Top 20 Dog Movies of All Time, Ranked

You don’t have to be a dog owner to love these top dog movies.

The Top 20 Dog Movies of All Time, Ranked

You don’t have to be a dog owner to love a dog movie — although watching it might be even more enjoyable with your canine BFF by your side. Since the silent British film “Rescued by Rover” hit the big screen in 1905 — starring a collie that helped tell the story of a kidnapped baby — dogs have easily stolen the show from their human co-stars. The latest dog movie to hit the big screen? “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” which was released in the U.S. on Aug. 9.

Choosing the best dog movie of all time is no easy task. So, we’ve used Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer scores (based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics) and Audience scores to compile our ranking. Of course, we all have our own personal favorite, whether it’s a film we remember from childhood or a modern animated classic. Hopefully, your top choice made the list!

20. Hotel for Dogs

Tomatometer: 46 percent
Audience Score: 55 percent
Average Rating: 50.5 percent

A big hit with kids, the 2009 movie “Hotel for Dogs,” stars Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin as siblings whose new guardians refuse to let them keep their dog, Friday. When they discover a deserted house, they decide to transform it into an amazing hotel, just for Friday — who is soon joined by several of his doggy friends.

“‘Hotel for Dogs’ delivers warm messages about generosity and sticking with seemingly impossible goals,” wrote Julie Washington for Cleveland Plain Dealer.

19. Turner & Hooch

Tomatometer: 52 percent
Audience Score: 51 percent
Average Rating: 51.5 percent

One of Tom Hanks’ early movie hits was “Turner & Hooch,” an odd couple tale with a twist — his partner is a slavering pooch. A box office success in 1989, it’s part of pop culture history and was even name-checked in the TV show “Scrubs.” For dog fans, it’s proof that the love of a good mutt can even make the most die-hard dog doubter go soft.

If there’s any doubt, Tracy Moore confirmed that there’s “lots of slobber and some violence” in her review for Common Sense Media.

18. Because of Winn-Dixie

Tomatometer: 55 percent
Audience Score: 63 percent
Average Rating: 59 percent

Based on the book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, 2005’s “Because of Winn-Dixie” is about a 10-year-old girl named Opal (AnnaSophia Robb) who adopts an orphaned dog named Winn-Dixie (after the supermarket where she found him). It turns out that Winn-Dixie is the answer to all Opal’s problems, even healing her troubled relationship with her father. A girls’ best friend, indeed.

Claudia Puig described it as “a whimsical family film about longing and belonging told with gentle humanity” in her USA Today review.

17. All Dogs Go to Heaven

Tomatometer: 64 percent
Audience Score: 63 percent
Average Rating: 63.5 percent

Burt Reynolds, Vic Tayback and Dom DeLuise are among the voices in the animated musical feature, “All Dogs Go to Heaven” — a classic for any dog lover. Set in 1930s New Orleans, it tells the tale of the mischievous German shepherd Charlie (Reynolds), who is sent back to Earth after he dies to do one final good deed before going to heaven.

Dolores Barclay, writing for Associated Press, described it as “enjoyable entertainment for the entire family.”

16. The Secret Life of Pets

Tomatometer: 73 percent
Audience Score: 62 percent
Average Rating: 67.5 percent

Most pet owners have wondered what their furry family members get up to when they’re left home alone, and the animated movie, “The Secret Life of Pets,” attempts to answer that question. This 2016 movie from the creators of “Despicable Me,” which features the voices of Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart and Ellie Kemper, is one for all ages.

“Fun for the whole family — a fully realized universe that left me with a big smile on my face throughout,” wrote Micheal Compton for Bowling Green Daily News.

15. Marley & Me

Tomatometer: 62 percent
Audience Score: 75 percent
Average Rating: 68.5 percent

Marley, the wayward labrador, completely steals the show from his A-list co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson in the tear-jerking “Marley & Me,” which is based on the popular memoir by New York Times columnist John Grogan. Since its release in 2008, the film has been a favorite of dog lovers everywhere — particularly those who live with (and love) a less-than-obedient pup.

