Arthur's Lost Dog

Summary
When Pal runs away at a street fair, even Arthur starts to doubt his dog's intelligence.

Plot
The episode opens with Arthur pouring orange juice into a glass. Meanwhile, D.W. looks at Pal's eyes and says that he is dumb. Arthur says that any dog that does old tricks, like him, is very smart. D.W. doesn't think so. She then commands him to roll over while holding a dog treat in her hand. However, he will not respond. While she proves to Arthur that he is dumb, he goes after the dog treats. In the living room, Arthur picks up his Doggie Care book and reads it. D.W. also says to him that Pal can't even get a treat. This time she commands him to sit up. Again, he doesn't respond. Arthur then laughs and states to her that he's not as smart as her. Pal then burps after eating the dog treats.

Arthur's Lost Dog

We now see a street fair being held in the center of Elwood City. Arthur, Buster, D.W., Pal, Jane, David, and Kate all attend it. They walk around at many of the sales and stands, such as the pickle guessing stand and the free jokes stand in front of Jack's Joke Shop. After hearing about the free jokes, Arthur chooses to take one. Unfortunately, the joke that the jokester told them really wasn't that funny. Meanwhile, at the bank, one of the employees announces that there are free giveaways inside the bank and a crowd of people rushes over to see what they are. They really are free pencils. This angers the crowd, so they walk off.

Buster is at a pizza stand buying a slice. Meanwhile, Arthur and David are sitting on a bench while Kate, in her stroller, is petting Pal. Then Pickles walks by with free balloons. Kate wants one, but he walks away, then she starts crying. David tries to comfort her with her pacifier, but that doesn't work. Arthur tries to give her her bunny, but that fails too. Buster makes an attempt for her to eat his pizza, but that idea also fails. As she is having a tantrum, she knocks it to the ground. D.W. gets a balloon from Pickles. Pal wants to see it, but Arthur holds him back. Kate finally stops crying when she sees D.W. with the balloon in her hand. Buster grabs the end of it and makes noises with it. However, the air lets out, causing Kate to start crying again. David suggests Arthur should push her, but he can't due to the fact he has to walk Pal. Pal gets very restless trying to get away from Kate, but Arthur tells him to sit. D.W. wants to hold his leash, but she's too young to do so. Jane suggests for her to walk him and Arthur to push Kate.

While they are still walking down the street, Kate continues crying. Buster can't take it anymore, so he covers his ears. Pal then runs around a pole, gets off his collar and leash, and runs free from all the commotion from Kate. Arthur, worried, asks what D.W. did to Pal, but she tells him that he escaped. The search is on! Meanwhile, Pal, collarless and leashless, surveys the streets. Meanwhile, Kate, who stopped crying again, is in Jane's arms as everyone else is walking and still looking for Pal. D.W. suggests to Arthur that he should get a new dog, like that poodle in the cage. Arthur and Buster get grossed out just looking at her.

Jane and David reserve a table at a Chinese restaurant while Arthur and Buster search for Pal. Then Pal runs under a table and looks up at three kids holding balloons. He then spots Pickles and tries to catch up with him. Arthur calls for Pal. Then an announcement over the loudspeaker says that a dog has been found and that it's in the town hall. But it's not Pal. He is still on the streets. He finally sees Pickles. Pickles, however, is allergic to dogs. Pal tries to get a balloon, but a police officer catches him.

At the town hall, Arthur and Buster find a different dog that looks a bit weird. Arthur then gets even more worried about Pal and wonders if he ran away because he doesn't like him anymore. Buster thinks it's time to investigate this completely. They split up and look for him. Back at the restaurant, Kate cries again and David tries to give her her bottle. But when she sees Pickles walk by, she stops, but then starts again when he leaves.

At the carousel, Arthur asks everyone if he's seen Pal. Buster asks the same thing to Ms. Tingley, but she hasn't seen it at all. He then does a bag search, but with no luck. Arthur then shows a picture of him to an police officer. It was actually the same one who he captured and brought to the town hall.

