Who's the best dog ever? Well, obviously, your dog is the best dog in the entire world. Everybody knows that. But besides your dog.
With The Secret Life of Pets hitting theaters this weekend (which you shouldn't miss, says our film critic Brian Truitt), what's the best movie dog out there? If you think about it, there have been a lot of memorable hounds onscreen over the years, from Lassie to Max in Secret Life. So we present, the definitive top 10 movie dogs out there. Of course, while it's fun to rank these pups, they're all good dogs, very good dogs.
1. Dug from Up
Dug is the best movie dog because Dug is your dog. At least, that's what it felt like when Pixar put voice to all the little quirks of your best friend. "I hid under your porch because I love you." "Squirrel!" That's how your dog thinks and that's why you love him/her.
2. Marley from Marley and Me
Marley (sob) is great (sob). He's cute (sob) and loyal (sob) and we miss him (sob) very much.
3. Beethoven from Beethoven
The perfect balance of adorable and mischievous, the St. Bernard helped a family love each other.
4. Buddy from Air Bud
He can play basketball. Buddy does not need more to make him great. You hear that, all you sequels where he played football and whatnot? Basketball was enough.
5. Hercules, aka The Beast from The Sandlot
The most misunderstood dog in movie history just really liked baseballs. Especially priceless ones signed by Babe Ruth. Plus, he was better as a team mascot than "The Beast."
6. Lassie from Lassie Come Home
The original. The movie dog all other movie dogs need to live up to.
7. Uggie from The Artist
Uggie died almost a year ago, but not before publishing a book and becoming the first dog to leave his footprints outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Not bad for the scene stealer from an Oscar best picture-winning movie.
8. Toto from The Wizard of Oz
We are very, very happy the Wicked Witch of the West did not get "your little dog, too." Toto is low key the MVP of The Wizard of Oz, like when he pulls the curtain back on the Wizard himself. Dorothy would have really been lost without him.
9. Lady and the Tramp from Lady and the Tramp
What is cuter than cute dogs? Cute dogs who fall in love and eat spaghetti together.
10. Chance and Shadow from Homeward Bound
This movie taught us that our dogs love us as much as we love them. And they miss us as much as we miss them. And they always are trying to come home to us.
If you got through this list without tearing up a bit, you're probably a cat person. And we can't help you.
