Everybody loves a good dog movie — not just because most humans cannot seem to get enough of the animal they call “man’s best friend,” but because many of them depict the canine in a heroic light. We picked out a hefty selection of some of our favorite examples of lovable movie and TV dogs whom we can thank for treating us to a happy ending to cheer for. That being said, we also cannot promise that the dog does not die in all of these films and series, but we can assure you that, through their vigilant acts, they did not pass on in vain.
Buddy Leads Josh’s Basketball Team To Victory (Air Bud)
Perhaps the Citizen Kane of animal sports movies is Disney’s Air Bud, which starred real-life canine celebrity Air Buddy in the title role. After the Golden Retriever is befriended by a boy named Josh (Kevin Zegers), he discovers that he has an astonishing talent for playing basketball and becomes the star player of Josh’s team.
Pongo And Perdita Save All Of Cruella’s Kidnapped Puppies (One Hundred Dalmatians And One Dalmatians)
While we have a soft spot for the 1996 live-action remake, especially for Glenn Close’s performance as Cruella de Vil, we felt Disney’s original 1961 animated adaptation of Dodie Smith’s book was more deserving of a mention as it is largely told from the perspective of Pongo, Perdita, and their puppies. In addition to rescuing their own children from the cruel fashionista’s clutches, the canine couple prevent a whopping 101 Dalmatians (hence the title) from being made into a spotted fur coat.
Benji Rescues Paul And Cindy (Benji)
One of the most famous fictional dogs in history is Benji — the star of many adventures, the first of which was released in 1974. In the Oscar-nominated film, the titular stray (played then by a mixed breed named Higgins) is accepted into the family of two children after saving them from a kidnapping.
Every Time Scooby-Doo Helps Mystery Inc. Crack The Case (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?)
Whenever the villain of the week is unmasked, they always say that they would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for “those meddling kids,” in reference to Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma. However, the titular Great Dane from the original classic cartoon, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, plays a pivotal role in Mystery Inc. and the amount of times his loyalty, occasional bouts of courage, and astonishing ability to speak helped solve the case should not go unnoticed, especially by the criminal caught in the end.
Sparky Saves Beethoven (Beethoven)
The eponymous St. Bernard from the Beethoven franchise is an undeniable canine hero, but the one who really saves the day at the end of the 1992 first installment is his buddy, Sparky. The Jack Russell Terrier prevents evil veterinarian Herman Varnick (Dean Jones) from shooting Beethoven by biting him in the crotch.
Jock And Trusty Rescue Tramp From The Dogcatcher (Lady And The Tramp)
After he is wrongfully accused of attacking Jim Dear and Darling’s baby, Tramp (Larry Roberts) is taken away by a local dogcatcher. However, when neighboring Scottish Terrier Jock (Bill Thompson) and elderly bloodhound Trusty (Bill Baucom) overhear evidence of his innocence, they track him down and derail the dogcatcher’s carriage, which unfortunately causes Trusty to become injured in the commotion.
Copper Prevents Amos From Shooting Tod (The Fox And The Hound)
Disney’s animated adaptation of Daniel P. Mannix’s book, The Fox and the Hound, tells the story of two animals whose friendship is torn apart by the realization that they are meant to be natural enemies. However, their mutual affection remains strong enough in their adulthood that the hound, Copper (Mickey Rooney), protects his fox friend, Tod (Kurt Russell), from his owner — a hunter named Amos (Jack Albertson).
Toto Alerts The Others To Help Rescue Dorothy (The Wizard Of Oz)
In the 1937 family movie classic, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) chances of getting back home to Kansas are threatened by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) when her flying monkeys bring her and Toto to the castle. Luckily, the Cairn Terrier manages to escape and finds the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Tin Man (Jack Haley), and Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), whom he leads back to the castle to save Dorothy.
Bolt Draws The Firefighters’ Attention (Bolt)
In Disney’s 2008 animated movie, Bolt, John Travolta voices the title role of a White Swiss Shepherd who believes he is the hero he plays on TV, only to discover he only possesses average abilities when he becomes lost in New York. However, he does end up becoming a real hero when his barks alert nearby firefighters to where he and his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), are trapped in a burning building.
Every Time Underdog Saves Polly (Underdog)
There are many great superhero pets we could have mentioned here — such as Batman’s Ace — but we thought we would go with the underdog canine vigilante, who is aptly called Underdog. The Lois Lane to the super-powered Beagle’s Superman was Sweet Polly Purebred, whom he sprung into action to save in nearly every episode of his 1960s-era animated series.
Lou Defeats Mr. Tinkles (Cats & Dogs)
Domesticated house pets got their own spy movie spoof with 2001’s Cats & Dogs, which depicts canines and felines’ natural rivalry as a more complex, high-stakes situation. The one who thwarts Mr. Tinkles’ (voiced by Sean Hayes) plan to make all humans allergic to dogs, and saves his own family in the process, is rookie agent Lou (voiced by Tobey Maguire) — a Beagle who decides that he is better off being a regular dog.
