Dog-centric website Paw Nation is going all out for the American Kennel Club’s 125th anniversary, hosting a series of contests about the top 125 dogs in pop culture.

The current contest involves the top five college canine mascots, and our own Jack the Bulldog is one of the contestants! The competition is pretty Bulldog heavy, with the University of Georgia’s UGA and Yale’s Handsome Dan are also in the running. The other contestants are Texas A&M’s Reveille, a Collie, and Boston University’s Rhett, a Boston Terrier.

Unfortunately Jack hasn’t been faring too well—he’s currently in third place out of five contestants, with only seven percent of the vote.  Clearly the voters haven’t witnessed his significant box-battling skills…

Photo from the Georgetown University Traditions website.

Last week, the Athletic Department held tryouts for potential Jack the Bulldog mascots.  Three hopefuls—all freshmen—showed up to audition for two open spots (since there are so many obligations, three students share mascot duties).

What does it take to make a good mascot?  Dance skills; the ability to successfully execute high fives, low fives and fist bumps with limited visibility; and a high tolerance for hot, smelly costumes (one potential Jack almost threw in the towel before his audition started due to the stench).

Because the mascot’s identity is a highly-guarded secret, Vox wasn’t allowed to interview the candidates, but we are able to show you footage from their try-out routines.  Enjoy!

Videography and editing by Joe Mancino.