Characters

Eddie McDowd: After a mysterious Drifter turns him into a dog for being a bully, Eddie McDowd must perform 100 good deeds to reverse the curse. To make matters worse, Eddie discovers that the only person who can understand his barks as human speech is his latest victim, new kid Justin Taylor. Still “bad to the bone,” Eddie realizes that Justin’s good influence is his ticket back to becoming a kid again. Until then, he’ll have to suffer the humiliation of being Justin’s “pet.”

Justin Taylor: Twelve year old Justin Taylor just wants to fit in. He’s just moved from the country to the city of Los Angeles, and everything around him–and inside him–is changing. After he’s terrorized by the school bully, Justin’s dad takes him to the pound to get a dog. When Justin hears one of the pups at the pound talking, he discovers that the dog is actually Eddie McDowd, the bully. At first, Justin is still mad at Eddie, and confused about why he’s the only one able to communicate with him, but the idea grows on him and he winds up adopting Eddie as his “pet.” Now Eddie can teach him a thing or two about sticking up for himself and taking a “bite” out of life. And since Justin knows what it’s like to be the underdog, he’ll teach Eddie some compassion and sensitivity–both of which he’ll need to complete his 100 good deeds. And if Eddie won’t listen to him, Justin will just make him sleep outside.

Gwen Taylor: Gwen is Justin’s sister and a fifteen year old high school princess. She’s the definition of confident and popular–all the girls want to be her, and she knows it. But Gwen’s not the kind of girl who looks down on the unpopular kids. She just doesn’t have anything to do with them. Gwen and Justin are so different, they often wonder if they’re really related. There’s plenty of conflict and bickering between them, especially since Gwen can’t stand the new four legged addition to the family. The last thing she wants to deal with is dog fur. That and would-be ladies’ man Spike, the new neighbor, who has a major crush on her.

Doug Taylor: Doug’s a great, laid back father and a caring, giving husband. He’s supportive of his wife’s career and is always there with an open ear for his kids. Doug thinks Justin’s got a great sense of humor–he just wishes he’d be a little more confident, less afraid of things. Since Doug is a mailman, life with Eddie can get a little tense.

The Drifter: The Drifter is the guy who started this whole thing. He’s the one that turned Eddie into a dog, recognizing that Eddie (the kid) needed to learn a thing or two about the difference between good and evil. In each episode, The Drifter reappears as Eddie’s guide throughout his experience as a dog. Eddie never knows how he’ll appear–he may show up as a clerk, a shop owner, an ice cream vendor, or a cop. He lets Eddie know when he’s achieved his “good deed points,” but he also offers advice when Eddie goes astray. A cross between The Road Warrior and Merlin, The Drifter can seem mysterious and threatening, he’s also funny.

Shariffa Chung: Sariffa is Justin’s first friend at his new school. She’s extremely smart and has a sophisticated, off-beat sense of style, which has made her somewhat of an oddball at school. Being an outsider and a year younger (she skipped a grade), she feels like she has a lot in common with Justin, who’s a little weird himself–after all he talks an awful lot to his dog.

Lisa Taylor: Lisa is a forty year old supermom. She balances a successful advertising career with being a loving wife and mother. She’s got a ton of energy, and is always on overdrive–her new job at the big agency is the reason the Taylors have moved to L.A. Like Gwen, Lisa’s not crazy about the new addition to the family, but she endures him for Justin’s sake. And even though Eddie’s a pest, she can’t help feeling that there’s something different about this dog.

Show Information

First Aired	October 1999
Last Aired	April 2002
Status	Canceled/Ended
Running Time	30 min
Country	United States
Network	Nickelodeon

Episode List

Season 1
1. Tagged
2. Dog Gone
3. Dog Day Out
4. All Howls Eve
5. Slam Punk
6. Cheaters Sometimes Prosper
7. Mutts and Robbers
8. Dog Years
9. Puppy Love
10. The Students Are Revolting
11. False Hero
12. A Dog’s Life
13. Return of Gigi
14. Meet the New Boss
15. Lie Like a Dog
16. April Fools
17. Good Cop, Bad Dog
18. Big Dog
19. Fur Better or Worse
20. A Very Canine Christmas

Season 2
21. Homeward Hound (1)
22. Homeward Hound (2)
23. Personal Trainer
24. Eddie Loves Tori
25. A Star Is Born
26. Matchmaking Mutt
27. So Shoe Me
28. Sick as a Dog
29. Ruby
30. Whistle a Happy Tune
31. You Talk Too Much
32. Eye of the Mongrel

Season 3
33. Doggie Do Right
34. Fowl Deeds
35. Slap Shot
36. Dog Interrupted
37. Welcome to the Doghouse
38. Teacher’s Pet Peeve
39. Deep Blue Deed
40. Lost and Found

Cast

Brandon Gilberstadt	….	Justin Taylor
Morgan Kibby	….	Gwen Taylor (1999-2001)
Melanee Murray	….	Tori (2001-2002)
Catherine MacNeal	….	Lisa Taylor
William Francis McGuire	….	Doug Taylor
Seth Green	….	Eddie McDowd (#1) (1999-2000) (voice)
Jason Hervey	….	Eddie McDowd (#2) (2001-2002) (voice)
Rowdy	….	Eddy McDowd (dog)
Richard Moll	….	Drifter
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane Delano	….	Brenda May
Jim Fitzpatrick	….	Wrestling Coach Hardgrave
Josh Hammond	….	Flaco
David L. Lander	….	Ceasar (voice)
Joe Piscopo	….	Salli (voice)
Brenda Song	….	Sariffa Chung
Danny Tamberelli	….	Spike Cipriano (1999-2000)
Ross Burton	….	Lead Musician (uncredited)