I would like to know the breed of the black dog that is shown in the
recent MasterCard comercials where he is trying to get home??

I love those MasterCard commercials!

The cute little fella who is featured as the lost dog "Badger" in the
series of commercials is a Boston terrier. His real name is Toby.
Ironically, despite his fame, Toby's features (small eyes, floppy
ears, an underbite) are nonstandard for the breed, and he wouldn't do
at all well in a dog show.

"Q. What can you tell me about the little lost dog in the MasterCard commercials?
-Lori D., Seaford, Del.

 A. That?s Toby, a 2 1/2-year-old Boston terrier. Director Scott Hicks
tells us he selected Toby to play the lead in the commercials because
'he had a Charlie Chaplin quality.' His trainer, Nicole Zuehl, says
her dog?s debut during the Oscars brought a flood of offers for more
commercials and possible film work."

Parade Magazine, April 11, 2004: Personality Parade 
http://archive.parade.com/2004/0411/0411_personality.html

"MasterCard | "Dog Trilogy"
 March 19, 2004
 McCann-Erickson/New York 
 
Badger the Dog is accidentally left behind by his family in the
Redwoods. He makes his way back home in this trilogy of spots. Along
his journey, he is the recipient of acts of kindness from various
strangers. What's priceless? Coming home after a long trip.

Principal Talent 
Toby the Boston Terrier. V/O: Billy Crudup." 
  
Adweek: MasterCard "Dog Trilogy"
http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/best_spots_04/040319_17.jsp

"After seeing the MasterCard commercial with the dog 'Badger' in it,
we knew it was the dog for us. I have found out that Badger is a
Boston Terrier w/ dudley nose features. He is also bigger than most
other Boston Terriers and has floppy ears."

Terrific Pets: Dog Breeders
http://www.terrificpets.com/dog_breeders/viewad.asp?adid=7735

"Perhaps the most memorable Boston terrier ads are the trio of
MasterCard commercials featuring Badger, the lost pooch who relies on
the kindness of strangers to help him reunite with his owners.

They star a 3-year-old dog whose real name is Toby. It was Toby's
first big break, and his phone hasn't stopped ringing since, said his
Los Angeles-based trainer, Nicole Zuehl.

Zuehl said Toby was picked by the director for his looks and
personality, not his breed. Ironically, one of the most famous Boston
terriers doesn't look much like a classic Boston.

'His ears are floppy, (while Bostons') normally stand up. His eyes are
small, and they are normally big and buggy. And he has an underbite,
so he doesn't have a squished-in face,' Zuehl said, ticking off Toby's
attributes. 'He's much cuter than a Boston. He looks more like a puppy
of another type of dog. A breeder would be appalled by his appearance.
He could never show."

Sign on San Diego: Boston terrier a star, but breeders, rescuers worry
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040710-9999-1n10boston.html

Google search strategy:

Google Web Search: mastercard badger boston terrier
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mastercard+badger+boston+terrier

I hope this helps! If anything is unclear or incomplete, please
request clarification; I'll be glad to offer further assistance before
you rate my answer.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 02 Nov 2004 12:58 PST

In case you're interested in viewing the commercials again, all three
parts of the "Mastercard Dog Trilogy" are here:

Advertology: Mastercard Dog Trilogy
http://www.advertology.ru/images/content/news/mastercard_dog_trilogy.jpg

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 02 Nov 2004 13:03 PST

Oops. I posted the wrong link to the video of the "Dog Trilogy."

Try this one:

mms://windowsmedia.dvlabs.com/adcritic/mastercard-dog_trilogy.asf

If that doesn't work, you can click on Badger's photo about a third of
the way down this page, and the video should load:

http://www.advertology.ru/article3057.html

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 02 Nov 2004 13:06 PST

You can also see the video here (it may take a while to load):

http://www.joeytomatoes.com/mastercardlostdog.htm

Fast response, very clear and additional info provided