‘Puppy Bowl XII’: A Totally Necessary Gallery of Ridiculously Cute Baby Dogs
On February 7, millions of football fans – and presumably bored partygoers – will tune in to Super Bowl 50, the NFL's showcase of smashmouth skill and corporate synergy. The action on the field will be plentiful, and the commercial breaks bountiful, but if that's not enough to garner your attention, well, thankfully, there's the Puppy Bowl.
Once again, Animal Planet will be broadcasting the adorable antidote to all that aggression, and this year's contest – the 12th installment, for those keeping score at home – promises to be the greatest in the long and storied history of Puppy Bowl. Or at least the cutest. And that's what really counts.
How do we know? Because late last year, we were invited to the taping of Puppy Bowl XII in New York, and of course we brought our camera. Here's our behind-the-scenes look at this year's game, which is in no way an excuse just to post a bunch of pictures of super-adorable puppies who are all good boys and girls. This is serious business, people.
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Counting Up the Cuteness
Animal Planet staff members kept track of all of the dogs that were photographed in their portrait studio.
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Goal Line Defense
This tough guy (or gal) guards the goal line at Puppy Bowl XII.
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Puppies Prepare for Battle
Puppy owners and their dogs wait for their time on the field. Rumors of PED (Puppy Enhancing Drug) use appear to be greatly exaggerated.
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Getting His Game Face On
One pup waits backstage for his call to the field. There are three groups of dogs that get to play throughout the day – small, medium and large. We can independently verify each is super-cute.
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Unnecessary Cuteness
Sometimes, the Puppy Bowl can get feisty. This guy, in particular, was flagged on several occasions for unsportsmanlike humping.
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Better Than a Crummy Trophy
Not surprisingly, often pups get distracted and start playing with toys on the field. This guy really didn't want to let go of his prize.
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Touchdown!
Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner signals a touchdown. All scoring plays are reviewed up in the booth, probably by a baby owl or something.
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A Break in the Action
Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner stops play to have a word with an overexcited pup. Said pup was not ejected, thankfully.
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Winning the Turnover Battle
Team Fluff and Team Ruff fight for a dog toy while on the field. As any Puppy Bowl veteran will tell you, winning the turnover war is a key to victory.
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Fired Up on the Field
Trash talk is just part of the game at Puppy Bowl XII. Here, one pup delivers a dagger: "Your mom's a bitch."
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The Production of ‘Puppy Bowl’
While some pups lounge around, others remain in the game. Puppy Bowl producers just let the action happen, which is probably a good idea.
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Respect My Authority
Referee Dan Schachner tries talking to one of the pups, who pays him no mind. Officials get no respect.
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TV Timeout
A Puppy Bowl dog-sitter momentarily stops the action to refill water bowls and bring more stuffed toys onto the field.
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The Biggest Show in Town
A backstage look at the production of Puppy Bowl XII reveals that this is a very big deal. The puppies never seem to notice.
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Now Taking the Field – This Cute Little Guy
We hope this lil' dude wins Puppy Bowl MVP.
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Time to Shine
Puppy Bowl XII player intros are seriously the best.
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Smile for the Camera
One of the pups gets his portrait taken in Animal Planet's backstage studio. He is presumably a very good boy.