The saddest dog movies hit as hard as any tearjerker, particularly for those who’ve ever enjoyed the company of a canine companion at least at some point in their life. Sad dog movies are like a testing ground for young viewers. Their parents show them a tearjerker like My Dog Skip or Old Yeller to get them used to the idea that movies can be sad just as they can be exciting and funny. What many parents don’t realize is that these sad dog movies end up emotionally scarring kids for years afterward.

The Fox and the Hound may be an animated Disney film, but even saying the тιтle may be enough to bring tears to some movie lovers’ eyes, for instance. While dogs can sometimes be killers in movies, they’re more often than not the lovable, huggable, loyal, and occasionally frustrating, pets everyone knows and loves. So when a movie comes around involving a dog, usually that means there are going to be some tears. If someone needs a good cry, these sad dog movies may be just the ticket.

25

A Dog’s Purpose (2017)

One Dog Is Reincarnated Over The Decades

A Dog’s Purpose is based on the 2010 novel of the same name by W. Bruce Cameron, and follows a dog, Boss Dog (Josh Gad), who is reincarnated over multiple lifetimes and discovers the meaning of its own existence through the many lives of the humans it teaches and loves. It’s an incredibly earnest movie that feels a tad manipulative, particularly due to the philosophical musings of the dog at the center. A Dog’s Purpose is carried by the dogs at the center of the film. The end is as tear-jerking as sad dog movies get.

24

The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2019)

A Golden Retriever Learns What It Takes To Be An F1 Driver

The Art of Racing in the Rain is an American comedy-drama from 2019 that follows a golden retriever named Enzo (voiced by Kevin Costner). Enzo is owned by Denny (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring Formula One driver. Over his years with his friend, Enzo learns how the techniques and disciplines needed for driving can be applied to being successful in any aspect of one’s life. Preposterous at some points, The Art of Racing in the Rain manages to avoid corniness and this sad dog movie is filled with heartstring-tugging moments.

23

A Dog’s Way Home (2019)

Multiple States Can’t Keep A Dog Away From Her Family

In A Dog’s Way Home, a dog named Bella, voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard, goes on a 400-mile journey to be reunited with her owner. After a nosy neighbor threatens to call animal control on Bella, her owners send her away to New Mexico. Missing her family, Bella travels all the way back to Colorado to be with them. It’s a classic tale of love and adventure told through a dog’s eyes and, while it’s not entirely original, the heartfelt moments are well executed and there are many tear-jerking scenes.

22

Lᴀssie (2005)

A Rough Collie Forms An Unbreakable Bond With Her Young Owner

An adaptation of Eric Knight’s novel, Lᴀssie Come-Home, the 2005 Lᴀssie depicts the loving bond between the rough collie, Lᴀssie, and her owner, the young Joe Carraclough (Jonathan Mason). Joe’s father, Sam (John Lynch), has to sell Lᴀssie to feed his family, but the dog continues to return, much to the buyer’s, The Duke of Rudling (Peter O’Toole), consternation. A timeless story about friendship and loyalty, Lᴀssie is a faithful adaptation that balances the cruelty of the book with the pathos found between animal and man.

21

Balto (1995)

The True Story Of A Sled Dog Who Saves A Village

Based on the true story of the тιтular sled dog, Balto follows a wolfdog of the same name who lives on the outskirts of Nome, Alaska. Considered an outcast by other dogs and the townsfolk, Balto becomes the village’s savior when he leads a pack of sled dogs to retrieve vital medicine for a diphtheria outbreak. Balto is non-stop action throughout, with one setpiece moving right into the next one. The dog’s relationship with the young girl who gets sick is heartbreaking and a recognizable love to anyone who has ever been comforted by a dog.

20

I Am Legend (2007)

A Man Is Forced To Confront The Death Of His Only Friend

While I Am Legend may not be strictly about a dog, a dog figures into one of the most upsetting moments in the movie. I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a scientist set on finding the cure to a pathogenic virus that turned most of the living world into vampiric mutants. Robert’s only friend is his dog Sam, a German Shepherd and gift from his son just before he died. Sam is a loyal pet and her death is a drawn-out affair that the viewer is forced to watch in excruciating and heartbreaking detail.

