Have you ever wondered what the best dog movies of all time were? We know we sure had, and so we did a little research and found the best 20 dog movies of all time. These are great for any dog movie lover or just someone looking to watch a good movie. This list will make you love dogs even more. It contains the best movies ever that feature dogs or are about love for dogs. Everyone loves a movie with a heroic dog. The top 20 movies about dogs include Up (2009), Old Yeller (1957), Best in Show (2000), Lady & the Tramp (1955), and many more.
These dog movies are selected from all over the world. All these are great movies and good enjoyment for a true dog lover in this dog movies list. These are lovely movies for adults and children. It’s also an awesome collection for learning about dogs’ lifestyles.
Which is the best movie about dogs of all time streaming on Amazon Prime Video?
The 2009 Family/Adventure movie UP is the best movie about dogs that streams on Amazon Prime with 98% Rotten Tomatoes ratings.
Is there any good movie about dogs available on Netflix?
John Wick (2014) is the best movie about dogs on Netflix, with 7.4 IMDb scores.
Which is the best movie about dogs of all time streaming on Disney Hotstar?
101 Dalmatians (1961) is the best movie about dogs on Disney Hotstar, with 98% Rotten Tomatoes scores.
We write about all sorts of movies, from the top 20 best Sci-Fi movies to the top 20 best dog movies. Join us, get comfy, and we promise not to bite.
20. John Wick (2014)
John Wick is a 2014 American action-thriller movie directed by Chad Stahelski, in his directorial presentation, and signed by Derek Kolstad. It stars Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, and Alfie Allen. It is an exhilarating action spectacle with unbelievable stunts and bravura gun violence. The actor isn’t at his best in this movie, but he’s still fun to watch. Keanu Reeves returns as stoic hitman John Wick in a breakneck sequel that pits him against Russian gangster boss Helen Mirren. You can enjoy this iconic movie about dogs on Netflix.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 86% |
Currently available on: | Netflix, iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Action, Mystery & Thriller |
Director: | Chad Stahelski |
Cast: | Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen |
IMDb Rating: | 7.4 |
19. The Fox & the Hound (1981)
The Fox & the Hound movie is a 1981 Walt Disney Movie about dogs based on the book by Daniel P. Mannix. The Fox & the Hound is a heartwarming tale that addresses the themes of friendship and growing up. Representing the first Disney movie to highlight animation from specialists Tim Burton and Brad Bird, “The Fox and the Hound” starts politely enough but grows into something far more dramatic. The film opens by describing the carefree childhood friendship between its two main actors. However, as the casts grow older, they grow further apart and eventually find out that they’re supposed to be enemies.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 70% |
Currently available on: | Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar |
Genre: | Animation, Adventure, Drama |
Director: | Ted Berman, Richard Rich |
Cast: | Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey |
IMDb Rating: | 7.3 |
18. Megan Leavey (2017)
Along with one of the best movies about dogs, Megan Leavey is also a war drama movie directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Megan Leavey is a dog lover turned military dog handler whose unique discipline and bond with a combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq together. Her heroic efforts speak to the power of love, trust, and teamwork. Based on a real story, this 2017 film centers on a marine named Megan Leavey and her dog, Rex, who forge a unique bond during the Iraq War. Megan and Rex’s partnership is scared when a deadly explosion tears them apart.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 85% |
Currently available on: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Biography, Drama, War |
Director: | Gabriela Cowperthwaite |
Cast: | Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton |
IMDb Rating: | 7.1 |
17. All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
Now moving onto one of the iconic Christmas movies about dogs, All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) is a step-picture movie that Don Bluth has directed. In this moving feature, canine casino owner Charlie (Burt Reynolds) is killed by gambler Carface (Vic Tayback) but returns to Earth from paradise thanks to the powers of a magical, rewindable watch. Charlie sets out to take revenge on Carface utilizing an elaborate plan that includes an orphan girl, Anne-Marie. But as the plan progresses, Charlie realizes that Carface is exploiting Anne-Marie. Charlie must determine whether to change his mission from one of revenge to one of rescue.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 44% |
