Santa's Little Helper is agitated by the sights, sounds, and smells of the Simpsons' Christmas celebration: he refuses to be affectionate, tears apart the couch, and stares idly at a smudge on the cabinet.
At the No Kill Kennel, dog trainer Les Moore explains how he took Santa's Little Helper from his mother She-Biscuit because he ran to her so quickly.
[2] Michael York, the voice actor for the character Clayton, recorded his dialogue with producer/engineer Zach Zurn at Carpet Booth Studios in Rochester, Minnesota.
Club, Dennis Perkins gave the episode a B, praising it for the attempt to do a serious study of the character of Santa's Little Helper but noting that the finale was too sentimental.
[3] Den of Geek's Tony Sokol gave the episode four out of five stars for its emotional depth and its ability to make the show's past more rich.