Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet created and performed by Robert Smigel premiering in 1997 on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Triumph was identified in the early appearances as a Yugoslavian Mountain Hound. Triumph often puffs a cigar, which usually falls out of his mouth when he begins speaking. The crudeness of the puppetry behind Triumph — Smigel's arm is often clearly visible in the shot — has added to the character's popularity.

Professional career
Triumph's most well-known catch phrase is "... for me to poop on!", usually spoken to negate a compliment that precedes it, which normally appears at the end of a long diatribe or roast. An example would be, "But seriously, you've been a great audience ... for me to poop on!"
Another of Triumph's catch phrases is "I keed, I keed!", usually said at the end of a diatribe to imply that the puppet was only "kidding" when he made the insults. This is usually followed immediately by yet another string of insults. "I Keed" is also the title of a rap song written by Smigel in which the puppet lambasts celebrities, in a style similar to that of Eminem. The song appears on Triumph's solo album, Come Poop With Me.
At times Triumph will depart from his usual shtick and heap (perhaps sarcastic) praise on a particular celebrity; the highest honor Triumph bestows on those he thinks deserving is asking to sniff that person or character's butt. The very short list of people Triumph has deemed worthy of this honor includes Jennifer Lopez and the aforementioned Rickles.

Catch phrases
In 1999, pets.com filed a lawsuit against Late Night and Robert Smigel claiming that Triumph constituted a trademark violation because of possible confusion with their sock puppet dog mascot (which appeared two years after the first appearance of Triumph); however, the bankruptcy and closing of the company during the dot-com bust of 2000 terminated this lawsuit before opening arguments had even been heard. Triumph responded in his typical fashion in a skit where he humped the "pets.com" dog in a restroom.
In the fall of 2003, NBC's intellectual property division threatened legal action against a number of fan websites devoted to Triumph, resulting in their closing down.

Legal issues
In 2003 Triumph released his first album, Come Poop With Me, released by Warner Bros. Records, which featured adult comedy and songs, plus a bonus DVD of live performances by Triumph. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. Appearing with Triumph on the album and the DVD were singer-actor Jack Black, comic actor Adam Sandler, Saturday Night Live cast members Maya Rudolph and Horatio Sanz; "Blackwolf the Dragonmaster" — a real-life fantasy/gaming fan who had once been targeted by Triumph during an infamous encounter with Star Wars fans; and Conan O'Brien himself.
On August 10, 2004, NBC released a DVD, Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The Best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog featuring select Triumph appearances from Late Night.