Currently available on: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Animation, Fantasy, Kids & Family |
Director: | Don Bluth |
Cast: | Dom DeLuise, Burt Reynolds, Daryl Gilley |
IMDb Rating: | 6.8 |
16. Homeward Bound (1993)
Homeward Bound: The Ridiculous Journey is a 1993 American adventure comedy-drama film directed by Duwayne Dunham and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is a timeless Disney movie about dogs and the adventures of a family of pets. Homeward Bound is a family-friendly adventure that’s perfect for the whole family. This animal movie takes place in California, whereas the original movie took place in Canada. Although, the initial premise remains intact: A trio of pets travels across hostile lands to reconnect with their owners, winning against all odds.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 87% |
Currently available on: | Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Adventure, Kids & Family |
Director: | Duwayne Dunham |
Cast: | Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, Don Alder |
IMDb Rating: | 6.9 |
15. Scooby-Doo (2002)
The Scooby-Doo film is the first live-action theatrical Scooby-Doo movie. The Scooby-Doo movie isn’t as good as most of the animated shows on television today. There are a few entertaining parts, but most of them can be ignored. The best way to enjoy Scooby-Doo (2002) is to switch off your brain. The story follows cartoon character Scooby-Doo and his sharp crime-solving groups Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) are separately gathered to Spooky Island to study a series of paranormal events at the ultra-hip Spring Split hotspot.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 31% |
Currently available on: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Adventure, Comedy, Kids & Family |
Director: | Raja Gosnell |
Cast: | Matthew Lillard, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar |
IMDb Rating: | 5.1 |
14. Marley & Me (2008)
Marley & Me (2008) movie is an American comedy-drama film about the life of a dog named Marley, based on the bestselling novel of the same name by John Grogan. It was directed by David Frankel and written by Scott Frank, who also adapted the novel for the screen. The story follows a happily married couple’s life changes after they adopt a free-spirited pup named Marley, who, along with his antics, manages to teach them and their children important life lessons.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 62 |
Currently available on: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Comedy, Drama |
Director: | David Frankel |
Cast: | Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane |
IMDb Rating: | 7.1 |
13. Beethoven (1992)
Since it has been 20 years since we first saw the movie, we had some memories reminiscing about the Beethoven (1992) movie and the boy who played it. We did not know that this 90s movie was greatly inspired by another movie of Beethoven’s, which was in 1972. The movie dispenses with the friendship between a human boy and his dog, Beethoven, despite their many differences. This dog movie tells the story of Beethoven, a huge St Bernard whose adopted family gives all the love and care. However, the family vet, Dr. Varnick, wants to use him as a subject for his deadly experiments.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 30% |
Currently available on: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Kids & Family, Comedy |
Director: | Brian Levant |
Cast: | Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones |
IMDb Rating: | 5.7 |
12. Togo (2019)
The movie Togo (2019) is a good movie about dogs, getting everyone’s attention. And we, of course, found about it here on our list. The movie is awesome, and you love it, and some scenes made you tearful. This is a great flick to watch with your friends and families as a group. This movie about dogs tells the story of Leonhard, a musher, who adopts Togo, a Siberian husky supposed to be weak, and trains him. When Togo leads the 1925 serum run, he becomes a hero for Nome, Alaska.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 92% |
Currently available on: | Disney Plus |
Genre: | Adventure, Drama, History |
Director: | Ericson Core |
Cast: | Willem Dafoe, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl |
IMDb Rating: | 8 |
11. Isle of Dogs (2018)
Legendary auteur Wes Anderson recorded and directed this stop-motion animated movie about dogs, which takes place during a dog flu disorder in Japan. In reply to the pandemic, all dogs are transferred to Trash Island. Consequently, a young boy travels to the island to meet with his beloved canine, Spots. Loosely motivated by the works of Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, the film features voice offerings from Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, and Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, amongst others.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 90% |
Currently available on: | Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