Charlie Gives His Life For Anne-Marie (All Dogs Go To Heaven)
In Don Bluth’s 1989 classic, All Dogs Go to Heaven, conniving German Shepherd Charlie (Burt Reynolds) escapes the afterlife with the intent of avenging his murder, but ends up befriending an orphan named Anne-Marie (Judith Barsi). He loses his life again attempting to save the little girl from a fire, which grants him a place in Heaven again and allows him time to temporarily visit his human friend in spirit.
A Mortally Wounded Hooch Saves Turner From Hyde (Turner & Hooch)
In the 1989 buddy cop comedy, Turner & Hooch, the eponymous Dogue de Bordeaux is shot trying to protect Det. Scott Turner (Tom Hanks). Luckily, Hooch still has the will to get up and bite the crooked Chief Hyde (Craig T. Nelson), distracting him for enough time to let Turner take him out.
Gromit Saves Wallace From Were-Rabbit Hunters (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit)
What makes Gromit one of the greatest pop culture sidekicks in history is his intelligence and unbridled loyalty toward his friend, Wallace (originally voiced by Peter Sallis). This is most evident in the duo’s 2005 feature-length adventure, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, in which the Beagle discovers Wallace is the titular half-human, half-bunny creature and must protect him from people intent on getting rid of him.
Otis Helps Milo To Safety (The Adventures Of Milo And Otis)
The entire story of The Adventures of Milo and Otis (originally released in Japan as A Kitten’s Story) is one big, dangerous collision course for a cat named Milo. Luckily, the orange tabby cat’s new buddy, a stray pug named Otis, chases after him, helping him out of his jam by the end.
Reggie And His Friends Bring Doug To Justice (Strays)
The year 2023 brought us an adult take on the talking dog movie called Strays, in which a naive Border Terrier named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) realizes that he was intentionally abandoned by his abusive owner, Doug (Will Forte), and sets out to get even with him. With the help from his new furry friends — Bug (Jamie Foxx), Maggie (Isla Fisher), and Hunter (Randall Park) — Reggie exacts his revenge by biting off… well, let’s just call it Doug’s “favorite thing.”
Scraps Saves The Mayflower (Airplane II: The Sequel)
In the 1982 follow-up to the classic parody movie, Airplane! — aptly titled Airplane II: The Sequel — a malfunctioning AI sending the Mayflower to the Sun instead of the Moon is not the only issue the commercial space shuttle is facing as someone also brought aboard a time bomb they bought from the duty-free shop. An attempt to get bring the device, stashed in a briefcase, to a safe place ends with the briefcase hurtling in the hair, but a passenger dog named Scraps catches it in his mouth before it can hit the ground.
Max Stops Tyler From Killing Justin (Max)
The title character of Max is a military-trained Malinois (played by a show dog named Carlos) who is haunted by the death of his handler, Kyle (Robbie Amell) and is taken in by the family of the fallen Marine. He forms a close bond with Kyle’s younger brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins), and risks his life to save the teen and his father (Thomas Haden Church) from Kyle’s friend Tyler (Luke Kleintank), who turns out to have ties to an illegal weapons trade.
Old Yeller Saves Katie And Lisbeth From A Wolf (Old Yeller)
In Disney’s 1957 adaptation of Fred Gipson’s novel, Old Yeller, the titular Black Mouth Cur (played by Spike) performs many heroic acts that earn him a place among the Coates. His final deed was protecting Katie (Dorothy McGuire) and Lisbeth (Beverly Washburn) by fighting off a wolf, which is ultimately shot by Travis (Tommy Kirk), but not soon enough to prevent it from biting Old Yeller, who sadly contracts rabies as a result.
Dan And Ann Save Grandpa And Billy (Where The Red Fern Grows)
Two of the most loyal and protective dogs in the history of fiction come from Wilson Rawls’ 1961 novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, which was first adapted for film in 1974. Billy’s two raccoon-hunting dogs, Dan and Ann, end up rescuing the boy’s injured grandpa and, later, Dan sacrifices his life to prevent a mountain lion from attacking Billy, which later costs Ann her will to live.
Baxter Tells The Mama Bear To Leave Ron And Veronica Alone (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)
One of the funniest examples of a dog who is smarter than his owner is Baxter from 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, who not only speaks Spanish but can apparently speak bear, too. That is how he convinces a mother grizzly to step away from Ron (Will Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) when they become trapped in the bear habitat at the zoo.
