Mankind’s love of dogs doesn’t just exist in the home – our canine counterparts have been immortalised in fictional stories throughout the centuries. There are entire films made with dogs as their central characters, and many a children’s book has featured a good dog at its heart.
They are heroes, comedy legends and, in some cases, paranormal pup detectives with a keen nose for catching criminals. Here are seven of the most famous fictional dogs...
Beethoven
The lumbering hound at the heart of the 1992 film, Beethoven, is a big but beautiful St. Bernard. It tells the story of Beethoven the dog, who is adopted into the family by the enthusiastic kids and their reluctant father. He is later set up to be portrayed as aggressive by a rogue veterinarian and threatened with euthanasia. There’s a happy ending for all, and today lovers of St. Bernards can meet the dogs and learn their history at Barryland (the world's only theme park and living museum dedicated to the St. Bernard dog) in Martigny, Switzerland.
Lassie
Perhaps the most famous dog in popular culture Rough Collie Lassie is the main character in the 1940 novel Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight, thought to have been inspired by an Elizabeth Gaskell story from the late 1800s. Knight’s novel was later adapted for film by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and in the 1950s, such was the dog’s enduring popularity, a TV show was also made about her and Lassie is now a household name.
Toto
Every good children’s book character needs a happy little dog as a sidekick, and in The Wizard of Oz it was Toto. Toto’s breed wasn’t specified, but it’s widely thought he was a black terrier-type dog with, as L. Frank Baum describes him in the book, "long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily." In the 1939 film, Toto was played by Terry, a female Cairn Terrier, and starred alongside Judy Garland.
Snoopy
The friendly black and white Beagle at the centre of the Peanuts comics by Charles M. Schulz has become one of the most recognisable comic strip characters of all time. His satisfied little grin and long black ears that dangle as he snoozes atop his red kennel have made him an iconic character, and his adventures have been read by millions of children the world over as Peanuts has been published in over 2,600 newspapers globally.
Scooby Doo
Great Danes got their moment in the limelight when Scooby Doo first came out in 1969, and its synonymous main canine character won audiences over with his uniquely gravelly and goofy voice. Alongside his four friends, Fred, Daphne, Thelma and Shaggy, Scooby Doo was a supernatural detective prone to disaster and chaos, but always with a knack for debunking the seemingly supernatural occurrences that plagued their hometown.
Marley
There are good dogs, and then there are the goodest of dogs, and Marley from the 2008 film Marley & Me was one of those. The movie follows the life of a somewhat unruly golden Labrador Retriever who grows up alongside a family with three kids. It charts the ups and downs of dog- and child-raising in a deeply relatable way, with moments of pure joy and hilarity. Watch with tissues to hand, though, as the ending isn’t entirely happy.
Bluey
Despite only being on screens for eight years, Bluey may just be the most famous dog in the world among audiences of a certain age – and that’s probably not you. This kids’ cartoon character is so well known, she’s spawned a whole series of merch, clothing, and even a theme park in Brisbane, Australia. Bluey is a puppy Blue Heeler, an Australian cattle dog, and the much-loved TV show follows her adventures with sister Bingo, as well as parents Bandit and Chilli.
Top image: Actors Judy Garland and Ray Bolger dance in character on the 'Yellow Brick Road' as dog dog 'Toto' watches, in a scene from the film 'The Wizard Of Oz', 1939. (Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images)
