Disney has an incredible collection of family movies, and a large number of these, starting back as early as 1955, are about man’s best friend, the dog. In this article, we’re going to look at the 20 best Disney dog movies from 1955 all the way up to now.
Disney Dog Movies You Need to Watch
Let’s take a look at our choice of Disney movies and a lot of these will be available on Disney Plus to watch.
1. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
If you are interested in Disney movies with dogs, the best start is possibly the one with 101 of them. 101 Dalmatians tells the story of a loving couple of Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita, and their litter of puppies, who get dognapped by Cruella De Vil so that their distinctive Dalmatian fur can be used for high fashion.
In spite of the presumed peril from Cruella De Vil, this is a great film for the whole family of dog lovers to enjoy. Originally released in 1961, 101 Dalmatians is only Disney’s 17th animated feature film but surprisingly not the first one about dogs.
2. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Lady and the Tramp is not only one of Disney’s earliest feature films, but it also holds the distinction of being the first of many Disney Dog Movies. Released in 1955, a whole six years before 101 Dalmatians, this movie brought dog lovers to theaters in droves, and although it wasn’t a critical success at the time, it has grown into a much loved classic.
The story tells of a middle class cocker spaniel, Lady, who leaves home after being ignored by her family when their new baby arrives. She meets Tramp, a streetwise mutt, and their romance blossoms along their adventure.
3. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
The Fox and the Hound is a great Disney dog movies from the 80s, an era often forgotten in Disney animation. It tells the story of a friendship that should not be, one between a hound dog called Copper and a red fox called Tod.
Although Disney secured the Fox and the Hound film rights in 1967, the same year the novel was released and only six years after 101 Dalmatians, production was delayed multiple times before the film was finally released to theaters in 1981.
4. Oliver and Company (1988)
What do you get when you take a Charles Dickens novel and adapt it as a Disney dog movie? The answer is another production from the 80s, Oliver and Company. Although the titular character, based on Oliver Twist from the novel of the same name, is a kitten, the gang he joins is made up of dogs, making this a proper dog movie.
The story is adapted in the true Disney animation fashion that everyone adores so much, with a few changes to the Dickens original. The setting of Oliver ; Company is moved from London to New York City, and Dodger is voiced by none other than Billy Joel.
5. Bolt (2008)
Released in 2008, Bolt began a sort of revival in animated Disney films. Although they were now made with computer generated imagery rather than hand drawn, the original charm carried on. It is perhaps very appropriate, when looking at early hits like 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp, that this revival was started with a Disney dog movie.
The movie tells the story of a White Shepherd pup that believes he has the superpowers of the character he plays. Adventure ensues as Bolt sets out from Hollywood to New York City, meeting friends along the way in this adorable return to form for Disney.
6. Air Bud (1997)
Air Bud is the first dog movie in this list to be live action rather than animated. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the adorable Golden Retriever in the film is actually based on a real life dog. More interesting than that is that the real life dog that the character is based on, Air Buddy, is the actual dog that plays the character.
Confused yet? Air Buddy was the dog actor, who had been trained to play multiple sports, including basketball. The Disney movie was based around his skills. So the sport you see in the movie from the Golden Retriever is not so far off from reality.
7. Snow Dogs (2002)
Snow Dogs takes our human protagonist, a dentist played by Cuba Gooding Jr., from his home in Florida to the wilds of Alaska to collect his inheritance.
Unfortunately for our hero, the inheritance ends up being not what he expected nor wanted. Fortunately for an audience looking for a good Disney dog movie, the inheritance is seven Siberian Huskies sled dogs (the Snow Dogs) and a Border Collie called Nana.
8. The Shaggy Dog (1959)
The Shaggy Dog has the distinction not only of being one of Disney’s first ever live action films about dogs, but also the first ever Disney live action comedy. The Shaggy Dog movie is about a boy that gets transformed into an Old English Sheepdog and is loosely based on the novel, The Hound of Florence.
If you are looking for an absolutely classic dog movie, The Shaggy Dog was first released all the way back in 1959. Originally filmed in black and white, this movie will give you the vintage aesthetic like no other. The Shaggy Dog was remade in 2006 with Tim Allen starring alongside Robert Downey Jr and Danny Glover.
9. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
You can think of Homeward Bound as two thirds of a dog film, following a trio of Chance the American Bulldog, Shadow the Golden Retriever, and Sassy the Himalayan cat.
The 1993 version of Homeward Bound is actually a remake of an older film, called simply The Incredible Journey, from 1963, but in the 90s version, the animals’ thoughts and conversations with one another are now voiced, giving new depth to the characterization of each of the animal characters. Homeward Bound is a great movie featuring dogs.
10. Old Yeller (1957)
Disney’s first ever live action dog movie is a very different offering to The Shaggy Dog’s comedic story. As sad as it is beautiful, Old Yeller is a timeless feature about how a dog can truly become an integral part of a family. Just make sure you have a box of tissues handy, because this one is a real tear-jerker.
In the film, the dog, Old Yeller, is adopted as a stray in 19th century rural Texas. This was not that far from the truth for Spike, the dog actor that played Old Yeller, who was himself taken in from an animal shelter in Van Nuys in 1952.
