The following is a guest post by Jacob Klein the founder of HBOWatch, BravoWatch, and Exstreamist News.
Full disclosure: I’m often moved to tears by dog movies. But sometimes I just want to feel good. If you’re a millennial like me, you’ve probably already cut cable and are borrowing your ex’s Netflix password to stream your favorite programs. So here’s a list of feel-good dog movies both you and your furry friend can enjoy right now on Netflix.
101 Dalmations
What’s better than a Dalmatian puppy? How about 100 more Dalmation puppies? This is the live-action version starring Glenn Close who tries her hardest to skin these cuties alive. It sounds a bit scary, but you know she doesn’t succeed in the end. Stream this one tonight if 99 puppies just won’t do.
Air Buddies et al
But what if you truly need 14+ hours straight of feel-good dog movie action? The Air Bud series is probably where you’ll want to begin. You’ve got Air Bud, Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch, Air Bud: World Pup, Air Bud Strikes Back, Air Buddies, Snow Buddies, Treasure Buddies and yes: even Santa Buddies as well.
With these movies, you’ll get a lot of cheesy animal voiceovers, but they nevertheless bring the cute. There are so many, you’ll probably never run out of content before they end up releasing a new one.
Hachiko: A Dog’s Tale
Hachiko: A Dog’s Tale
This is a story about loyalty. A man goes to work every day, and his dog follows him to the train station, waiting for him patiently until he returns home. Richard Gere stars in this one and it will surely move you to tears (but in a good way!). Give it a try on Netflix if you’re feeling a sense of loyalty to your dog.
The Fox and the Hound
The Fox and the Hound
In reality, a fox and a hound probably wouldn’t make for very close friends if the Hound is anything like my dog. But in the 1981 Disney classic, reality is suspended for 1 hour and 22 minutes of zany hijinks and a story about friendship.
Netflix also has The Fox and the Hound 2 available if you didn’t get enough from the first installment.
Where the Red Fern Grows
This story is on the borderline of the classification of “feel-good.” If you read the novel in high school, then you already know how it ends. (The circle of life is real, people!) But along the way, a boy connects with his animals in a way you’ll never forget.
Lassie
Did you know that Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones) starred in a 2005 rendition of Lassie? Well, now you do, and you’re obligated to watch this film. You can almost imagine what the story is about if you know anything about the iconic heroic dog. You’ll never be able to look at a border collie without thinking her name again.
Alpha and Omega
This movie is a hidden gem that flew under the radar back in 2010. With voice acting from Hayden Panettiere, Danny Glover, and Dennis Hopper, it’s the story of two Alpha wolves learning to lead their respective packs while learning to live with each other. It’s actually quite good and will work as an effective babysitting tool if you’ve got little ones (humans, I mean).
We hope you can find something that tickles your fancy above. Netflix doesn’t have all of the dog movies you’re probably thinking of, but it does have a few gems. Leave a comment below if you’ve found another great dog film to add to the list.
Jacob Klein has been writing about television online for the past 10 years. He is the founder several sites including HBOWatch, BravoWatch and Exstreamist News. He lives just north of Seattle with his wife Lili and Shiba Inu, Henry. (Twitter)
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