The 20 Cutest Puppy Bowl 2025 Players, Ranked

Get your cocktail weenies and five-layer dip ready, because the Puppy Bowl XXI is upon us. Among the most important TV events of the year, the Puppy Bowl is an adopt-a-palooza staged as a football game. Dozens of dogs compete for the “Lombarky” trophy on either Team Ruff or Team Fluff, with special interstitials like the Kitty Halftime Show. Even better, all of the dogs get adopted each year without fail. 

This year’s game will stream on Discovery+ and air on Animal Planet on Sunday, February 9 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. A record-breaking 142 dogs will compete, including 11 players with special needs. But which is the cutest of them all? I went ahead and ranked the top 20.

1. Smoosh, Team Fluff

Smoosh’s passion for football began at the Florida Little Dog Rescue — a new hot spot, I hear, for puppy athletic scouting. It’s only appropriate, then, that Smoosh will be making history this year as the first Pekingese to play in the Puppy Bowl. Athletics aside, sources say that Smoosh’s real goal in stepping onto the national stage is to secure a modeling contract with a major agency. With a face card like this, I can’t imagine anyone will decline. Smoosh has gotta be No. 1.

1. Maxx, Team Ruff

Whoops, never mind, the cutest puppy is actually Maxx. Definitely Maxx! He comes from the Nevada SPCA in Las Vegas but swears he’s never gambled in his life. Instead, he’s focused on his greatest passion: using his three legs to run, run, run, and run some more. All that cardio has given Maxx a sleek physique, but it’s his trademark forehead wrinkles that’ll win the hearts of many. A floppy-eared Doberman Pinscher with whiskey-colored eyes and a heart of gold? He’s gotta be No. 1. 

1. Enrique, Team Ruff

Oh gosh. Actually, sorry, I think the prize has to go to Enrique. I mean, I dare you to take one look at this fuzzy guy and his huge, oversized paws and not melt into a puddle of enamored goo. This baby Miniature Pinscher mix looks like a pro cuddler — perfect for his native New York, where the winter has been particularly harsh this year. From his adorable, mudslide-colored coat to those “who, me?” eyes, this little guy is bound to steal the show and do his rescue group, The Sato Project, very proud. 

1. Foxtrot, Team Ruff

Ack! Okay, I lied again. Take a look at Foxtrot. This jolly Collie mix from Minneapolis’ Pet Haven oozes “Minnesota nice” from his pores, and it’s hard to decide which of his physical attributes is the most enchanting: the gorgeous blue merle coat, the big, broad snout, or that floofy Collie tail. And don’t even get us started on his back legs. 

1. Lin-Manuel Furanda, Team Fluff

I am once again asking you to forgive me, because for the name alone, Lin-Manuel Furanda’s a clear winner. This Chow Chow / Chihuahua is not throwin’ away, throwin’ away his shot, but he is making me giggle with that little blep he’s got going on in his player portrait. Just don’t start talking to him about American history, unless you want to hear a lot about Furexander Hamilton. 

1. Kiki, Team Fluff

You know what, who needs a ranking system, really? Why create competition where it needn’t exist? From now on (and before this point in the list, obviously), all of these dogs are officially winners. Just look at Kiki. Never has a Chihuahua mix looked this fluffy. Fun fact: She actually hails from the same Florida-based rescue, Florida Little Dog Rescue, as her Fluff teammate, Smoosh. Sources tell me that the two are actually frenemies, thanks to a stuffed animal-based rivalry, but take that with a grain of salt — we all know how people love to pit successful girls and women against one another. 

1. Mr. Pickles, Team Ruff

This Pug mix comes from the Texas-based rescue Dallas Dog, but he looks more like a skeptical professor than a cowboy. His furrowed brow is enough to make you wonder if you’ve somehow misspelled your own name on a test, or perhaps walked into the room with your sweater on backwards. 

1. Charlotte, Team Fluff

A gorgeously colored Cocker Spaniel from the Humane Society of Missouri in St. Louis, Charlotte looks like a girl’s girl — someone who’s supportive but won’t hesitate to call her BFF out when she’s being a little unreasonable. She’s also canine-cover-girl material, from her green eyes to her red merle coat. Personally, I think she looks more like a Carrie than a Charlotte, but she’s got a lot of growing up to do before any of us can be certain. 

1. Trio, Team Ruff

He might be a Boston Terrier, but this feisty little guy comes straight from the Big Apple — Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue, to be specific. He was born with a leg deformity and reportedly has a hell of a kick. As if that wasn’t enough, he was also voted Most Likely to Succeed by his graduating class at the Bark College Chompservatory of Athletics.

