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Dogs: Man’s best friend, movie’s most endangered hero. Seriously, 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 after ever, with a nice house and a bowl of kibble and a robust 401k, are also classics.
In honor of the release of Arthur the King, we're taking a look at the best dog movies of all time. The top 15 are below. See Rotten Tomatoes for the entire list of the good boys and girls of canine cinema.
15. Bolt (2008)
Tomatometer: 90%
Audience Score: 74%
Synopsis: The days of canine superstar Bolt (John Travolta) are filled with danger and intrigue ... until the cameras stop rolling. But Bolt doesn't know that he's on a TV show; he thinks his amazing powers are real. When Bolt is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to the mean streets of New York, he begins his most-amazing adventure: Armed only with his delusions and accompanied by a cat and a hamster, he sets out to to find his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus).
Critics Consensus: Bolt is a pleasant animated comedy that overcomes the story's familiarity with strong visuals and likable characters.
Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton
Directed By: Chris Williams, Byron Howard
14. Sounder (1972)
Tomatometer: 91%
Audience Score: 77%
Synopsis: The Morgans, a family of poor black sharecroppers in the Depression-plagued South, struggle to find enough to eat despite the help their hunting dog, Sounder. When father Nathan (Paul Winfield) resorts to stealing food, he is captured by police and sent to prison, and his wife, Rebecca (Cicely Tyson), is left to care for their son, David (Kevin Hooks). Though Sounder has run away, David never gives up hope that his dog will return, just as he believes that he will see his father again someday.
Starring: Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews
Directed By: Martin Ritt
13. My Dog Tulip (2009)
Tomatometer: 90%
Audience Score: 69%
Synopsis: Despite a lack of affinity for dogs, a confirmed bachelor (Christopher Plummer) adopts an Alsatian and forms a close bond with his new companion.
Critics Consensus: A beautifully animated diversion, My Dog Tulip is as comforting and delightful as cuddling with your own canine companion.
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Isabella Rossellini, Lynn Redgrave, Peter Gerety
Directed By: Paul Fierlinger, Sandra Fierlinger
12. Isle of Dogs (2018)
Tomatometer: 90%
Audience Score: 87%
Synopsis: When, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture.
Critics Consensus: The beautifully stop-motion animated Isle of Dogs finds Wes Anderson at his detail-oriented best while telling one of the director's most winsomely charming stories.
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Ed Norton, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray
Directed By: Wes Anderson
11. Togo (2019)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 95%
Synopsis: Togo is the true story set in the winter of 1925 of champion dogsled trainer Leonhard Seppala and his lead sled dog, Togo. Together, they embark on an adventure across the treacherous terrain of Alaska to transport medicine to a small town.
Critics Consensus: An endearing and exciting underdog story that benefits greatly from its stars (canine and human alike), Togo is a timeless tale, well-told.
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Michael Greyeyes, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl
Directed By: Ericson Core
10. Snoopy, Come Home (1972)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 84%
Audience Score: 84%
Synopsis: Charlie Brown's (Chad Webber) beloved dog Snoopy (Bill Melendez) receives a letter from his original owner, Lila (Johanna Baer), who has been sick in the hospital. With his bird friend Woodstock, Snoopy goes to visit Lila, making his way across the country despite seeing "no dogs allowed" signs everywhere. When Lila gets better, she asks Snoopy to live with her. After a farewell party, he sets out to live with Lila, leaving Charlie Brown depressed.
Starring: Chad Webber, Robin Kohn, Stephen Shea, David Carey
Directed By: Bill Melendez
9. White Dog (1982)
Tomatometer: 94%
Audience Score: 73%
Synopsis: An animal-trainer (Paul Winfield) tries to deprogram an actress's (Kristy McNichol) found dog, trained for racial attacks.
Starring: Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives
Directed By: Samuel Fuller
8. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 80%
Synopsis: This Disney animated classic follows a pampered cocker spaniel named Lady (Barbara Luddy) whose comfortable life slips away once her owners have a baby. When, after some tense circumstances, Lady finds herself on the loose and out on the street, she is befriended and protected by the tough stray mutt Tramp (Larry Roberts). A romance begins to blossom between the two dogs, but their many differences, along with more drama at Lady's household, threaten to keep them apart.
