Ten Great Movies For Dog Lovers

It seems dogs and movies have always gone together for as long as we can remember. I mean, even with The Wizard of Oz (one of the most iconic and famous movies of all time), you had Toto as an essential character. While we usually focus on lists about breeds and about traits and things like that, today we wanted to have some fun with you. We thought it would be cool to come up with a list of ten great dog movies for dog lovers. Warning, though: a few of these are tear jerkers.

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey. This may be the first, but it will certainly not be the last Disney movie you find on the list. Though not animated like usual Disney Fair, Homeward Bound is just as memorable a movie, and a great movie for dog lovers. It is about two dogs and a cat who get separated from their family and have to make the journey back.

Just trust me when I tell you, the journey they take is an unforgettable one.

Lady and the Tramp: This time I thought we would go with a Disney movie that IS animated. Lady and the Tramp is a classic tale (tail?) of two dogs from different sides of the tracks falling in love. Think of a less tragic Romeo and Juliette and you have a pretty good idea.

Plus, who doesn’t love that meatball scene? That is classic cinema.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. How can you not fall for this Richard Gere movie based on a true story about just how loyal dogs can be, and how much they make our lives better.

Just be forewarned. This is one of those movies you will need a box of tissues to watch. This one is a tear jerker. Speaking of a tear jerker.

Eight Below: Be forewarned, this true story of some sled dogs who were stuck out in the snow during a blizzard will grab your heart strings and not let go. Another Disney film, Eight Below shows you just how resilient and strong dogs can be when faced with a situation as dire as  a blizzard. They have a survival instinct that is nothing short of amazing.

But you will shed some tears getting there. One of the late Paul Walker’s best roles.

Turner and Hooch: Amid the sadness and all the true stories, you need to laugh a little, right? Well, bad news. Turner and Hooch will probably make you cry, too. As you all probably know by now, tugging the emotional heart strings is just an essential part of most dog movies. But this eighties Tom Hanks movie is at times, an absolute blast.

Also, as odd as it sounds, Tom Hanks and the dog in this film have some great on-screen chemistry. You can just tell Tom Hanks has genuine affection for the dog. That tends to put Turner and Hooch way up there when it comes to dog movies.

Okay, back to the tears…

Marley and Me: Based off the very popular book of the same name about a dog who just wont do what he is told, but is impossible not to love. Marley and Me boasts an all star cast and staying very true to the book, if you are not crying at the end of this movie, you must have run out of tears or something.

I also highly recommend picking up the book. An amazing read from a true dog lover.

All Dogs Go To Heaven: Mistakenly thought of as a Disney movie for years, All Dogs Go To Heaven is actually a Don Bluth movie. But Bluth adds his trademark animation style and tells us a dog story quite unlike any other. Also, good one for the kids, as it is animated and deals with the loss of a dog.

But man, even that title tells you that you are in for something powerful.

Best In Show: Best In Show is quite different than any other dog movie on the list. While it may seem to center around dog shows, it actually centers around the people who enter their dogs in dog shows. May seem a flat enough premise, but a brilliant ensemble cast and a great deal of on-set improv make this one of the funniest dog movies ever made.

If you are a dog lover, all I ask is be ready to laugh at yourself when you watch Best In Show. Truth is, is more about us dog lovers than it is the dogs. It is still a must-see, though.

101 Dalmatians: I will be honest with you. When I first heard that this animated Disney classic was getting the live-action treatment, it sounded like a terrible idea to me. Then they cast Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil and I knew that had an instant classic on their hands. How scary that character was made the original work so well, and having such a talented actress play the role in real life only made her even more menacing.

Plus, it has 101 dogs in it. How could we not recommend a dog movie that has 101 dogs in it?

The Adventures of Milo and Otis: I know this dog movie was more of a cat and dog movie, but the dog was a pug. I mean, come on. You never see pugs in mainstream media. It is always golden retrievers and labs and such. I just really liked that the dog was a pug, and it played off its pug like tendencies.

Plus, it showed that dogs and cats can live side by side in peaceful harmony. I mean, we already knew that, but it is nice of Hollywood to perpetuate that a bit.

So I know there are hundreds of dog movies out there, and we probably missed a few. So take to our comments and let us know what you think the best movies for dog lovers are. Sorry we left the Air Bud movies off the list, but we draw the line at dogs who join sports teams.

(Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

 

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