19

Frankenweenie (2012)

Tim Burton And Stop-Motion Come Together To Bring A Dog Back To Life

Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie is a gothic stop-motion horror comedy in the same vein as The Nightmare Before Christmas​​​​. The film follows a young boy named Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan), who uses his electricity-powered invention to resurrect his ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Bull Terrier, Sparky. When his friends hear of the miracle, they demand Victor resurrect their beloved pets as well. Despite being stop-motion and covered in sтιтches, Sparky is as lovable as any movie dog, making his sacrifice at the end of the film all the more tear-jerking.

18

Because Of Winn-Dixie (2005)

AnnaSophia Robb Meets A Rowdy Dog In Florida

Based on the 2000 novel of the same name, Because of Winn-Dixie, the 2005 film stars AnnaSophia Robb as India Opal Buloni, who has just moved to the small town of Naomi, Florida. Alone in her new town, with a father still upset over his wife leaving the family, Opal makes quick friends with a rambunctious Berger Picard, whom she adopts and names “Winn-Dixie”. It’s an old-fashioned tale that might have felt out of step if not for Robb’s performance, and her sad moments with her father and her dog are touching and honest.

17

Eight Below (2006)

Eight Sled Dogs Face The Antarctic Cold

A remake of the 1983 Japanese film Antarctica, Eight Below stars the late Paul Walker as Jerry Shepard, a guide at a National Science Foundation Antarctic research base. When a mᴀssive storm hits the base and the humans are told to evacuate, Jerry has to leave his team of sled dogs behind, promising he’ll return for them. The dogs go six months, living on their own and braving the elements, losing a few of their packmates along the way. Eight Below is an emotional, tender, and exhilarating adventure.

16

Lᴀssie Come Home (1943)

The Classic Tale Of The Famous Collie’s Journey Home

Lᴀssie Come Home, the first adaptation of Eric Knight’s 1940 novel, Lᴀssie Come Home, is set in Depression-era Yorkshire, England, where Sam (Donald Crisp) and Mrs. Carraclough (Elsa Lanchester) are forced to sell their beautiful collie, Lᴀssie, to the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce), to afford money for food. Young Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) is despondent at the loss of his pet, but Lᴀssie escapes her new owners to reunite with Joe. It’s a classic and poignant tale that’s hard not to fall in love with.

15

Shiloh (1996)

A Young Boy Nurses An Abused Puppy

Based on the 1991 book of the same name by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh follows the тιтular beagle puppy. The abused animal runs away from its owner at the start of the film and meets Marty Preston (Blake Heron), a young boy with a strict father who won’t let him keep the dog. When Shiloh again runs away from his abusive home, Marty takes him in and in secret, and the pair develop a loving bond. It’s a surprisingly mature film, despite its target audience and its issues of morality, responsibility, and honesty are always relevant.

14

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

A Tale Of Loyalty And Hard-Won Friendship

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale stars Richard Gere as Parker Wilson, and is an American remake of the 1987 Japanese film, Hachikō Monogatari. Parker finds a small Akita dog abandoned at a train station, which he names “Hachi” and grows close to. Though he refuses to be trained, Hachi walks to Parker’s train station every day with him and is there to pick him up every evening. The warmth that develops between the tiny dog and Parker may feel slightly manipulative, but it’s so moving and tear-jerking, it can be forgiven.

13

Turner & Hooch (1989)

A Dog And A Detective Form An Unlikely Team

Tom Hanks stars as Scott Turner in the 1989 buddy cop comedy, Turner & Hooch, a classic of the animal-human friendship movie genre. Scott is a perfectionist police officer in Cypress Beach, California. After an investigation, Turner becomes responsible for a large Dogue de Bordeaux named Hooch, who the town’s veterinarian, Emily Carson (Mare Winningham), thinks will help Scott loosen up. Though destructive and loud, Turner & Hooch form an unlikely friendship that is sure to bring a happy tear to viewers’ eyes.

