Spike (occasionally referred to as Butch or Killer) and Tyke are fictional characters from the Tom and jerry series, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Spike is a stern but occasionally dumb British Bulldog who is particularly disapproving of cats, but a softie when it comes to mice, and later, his son Tyke. In the shorts Jerry would often try to get Tom in trouble with Spike making him a shoo-in for a beating from the bulldog. Spike has a few weaknesses that Tom tries to capitalize upon: his possessiveness about his bone and his ticklishness. He made his first appearance in the 1942 Tom and Jerry cartoon Dog Trouble, and his first speaking role was in 1944's The Bodyguard, where he was voiced by Billy bletcher up until 1949, from which point he was voiced by Daws Butler Tyke is known as a cute, sweet, happy and a loveable pup. He is Spike's son and they make the perfect father and son, with Spike spending much of his free time comforting his son, taking him out or teaching him the facts of life of being a dog. In Tom and Jerry kids, Tyke has a speaking role and was the first time that Tom and Jerry fans were able to hear Tyke speak.

The dog ( Spike )

Spike Rhys Bulldog is a grey bulldog that appears in many episodes of Tom and Jerry. He is a friend of Jerry and a rival of Tom.

He hates Tombecause in the episodes that Spike appears, Tom is chasing Jerry around but ends up giving Spike or his son, tyke, a bad day. Obviously, whenever Spike tells Tom not to do a certain thing (ex. dirtying Tyke), Jerry does his best to get Tom in trouble (in the example, Jerry would get Tyke as dirty as possible). He was originally called Killer. Tom cat's son is his foe and hero.

In his very first appearance, Dog trouble Spike is the main antagonist, chasing and attacking both Tom and Jerry on sight, even trying to eat Jerry, which forced the two to work together to defeat him. In all subsequent shorts, Spike becomes typecast as the stereotypical dumb brute who is always duped into becoming a shield for Jerry from Tom. It is only in two episodes where Jerry gets Spike out of a jam and the dog willingly protects him from Tom in well-earned gratitude. On most occasions, Jerry causes trouble for Tom by luring him near Spike and harming him to get him angry, and in some cartoons when its perfectly obvious that Tom is not responsible, as seen in The Invisible Mouse, Spike still blames Tom and hurts him instead of Jerry.

Spike, however, is not without a softer and sympathetic side: in the episode Pet Peeve, after believing that Tom is willing to leave the house in Spike's favour, Spike feels sorry for him to the point that he offers to leave instead, which Spike does until he realises that Tom is only using reverse psychology to trick him into leaving. In The Truce Hurts, Spike is portrayed as a very intelligent and equilibrated character when he convinces Tom and Jerry to stop the fighting among the three of them and sign a Peace Treaty, but their newfound friendship comes to an end when they argue over how to share a big steak, symbolised when Spike tears the truce contract to shreds and they go back to fighting again. From the 1942 cartoon Dog Trouble to 1948 cartoon Heavenly Puss he was voiced by Billy Bletcher. His name also varies in some shorts: in  he is named "Killer", and in Solid SerenadeThe Truce Hurts he signs "Butch" on the treaty paper.

The son ( Tyke )

In Tom's later attempts to catch Jerry, he has to deal with Spike for bothering his son. In 1949's Love That Pup, Spike was given a puppy son, Tyke, who became another popular supporting character in the Tom and JerryDaws butler, who styled Spike's voice after Jimmy Durante taking after his 1940s radio series with Garry Moore. He is named Spike from then on and is not changed again. When Tyke is introduced, Spike is given a softer approach (mainly towards his son) and is kinder and less aggressive, but is still portrayed as a dumb animal on more than one occasion. Spike's love and affection towards Tyke becomes Jerry's newest weapon against Tom, as his strategy goes from luring Tom towards Spike to inflicting harm on Tyke, and even when it is perfectly obvious that Jerry is responsible and not Tom, as seen in Love That Pup. Spike fails to see this and still blames Tom.