About This Quiz
There's nothing quite like the appearance of man's best friend to make a movie especially memorable. From dog-centric film franchises such as "Lassie," "Beethoven" and "Air Bud," to sweet supporting pups who stole the show (remember Verdell in "As Good as It Gets"? Or Bruiser in "Legally Blonde"?), watching lovable mutts strut their stuff on the silver screen is always a heart-warming treat.
Hollywood legend has it that the first dog to achieve major movie-star status was a pup named Blair, who played a collie named Rover in a 6-minute and 30-second silent film from 1905 entitled “Rescued by Rover." The pooch became such an adored pup that the name Rover — which had been quite uncommon up until that point — became one of the most popular dog names in the United States.
Since that time, we've fallen in love with oh-so-many adorable Hollywood hounds. Toto charmed us in "The Wizard of Oz," Benji became the most beloved stray of the 1970s, and Pixar introduced us to adorable dogs like Bolt and Dug. If you're a film fanatic who knows all of these popular pooches, this is the quiz for you. It's packed with screenshots of some of the most memorable movie mutts of all time. Can you tell us who they are?
Released in 1955, "Lady and the Tramp" is one of Disney's most beloved animated films. It features the now-iconic spaghetti kiss scene between dainty Lady and the scruffy Tramp, the mutt.
Starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, the movie "Marley & Me" is based on a popular memoir by the same name. When the film was released on Christmas Day in 2008, it set a record for the largest Christmas Day box office gross of all time.
Drew Barrymore supplied the voice for Chloe in the first "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" film, which was released in 2008. The movie spawned two direct-to-video sequels, which featured actress Odette Annable as the voice of Chloe.
Advertisement
Released in 1992, "Beethoven" was the first of many successful films. After "Beethoven's 2nd" came out in 1993, it was followed by six direct-to-video sequels between 2000 and 2011. The movies also inspired an animated TV series.
"The Secret Life of Pets" was a huge hit when it was released in 2016. The film grossed more than $875.4 million worldwide and became the fifth-highest-grossing movie of 2016. An equally successful sequel came out in 2019.
Part dog, part Slinky, this stretchy canine has appeared in every installment of the "Toy Story" film franchise. He was voiced by Jim Varney in the first two movies and Blake Clark in "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4."
Advertisement
The first "Benji" film was released in 1974. Since then, close to a dozen "Benji" sequels and TV specials have been produced, including the 2018 reboot released exclusively on Netflix.
Based on a book by the same name, "Because of Winn-Dixie" was released in 2005. The main human character, Opal, befriends a dog in a Winn-Dixie supermarket, which is how the pup gets his unique name.
This 2008 Disney hit starred the voices of John Travolta as Bolt and Miley Cyrus as his owner, Penny. The movie was a box office hit and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
Advertisement
Based on a novel by the same name, "Lassie Comes Home" was released in 1943. The film was a box office hit and spawned six more films that decade. The character of Lassie also has her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen, "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" was released in 2009. The movie is based on the real-life story of a Japanese Akita named Hachiko, who kept returning to meet his owner at the train station for nine years after his death (sniff!).
Perhaps one of the most well-known mutts in movie history, Toto was Dorothy's dog in the 1939 classic, "The Wizard of Oz." Toto was played by a female Cairn terrier named Terry, who appeared in 16 films throughout her career.
Advertisement
"Air Bud" was released in 1997 and spawned multiple sequels and spin-offs. The dog who played Buddy in the first film, whose real-life name was Air Buddy, was an accomplished canine actor who also starred as Comet on the television sitcom, "Full House."
Released in 2009, "Up" was a huge hit, earning a box office gross of more than $735 million worldwide. According to the website Boxofficemojo.com, it's the 23rd highest-grossing animated movie of all time. (As of this writing, "Frozen II" was set to move into the 23rd position and surpass "Up.")
Created by Brad Anderson, the Marmaduke comic strip ran from 1954 until the cartoonist's death in 2015. The 2010 movie starred the voices of Owen Wilson as Marmaduke and Emma Stone as Mazie, the Great Dane's best bud.
Advertisement
This 1995 animated film features the voices of Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Phil Collins and Bob Hoskins. Based on a true story, "Balto" tells the tale of a brave sled dog that risks his life to deliver much-needed medicine to a small Alaska town.
"Cujo" is a 1983 horror movie based on a novel by Stephen King. It's about a rabid St. Bernard that terrorizes a mother and her young son, trapping them in a car and leaving them without access to water or food.
