Dogs are a man’s best friend and movie’s most endangered hero. How many times have we gone into a dog movie hoping we didn’t just get suckered into another one where the dog dies in the end? But some of those movies make up the classics. And some of those movies where the dog lives happily ever after, with a nice house and a bowl of kibble, are also classics. We’re including all the other good boys and girls of canine cinema for our guide to the best dog movies to watch.
1- Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Three pets are left behind while their owners go on a holiday. Thinking they have been abandoned, the pets embark on a journey to California to be reunited with them.
2- Bethoven (1992)
The Beethoven is a series of eight American films, in which the plot revolves around a family attempting to control the antics of their pet Saint Bernard. The first two films were theatrical releases and all subsequent releases have been direct to video.
3- Turner And Hooch (1989)
Detective Turner leads an orderly life until it is disrupted by Hooch, a brutish dog that’s the sole witness to a murder. Hooch is not only set in his ways but also distressed over his owner’s murder.
4- Marley And Me (2008)
A happily married couple’s life changes after they adopt a free-spirited pup named Marley who, along with his antics, manages to teach them and their children important life lessons.
5- A Dog’s Purpose (2017)
A dog goes through four lifetimes with different owners through various time periods. During this journey, he steadily understands his real purpose.
6- A Dog’s Journey (2019)
Bailey is living the good life on the Michigan farm of his boy, Ethan and Ethan’s wife Hannah. He even has a new playmate: Ethan and Hannah’s baby granddaughter, CJ. The problem is that CJ’s mom, Gloria, decides to take CJ away. As Bailey’s soul prepares to leave this life for a new one, he makes a promise to Ethan to find CJ and protect her at any cost. Thus begins Bailey’s adventure through many lives filled with love, friendship, and devotion.
7- Cats And Dogs (2001)
With the dogs on a mission to create a serum that would eliminate the canine allergies among the humans, their feline foes are on their paws hatching plans to obstruct the top secret canine project.
8- 101 Dalmatians (1961)
Cruella de Vil, an evil heiress, wants to make a fur coat for herself out of the skins of a hundred and one Dalmatian puppies. She makes an effort to kidnap them by hiring a group of thugs.
9- All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
In this animated feature, canine casino owner Charlie (Burt Reynolds) is killed by gambler Carface (Vic Tayback), but returns to Earth from heaven thanks to the powers of a magical, rewindable watch. Charlie sets out to take his revenge on Carface by means of an elaborate plan that involves an orphan girl, Anne-Marie. But as the plan progresses, Charlie discovers that Anne-Marie is being exploited by Carface. Charlie must decide whether to change his mission from one of revenge to one of rescue.
10- Lady And The tramp (1955)
Lady, a female dog, feels neglected when Jim and Darling get a baby in the house. Later, when Aunt Sarah gets her twin Siamese cats, Lady is blamed for all the havoc they wreak.
11- Old Yeller (1957)
Travis finds and tries to drive away Old Yeller, a stray dog, while working on the cornfields. But when he saves Arliss, Travis’s young brother, from a wild bear, he decides to adopt him.
12- Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)
A professor finds an abandoned dog and takes him home. Over a period of time, he forms an unbreakable bond with the dog.
13- Lassie (1994)
Teenager Matt feels lost in his new surroundings after his family relocates to the countryside. Lassie, a homeless dog, becomes a part of their lives.