The tradition started in the late 1890s. A Yale student, Andrew Graves, bought and  a Bulldog, and named him Handsome Dan. The dog followed him everywhere, including to sports events. When Andrew graduated, Handsome Dan stayed at Yale with Andrew’s brother, William. It became a regular event that Dan had to cross the field before a football or baseball game could begin. It is reported that a favorite trick of his was to “Speak to Harvard”, at which point he would “bark ferociously and work himself into physical contortions of rage never before dreamed of by a dog”. The original Dan met his maker in 1898, and Andrew had him stuffed so he could remain on display in the old gymnasium at Yale. He’s still there. But the tradition continues, and Yale still has a Handsome Dan as a mascot; Handsome Dan XVIII. Over the years, the mascots have looked different, and each contributed to the institution in their own way. . You can see what the world looks like according to Handsome Dan XVII here.