I’ve compiled a list of my top five favourite dogs in movies. We’ve all seen them, the cute puppy or the gigantic dog that steals the scene in a movie. It doesn’t matter the genre, whether it’s a romance or action because if there’s a dog involved, chances are the female viewer will stay engaged with the film. I know that this applies to me. So, the following are five movies where the dog is a scene-stealer. Let me know if you have a dog to add to the list.
Sweet Home Alabama
This movie has a Bloodhound by the name of Bryant. Who can resist the droopy eyes and long ears of this adorable breed? To borrow from a dogless film, Jerry Maguire, he had me at the scene where Jake (Josh Lucas) keeps throwing Bryant’s dog bone into the lake and Bryant keeps diving off the dock to fetch the bone. Jake and Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) had to reunite to give Bryant his happily ever family. I hope I didn’t give away the ending.
John Wick
Daisy the Beagle puppy tugs at my heartstrings the moment John Wick (Keanu Reeves) receives her as a gift from his recently deceased wife. Daisy is to keep John company and distract him from grieving for his wife. When Russian thugs invade John’s house and kill Daisy, John Wick embarks on a mission to avenge the taking of the last gift his wife gave to him—Daisy.
John Wick 2 & 3
Daisy the Beagle has been replaced by a grey pitbull who we know as Dog. John Wick releases him from a vet clinic or animal shelter and takes him home with him. Dog is the silent sidekick in the movie. Because I know that as long as he is with John Wick, all is right with the world, or as best as can be expected. In real life, Dog’s name is Burton, and he is a rescue dog. The director wanted the audience to sympathize with the dog instead of being afraid of him, so he chose Burton because of his sad eyes.
Turner & Hooch
Certainly, there is no better acting duo than Tom Hanks and Beasley the Dog. Beasley plays the role of Hooch, a French Mastiff, who witnessed the murder of his owner. He is the only one who can identify the killer, and he does so with his tremendous sense of smell. Hooch is a huge drooling lovable brute. He is a terrific partner for Turner, who is investigating the murder of Hooch’s owner. The ending of the movie is bittersweet. That’s all I can tell you.
Lady and the Tramp
The perfect pairing of my favourite dogs in movies. I’m referring to the original animated movie. Tramp is called a mutt, but he reminds me of a Standard Schnauzer. He’s smart, a rascal who gets into lots of trouble, and yet he steals the heart of Lady, an American Cocker Spaniel. We’re cheering for this bad guy with a heart of gold. He’s the true romantic hero, and he doesn’t disappoint us.
When I began to write Boss, https://deboraharmstrong.ca/boss/
I had one dog breed on my mind–the Rhodesian Ridgeback. I had one when I was a teenager. His name was Buffy. He was the runt of the litter, and he didn’t grow to the size expected of his breed. What he lacked in size was compensated by his loyalty, his ferocity, and his gentleness. Buffy had his signature happy dance and curled his top lip into a smile. Buffy died of cancer at the age of 11 years. We still talk about him as the best dog we owned.