11. The Ugly Dachshund (1996)
Although it never reached the same level of renown as so many other dog movies by Disney, The Ugly Dachshund is a fun take on the classic fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen about a swan that thinks it’s a duckling.
In The Ugly Dachshund, as you can guess, the main dog in question thinks he is a sausage dog like the adoptive family he was raised into. In this case, the joke reaches all new heights as he is actually a Great Dane, but mimics Dachshund mannerisms.
12. White Fang (1991)
White Fang is perhaps the most exotic dog movie in the list since the main character, the eponymous White Fang, is not strictly speaking a dog. The story tells of Jack, played by Ethan Hawke, who travels to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush to make his fortune.
There, he meets a wolfdog – an animal that has one wolf parent and one dog parent. Based on the classic novel by Jack London, Disney really brings this adaptation to life with jaw droppingly gorgeous scenery from its filming location in Alaska.
13. Iron Will (1994)
Only three years younger than White Fang, Iron Will carries some of the same vibes. This is especially true with regard to the scenery, with the film being based around a 1917 international dog sled race starting in Canada and going south to Minnesota.
Unlike in White Fang, none of the dogs in Iron Will are mixed with wolves, in spite of their wild appearance. In true dog sled fashion, the team of Siberian Huskies blaze the way for the human protagonist of the film and teach him valuable lessons along the way.
14. Eight Below (2006)
Another beautiful tear-jerker from Disney is the movie Eight Below. Adapted from a Japanese movie from the 80s, the Disney film shows how strong the bond can be between dogs and their human companions. Throughout the feature, the human protagonist, played by Paul Walker, goes to any length to rescue his dogs trapped in Antarctica, while the dogs loyally wait for him.
More than 30 dog actors appear in the movie, most of which were responsible for stunts and sled pulling. The eight main dog characters were played by six Siberian Huskies and two Alaskan Malamutes, presenting beautifully atop the backdrop of the Greenlandic, Norwegian and Canadian wildernesses used to represent Antarctica.
15. Underdog (2007)
If you grew up in the 60s, you might have woken up to watch the Underdog children’s series on NBC on Saturday mornings. The great news for you is that you can enjoy a new and improved trip down memory lane with 2007’s live action Disney adaptation.
The story tells of Shoeshine, a Beagle that gets exposed to a dangerous substance at a mad scientist’s lab and develops superpowers. If you enjoy movies about superheroes, you will certainly enjoy this one about a superhero dog.
16. Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
2008 brought back the subgenre of live action talking dog films with the first entry in the Beverly Hills Chihuahua franchise. Beverly Hills Chihuahua tells the story of a happy suburban Chihuahua that ends up in Mexico, the movie is all parts family, comedy, and adventure film.
The cast of characters in Beverly Hills Chihuahua gets rounded off with a German Shepherd, a Doberman, Poodles, Pugs, multiple different types of Chihuahuas, and many more, so you’ll have more than enough dogs on screen to keep you happy. For broader tastes, a menagerie of all sorts of animals appear, voiced by Hollywood legends.
17. A Goofy Movie (1995)
Since his first appearance in 1932, Goofy has been assumed to be all sorts of animals, a confusion probably created by the fact that unlike a lot of his contemporaries, such as Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, Goofy doesn’t have the animal he is supposed to be as part of his name. But he is indeed supposed to be a dog.
What that means is that 1995’s A Goofy Movie, which follow’s Goofy’s family, is technically a proper Disney dog movie. In this one, however, the story’s focus on Goofy and his son Max means that family is explored as the important theme rather than friendship, as in many other dog films.
18. 101 Dalmatians (1996)
Depending on what generation you are from, 1996’s live action remake of 101 Dalmatians may be the one that you view as more prominent rather than the original animated movie from 1961 that we spoke about earlier. It was certainly responsible for revitalizing the franchise, spawning a sequel, a spin-off, and multiple video games.
If you thought you’d see 101 Dalmatian puppies in this movie, you would be wrong. Over 300 of them had to be used due to how fast they grow and how long a film takes to produce, so really, you’re getting triple the puppy goodness that you bargained for. In this version Glenn Close famously portrays the villainous Cruella De Vil.
19. Lady and the Tramp (2019)
Lady and the Tramp was another classic Disney dog movie to get a live action remake. In this one, the dogs are computer generated, but the human characters are live action.
The setting is moved to Savannah, Georgia, where extensive shots were filmed to fill out the backdrop of a visually stunning movie that is as beautiful in aesthetics as it is in story.
20. Air Buddies (2006)
Air Buddies is part sequel and part spin-off of the original Air Bud film but is certainly a core part of the Air Bud franchise. If you enjoyed watching the original, with the basketball-playing Golden Retriever, you’re going to enjoy a movie featuring five Golden Retriever puppies even more.
This movie takes a very different approach to the original, and sport is no longer the main focus. Instead, the story follows the litter of puppies of the original Air Bud, who work together to rescue their parents from the villains who have dognapped them, making for a more fantastical piece of entertainment.
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20 Great Disney Dog Movies
I hope you have enjoyed these best Dog Movies from Disney we have shared. There is hours of movie fun to be enjoyed here for all the family and a lot of these are available on Disney plus. Why not also check out our Ultimate Guide to Disney Witch Movies too. You can also find some more Disney Fun below:
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