While the lovable character of Hercules was played by two real-life dogs, there were a few scenes in which a puppet had to be used. That puppet reportedly took two people to operate.
Advertisement
A young Tom Hanks starred alongside this adorable French mastiff in the 1989 buddy-cop comedy "Turner & Hooch." Despite being panned by critics, the movie was a box office success, earning more than $71 million worldwide. It was made for just $13 million.
"Old Yeller" was based on a 1956 novel of the same name. The live-action Disney drama takes place in the 1860s and follows the adventures of a young boy named Travis and his loyal stray, Old Yeller.
"All Dogs Go to Heaven" was a modest success when it was first came out in theaters in 1989. When it was released on home video a year later, it found a devoted new audience and became one of the top-selling VHS releases of all time.
Advertisement
This animated Disney tear jerker tells the story of the unlikely friendship between a fox named Tod and a hound dog named Copper. At the time of its release in 1981, "The Fox and the Hound" was the most expensive animated film ever made, costing a whopping $12 million.
Based on a book by the same name, "Shiloh" was released in 1997 and follows the adventures of an abused beagle who flees his cruel owner. The movie was followed by two sequels "Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season" in 1999 and "Saving Shiloh" in 2006.
Released in 1973, "Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World" is a British comedy about a furry sheepdog who accidentally drinks an experimental growth serum and grows to enormous proportions as a result.
Advertisement
"The Adventures of Milo and Otis" is a live-action movie following the adventures of an orange tabby (Milo) and a precocious pug (Otis). Originally released in Japan in 1986, Columbia Pictures released an English-language version in the U.S. in 1989.
"Frankenweenie" is a 3D stop-motion Disney movie that was directed by Tim Burton. Released in 2012, it parodies the famous story of "Frankenstein" and features voice acting by Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short and Winona Ryder.
A remake of a 1963 Walt Disney movie,"Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" follows the adventures of Chance the dog (voiced by Michael J. Fox) as he makes his way through the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was released in 1993.
Advertisement
Released in 2000, "My Dog Skip" takes place in the 1940s and follows the relationship of a young boy (played by Frankie Muniz) and his beloved Jack Russell terrier, Skip. The film also stars Diane Lane, Luke Wilson and Kevin Bacon.
"The Aristocats" is an old-school animated Disney movie that was released in 1970. Throughout the film, Napoleon, a bloodhound, and Lafayette, a bassett hound, make chasing after cars one of their favorite pastimes.
Released in 1982, the movie "Annie" is based on the Broadway musical by the same name. Sandy is the stray that inspires Annie to sing the song "Dumb Dog," that she then takes in as her own.
Advertisement
When Doc Emmet Brown sent Einstein one minute into the future in the 1985 hit "Back to the Future," this shaggy sheepdog became the first being to travel through time (in Marty McFly's universe, at least).
Written, produced and directed by Wes Anderson, this 2018 stop-motion-animated film has a star-studded roster of voice actors, including Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Scarlett Johansson and Jeff Goldblum.
Based on a 1950s novel by the same name, "I am Legend" tells the story of a U.S. Army virologist and his trusted pup Samantha (Sam) as they fight to survive in a post-apocalyptic New York City.
Advertisement
The part of Asta in "The Thin Man" was portrayed by an accomplished canine named Skippy, who starred in numerous comedies of the '30s, including "The Awful Truth," "Bringing Up Baby" and "Topper Takes a Trip."
Milo was played by a 5-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Max McCarter. Reportedly, the character of Milo was not originally intended to be a terrier, but the director was so charmed by Max's doggie audition that he ultimately got the part.
When his owner ends up in the hospital after being attacked during a robbery, Verdell is cared for by the gruff Melvin Udall, played by Jack Nicholson. Melvin forms a deep bond with the pup and has trouble returning him to his owner once he's back on his feet.
Advertisement
"Babe" was released in 1995 and grossed more than $254 million at the box office worldwide. It was also nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Visual Effects.
In addition to "The Artist," this accomplished pooch was in the drama "Water for Elephants." He also released a 2012 memoir entitled "Uggie, My Story" (with some help, of course) and won the Palm Dog Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Played by an accomplished dog actor named Moonie, Bruiser Woods appeared in both "Legally Blonde" and "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde." The dog was also present when Reese Witherspoon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.
Advertisement
"K-9" was released in 1989 and stars Jim Belushi. It came out three months before "Turner & Hooch," a Tom Hanks cop comedy with a similar plot. The Great Dane in this movie is named for singer Jerry Lee Lewis.