What is the name of Paula Poundstone's dog, mentioned during the Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! interview with Sally Field?
Paula Poundstone's dog is named Dashiell Hammett — a nod to the legendary American crime writer. During the episode, the dog made his presence known by barking at a squirrel mid-interview, prompting Poundstone to explain the literary inspiration behind the name.
Poundstone also noted a charming quirk: the dog reliably responds to "Dash" but not to his full name, Dashiell Hammett. It is the kind of spontaneous, unscripted moment that makes live radio quiz shows like Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! so entertaining — a panel comedian's dog upstaging one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, at least briefly.
The exchange took place during the August 2026 episode in which Sally Field joined the show as a guest, recorded live at the Studebaker Theatre at the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, Illinois, hosted by Peter Sagal with Alzo Slade as scorekeeper.
"I've done such strange things that I would have a hard time remembering. But they would not be things that anyone else would remember either."
— Sally Field, on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
About Sally Field
Sally Field is one of the most decorated performers in American screen history, with a career spanning more than 60 years and an awards record so extensive it has its own dedicated Wikipedia page. She has won two Academy Awards and three Emmy Awards, a combination very few actors have achieved across both film and television.
Her range is exceptional: from the breezy surf comedy Gidget to the fantastical airborne sitcom The Flying Nun in the 1960s, through to heavyweight dramatic roles including her portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln. That breadth is precisely what makes her perspective on craft — and on the unpredictability of a career — so compelling.
At the time of this episode, Field was nominated for an Emmy for her starring role in Remarkably Bright Creatures on Netflix, a film in which she co-stars alongside a CGI octopus. The nomination added another chapter to a body of work that continues to earn recognition across generations.
See also
According to Sally Field, the octopus in Remarkably Bright Creatures was CGI, not a real animal. She noted it is hard to train an octopus for that kind of role…
Field explained that filming The Flying Nun was painful because it was still the 1960s and there were no special effects — she was suspended by wires, sometimes on a 50-foot crane…
Field says she is most surprised that people still bring up The Flying Nun, including young people in their teens and twenties. She noted it is always the role that comes up unexpectedly…