It is a well known fact that a dog is a man’s best friend but our canine companions have a long history with the big screen as well.
Ever since Charlie Chaplin made the short silent film A Dog’s Life in 1918, dogs have continually starred in movies, whether it is a Disney dog, a lead role like Beethoven or a scene-stealing puppy here and there.
Here are some of our favourite canine stars which we think are some of the greatest dogs in move history.
Beethoven
It would be ridiculous to have a list like this and not include Beethoven, a movie dog so great eight, yes eight, films were made in the franchise.
This wacky Saint Bernard stole the hearts of many and I’m pretty sure the majority of people can’t see one in the street without yelling ‘Beeeeeeethoveeeeeeen!’ in their heads.
It is just impossible not to love a dog that brought a family together again.
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Lady And The Tramp
There are many great Disney dogs but Lady and Tramp from the classic 1995 animation are arguably the best; and no it isn’t cheating having the both of them because they complete each other.
The story of how a fair lady fell in love with a stray mongrel is a timeless romance that’s guaranteed to make you cry every time you watch it.
The scene which sees the pair guzzling spaghetti together meeting at the lips whilst Bella Notte plays in the background is one of the most iconic in film history.
Uggie from The Artist
Black-and-white silent film The Artist may have won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor at the Oscars in 2012 but there is only one reason why you should watch the film and that’s Uggie, a dog who should have walked out with a golden statue of his own.
In the film former rescue dog Uggie plays the adorable Jack, the companion and co-star of Jean Dujardin’s George Valentin who would save the actor’s life when he nearly dies in a blaze.
You cannot help but cheer Uggie on as he runs to a police officer, barking to draw attention to the blaze.
He won the Palme Dog at Cannes in 2011 for the role and there was even a campaign that urged award bodies including the Academy and the BAFTAs to consider him in the Best Actor category.
Although this campaign gained traction unfortunately only humans could be considered, but Uggie did become the first dog to join Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
Uggie was sadly put to rest in 2015 after suffering from prostrate cancer but he will always be remembered for being one of cinema’s greatest dogs.
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We just could not write this list without including the first known time traveller in the world, Einstein from Back To The Future.
Brave Einstein was the guinea pig for Doc’s crazy experiment which encouraged the scientist to send people back in time.
Cheerful, friendly and pretty damn cute, Einstein is one of the best things about Back To The Future and the film just wouldn’t be the same without him.
Dug from Up
Perhaps the most adorable dog on this list is Dug from Up, an excitable Golden Retriever who has a special collar that allows him to communicate with humans so he can tell them how much he loves them.
This quirky Pixar pup epitomises what it means to be a loyal companion and his spirit is admirable.
Our favourite thing about Dug though is that he always gets… SQUIRREL!
Hooch from Turner and Hooch
Whoever came up with the idea of making a film about a neat freak cop teaming up with a drooling dog to solve a murder was a genius!
Especially since the cop is played by none other than the great Tom Hanks and Hooch is a friendly French Mastiff.
Although their relationship is difficult at first, they learn to love each other as they solve the case meaning that you just cannot help but be emotionally destroyed by the ending.
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You may think that the star of cult comedy hit Anchorman is the news presenter himself, Ron Burgundy, but you would be wrong.
Of course the actual real star is Baxter, Ron’s pyjama-wearing, brave little gentleman pal.
You too will be trapped in a glass cage of emotion you are unable to escape from when the adorable pooch is kicked off a bridge by an angered Jack Black.
And you too will cheer when he comes back from the dead and saves the news team from an angry bear. Fare thee well, Baxter, hero of all men and women.
Fang from Harry Potter
Forget Fluffy, there is only one top dog in the wizarding world and that is Fang, a drooly over-sized boar-hound dog.
Hagrid is known to love animals and has had quite a few big pets in his past, but his favourite and best pal will always be Fang, his reliable dog who goes everywhere with him.
Even though Fang is quite the coward, although we totally get why he ran away in fear after encountering a hooded figure drinking unicorn blood, we just cannot help but love him.
John Wick’s Dog
You may think that John Wick is about Keanu Reeves kicking ass but it is actually the heartwarming tale of one man and his dog.
At the start of the film John has decided to turn away from a life of crime after the death of his wife, but when thugs kill his dog some serious shit goes down.
To be fair to John it was a seriously cute puppy.
We also love his sidekick hound in John Wick: Chapter 2.
Frank from Men In Black
So Frank may be an alien in disguise but he is on this list because that disguise is a hilarious talking pug.
Despite coming from another world, Frank is ironically a typical New Yorker being stubborn, surly and streetwise.
We also love the fact that the actor who plays Frank, Mushu, is a diva who only drinks bottled water, travels in business class and orders room service for his dinner at hotels.
It’s a pug’s life!
What do you think of our list? Did we miss out any of your favourite movie dogs?