In the town hall, Pal tries to escape. Meanwhile, Francine and Muffy see him but he runs off. Francine tries to talk to Arthur, but he's in a rush to find Pal. Then she and Muffy decide to join the investigation too. Kate is still crying while D.W. points out Arthur. David tells everyone to hurry up to get Kate home because she might be sick. Arthur refuses to go home until he finds Pal. David suggests to put up lost dog signs back at home, but Arthur blames D.W. for letting Pal escape.

Arthur observes Pal, but he runs off to Pickles. On the way home, Arthur, feeling hurt, while Kate continues crying, says that Pal hates him. D.W. was right because he did escape on his own. Back at the fair, Pickles sees that one of his shoes is untied and sits down at a table to tie it. Pal spots him, and goes right up, making him sneeze again. He barks and growls at him, making his balloons fly away. He then leaps on top of his head, and then bounces on the pizza restaurant's awning, just in time to catch the balloons. Francine and Muffy notice him quickly and try to rescue him. Then all the balloons fly away, leaving him with only one. Francine catches him just in time and the crowd applauds her. But then he runs off again!

Back at home, Arthur tries to write a lost dog sign, but he wonders what's the point if he doesn't want to be with him. He thinks if he wants to be somewhere else, let him be happy. Suddenly there is scratching on the door and it turns out that Pal made it. He immediately runs up to Kate, who is still crying, and gives her the balloon. When she sees it, she stops. David takes his earplugs out and asks how she stopped crying. Really, the balloon made her do so, but Jane really doesn't know, which upsets Pal.

Major

 * Arthur Read
 * Pal
 * D.W. Read
 * Kate Read
 * Jane Read
 * David Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * Francine Frensky
 * Muffy Crosswire

Minor

 * Bank President
 * Pickles
 * Police officer
 * Cheryl Featherfoffer
 * Ms. Tingley

Cameo

 * Mr. Barnes
 * Mrs. Barnes
 * Unnamed Librarian
 * Fletcher
 * 4th Grade Male Rabbit
 * Kindergarten Teacher
 * Unknown Female Adult Bear
 * Unknown Male Adult Bear
 * Russell
 * Mr. Powers
 * Molly MacDonald
 * Rattles
 * James MacDonald
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)
 * Dottie
 * Otis
 * Jessica
 * Mrs. Wood
 * Alex
 * Patrick
 * Timmy and Tommy Tibble
 * Brian
 * Helen
 * The Brain
 * George Lundgren
 * 3rd Grade Male Rabbit
 * Billy
 * Toy Store Worker
 * Binky Barnes
 * John
 * Luke
 * 3rd Grade Female Cat (Number 2)
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog
 * Jenna Morgan
 * 3rd Grade Male Rat
 * Unknown Male Adult Poodle (debut)
 * Wanda Deegan (debut)
 * Unknown Female Adult Rabbit
 * Lisa's unknown relative
 * Unknown Female Adult Rabbit (Number 9) (debut)
 * Unknown Male Adult Rabbit (Number 3)
 * Unknown Female Adult Rabbit (Number 4)
 * Maria lookalike
 * 4th Grade Male Dog
 * Steve
 * Emily
 * Kyle
 * Amanda Hulser
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark
 * Mary
 * Edwin
 * Maryann
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 2)
 * Maria Pappas
 * Thora Read
 * Photographer
 * Bailey
 * Ed Crosswire
 * Millicent Crosswire
 * Kenny
 * 3rd Grade Male Cat
 * Beulah McInnerny
 * Liam
 * Lisa
 * Mr. Marco
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark (Number 2)
 * Kiefer
 * Mrs. Gutter
 * Carl Pacheva

Trivia

 * This seems to be a rare occurrence where Grandma Thora appears independent of the Reads, unless she met them off-screen.
 * Though neither Pal nor Kate talks, this episode anticipates the talking animal episodes that start with “The Secret Life of Dogs and Babies”. Pal shows near-human intelligence, has a special bond with Kate, and adults and older children do not understand what is going on.

Home video
DVD:
 * Arthur: The Complete Series 1