Trish Stratus Seemingly Defends ‘Barking Like a Dog’ Segment: “It Was Meant to Shock”

On the March 5, 2001, episode of WWE Raw, one of the most controversial segments in WWE history aired, when Vince McMahon forced Trish Stratus to bark like a dog. The scene was part of a larger storyline where McMahon was on a power trip leading into WrestleMania X-7, humiliating Trish as part of his escalating character.

In the recent Netflix docuseries Mr. McMahon, Stratus looked back on that segment and offered her perspective. Rather than condemning the scene, she explained that it was designed to make viewers uncomfortable.

“With the barking like a dog segment, they want me to be like [exhales] ‘it was horrible,’ but that’s exactly the feeling we wanted you to feel. Don’t you get it? We knew we were presenting a sensitive scene to the fans. We knew it was gonna be talked about, and be interpreted and misinterpreted. We were aware of that. The thing is, when we did that scene, we knew the comeuppance would come at WrestleMania,” Stratus shared.

Stratus’ storyline redemption came at WrestleMania X-7, where she turned against McMahon during his match against his son, Shane McMahon.

The docuseries, which explores McMahon’s career and controversies, also arrives in the midst of legal troubles for the former WWE Chairman. Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a lawsuit against McMahon, WWE, and John Laurinaitis in January 2024, accusing them of sexual assault and sex trafficking. Grant paused the lawsuit on May 30 for six months while a federal investigation continued against McMahon, who resigned from TKO/WWE following the filing.

As Mr. McMahon offers a look into both Vince McMahon’s career and the controversies surrounding him, Trish Stratus’ reflection on the infamous Raw segment adds context to one of the more debated moments in WWE history.

What are your thoughts on Trish Stratus’ explanation of the controversial segment with Vince McMahon? Do you think it adds a new layer to the storyline, or does it remain too problematic? Share your opinions in the comments below!