The episode features cultural references to films such as Alien, Crocodile Dundee and Full Metal Jacket and the television series The Wonder Years.

Baby Gerald, Luigi Risotto, Assistant Superintendent Leopold, and Flanders' parents make their debuts in this episode.

Bart's show and tell presentation is well received by the class, but the dog escapes into the air ducts.

"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" was written by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, and directed by Bob Anderson.

When Anderson skimmed through the script and saw Luigi's lines, he said he "frightened Julie Kavner because I was laughing to myself, but trying to keep the laughter in because it was so damn funny.

[5] The opening scene, in which Marge, Lisa, and Bart watch a home video, is a parody of The Wonder Years; the theme from that series, the Joe Cocker version of "With a Little Help from My Friends", plays.

[1] Skinner says he was shot in the back at a United Service Organizations (USO) show while trying to get "Joey Heatherton to put some pants on".

[5] Skinner's attire and shots of him running with his troops are references to the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket.

[7] Skinner's line "We'll always have the laundromat" is a reference to a famous quote from Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) in Casablanca: "We'll always have Paris."

The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "The 100th episode [...] is a fine one, with Principal Skinner's idea for a novel and the conduct of the staff at the Italian restaurant as highpoints.

"[5] DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said the opening scene of episode reminded him of when he was in second grade and got a puppy for Christmas.

Jacobson said, "I still recall the excitement when my mom brought [the dog] into school for the others to see, and the first segment of [the episode] reflects the atmosphere caused by a doggie visit.

Nobody is going to buy a detergent called 'Adequate' with so many superlatively-named competitors on the shelves, and Harry Shearer's deadpan inflection clashes amusingly with the chipper words coming out of his mouth.