The Wasp — 1878 — page 429: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a six-panel narrative comic about Mary's pet poodle. The story progresses: Mary teaches the dog to sit at the table and eat (panels 1-2), they sleep together in bed (panel 3), they take a street walk (panel 4), a stranger offers the dog cake (panel 5), and in the final panel the dog is revealed to be "a poundman in disguise" (panel 6). The joke appears to be a cautionary tale about trusting strangers with pets. The "stupid dog" is Mary for her naïveté—she trains her dog poorly and allows it to be manipulated by a stranger offering treats. The disguised "poundman" (dog catcher) represents urban danger and the consequences of careless pet ownership. The satire targets foolish sentimentality toward animals.