Dogs are a prominent part of pop culture, whether in film, art, television, sports or literature. In some of these works, dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes are depicted as strong, capable creatures with major roles. With such images, many of these dogs have names that mean strong. Perhaps one of the most recognizable ones is Bruiser, from the Legally Blonde film franchise.

Bruiser, which is defined as “someone who is tough and aggressive", is the name of the pet Chihuahua owned by Elle Woods, the film franchise’s main character and protagonist. Bruiser’s name is sort of an irony, given that Chihuahuas are a small and seemingly harmless breed. However, the name is a nod to the breed’s fierce personality.

Bruiser made his first appearance in Legally Blonde, the first film released in 2001. The plot of the film revolves around Elle Woods, a sorority girl who is hoping to reunite with her ex-boyfriend by getting into law school. Elle was dumped by her then-boyfriend Warner Huntington III, because she does not meet certain standards set by his father, who happens to be the governor. In an attempt to win him back, she applies for law school and sets her eyes on a law degree.

Much to a lot of people’s surprise, Elle manages to get into the prestigious Harvard University. This begins a series of failed attempts in trying to excel in her classes and nearly giving up on her plans. Throughout the film, Bruiser can be seen being brought along by Elle almost everywhere she goes. He is also a constant companion for Elle and was even one of the reasons why Elle met Paulette, who will go on to be one of her closest friends in the film.

Although Bruiser was simply a minor character in the first film, he was central to the plot of the second film in the franchise, entitled Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde. Released in 2003, the sequel is about Elle trying to save Bruiser’s mother from animal cruelty practices. The film starts with Elle trying to trace back Bruiser’s lineage in order to find his mom. This is because she wants Bruiser’s mom to be present at her wedding day. After hiring a detective, she finds out that the mom is owned by a big cosmetics company that uses animals to test their products. This prompts Elle to create “Bruiser’s Bill” to try and free all the animals owned by the company.

Both movies were successful in the box office and made Bruiser a household name in Hollywood. Bruiser was considered a scene stealer from the get go and even captured the hearts of the actors, including star Reese Witherspoon herself. In fact, Bruiser was present when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.