Santa's Little Helper greyhound's lack of intelligence. In an article that compared "The Simpsons" to the animated series "Family Guy", Todd Camp of the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" noted that "though Santa's Little Helper may be the only Simpson who's dumber than Homer, the Griffins' pooch <nowiki>[</nowiki>Brian Griffin<nowiki>]</nowiki> is the brainiest member of the household". In 1991, Copley News Service's Alison Ashton described Santa's Little Helper as a "sweet and stupid dog". Tom Coombe of "The Morning Call" wrote in 2002 that "fans of "The Simpsons" will tell you that the cartoon family's dog [...] is often dumb, disobedient and skittish. Fans of the
The Simpsons episode guides the 2003 episode "Today I Am a Clown", where Lisa uses it to remind Homer that Santa's Little Helper was supposedly neutered in a previous episode (specifically, "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds"). The guide provides an episode-by-episode history of the first eight seasons of "The Simpsons". Each episode is covered in either one or two pages, featuring a synopsis, credits, pictures, and memorable quotes, as well as the episode's chalkboard gag. Obscure or hidden jokes are also brought to attention. The episodes are arranged in chronological order, and at the beginning of each season are two-page special features, such as