1. Whoopie, Team Fluff

Two words: That. Coat. This Great Pyrenees mix from Wags & Walks in Nashville, Tennessee looks like an overgrown snowball with doe eyes. If that doesn’t win you over, her perfect puppy pout will. Sources say that Whoopie’s a hopeless romantic and major Taylor Swift fan, but instead of finding her Travis Kelce, she’s taking to the field to play the game herself. If that doesn’t work out, she can always launch her music career with the debut single “Tim McPaw.”

1. Abigail, Team Fluff

This sweet black and white Labrador Retriever mix’s sparkling brown eyes will melt your soul, but make no mistake — she can throw down with the best of them. She hails from Operation Paws for Homes in Alexandria, Virginia, and her player bio promises that she’ll bring “ a whole lot of zoomies” to this game. Word at the dog park is that she’s spent the past few months practicing to set the new Guinness World Record for fastest tennis ball chase, so keep an eye out for this rising QB. Team Ruff will never know what hit ’em.  

1. Beethoven, Team Ruff

Beethoven, a Great Pyrenees mix and native New Yorker, looks like the kind of guy you’d want to have a (dog-safe) beer with. He comes from Best Friends Animal Society, has eyes that can melt your soul, and will probably only drag you to one or two Yankees games a year, tops.

1. Demure, Team Ruff

See how this Cairn Terrier poses for her Puppy Bowl photo? Very Demure. Very mindful. Look at how she smizes straight into the camera with those chocolate brown eyes and lopsided ears. Very cutesy. Very charming. This Virginia girl from Green Dogs Unleashed will surely do her home state proud — and even if she doesn’t, she’ll always have the memes. 

1. Alice, Team Fluff

This Chihuahua mix looks like an anxious girlie, but one thing she doesn’t need to worry about is her appearance. With those bat ears and huge green-gray eyes, she’s got the cuteness factor on lock. Alice might hail from the same Florida rescue as Smoosh and Kiki, but you can tell that her hobbies are a little… different from theirs. She looks like she enjoys a quiet night in with a knitting project, a romantic drama set in the regency era, and a nice cup of tea. She deserves it all.

1. Carl, Team Fluff

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more aptly named pooch at the Puppy Bowl than ol’ Carl. It’s a no-nonsense name for a no-nonsense looking Bulldog mix from New York. Thanks to his precious underbite, Carl looks like he’s ready to yell at all times. Come to think of it, you can practically hear him shouting “I’m walking here!” while slamming his paws on the hood of a taxi cab. And yet, despite that hard exterior, you can just tell that his short, smooth puppy fur is oh-so soft. Next Sunday, he’ll face off against another player from Louie’s Legacy Animal Rescue, Trio on Team Ruff. In terms of cuteness, however, I might just have to call it a tie.

1. Paws Allen, Team Fluff

After some extensive googling, I’ve concluded that this Labrador Retriever mix from Buddy’s Second Chance Rescue in Buffalo, New York is likely named after Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. That said, once Paws hits the field, the human Allen’s gonna be left in the dust. On top of his football skills, Paws has the kind of smile that’ll make you forget all your life plans, pack up your car, and move to snowy Buffalo faster than you can say “chicken wings.” 

1. Dee-Bone Samuel, Team Ruff

Another football-themed name, another research odyssey for me! This soulful Poodle mix takes his name from Tyshun Raequan “Deebo” Samuel Sr. — wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. But what’s really wide are those eyes, which have the power to stop time itself through sheer cuteness alone. This cookies and cream-colored muppet comes from Sacramento SPCA in California and is probably a huge Lady Bird fan. Much like that movie’s star, Saoirse Ronan, he’s got an innocent quality that breeds instant empathy. 

1. Bark Kent, Team Fluff

I don’t know if it’s the name or how comically small this little nugget looks in his blue bandanna, but this puppy is my Kryptonite. With or without glasses, this Shih Tzu-Chihuahua mix would be at the top of the list.

1. Jake, Team Ruff

Friends, when I saw this guy’s photo, I audibly gasped — and not just because he reminds me of my own little fluffball at home. Where do I begin with this adorable Shih Tzu-Maltese mix? He’s got a pink peppercorn nose and pink lips thanks to the liver gene, and that pose with the paw up in the air? Forget it — No. 1 all the way, both on the fields and in our hearts.

1. Delulu, Team Ruff

This Shih Tzu-Maltese mix looks like pure love. Dare I say it? She’s a dream come true-lulu.