Growing up, I was a bit of a Disney fanatic, but I was always partial to the animated movies that were either about dogs or had at least one prominent canine character. Without giving my age away, I spent many hours glued to my family’s TV VCR combo unit rewatching “Lady and The Tramp,” “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” and “Fox & The Hound.” As I consider myself to be an expert in the field, I have come up with a list of the best dogs from Disney movies. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 animated Disney dogs.   

Patch

All of the puppies from “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” are super charming and cute, but my favorite has always been Patch, and for a very specific reason.  As a child, I had a lazy eye and had to wear a patch to correct the issue, so I identified with him. He soon became my favorite Disney character and I often dressed as him for Halloween. 

Lady & the Tramp

“Lady and the Tramp” is hands down one of the most romantic movies ever made. I mean, have you ever had a date who shared a spaghetti dinner with you in an alleyway and gave you the last meatball? I don’t think so.

Dodger

I feel like “Oliver & Company” is somewhat of an obscure Disney movie. I was shocked to find out that most of my friends growing up were not familiar with it. But then again, they were not all animated dog movie connoisseurs like myself. For those unaware, Dodger is a super cool mutt who leads a gang of dogs that are just trying to survive on the streets of New York City. He’s also voiced by Billy Joel, which is pretty darn cool. 

Actor Chris Evans also happens to be a fan of this animated dog. He admitted during a 2020 interview on Jimmy Kimmel, that he named his beloved rescue after Dodger. 

Little Brother 

Now, Little Brother does little to nothing in the movie “Mulan.” However, I love “Mulan,” and I just think his animation style is absolutely adorable. 

Stitch 

I am well aware that Stitch is technically not a dog. Instead, he's an adorable alien who kind of, sort of looks like a dog. But I’m keeping him on the list because he was able to bring joy to a family in a dire situation, like many dogs in real life have been able to do.

Copper

I have not watched “The Fox & The Hound” in years because I know I can’t emotionally handle it. Thinking about baby Todd telling baby Copper that they’ll “always be friends forever” makes me want to cry. I wish I was exaggerating. Regardless of how upsetting I find the movie to be, baby Copper is absolutely adorable. 

Pluto 

Now we don’t need to get into the logistics of why Mickey Mouse, who is friends with a dog, also owns a dog. All I know is that Pluto is cute and seems like a loyal canine companion. 

Max

I’ll admit that “The Little Mermaid” is not my favorite movie. Like many people, I have an issue with the fact that Ariel, who is 16, leaves her family for a guy she met once. However, I understand why she liked Prince Eric. I, too, would fall for someone who enthusiastically plays the flute for their adorable sheepdog.

Dug 

"Up" is another movie that destroys me. However, there are enough comedic moments involving the very good boy, Dug that make it watchable. I firmly believe that if golden retrievers could talk, they would sound exactly like this character.