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Allow Us to Introduce the 2022 Puppy Bowl Contenders

As football fans gear up to see this year's Super Bowl, dog enthusiasts are counting down the days until they see Team Ruff and Team Fluff go head-to-head.

That's right, it's Puppy Bowl season, and to say that the competition looks fierce is an understatement. This year's event will feature a whopping 118 adoptable puppy players from 67 shelters and rescues. Each player will get to show off their tricks as they chase, fetch and sprint their way to the finish line. Among the pack are several pups who will compete in the Puppy Bowl XVIII's starting lineup. But before we tune into the sporting event—airing Sunday, February 13 on Animal Planet and Discovery+—we thought we'd introduce a few of the canine contenders.

moby harley s haven dog rescue ruff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

1. Moby (team Ruff Captain)

Rescue: Harley’s Haven Dog Rescue

Leading the Ruff pack is French bulldog Moby, whose intimidating gaze is sure to give him a leg up in the competition.

dinozzo tri state basset hound rescue fluff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

2. Dinozzo (team Fluff Captain)

Rescue: Tri-State Basset Hound Rescue

The basset hound/shih tzu breed may look innocent, but as we all know, looks can be deceiving.

odell ruff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

3. Odell Barkham (team Ruff)

Rescue: Animal Friends Humane Society

Something tells us this beagle/chow mix has a competitive streak...

nugget florida little dog rescue fluff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

4. Nugget (team Fluff)

Rescue: Florida Little Dog Rescue

Yep, we already know which pup Queen Elizabeth will be rooting for.

maisie compassion kind ruff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

5. Maisie (team Ruff)

Rescue: Compassion Kind

The chihuahua/dachshund mix was rescued from Hurricane Ida, so she's got the skill and survival instinct needed to win.

ted d bear florida little dog rescue ruff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

6. Ted D. Bear

Rescue: Florida Little Dog Rescue

OK, this goldendoodle ought to get bonus points just for his name. Are we right, or are we right?

wasabi the sato project fluff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

7. Wasabi (team Fluff)

Rescue: The Sato Project

Just like his name suggests, Wasabi looks prepared to spice things up. We'd totally want him on our team.

hoku maui humane society ruff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

8. Hoku (team Ruff)

Rescue: Maui Humane Society

Fun fact: Hoku is making history as the Puppy Bowl's first ever Hawaiian dog. Pretty cool, right?

sky roar animal rescue fluff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

9. Sky (team Fluff)

Rescue: ROAR Animal Rescue

Sky's sense of curiosity will definitely be a strong asset.

kirby america s vetdogs fluff
discovery+/ Animal Planet/ ‘The Dogist’ Elias Weiss Friedman

10. Kirby (team Fluff)

Rescue: America’s Vetdogs

It looks like the Fluff squad found their secret weapon, because this Houston Texan’s mascot is already training to become a service dog.



nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...