Set three years before the events of Clifford the Big Red Dog, the series focuses on when Clifford is a tiny red puppy, the runt of the litter in a litter of puppies given birth to by the pet dog of Emily Elizabeth's neighbor, Mr. Bradley and after he had been adopted by Emily Elizabeth and before he grew up into a giant red adult dog, forcing the Howards to move to Birdwell Island so Clifford would have plenty of room, the series shows Clifford and Emily Elizabeth's life and friends before they moved from the city to Birdwell Island and all of their adventures to make room.
Format
The series followed the same format as its predecessor, Clifford the Big Red Dog.
The opening theme is followed by the first central story, which is sometimes about the dogs, and a problem they face.
Storytime with Speckle – Between the first and second story, Emily Elizabeth reads Clifford the Speckle Story, a small 60-second time filler about a fictional dog and his animal friends.
This is followed by another central story sometimes about Emily Elizabeth and her friends.
Clifford's Idea to Grow On – Before the credits, another 30-second short takes place called Clifford's Idea to Grow On. The short is basically an animation of an etiquette, a proverb, or basic truth such as "Play Fair", "Help Others", etc., with narration by Emily Elizabeth. This short was called Clifford's Big Idea in the previous series.
Live action segments with real kids and their dogs.
Characters
Humans
Emily Elizabeth Howard – 5-year-old owner of Clifford and Daffodil.
Nina Flores – owner of Jorge.
Evan Thomas Taylor – A boy who looks a few years older than Emily Elizabeth.
Shun – A young Japanese-American boy.
Mr. Solomon – A wheelchair-bound writer. Flo and Zo are his two pet kittens. In the episodes "The Big, Big Present/Hanukkah Plunder Blunder," it is revealed that he, Flo, and Zo are Jewish.
Mrs. Z – An elderly Italian woman who was once in the circus, and owner of Trixie
Jenny – A blind girl and owner of Bibi
Animals
Clifford – Dog owned by Emily Elizabeth.
Daffodil – A Holland Lop. In the first half of the series she was originally pink but her fur was changed to white in the second half.
Flo and Zo – Kittens who are brother and sister, They are owned by Mr. Solomon. In the episodes "The Big, Big Present/Hanukkah Plunder Blunder," it is revealed that they and Mr. Solomon are Jewish.
The Sidarskis – A family of mice who live in the laundromat. They have five children, Lucy, Lewis, Sophie, Sid, and a new baby.
Jorge/George – A brown dachshund whoes owner is Nina.
