Character from Animaniacs by Steven Spielberg / WB
A loyal German Shepherd guard dog tasked with protecting toddler Mindy — a role that involves constant slapstick suffering, zero recognition, and absolute unwavering commitment.
Buttons has one job: keep Mindy safe. The job is impossible. Mindy wanders toward danger with the focused enthusiasm of someone who has no idea what danger is, and Buttons follows her through fire, traffic, industrial machinery, and every hazard the world can produce — absorbs all of it, saves her, and is then blamed for whatever chaos resulted. He never gives up. He never retaliates. He never complains, because he cannot speak, though his expressions communicate the full emotional range of a dog who is very tired and very loyal. His anxiety is understandable. His dedication is absolute. The Buttons and Mindy segments are structured as a kind of running tragedy: Buttons does everything right and suffers anyway. The audience knows this. Buttons knows this. Mindy does not know this, which is why she can end each segment saying 'I love ya, bye-bye' without any apparent awareness of what she's put him through.
Adult German Shepherd with brown-and-cream fur. Darker brown patches on back and tail, dark ears. Black eyes, large black nose. Wears a black collar with a silver diamond-shaped license tag. Built solidly, carries himself like a dog who has absorbed a great deal of physical punishment and is preparing to absorb more.
Also known as: Buttons