Director: | Wes Anderson |
Cast: | Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton |
IMDb Rating: | 7.9 |
10. Eight Below (2006)
Eight Below (2006) is an amazing and dramatic adventure movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This movie about dogs will be one of my all-time favorites! The actors did their job very well, something many movies can’t say. Eight Below was a great movie for children and adults to watch with no inappropriate content whatsoever! In this gripping tale of endurance, two Antarctic investigators are forced to devise their sled dogs behind after a harsh snowstorm. As the dogs explore for scraps in the forest, their trainer (Paul Walker) goes to extremes to protect them. The film is based on a previous Japanese movie, which was based on a true story.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 72% |
Currently available on: | Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Vudu |
Genre: | Kids & Family, Adventure, Drama |
Director: | Frank Marshall |
Cast: | Paul Walker, Jason Biggs, Bruce Greenwood |
IMDb Rating: | 7.3 |
9. White Fang (1991)
White Fang is a 1991 American adventure movie based on the novel White Fang by Jack London. Directed by Randal Kleiser, the film stars Ethan Hawke and Klaus Maria Brandauer as the two lead characters based on the dog’s Buck and White Fang from London’s novel. It is one of many big-screen adaptations of Jack London’s famous novel written in 1906. This version stars Ethan Hawke as a Yukon tawny dog named Jack. The prospector and the wolf-dog, White Fang, form a bond after a chain of unfortunate incidents befalls them both. The dog, Jed, also performed as one of the dogs in John Carpenter’s “The Thing”(1982). It is one of the most iconic kids’ movies about dogs.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 65% |
Currently available on: | Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Adventure, Kids & Family |
Director: | Randal Kleiser |
Cast: | Ethan Hawke, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Jed |
IMDb Rating: | 6.7 |
8. Alpha (2018)
Alpha is a 2018 American animated movie about dogs directed by Albert Hughes, starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Johannes Haukur Johannesson. Grady Hendrix of The New York Times wrote that it was a “well-meaning but hectic reimagining” of the myth of the cave drawing created by the character of the same name and Jack’s origin story. Set 20,000 years ago during the prehistoric past, this movie focuses on the relationship of a boy struggling to endure in the wilderness after being injured and a wolf rejected by his pack. The wolves in the film were a compound of CGI, real wolves, and wolf hybrids. The film depicts the first canine-human bond.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 80% |
Currently available on: | Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Adventure, Drama |
Director: | Albert Hughes |
Cast: | Kodi Smit-McPhee, Marcin Kowalczyk, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson |
IMDb Rating: | 6.7 |
7. Lassie (2005)
The movie Lassie (2005) is a family movie about an extraordinary dog. OK, well, not that extraordinary, but it is an entertaining movie if you overlook the implausible plot contrivances that move the story along and the slightly unnecessary nudity (hey, you have to have something for the adults), then you will enjoy this movie. Here the story follows a family who loses Lassie to a duke after finding they must sell her. The duke moves several miles away with Lassie, who must escape and find a way back to her family. This is one of the best movies about dogs and continues with all the Lassie movies that introduced it by featuring a direct descendent of the original collie to present the loyal canine on-screen, Pal.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 93% |
Currently available on: | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Adventure, Kids & Family |
Director: | Charles Sturridge |
Cast: | John Lynch, Samantha Morton, Peter O’Toole |
IMDb Rating: | 6.7 |
6. Benji (1974)
Benji is a 1974 American family comedy-drama movie about dogs starring Peter Breck, Christopher Connelly, and Patsy Garrett. This 70s film was directed and written by Joe Camp. It was based on an original story by George Gipe, who also wrote the novelization of the movie. The plot revolves around an abused dog named Benji who doesn’t need an owner, favoring to wander freely all over his friendly Texas town. He enjoys hectoring the cat of a local widow (Frances Bavier) and can forever rely on a kindly shopkeeper (Edgar Buchanan) for a donation. Along the way, he also pitches in love with a gorgeous Maltese named Tiffany.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 86% |
Currently available on: | ITunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Comedy |
Director: | Joe Camp |
Cast: | Peter Breck, Deborah Walley, Patsy Garrett |
IMDb Rating: | 6.1 |
5.101 Dalmatians (1961)
