Posted on 04/11/2026 6:09:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A 1950s novelty hit that’s endured, this fun, yet heartfelt ode to man’s best friend is still much-loved today.
Critics argue that so-called “novelty” hits are soon forgotten by serious music fans, but a select few are very fondly remembered. Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” for example, is now a Halloween perennial, while David Seville & The Chipmunks’ “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” went on to win three Grammy Awards. And who can forget Patti Page’s “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window”? The inimitable U.S. chart-topper that has seduced generations of canine lovers.
Indeed, it’s fair to say that Page’s evergreen 1953 hit remains one of the most cherished of all novelty hits. Written by the versatile U.S. composer Bob Merrill, the jaunty “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” was recorded by Page in December 1952 and a month later it topped both the Billboard and Cash Box charts in the U.S., going on to sell over two million copies. Incredibly, it even became so popular with dog lovers that the American Kennel Club’s annual registrations jumped by an enormous 8% following the song’s release.
So how did “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” achieve success on such a stellar scale in the first place? Hindsight suggests that several factors aligned to ensure the song connected with an adoring mainstream audience. Firstly, its writer Bob Merrill had already penned a multi-million-selling novelty hit courtesy of Eileen Barton’s “If I’d Known You Were Coming I’d’ve Baked A Cake” in 1950 and understood what writing such a song entailed. Additionally, vocalist Patti Page was already a star with huge, chart-topping hits such as “With My Eyes Wide Open, I’m Dreaming” and “Tennessee Waltz” to her name and finally…well, a heartstring-tugging ode about a girl wanting to buy her sweetheart a puppy before he left for California was always likely to appeal to a nation of devoted dog lovers, wasn’t it?
Yet the sentiments expressed in “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” also found favor on the other side of the Atlantic. The success of Page’s original led to Liverpool-born singer Lita Roza recording a cover of the song and taking it to the top of the British charts in April 1953: another significant milestone as it marked the first time a British female singer achieved a No. 1 hit on the U.K. Singles chart.
In fact, it now seems impossible to imagine the world without “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window.” It may be a novelty song but it still makes its presence felt in the 21st Century, having gone on to attract several (mostly) affectionate parodies and established itself as a popular children’s song. It would be wrong to suggest it defined Patti Page, for she enjoyed numerous No.1 hits and eventually sold over 100 million records, yet the versatile Oklahoman singer (who died in January 2013) was always happy to acknowledge the important role “(How Much Is) That Doggie In The Window” played in her career.
“It was a charming little song,” Page told Entertainment Weekly in 1991. “Up to that time, it was mostly teens buying records, but this one spanned all age groups. It’s still the song I’m most known for.”
No No Nanette is so great. In the ‘60s, Dad bought the Readers Digest collection of Great Operettas, and that was one of them. We kids loved it — knew all the songs.
Hug to you in your losses.
Thank you for your kindness.
Right now it is too raw to share some thoughts, but in the future I may share them.
My 16-year old rescued Russian Blue, Rhiannon, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning at 6 AM while sleeping in my arms. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and looked at me, and then closed them again as she crossed over. She never really recovered from losing her “rescue-littermate”, Sara-Michael, about a year ago.
You may be right, but I could have sworn that it was from the musical show/movie “Pajama Game” ...
Oh no. Another loss.
Now I’m sitting here crying for all y’all.
I’m petting our black cat, Darth-Ann, who never really recovered from when her son, Mel, died in 2022. They were fixated on each other. She’s still a great loving kitty, but her personality changed when she couldn’t find him any more.
They slept together on the recliner at night. She still sleeps there, and leaves his side clear — probably in case he returns.
They were feral when we took them in, along with two of her other babies.
John Kerry’s theme song: Just a gigolo
May God comfort you, as only His perfect peace can do. May He fill the emptiness you may now, or will be feeling. His promises are true and faithful. May your mourning be covered with a garment of praise for the years of friendship He provided through faithful companionship.
If I were beside you, I’d give you a warm and honest hug. And when that hug made you want pull away in pain as tears rolled down your face, I’d hold on and let you cry it out in that hug for as long as necessary.
Why?
Because I wish someone would also do this for me this morning. The tears don’t seem to stop. I’ve become an empty shell of what I was.
May God’s Spirit comfort you
((HUG))
I was in both plays so it might be.
It is an amazing song... We were at Petco yesterday (having our Irish Setter go in be washed) and our youngest was being funny, by signing How Much is the Snake in the Window? He was singing to every pet in the store.
Sometimes I wish we could go back to the good old days, but of course we can’t. We have, instead, to look forward to Heaven, where everything will be perfect. The older I get, the better it sounds.
😊
It would be smarter than 99% of Democrat Senators in DC...
Nope, it's from Pajama Game:
I always liked that show. I'm never heard the song, but I have heard the title. Every time I do, I hear the little girl from the Magilla theme song saying "How much is that gorilla in the window."
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