pants." Most episodes take place in the town of Bikini Bottom or the surrounding lagoon floor. Most dog owners have a large collection of stories about their dogs recognizing individuals by their footsteps outside the door, and so on. The pilot episode first aired in the United States on Nickelodeon after the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on May Day (May 1), 1999. This ability to read and deliver nonverbal cues makes dogs expert at reading human beings, as well, often even more so than other humans are, who rely on language. SpongeBob SquarePants is a comedy set under the Pacific Ocean that uses puns (including the names of certain characters), non sequiturs, double-talk, breaking of the fourth wall, some crude humor, and other such antics to entertain the audience. Physiologically, this correlates with such features as a large number of nerves innervating the facial muscles of dogs, allowing subtle control of a wide variety of facial expressions; in contrast to cats, for instance, who have many fewer nerves governing their facial muscles, resulting in a smaller repertoire or "vocabulary" of expressions. SpongeBob SquarePants is an popular American animated television series shown on Nickelodeon, YTV, and Nicktoons Network created by marine biologist and animator, Stephen Hillenburg. The requirements of coordinating complex social behavior requires that canines have the ability to sense and deliver a wide variety of cues via body language, more so than for even humans, who can use language for the same purpose.

In the movie there is a second Krusty Krab (Krusty Krab 2), SpongeBob gets a promotion towards the end of the movie and dons a large "MANAGER" hat during the credits as well as other details. All dogs have a tremendous capacity to learn complex social behavior and to interpret varied body language and sounds, and, like many predators, can react to and learn from novel situations. The events in the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie are not canonical with the events in the TV series. Gastric torsion and bloat is a dangerous problem in some large-chested breeds. Nearly every episode contains one still or motion non-animated sequence. Dogs are also susceptible to the same ailments that humans are, including diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, and arthritis. In "Bubble Buddy," Spongebob celebrates Leif Erikson Day, which is a real US observance held on October 9th; the narration indicated that Spongebob actually invented the day. Some breeds of dogs are also prone to certain genetic ailments, such as hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, cleft palate, blindness, or deafness.

In the first series, it was possible to hear one fish scream "my legs!" in most or all episodes, usually at some point of inconsequential destruction, such as a boating school. Internal parasites include hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms. The show is "timeless" since the episodes have no dates that are set into stone and very few topical references or instances of continuity (the Krusty Krab is destroyed quite often). Common external parasites are various species of fleas, ticks, and mites. Although the show occasionally does make reference to pop-culture, the examples are never specific. Diseases commonly associated with dogs include rabies (hydrophobia), canine parvovirus, and canine distemper, and pulmonic stenosis, although there are many others. Hillenburg has said that he intends to pass that concept over to the new people in charge of the show. Dogs are susceptible to various diseases, ailments, and poisons, some of which affect humans in the same way, others of which are unique to dogs.

He wants his cartoon to be a timeless classic. It is said that the animals, not just dogs, could sense the tsunami and could therefore flee for life. According to the insider book SpongeBob Exposed, the creator of the show, Steve Hillenburg, said that the policy of his show is to not do jokes about or reference pop culture and current events; the show's characters are isolated from the real world. For example, during the tsunami in Southern Asia recently, many animals were seen days before fleeing to the hills. According to the Season 1 DVD, its name is Shelly. The evolutionary ability of sensing weather can be traced back to when wolves used it to move the pack into proper shelter before a dangerous storm. It can also be seen in the episode "Something Smells", along with many others. This is due to their keen ability to detect fluctuations in barometric pressure and can explain a dog's anxiety before and during a storm.

In the episode "Help Wanted", SpongeBob can be seen with a pet scallop in a cage next to his bed. Dogs also have the ability to sense inclement weather (mainly thunderstorms) many miles away. The pirate in the painting saying "Are you ready kids?" - "I can't hear you" in the beginning theme sequence had a chroma key used for the moving lips. It has been observed that a lost dog can often find its way home, sometimes traveling over long distances. Krabs: Cancer. An intensive search for a scent, for instance searching a ship for contraband, can actually be very fatiguing for a dog, and the dog must be motivated to continue this hard work for a long period of time. Mr. In any event, it is established by those who train tracking dogs that it is impossible to teach the dog how to track any better than it does naturally; the object instead is to motivate it properly, and teach it to maintain focus on a single track and ignore any others that might otherwise seem of greater interest to an untrained dog.

Squidward: Capricorn (on the Tropical zodiac) or Libra (stereotype: likes the finer things in life, taking it easy, wants to do no work (on the Sidereal zodiac)). The characteristics and behavior of these two types of scent trail would seem, after some thought, to be quite different, the air scent being intermittent but perhaps less obscured by competing scents, whereas the ground scent would be relatively permanent with respect to careful and repetitive search by the dog, but would seem to be much more contaminated with other scents. In one short, Plankton is depicted as a Leo. What information a dog actually detects when he is scenting is not perfectly understood; although once a matter of debate, it now seems to be well established that dogs can distinguish two different types of scents when trailing, an air scent from some person or thing that has recently passed by, as well as a ground scent that remains detectable for a much longer period. Plankton: Leo (stereotype: diabolical and plotting), among others. Some breeds have been selectively bred for excellence in detecting scents, even compared to their canine brethren. SpongeBob: Sagittarius (stereotype: overly enthusiastic, optimistic, and foolish). Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans).

Patrick: Taurus (stereotype: thick-headed). They can identify a sound's location much faster than a human can, and they can hear sounds up to four times the distance that humans can. Featured characters have included: