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.