Dug's Special Mission is a Pixar short film directed by Ronnie del Carmen and based on the movie Up. It was included on the Up home video release.
Plot[]
It is Dug's birthday. Dug wishes that it will be the happiest day of this life, when suddenly a huge prehistoric female bird runs over him, and Alpha, Beta, and Gamma run into Dug. Irritated with Dug getting in their way, they come up with "special missions" for Dug to capture the bird. However, these are just ploys to keep Dug out of their way. Alpha assigns Dug to watch a large rock and make sure it doesn't move, because it is "the bird's favorite rock." Dug accidentally causes a pebble to roll down an incline and topple the large boulder, which nearly crushes Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. He is then told to sit and wait in "the bird's favorite hole". After the three dogs leave him there, it turns out to have quicksand in it. Dug falls through it and ends up falling on top of the three dogs right as they are stalking the bird.
Dug is then assigned to sit on a rock. Alpha teaches Dug by sit on a long rock and then to jump, Dug jumps, Alpha, Beta and Gamma start to fall from the rock, and the three of them fall, including the rock. Numerous scenes follow of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma being caught or captured by traps intended for the bird, due to actions of Dug as a result of commands given to him by Alpha. The trio is scooped up in a net and shot with darts, this hits Beta, who is knocked-out. Dug is running in pile of rocks as Alpha, Beta and Gamma chase after him, the rocks fall down,
Alpha contacts Charles Muntz in his airship to report that Dug has caused them "to not capture the bird" and that he is a "bad dog." Dug, dismayed, suddenly sees the Spirit of Adventure blimp by Muntz. Fearful of how Muntz will punish him, Dug runs into a mist-laden rocky area. He sees a rock that resembles a turtle, and then one that looks like a man. When he hears a voice, he asks if the man is OK. Dug then realizes that he has received his birthday wish: a new master (Carl). The clouds clear, the sun comes out, and Dug sits proudly on a flat rock. Russell notices him and briefly thinks Dug is a rock. After the credits are rolled Dug says "Hi there!" to Carl and Russell; the film ends with Carl and Russell gasping in shock.
Production[]
Jonas Rivera, Up's producer, revealed Dug's Special Mission "is a little bit of the backstory of what Dug was actually doing out there on this mysterious mission when we meet him."
Trivia[]
- There is an inconsistency in the short. Alpha's voice is already faulty and comically high-pitched, yet in the movie, when the pack is first introduced, Beta and Gamma express surprise at Alpha's faulty voice, as if he had been speaking with his real voice until then.