Followed by He's A Bully, Charlie Brown in 2006, which was the final new Peanuts special to air on ABC, though that network would continue re-airing I Want A Dog For Christmas... annually until 2019.
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown contains examples of:
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Rerun is this, unknowingly to him, to both Linus and Lucy.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The three things that Rerun lacks in his life.Rerun: I know! I'll take some money out of my college trust fund, and go buy a dog!
Lucy: You don't have a college trust fund.
Rerun: I don't? Good grief... Please pass the grape jelly!
Lucy: We're all out of grape jelly.
Rerun: How can anyone not have a dog, a college trust fund, or grape jelly?! - Bittersweet Ending: Everyone has a happy Christmas but Rerun realizes that he doesn't want a dog for Christmas after spending time with Snoopy.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Charlie Brown addresses the end credits as he falls asleep at the end.
- Cry for the Devil: In-Universe. Rerun's mom is strictly against dogs, seeing them as too much trouble, but this isn't the reason why she has him give up Spike.Lucy: Anyways, Mom says we can't keep Spike anymore. She just felt sorry for him because he looked so bad when he got here.
- Drives Like Crazy: Rerun's mom on the bicycle. Lampshaded by multiple characters.Charlie Brown: I gotta say, I like the way how your mom handles that bike. (Linus covers his eyes) See how she decided to go through that hedge instead of the brick wall?
Linus: Yes, I must admit her driving is getting a little better...
Rerun: Yesterday, we only hit four parked cars... ♪Over hill, over Dale!♪ ...Poor Dale. - Funny Background Event: In Rerun's kindergarten class, one little girl is piling colorful building blocks into her classmate's hands. By the time Rerun finishes his joke about running away to Paris, the little girl with the colorful building blocks has buried her classmate in a pile of colorful building blocks.
- Heel Realization: Rerun has one at the end after having to pull the sled while Snoopy rides in it. "Maybe a dog is too much trouble".
- Ironic Echo: Charlie Brown using Rerun's vocabulary explanation against him.Rerun: Ask your dog if he would like to come out and romp in the snow.
Charlie Brown: Romp?
Rerun: To romp means to play, or to frolic in a lively way.
Charlie Brown: (checks on Snoopy) He said no. No means to deny, or refuse, or disagree.
Rerun: I know what it means! - Loose Tooth Episode: A minor example. While Rerun was spending time with Snoopy's brother Spike, Rerun suddenly lost a baby tooth.Rerun: A tooth, a tooth. I just lost another tooth. I must be getting old.
- Sadist Teacher: Rerun's art teacher is implied to be one, as when she overhears Rerun singing the praises of the art project going on, Rerun whispers to the Little Pigtailed Girl that he's only saying these things to bolster her ego, since, "When she's happy, we're happy."
- Suddenly Shouting: Lucy to Linus and Rerun: "How can I be expected to live in the same house WITH TWO BROTHERS?!".
- Later, Snoopy screams at Lucy while dressed up as Santa Claus.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Because of a joke he told a female classmate about wanting to run away to Paris, Rerun gets suspended from school for "harassment".
- Rerun asks the store clerk for a leash, a dog collar and a dog supper dish and suggested that it should be put on his store tab. He gets kicked out promptly by the store clerk.
- Spike ends up losing a lot of his body weight due to a scary bike ride experience with Rerun.
- Rerun eventually learns owning a dog will be a lot of work and responsibility just from hanging out with Snoopy.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: For Rerun, B-of-the-B Day.Sally: What is "B-of-the-B Day"?
Lucy: It's Back of the Bike Day. Rerun has to ride in the back of mom's bike!