Jake’s Many Adventures With Finn (Adventure Time)
On one of the all-time best animated TV shows, Adventure Time, the sole remaining human in the Land of Ooo, Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), could have never completed his many quests to protect the mystical, post-apocalyptic world without his buddy, Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio). In addition to his various magical abilities, the talking dog of unspecified breed saves the day again and again just by being a supportive friend.
The Wolf-Dog Rescues Gabriel (Where The North Begins)
One of the most famous canine actors in Hollywood history is Rin-Tin-Tin and one of his most famous roles was known as The Wolf-Dog from Where the North Begins. Initially raised by wolves as a puppy, the German Shepherd is later adopted by a fur trapper named Gabriel (Walter McGrail) after saving him from a certain death.
Togo Helps Deliver The Life-Saving Serum (Togo)
The 2019 Disney+ original movie Togo is inspired by the true story of musher Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) and his titular sled dog, who was considered too small and weak when he was born, only to become the leader of his pack. In 1925, Seppala and the 12-year-old Siberian husky embark on a 600-mile trek through a harsh arctic storm to deliver a cure for a deadly epidemic, only to see an Alaskan husky named Balto receive the credit.
Chance, Shadow, And Sassy Save Themselves (Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey)
Who says that an animal has to save someone else to be considered the hero of their story? In Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey — Disney’s 1993 adaptation of Sheila Burnford’s novel — American Bulldog Chance (voiced by Michael J. Fox) and elderly Golden Retriever Shadow (Don Ameche), along with their feline friend, Sassy (Sally Field), manage to find their way back to their family after days lost in the wilderness.
The Many Adventures Of Boomer (Here’s Boomer)
In the early 1980s, a series called Here’s Boomer aired for two seasons, during which a stray mixed breed (played by Johnny the Dog) traveled the country, often running into people who needed assistance. For 20 episodes, he helped the likes of a family whose camping trip was interrupted by a bear attack, a visually impaired man wanting to be a cyclist, cops looking to crack a big case, and more.
Delgado Saves Chloe From El Diablo (Beverly Hills Chihuahua)
Drew Barrymore’s Chloe may be the titular breed of Disney’s 2008 comedy, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but she would have never survived her dangerous journey through Mexico City without the help of Delgado (voiced by Andy Garcia). The street-smart German Shepherd is even responsible for helping her escape the clutches of an evil Doberman named El Diablo (Edward James Olmos).
The Sled Dogs Safely Pull Ted And Jack From The Edge Of A Cliff (Snow Dogs)
In 2002’s Snow Dogs, Miami dentist Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding Jr.) must put his newly found mushing skills to the test to bring his biological father, Jack (James Coburn), to the finish line of a major Alaskan sled race during a bad storm. Their sled nearly falls off a cliff on the way back, but their seven Siberian Huskies and Border Collie, Nana, pull them to safety.
Rowf And Snitter Rescue Abused Lab Animals (The Plague Dogs)
Based on Richard Adams’ novel, the 1982 animated adventure drama, The Plague Dogs, follows a Labrador-mix named Rowf (Christopher Benjamin) and a smooth fox terrier named Snitter (John Hurt), who are hunted under suspicion that they may carry a deadly disease. As it turns out, the commotion they caused around town resulted in the shutdown of the local lab from where they escaped, which, inadvertently, saved the other animals kept there from experiencing any further cruel treatment.
Bingo Rescues Chuckie And Safely Disposes A Bomb (Bingo)
The was a dog movie in 1991 and Bingo was its name-o. It follows a Border Collie who gives up his unsatisfactory life as a circus performer to search for a boy he once befriended named Chuckie (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.), who later gets kidnapped for ransom. Bingo manages to help Chuckie get out of the burning building where he was being held by activating a fire alarm that alerts the fire department and, later, carries a bomb that was also in the building to an area where it does not harm anyone upon detonation.
Reno Rescues Wilder From Neo-Nazis (Top Dog)
In response to a trend of action movies partnering cops with canines, 1995 saw the release of Top Dog, starring Chuck Norris as Lt. Jake Wilder, who is initially reluctant to work with a Briard named Reno after his previous owner dies. However, the dog turns out to be a wonderful partner, freeing Wilder from captivity by Neo-Nazis by biting through his bindings and joining in the fight to take down their who operation.
Browning Solves His Own Murder (Oh Heavenly Dog)
We admit that 1980’s Oh Heavenly Dog might be a bit of a stretch because the heroic canine in question is actually a reincarnated human, namely Chevy Chase as a private investigator named Browning. He is assigned to return to Earth and solve his own murder, with the catch that he is given the body of a mixed breed who is billed as Benji, but is actually played by Benjean, the daughter of original Benji actor, Higgins.
You may have noticed that we did not mention Lassie in any of these examples, but that is because including her would have been too on-the-snout, as far as we are concerned. After all, when was that Rough Collie not saving somebody at some point?