Who are the star dogs of Puppy Bowl 2025? Rocky, Smoosh, Mr. Pickles take the field

USA Today

09-02-2025

Who are the star dogs of Puppy Bowl 2025? Rocky, Smoosh, Mr. Pickles take the field
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'Puppy Bowl' controversy: Rocky gets penalty for giving too much love
Who throws a flag for excessive licking in the Puppy Bowl? Watch as referee Dan Schachner gets smothered with love from special needs dog Rocky.
It takes pure animal magnetism to shine amid the bright lights of Super Bowl Sunday.
But Rocky, an American pit bull terrier born with front limb deformities, is one of the star dogs running away with "Puppy Bowl XXI," Animal Planet's pre-Super Bowl dogfest. The football-themed annual dog adoption showcase, featuring 142 rescue puppies (including 11 with special needs), returns for its 21st edition before Super Bowl 59.
Former NFL referee Dan Schachner, who has ruled as Puppy Bowl human "Rufferee" with bad dog puns and mock penalty flags since 2012, assures USA TODAY that Rocky is gonna fly now. The doe-eyed pride of Maryland's Pets with Disabilities shelter uses stealth speed to score for Team Ruff against perennial rival Team Fluff.
'Rocky has those expressive eyes and the heart of a champion," Schachner says. "But talk about surprises. He has that burst of explosive speed. You wouldn't know it until you see it.'
Here's a look at the standout performers from "Puppy Bowl XXI," a three-hour special simulcast on Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery+, Max, TBS, and truTV (2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST).
Puppy Bowl 2025 Meet Mr. Pickles, Sprinkle, Julep and more. Find out how to watch
How special-needs dog Rocky got penalized for licking in the Puppy Bowl
Schachner is crouched on the field coaxing an overly chilled-out Great Pyrenees-boxer mix Mercury into action when Rocky jumps him with a swift, slobbery surprise love attack. 'I didn't see it coming. I didn't even have any dog snacks in my pocket," Schachner says.
Schachner orders the 'excessive licking' penalty without knowing the rule offender's identity. The drool is part of the gig working the Puppy Bowl, which is taped in October on a miniature astroturfed football stadium erected in an upstate New York studio.
'I've been pooped on, stomped on, dogs have ripped my socks off and unlaced my shoes,' Schachner says. 'That's what happens when you're the only human on a field of puppies. But it's all love.'
There's no crying in football… except for Smoosh
Smoosh, the Puppy Bowl's first-ever Pekingese, provides one of the true emotional moments. Schachner playfully lectures Smooth for pulling the blue bandanna off his Team Fluff teammate, Alice. Smoosh visibly tears up in his arms, requiring dabbing with the penalty flag.
'We've had dogs whine for treats, but actual tears of sadness? That was a first,' says Schachner, who jokingly nixes the observation that Smoosh (from Florida Little Dog Rescue) was crying happy tears from the human hug. 'Smoosh was upset as an athlete. She lost focus, and touchdowns were being scored all around her.'
Yes, the Puppy Bowl keeps the score. Touchdowns are tallied each time a dog player carries a chew toy into the end zone. Last year's gaudy final tally? Team Ruff defeated Team Fluff, 72-69, to paw the esteemed Lombarky Trophy.
'We get these monstrous scores because there's a lot of offense and not much defense,' Schachner says.
Mr. Pickles is so Pug-nacious that Puppy Bowl trainer Victoria Schade adopted him
Author and lead dog trainer Victoria Schade had somehow resisted adopting a Puppy Bowl pooch until this year ‒ her 17th on the job ‒ when true love and timing coincided.
The taping came months after Schade had lost her family's beloved senior dog. Five-month-old pug Mr. Pickles (from the Texas rescue shelter Dallas Dog) stole her heart, on and off the field.
'I fell in love,' Schade says. 'It wasn't just any dog, but this dog. He's perfection, the best dude."
Many, if not most, of the Puppy Bowl canines are adopted in the months between production and airtime. Schade has renamed her new family member Boris, who gets along swimmingly with her other senior dog at home. As Mr. Pickles, the pug makes his Puppy Bowl presence known, especially during an epic on-field toy tug-of-war.
'It's more like a tug of love; he's a great tugger,' Schade says. 'He has some great moments out there. I'm a very proud mom."
Who stars in the Puppy Bowl?
The Puppy Bowl features rescue kittens during the Kitty Halftime Show (for obvious reasons, the cats take the field when the dogs are off getting their locker room pup talk). The event also features a lineup of pun-tastic names with power personalities. They include:
◾ Dee-Bone Samuel: The poodle mix's real name is Tobias, but he gamely takes the stage name to honor NFL star Deebo Samuel.
◾ Shih Tzu Bark Kent vs. Dachshund Lex Woofer: The pooches named after the DC Comics archrivals tussle again in the end zone. Spoiler alert: Bark Kent is penalized for overzealous grabbing of Lex Woofer's collar. Crime doesn't pay.
◾ Jolene: The pit bull mix requires a wheelchair to get around. "But she really moves around the field," says Schachner.
◾ Trio: The three-legged Boston Terrier bounds with the speed of a jackrabbit. "He's got these incredibly strong legs,' Schachner says. 'When he jumps, the vertical distance is amazing.'