Critics Consensus: A nostalgic charmer, Lady and the Tramp's token sweetness is mighty but the songs and richly colored animation are technically superb and make for a memorable experience.
Starring: Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Bill Thompson
Directed By: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
7. Lassie (2005)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 64%
Synopsis: Young Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason) and his family (Samantha Morton, John Lynch) love their faithful collie, Lassie. However, when Joe's father loses his job in the mine, he must sell the dog to the Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole), who covets the collie for his granddaughter (Hester Odgers). After the duke moves to northern Scotland to avoid the threat of World War II, Lassie escapes and undertakes a 500-mile journey to reunite with her family.
Critics Consensus: A beautifully-made retelling of the classic collie tale, one need not be a dog-lover to fall for Lassie.
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Samantha Morton, John Lynch, Peter Dinklage
Directed By: Charles Sturridge
6. Best In Show (2000)
Tomatometer: 93%
Audience Score: 88%
Synopsis: The tension is palpable, the excitement is mounting and the heady scent of competition is in the air as hundreds of eager contestants from across America prepare to take part in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest events of their lives -- the Mayflower Dog Show. The canine contestants and their owners are as wondrously diverse as the great country that has bred them.
Critics Consensus: A fine example of writer-director-star Christopher Guest's gift for improv comedy, Best in Show boasts an appealingly quirky premise and a brilliantly talented cast.
Starring: Michael Hitchcock, Parker Posey, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara
Directed By: Christopher Guest
5. Lassie Come Home (1943)
Tomatometer: 94%
Audience Score: 77%
Synopsis: In a small Yorkshire village during the Great Depression, financial pressures cause the parents of young Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) to sell his beloved dog, Lassie, to the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce). After the duke takes the collie to his Scottish estate, his granddaughter (Elizabeth Taylor) recognizes that the dog misses her former owner and allows her to escape. Facing great dangers and small kindnesses on her lengthy journey, the faithful dog sets forth to rejoin her beloved family.
Starring: Roddy McDowall, Donald Crisp, Dame May Whitty, Edmund Gwenn
Directed By: Fred M. Wilcox
4. Heart of a Dog (2015)
Tomatometer: 96%
Audience Score: 64%
Synopsis: Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
Critics Consensus: Of a piece with much of director Laurie Anderson's idiosyncratic output, Heart of a Dog delves into weighty themes with lyrical, haunting grace.
Starring: Jason Berg, Paul Davidson, Laurie Anderson, Sasha Grossman
Directed By: Laurie Anderson
3. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Tomatometer: 98%
Audience Score: 76%
Synopsis: In a Disney animation classic, Dalmatian Pongo is tired of his bachelor-dog life. He spies lovely Perdita and maneuvers his master, Roger, into meeting Perdita's owner, Anita. The owners fall in love and marry, keeping Pongo and Perdita together too. After Perdita gives birth to a litter of 15 puppies, Anita's old school friend Cruella De Vil wants to buy them all. Roger declines her offer, so Cruella hires the criminal Badun brothers to steal them -- so she can have a fur coat.
Critics Consensus: With plenty of pooches and a memorable villain (Cruella De Vil), this is one of Disney's most enduring, entertaining animated films.
Starring: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, Cate Bauer, Lisa Daniels
Directed By: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi
2. Red Dog: True Blue (2016)
Tomatometer: 100%
Audience Score: 69%
Synopsis: An 11-year-old boy strikes up a friendship with a scrappy dog which will one day become an Australian legend.
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Thomas Cocquerel, Levi Miller, Bryan Brown
Directed By: Kriv Stenders
1. Old Yeller (1957)
Tomatometer: 100%
Audience Score: 79%
Synopsis: While Jim Coates (Fess Parker) is off on a cattle drive, his wife, Katie (Dorothy McGuire), and sons, Travis (Tommy Kirk) and Arliss (Kevin Corcoran), are left behind on their Texas ranch. When a runaway dog named Old Yeller causes damage in one of their fields, Travis tries to drive him away. However, Travis and Katie both warm to Old Yeller when he saves Arliss from a bear attack. As Travis and the brave and faithful dog grow closer, concern grows about an outbreak of rabies.
Critics Consensus: Old Yeller is an exemplary coming of age tale, packing an emotional wallop through smart pacing and a keen understanding of the elemental bonding between humanity and their furry best friends.
Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran
Directed By: Robert Stevenson