If you ever need to be reminded how a pet dog can be the glue that holds a family together, this is the movie to watch. “In ‘Marley and Me,’ as in life, both romance and laughs persist years after the wedding day,” wrote Megan Basham for WORLD magazine.

14. A Dog's Journey

Tomatometer: 49 percent
Audience Score: 93 percent
Average Rating: 69.5 percent

The 2019 sequel to “A Dog’s Purpose,” “A Dog’s Journey” returns to Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad) on the Michigan farm owned by Ethan (Dennis Quaid) and Hannah (Marg Helgenberger). Basically, it’s a dog lover's ultimate wish: that the spirit of their pet comes back again and again in different canine forms over its owner’s lifetime.

“It's about how dogs can fill the hole in your heart that a person might leave,” wrote Katie Walsh for the Los Angeles Times.

13. Dog Days

Tomatometer: 62 percent
Audience Score: 78 percent
Average Rating: 70 percent

Released in August 2018, “Dog Days” is a winning rom-com starring Eva Longoria, Vanessa Hudgens, Adam Pally and Nina Dobrev as dog owners whose pets bring them together in unexpected — and lifechanging — ways.

“The film does what it says on the tin,” wrote Ciaran Kerr on Film Bunker. “There are a lot of cute dogs, some cheesy dialogue and sweet relationships.”

12. The Art of Racing in the Rain

Tomatometer: 44 percent
Audience Score: 96 percent
Average Rating: 70 percent

The newest movie on this list is based on the best-selling novel by Garth Stein of the same name. It is narrated by a golden retriever pup named Enzo, voiced by Kevin Costner, who tells the tale of his owner, aspiring Formula One driver Denny (Milo Ventimiglia) and his wife Eve (Amanda Seyfried) as they try to navigate some of life’s toughest issues.

Tied with “Dog Days” for an average rating of 70 percent, audiences have really connected with this movie since its recent release. “The dog drama other dog dramas want to be sidesteps potential sappiness with honest, emotional storytelling about characters easy to care about and difficult to leave,” wrote Edwin Arnaudin on Asheville Movies.

11. Benji

Tomatometer: 86 percent
Audience Score: 55 percent
Average Rating: 70.5 percent

Arguably the most famous stray dog in pop-culture history, mixed-breed pup Benji (played by famous canine actor Higgins) thinks his life is pretty great, until his two best human friends are kidnapped. It’s up to Benji to rescue the kids, and along the way, he falls in love with another pup.

Audiences grew to love this golden-haired mutt in 1974, which lead to a number of sequels.

10. Lassie

Tomatometer: 88 percent
Audience Score: 56 percent
Average Rating: 72 percent

Heroic collie Lassie has been around since the 1950s and inspired numerous films, including this 1994 release, which also has to be one of actress Michelle Williams' first films. When city boy Matt (Thomas Guiry) and his family relocate to a small town in rural Virginia, Lassie makes it his mission to help him adapt to country life.

With a Tomatometer score of 88 percent, this movie received rave reviews from critics. “It's somehow reassuring, these days, to see a movie where there's no problem Lassie can't solve,” wrote Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times.

9. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

Tomatometer: 64 percent
Audience Score: 84 percent
Average Rating: 74 percent

Yet another incarnation of the dog-buddy movie, “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” the 2009 adaptation of the 1987 Japanese film “Hachiko Monogatari,” stars Richard Gere as a college professor who takes an abandoned dog into his home.

“Sensitively directed and rarely over-sentimental, this touching parable will likely ravish the emotions of dog lovers,” wrote Derek Adams in Time Out.

8. The Fox and the Hound

Tomatometer: 70 percent
Audience Score: 78 percent
Average Rating: 74 percent

A Walt Disney Animation Studios classic, “The Fox and the Hound” centers on the friendship between Tod, the fox cub, and Copper, the bloodhound puppy. Tied with “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” this movie was especially popular with audiences.

Important statements about prejudice and society aside (are foxes and hounds natural enemies?), this cute film is “wonderful entertainment for both kids and their parents,” according to TV Guide.