The 17th animated movie about dogs from Walt Disney Studios is all about 101 Dalmatians. The story follows Cruella de Vil, an evil heiress who wants to make a fleece coat for herself out of the surfaces of a hundred and one Dalmatian pup. She attempts to kidnap them by hiring a group of thugs. Getting in Cruella’s way is a Dalmatian couple and their human landlords. Forming a few cameos are characters from another dog-centric Disney film, “Lady and the Tramp.” Moreover, it is an inspiring and heart-touching story, especially for dog lovers.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 98% |
Currently available on: | iTunes, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Comedy, Animation, Adventure, Kids & Family |
Director: | Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske |
Cast: | Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley |
IMDb Rating: | 7.3 |
4. Lady & the Tramp (1955)
Lady and The Tramp (1955) movie is a romantic tale about dogs starring Tramp and the rest of the “gang” from the streets of New York. Brimming with iconic views, including Siamese cats and spaghetti kisses, this Disney movie about dogs focuses on the budding romance among a spoiled cocker spaniel and a streetwise mutt. The story spent years in construction before finally arriving on the big screen follows Lady, a female dog, who feels neglected when Jim and Darling get a baby in the house. Later, when Aunt Sarah gets her twin Siamese cats, Lady is blamed for all the havoc they wreak.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 93% |
Currently available on: | Vudu, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Animation, Fantasy, Kids & Family |
Director: | Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson |
Cast: | Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee |
IMDb Rating: | 7.3 |
3. Best in Show (2000)
Mockumentary legend Christopher Guest turns his ironic eye toward best dog movies in this 2000 comedy. Arguably true to life, the film follows several quirky dog owners to prepare for a national championship and maintain borderline unhealthy relationships with their respective pets. To prepare for the movie, Guest and producer Karen Murphy visited the Westminster Dog Show and even sent the primary cast members to a dog handler for education. The owners of five show dogs head for a national dog show with a film crew accompanying them to get a ‘behind the scenes look in the highly competitive and cut-throat world of dog shows.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 94% |
Currently available on: | Vudu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Gay & Lesbian, Comedy |
Director: | Christopher Guest |
Cast: | Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara |
IMDb Rating: | 7.5 |
2. Old Yeller (1957)
One of the best classic movies about dogs of all time, “Old Yeller,” follows a young boy as he begrudgingly chooses a stray mutt that roams onto the family property. The story follows Travis, who finds and tries to drive away from Old Yeller, a stray dog while working on the cornfields. But when he saves Arliss, Travis’s young brother, he decides to adopt him from a wild bear. Together, the two undergo a series of experiences, and soon enough, they’ve developed a profound connection. It all culminates with an ending that’s as impactful now as it was more than six decades ago.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 100% |
Currently available on: | Vudu, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video |
Genre: | Kids & Family, Drama |
Director: | Robert Stevenson |
Cast: | Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk |
IMDb Rating: | 7.3 |
1. Up (2009)
An animated movie about a dog Up is a heart-warming fun-for-the-whole-family movie as directed by Pete Docter. Up was a complete genius work of art—pure joy and magic for the whole family. The story, characters, animation, and soundtrack make this a must-see film. The plot was created from thousands of senior citizens’ unique personalities and lifestyles, asking them to envision their idea of an ideal retirement. The story follows Carl, an old widower. He goes off on an adventure in his flying house searching Paradise Falls, his wife’s dream destination with Russell, Charles F. Muntz, and his golden retriever named Bob Peterson.
Rotten Tomatoes: | 98% |
Currently available on: | Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus |
Genre: | Adventure, Comedy, Kids & Family, Animation |
Director: | Bob Peterson, Pete Docter |
Cast: | Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger |
IMDb Rating: | 8.2 |
Conclusion!
Dog movies are always a favorite of ours during the holiday season. These best dog movies can be exhilarating, lovable, funny, and quite educational too. Therefore, we have set together a list of the Top 20 Best Dog Movies of All Time. Each movie has been selected due to several factors, including critical reception and audience response. The movies listed are provided for your enjoyment, and we hope you will agree with our Top 20 Best Dog Movies List.