Throughout history, canines have graced the big screen alongside their human counterparts. Ironically, sometimes they even steal the show, with viewers more excited to see their furry faces more than the star actors. It's hard not to fall in love with the likes of Shadow from Homeward Bound, or Hooch from Turner and Hooch.
Movie dogs are typically fun, loving, and always up for a good bit of mischief, such as Marley from Marley & Me. Are you like us and love watching good boys and girls on the big screen? If so, then you're going to want to keep reading; this list of the most lovable movie dogs is full of some of the best.
Buddy Is The Shooting Guard We All Deserve
A lot of '90s babies will agree that one of the more loveable on-screen dogs is Buddy, aka Air Bud. His friendly demeanor and love of vanilla pudding made the Golden Retriever the dog of dogs. Pretty much every kid wanted a Golden as a pet.
Then, when Buddy suited up to play ball alongside his human, no one could help but love the furry animal even more. We get it, Buddy had no idea what was happening and thought they were playing some intense game of catch. But, hey, results are results, no matter how slobbery.
Toto: The OG Film Pooch
Even though it was very irresponsible for Dorothy to bring her tiny Brindle Cairn Terrier to Oz, we can't really be mad at her. One, it was technically a dream, and two, we get to dote over the adorable and loyal pooch for a solid 101 minutes.
Not to mention, it's hard not to love a dog that fits so perfectly in a woven basket. Toto is definitely the OG lovable dog for a lot of movie lovers. And can we talk about the pooch's salary? Terry, the dog actor, was paid a weekly salary of $125, a ridiculous amount for the time!
Sam Is The Textbook Definition Of Mans Best Friend
Sam, the German Shepherd from I Am Legend, is the textbook definition of man's best friend. The pooch would do anything for Will Smith's character Dr. Robert Neville, including jumping in front of a contagious zombie to save his life. Can we all agree that he gets a solid 10/13 for being a brave doggo?
And if there were ever a dog to cuddle with inside a bathtub during an apocalypse, it would be Sam. The pooch that played Sam, Abbey, was so lovable that Will Smith expressed interest in becoming her new owner after filming wrapped up!
Who Didn't Want Petey As A Pet?
One of the original dogs people couldn't help but fall in love with was Petey, the pooch from The Little Rascals. Not only was he loyal to a fault, but he rocks his signature eye circle that no one, dog or otherwise, could pull off.
Of course, the doggo didn't know it, but he has one of the most iconic canine looks in all of Hollywood. Not too bad for a good boy who wanted nothing more than to play with his little humans and keep them safe.
Just Because He's An Alien Doesn't Make Frank Less Loveable
Oh boy, where to start with Frank the alien pug? Not only do pugs look like tiny aliens to begin with, but the screenwriters just had to go ahead and give Frank a ridiculous New York accent. But who are we kidding; it worked, and we couldn't help but smile each time he opened his sassy mouth.
And nothing says lovable movie dog quite like an alien pug singing "I will survive" while sticking his head out of the window of a moving car. He just makes you want to go out and adopt a pug and put him in a little black suit.
Sonny's Cone Makes Him That Much Cuter
It's very hard not to love the cone-clad, green brace-wearing French Bulldog Sonny from the film Due Date. He is the epitome of adorable and has no clue what is actually going on around him even though he is on a cross-country road trip.
Audience members weren't the only ones falling in love with the pooch. Robert Downey Jr. expressed interest in adopting Sonny (real name Honey) after filming. Sonny's breeder was adamant about getting Sonny back. But the actor's time with Sonny made him want to adopt a dog of his own one day.
Marley...Enough Said
If you haven't seen the emotional film Marley & Me, then we recommend curling up on your couch with some tissues and your phone at the ready. The latter is because you're about to fall in love with one of the most adorable Golden Labs ever to grace the big screen, and you're going to want to adopt one ASAP.
He's cute, a wild child, destructive, and most of all, the best family pet the Grogans could have asked for. Nothing says, "I love my pet," quite like "allowing" them to eat through drywall during a thunderstorm. But, hey, that just makes Marley all that more endearing.
Bruiser Woods, He's A Gemini Vegetarian
Bruiser Woods, the Gemini vegetarian who happens to love skirts, pastel colors, and above all else, his human Elle Woods, is definitely one of the more loveable on-screen dogs. The tiny Chihuahua stole the hearts of so many people when he first showed his little face and big ears on-screen in the 2001 film Legally Blonde.
Then, in 2003, with the sequel Legal Blonde: Red, White, and Blonde, we fell in love with him more when it came to the light that he was interested in a male Rottie named Leslie. Nothing says love like Leslie stealing Bruiser's bright colors and the tiny Chihuahua wearing leather biker garb!
Hooch Is The Best Detective
Come on, just look at Hooch's face when he stares at Tom Hanks in Turner and Hooch and tell us that he isn't one of the most lovable dogs on the big screen. His kind eyes and goofy smile makes Hooch seem like a people-person type dog, one we all want as part of the family.
For Turner, it was definitely best for him to add Hooch to his life, considering the pooch made him a better person. It goes to show the power of a cute fuzzy face when all you know is a stuffy, overly-organized life.
Beethoven Is The Right Amount Of Mischievous
Starting as an adorable Saint Bernard puppy, it didn't take viewers of the 1992 film Beethoven very long to fall in love with the title character. He was fluffy, had paws that were too big for his body, and had the cutest puppy eyes that had everyone in the family saying "yes" to whatever he wanted. Well, maybe not George Newton, but he comes around.