7. Eight Below

Tomatometer: 72 percent
Audience Score: 79 percent
Average Rating: 75.5 percent

Dogs and adventures are a classic combination, and the 2006 release, “Eight Below”, is the perfect example. The film focuses on the human characters (including Paul Walker and Jason Biggs) half of the time and on a pack of sled dogs, the other half, to tell a tale of friendship and loyalty.

“It's heartwarming, occasionally exciting, and some of the cinematography is exemplary,” wrote Derek Adams for Time Out.

6. The Adventures of Milo and Otis

Tomatometer: 80 percent
Audience Score: 74 percent
Average Rating: 77 percent

Dogs and cats might not always see eye to eye in real life, but when they’re brought together for a movie adventure, magic can happen. In the 1986 movie, “The Adventures of Milo and Otis,” Milo, the kitten, and Otis, the dog, become separated and have to find each other again — while avoiding danger.

Originally a Japanese drama called “Koneko Monogatari,” this version was described as “a real charmer and lots of fun,” according to James Sanford of the Kalamazoo Gazette.

5. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Tomatometer: 87 percent
Audience Score: 71 percent
Average Rating: 79 percent

“Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey” is a 1993 remake of the 1963 Disney film “The Incredible Journey,” which was based on the 1961 children’s book by Sheila Burnford. It features an American bulldog, golden retriever and Himalayan cat that worry they’ve been left behind when their owners go on vacation.

Critics and audiences agree that this dog movie has all the feels. “This film will appeal to anyone of any age who doesn't have a heart of stone,” wrote Robert Roten for Laramie Movie Scope.

4. Bolt

Tomatometer: 89 percent
Audience Score: 74 percent
Average Rating: 81.5 percent

What do John Travolta and Miley Cyrus have in common? They both starred in “Bolt,” the 2008 animated Disney film about a movie-star dog who thinks his on-screen superpowers are real. It’s only when his friend disappears, and he sets out to rescue her, that he realizes his limitations.

Nominated for an Oscar (but losing out to Pixar’s “WALL-E”), “Bolt” was a big hit with audiences. Peter Bradshaw called it “tremendously lovable and funny stuff” in his review for The Guardian.

3. Lady and the Tramp

Tomatometer: 93 percent
Audience Score: 80 percent
Average Rating: 86.5 percent

One of the best Disney movies of all time (and the studio’s first Cinemascope animated feature), “The Lady and the Tramp” features a cocker spaniel and a mutt who fall in love — and share a kiss over a plate of spaghetti in one iconic scene. This was a huge box office hit in 1955 and remains one of the best dog movies to date.

Dave Kehr wrote in the Chicago Tribune, “The quintessential American love story — the one between the spoiled heiress and the spontaneous, fun-loving guy from the wrong side of the tracks — has seldom been more elegantly and entertainingly told.”

2. 101 Dalmatians

Tomatometer: 98 percent
Audience Score: 76 percent
Average Rating: 87 percent

Glenn Close deserves a mention for her role in the live-action remake of Disney’s “101 Dalmations,” but it doesn’t come close to the original animated classic from 1961. Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita (and their owners Roger and Anita) welcome 15 adorable spotted pups, but their happiness is short-lived when the puppies are stolen by Cruella De Vil to be made into coats.

“101 Dalmations” was such a big hit, it has been re-released in theaters four times since its original launch. “It is the wittiest, most charming, least pretentious cartoon feature Walt Disney has ever made,” wrote TIME Magazine.

1. Old Yeller

Tomatometer: 100 percent
Audience Score: 79 percent
Average Rating: 89.5 percent

With a rare Tomatometer score of 100 percent, the No. 1 dog movie can only be “Old Yeller.” The 1957 film, set in Texas in the late 1800s, takes audiences on an emotional journey as dog actor Spike (a labrador retriever/mastiff mix), who plays the title character, forges a friendship with a young boy named Travis.

The ending is one viewers will never forget, which is likely why critics were so touched by it. “Of all the boy-and-his-dog movies Hollywood's ever made, ‘Old Yeller’ remains among the best,” wrote John J. Puccio for Movie Metropolis.