--- title: "Brian: Portrait of a Dog (S01E07) | familyguy.co.uk" canonical: "https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e07-brian-portrait-of-a-dog/" updatedDate: 2026-09-06 author: Alex Moss description: "Brian: Portrait of a Dog: Family Guy season 1 episode 7 (S01E07), first aired 16 May 1999. Writer and director credits." --- # Brian: Portrait of a Dog Episode 7 of Family Guy season 1 (S01E07), the 7th Family Guy episode overall. Written by Gary Janetti and directed by Michael Dante DiMartino. First broadcast on 16 May 1999. ## Story A heatwave hits Quahog and the Griffins have no air conditioning. Peter talks a reluctant Brian into a dog show with a $500 prize. Brian performs his tricks but refuses to balance a biscuit on his nose, finding it demeaning, and walks out. They argue, Brian is fined under the leash law, and Peter brings up finding him as a stray. Brian leaves home and ends up sleeping in a bus shelter. After attacking a man who took him for a drunk, Brian is arrested and sentenced to death. He studies law and pleads his case before the city council, which will not listen to a dog. Peter makes an emotional appeal and then bribes each councillor with $20. Brian is freed and drinks from a public fountain. Back home he licks Peter's face and warns him to keep it quiet. ## Production and reception - Gary Janetti wrote the episode, his first for the series, and Michael Dante DiMartino, who later co-created Avatar: The Last Airbender, directed. ([Wikipedia: Brian: Portrait of a Dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian%3A_Portrait_of_a_Dog)) - Guest voices included Mary Scheer, Dick Van Patten, Joey Slotnick and Rachael MacFarlane. ([Wikipedia: Brian: Portrait of a Dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian%3A_Portrait_of_a_Dog)) - Brian's attempt to cite Plessy v. Ferguson and his drink from the fountain are references to the US civil rights movement and to The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. ([Wikipedia: Brian: Portrait of a Dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian%3A_Portrait_of_a_Dog)) - Ahsan Haque of IGN rated the episode 9.6 out of 10. ([Wikipedia: Brian: Portrait of a Dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian%3A_Portrait_of_a_Dog)) - The episode was released with the rest of the first two seasons on a four-disc DVD set in the United States on 15 April 2003. ([Wikipedia: Brian: Portrait of a Dog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian%3A_Portrait_of_a_Dog)) ## Facts | Fact | Detail | | --- | --- | | Season | 1 | | Episode | 7 of 7 | | Overall | No. 7 | | Code | S01E07 | | First aired | 16 May 1999 | | Directed by | Michael Dante DiMartino | | Written by | Gary Janetti | | Production code | 1ACX07 | | Source | Wikipedia: Family Guy season 1 | | Wikidata | Q840314 | | IMDb | tt0576923 | | Verification | Checked against Wikidata and IMDb: title, date, numbering and credits agree | | US viewers | 13.10 million | ## Voices | Voice | Characters | | --- | --- | | Seth MacFarlane | Peter Griffin, Brian Griffin, Stewie Griffin | | Alex Borstein | Lois Griffin, Liza, Girl in Commercial | | Seth Green | Chris Griffin, Manager, Officer #2 | | Lori Alan | Diane Simmons | | Butch Hartman | Charles Montrose, Vet | | Rachael MacFarlane | Girl in Commercial | | Mary Scheer | Ann Landers, Mary Bradford, Mother | | Joey Slotnick | Cashier, Officer | | Dick Van Patten | Tom Bradford | | Wally Wingert | Bus Station Manager | Principal voice credits as recorded by IMDb, which lists up to ten credits per episode, so recurring characters can be missing here. Guest voices below come from Wikipedia and TVmaze. ### Guest voices - Lori Alan as Diane Simmons - Butch Hartman - Rachael MacFarlane - Dick Van Patten as Thomas Bradford, Tom Bradford - Mary Scheer as Mary Bradford - Joey Slotnick - Wally Wingert ## Links - Season: [1](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-1/) - Source: [Wikipedia: Family Guy season 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_1) - Wikidata: [Q840314](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q840314) - IMDb: [tt0576923](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0576923/) - US viewers: [13.10 million](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Guy_season_1) ## Navigation - Previous: [S01E06 The Son Also Draws](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e06-the-son-also-draws/) - Next: [S02E01 Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s02e01-peter-peter-caviar-eater/) - Season hub: [Season 1](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/season-1/) - All episodes: [Family Guy episode guide](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/) ## Season 1: episode 7 of 7 - S01E01 [Death Has a Shadow](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e01-death-has-a-shadow/) - S01E02 [I Never Met the Dead Man](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e02-i-never-met-the-dead-man/) - S01E03 [Chitty Chitty Death Bang](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e03-chitty-chitty-death-bang/) - S01E04 [Mind Over Murder](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e04-mind-over-murder/) - S01E05 [A Hero Sits Next Door](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e05-a-hero-sits-next-door/) - S01E06 [The Son Also Draws](https://familyguy.co.uk/episodes/s01e06-the-son-also-draws/) - S01E07 Brian: Portrait of a Dog (this entry) --- Unofficial fan resource. 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