Winona

Winona is Applejack's work dog. She is first seen in Applebuck Season, where she and Applejack round up a stampeding herd of cattle. Winona is a good herder and obeys all of Applejack's commands. She also appears in May the Best Pet Win!, playing fetch with Applejack; in The Last Roundup, when she joyfully greets Applejack after she comes back to Ponyville; in Too Many Pinkie Pies; in Apple Family Reunion; in Spike at Your Service; in Just for Sidekicks; in Games Ponies Play; and in Magical Mystery Cure. Unlike the Diamond Dogs, Winona only barks and does not speak in any of her appearances. She has a red collar with a golden name tag.

Development and design
"Winona" is an alternitive name for "Wenonah" which is a name of Native American origin, meaning "first-born daughter". In both behavior and appearance, Winona resembles a Border Collie, which are natural animal herders. According to Lauren Faust, her name was originally "Brandy", then "Buckaroo".

Depiction in the series
Winona is first introduced in Applebuck Season, helping Applejack round up the stampeding herd of cattle that is heading towards Ponyville. Later in the episode, Applejack has a tough time helping Fluttershy round up some bunnies, so Applejack tells Winona to help her, causing the bunnies to stampede towards Ponyville like the cattle did.

Winona is also briefly seen in May the Best Pet Win! in Rainbow Dash's dream, where Owlowiscious's head transforms into Winona's, and during the pony pet playdate. She also appears in The Last Roundup, where she greets Applejack as soon as she steps off the train at the end of the episode. In Ponyville Confidential, a photograph of Winona as a puppy is briefly seen depicting her pulling at a young Apple Bloom's diaper. This is a parody of the original Coppertone ads.

Winona appears in a scene of Too Many Pinkie Pies, chasing a herd of Pinkie Pies with Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Big McIntosh. In Apple Family Reunion, she is first shown licking a filly's face, and again in a picture in the photo album at the end. In Spike at Your Service's first exterior scene, Fluttershy walks her past the library on a leash.

Winona later appears in Just for Sidekicks as one of the pets Spike petsits in exchange for a jewel. Here, Applejack claims Winona gets wild if she doesn't get her daily exercise, and is also shown to greatly enjoy getting belly-scratches from her owner. When the Cutie Mark Crusaders briefly take over watching the pets, she becomes the participant of the industrial-size pet hair dryer they had purchased with one of Spike's gems.

During Magical Mystery Cure, Winona appears in one of Applejack's flashbacks.

Other depictions
The UK My Little Pony magazine calls her 'Jackaroo', as does the US edition of the Applebuck Season Storybook.

Appearances

 * See also character appearances