The character first appeared in the earliest panels of the story Sur la piste des Dalton, published on 4 February 1960 in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Spirou, and later as an album in 1962.

Ten years after the death of Goscinny, for the production of the Rantanplan series, Morris collaborated with scenarists such as Jean Léturgie, Bob de Groot and Vittorio Leonardo.

Rantanplan is a prison guard dog, often tasked with watching over the Daltons or assisting Lucky Luke track them down when they escape.

Like Averell Dalton, he has a huge appetite and will devour everything put in front of him, whether it is food or not, which has ranged from bars of soap to dishwater.

Lucky Luke's horse, Jolly Jumper, a very intelligent animal, holds Rantanplan in contempt, regarding him as one of nature's great mistakes.