Johnny Carson bush dog

Classic Tonight Show episodes remind us how fun television used to be. Johnny Carson was unlike anyone else on television and his legacy will last forever. He could make anything funny. But, some of his best shows were when his guests were animals.

Joan Embery was a regular fixture on the show and she’d bring a variety of different animals with her. Not only did we learn something about these creatures, but something funny always seemed to happen.

In 1975, the blonde beauty brought a Bush Dog with her on the show. The cute pup had previously been in a Berlin Zoo and before that was in South America. With all that globetrotting, she appeared to need to rest. She cuddled up with Johnny and got a nice belly rub. The animal was so relaxed that Johnny asked if it was dead!

That’s when things got really cute. Johnny sang the bush dog a country lullaby. The best part of this was hearing Ed McMahon’s loud cackling laugh in the background! Johnny improvised this song on the fly and it was completely hysterical. It reminds me why I loved watching the Tonight Show when Johnny Carson was the host!

Watch the video below for a good laugh!

Johnny was at his best when he had animals on his shows. He always made it hilarious, even when the furry and feathered creatures didn’t perform as they were expected to. The bright lights and audience could give some of the animals stage fright. When that happened, Johnny would fill the void with jokes.

Joan Embery was a fan favorite on the Tonight Show. It was apparent that she had a good relationship with the animals at the San Diego Zoo she brought on to meet Johnny. One of her feathered friends named Howard even stole the show when Johnny asked him a question. Click here to watch that!

And if you loved this story, make sure to check out this hilarious video of Johnny Carson playing with orangutans:

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