The thing with Beethoven is even though he grew up to be huge, as that breed does, his destructive behavior made him that much more lovable. All he wanted to do was be there for his small humans, and we think that's beautiful.
Willie Deserved Nothing Less Than His Dog Skip
If you've seen the film My Dog Skip, just thinking about the little Jack Russell Terrier probably brings tears to your eyes. It does for us, at least. He is one of the most lovable dogs on the big screen for a few reasons, especially because he doesn't think twice about becoming Willie's best friend.
Aside from their friendship, Skip taught Willie that it doesn't matter who you are as long as you are friendly to people. An amazing quality, considering they live in Mississippi during segregation. The African-American people in town love Skip, even though a white boy is his owner.
Older Yeller Proved That Strays Are Loveable
Old Yeller, a Labrador retriever mix played by a pooch named Spike, proves that even strays can be the best friends ever. He saves Arliss from a bear attack, and even though the young boy's parents aren't entirely thrilled with the prospect of taking in a stray, they aren't immune to Yeller's charms.
It doesn't take long for people watching the film to fall in love with the playful and loyal lab. He does everything he can to protect his family, even if it means throwing himself into a whole lot of danger -- anyone remember the hog scene?
Baxter Proves That Talking To Dogs Is Therapeutic
In the comedy film Anchorman, viewers see Ron Burgundy, played by the one and only Will Ferrell, have more than one intellectual conversation with his partner in crime Baxter. Honestly, the movie is such a toss-up that we wouldn't be surprised if people watched it for the sole purpose of cooing over the scruffy Baxter.
The pooch proves that anything can be sorted out just by talking to your dog. Even though Baxter obviously can't talk back, it doesn't matter. The lovable animal just wants to be there for his human, even if that means wearing matching pajamas and teeth retainers.
Chance Is Full Of The Best Puppy Qualities
If you've seen the 1993 family film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, then you're probably just as in love with the immature and adventurous American Bulldog named Chance as we are. The thing about Chance is that even though he had no interest in being a pet, he learns to love his human.
It's one of those "you don't know what you have until it's gone" type situations. And for Chance, he learns that it's better to have a nice warm home than have porcupine quills sticking out of his nose! You can't help but love the wild dog.
We Would Travel Into The Future With Einstein
It's very difficult not to fall in love with the scruffy pooch from Back to the Future, Einstein. He is exactly the type of dog we'd imagine the crazy Dr. Emmett Brown to own. It's the hair, or fur, on both of them; it's very endearing!
If there were ever an ideal doggy travel partner, Einstein would be it. And considering the pooch was the world's first-time traveler, to say we would be comfortable sliding into that suited-up DeLorean car is an understatement.
Wise Old Shadow Looked Like The Best Cuddle Buddy
Shadow is the wise, loyal, and the textbook definition of an old puppy. In the film Homeward Bound, the Golden Retriever Shadow is the one that rounds up Sassy and Chance and brings them on an adventure to find their humans.
He's very hard not to love, especially when he gives his old-timey advice to the immature bulldog, Chance. Even so, Chance loves him, going as far as saying, "Looking at him that night, he seemed so wise and ancient, like the first dog who ever walked the earth. I just hope that one day, I can be like him."
Benji Is The Hero Everyone Needs
Stray dogs can be a hit or miss with townspeople. But it's a different story with Benji. The adorable golden mix pooch is adored by many in his small town. And, honestly, it's hard for the viewers of the film to not fall in love with the scruffy boy.
And it seems as though we aren't the only ones. Two children in town, Cindy and Paul, want nothing more than for their home to be Benji's fur-ever home. But their father refuses. Well, that is until Benji takes it upon himself to rescue the children from kidnappers. See, it's hard not to love the doggo!
The Beast Was Misunderstood
Everyone loves a good underdog (pun totally intended), so, understandably, a lot of people fell in love with "The Beast" on the other side of The Sandlot's fence. We're not going to say we don't understand why the boys were terrified of the pooch. He's huge and they're not exactly grown men.
But if they just gave the lovable English Mastiff a fighting chance, they might have found a slobbery best friend sooner rather than later. We mean, hear us out: if they had The Beast, aka Hercules, on their side while the bullies rolled up to their lot, there would have been zero fights.
Enzo From The Art Of Racing In The Rain Is So Pure
Enzo, from The Art Of Racing In The Rain, is one of those pooches that you can't help but wish you had for yourself. He's fun, a fighter, and will do just about anything for his owner Denny. Just look at what he did when Denny was giving up on his court case and was about to lose custody of his young daughter.
Enzo swooped in and ripped up the custody papers. If that's not a best friend, we're not sure what is. And the fact the Enzo believes in reincarnation makes him that much more lovable. Yes, Enzo, all dogs reincarnate into humans, and don't let anyone tell you differently.
Puffy Proves That Dogs Are Resilient
The scene-stealing pooch in There's Something About Mary proves that dogs keep on ticking even after taking a brutal licking. If you've never seen the romantic comedy before, let us enlighten you on what we mean. Puffy, the female Border Terrier, gets zapped, gives slobbery and somewhat inappropriate kisses, and in one memorable moment, winds up in a full-body cast!
If we're being honest, seeing the little pooch wrapped up in a cast made us love her even more, even though we felt a bit bad. It's hard not to love a dog that can grab your attention with every scene they're in.