12

Year Of The Dog (2007)

Molly Shannon Takes Up The Animal Rights Fight

Most sad dog movies end with the dog dying, but Year of the Dog begins with the dog pᴀssing away. It’s this death that spurs Peggy (Molly Shannon), a lonely 40-something, into doing something more with her life. After her dog dies, Peggy throws herself into animal rights activism, which those closest to her don’t understand. The film is an emotional look at how dogs can shape people’s lives, and it’s not always for the best in some cases. However, despite the trouble they can cause, Year of the Dog doesn’t forget the love they can provide.

11

Dog (2022)

Channing Tatum Goes On A Road Trip With A Dog

Dog is a relatively unseen road dramedy starring Channing Tatum, in a movie directed by Tatum and Reid Carolin. Tatum plays Jackson Briggs, a former U.S. Army Ranger tasked with bringing his recently deceased friend’s military dog to his funeral. On the road, Reid helps Lulu deal with her anxiety while Lulu gives him the comfort to handle his PTSD. Nothing in Dog is particularly groundbreaking, but Tatum and the dog’s relationship is absolutely winning, and the film is much deeper than it appears on the surface.

10

Where The Red Fern Grows (1974)

Two Coon Hounds And Their Owner Grow Up Together

A classic of middle school English, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls was first adapted into a film in 1974, starring Stewart Petersen as Billy Coleman. Billy is a 12-year-old boy who loves coon hounds and raccoon hunting and who eventually saves up enough money to buy two hounds. Billy and his hounds end up becoming the talk of the Ozarks for their formidable hunting prowess. A tragic ending makes this a happy, but incredibly painful tale of friendship and devotion.

9

The Plague Dogs (1982)

Two Dogs Escape An Animal Testing Laboratory

The Plague Dogs is a 1982 adult animated adventure film based on the novel of the same name by Richard Adams, who also wrote Watership Down. The Plague Dogs has a similar story and animation style as that apparent kid’s movie that is anything but. The Plague Dogs follows Rowf and Snitter, two dogs who go on the run after escaping from a research lab in Great Britain. Despite starring two talking animals, The Plague Dogs is a grim and psychological affair that asks questions about animal testing and holding on to hope.

8

All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)

Kindness, Friendship, And Loss Told By Animated Dogs

Don Bluth’s animated movies may not get the same praise as Disney movies, but his best stand-up among the House of Mouse’s signatures. All Dogs Go to Heaven tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin (Burt Reynolds), a German Shepherd who dies but escapes heaven in order to continue his indulgent lifestyle on earth. When he meets a young orphan named Anne-Marie (Judith Barsi), his priorities change. Bluth’s animation expresses incredible emotion and the story is an important lesson for any young one who has lost a pet.

7

Marley & Me (2008)

An Incorrigible Yellow Lab Brings A Family Together

Marley & Me is based on the real story and memoir by John Grogan, that follows John’s (Owen Wilson) life, from the time he and his wife, Jenny (Jennifer Aniston), buy a rambunctious yellow Labrador through the many milestones the family has. A fairly light story, with only a few moments of actual drama, Marley is such a lovable pooch, that his personality makes the rest of the script better. The finale of John coming to terms with his pet’s mortality is the quintessential sad dog moment in a movie.

6

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

Three Animal Friends Set Off On An Amazing Journey

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is a remake of the 1963 movie of the same name, which is in turn based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Sheila Burnford. Featuring the voice work of Michael J. Fox as Chance the bulldog, Don Ameche as Shadow the golden retriever, and Sally Field as Sᴀssy the cat, Homeward Bound follows the trio of animals who set off to find their owners after being seemingly abandoned. The friendship that grows between the trio is heartwarming and the scene of Shadow’s near-demise will elicit some tears.