My Top 15 Favourite Disney Dogs

I had to do this list, anyone who knows me knows two things about me for definite, one is that I'm a huge Disney fanatic of course, and the other is that I love animals. I have studied Animal Science, Welfare and Behaviour in the past, and my favourite animal of all time has always been dogs (but don't tell my pet cat Simba that!). Like many people, the addition of a canine companion or sidekick to any feature film or tv show is welcomed enthusiastically by me, but in particular in Disney films.

They are always animated so lovingly and perfectly detailed and they have individual and wonderful personalities, just like our real life fur babies. So for that reason I decided to make this little list of my personal favourites. The canine crusaders and pampered pooches featured in many a Disney picture that have brought me and so many others such joy over the years. Perhaps even somebody reading this list will discover a new Disney film they haven't watched yet and will be encouraged to have a watch.

15. Andrew from Mary Poppins

With his cute little jacket and ability to communicate perfectly with the practically perfect Mary Poppins, Andrew is an adorable little addition to the cast of my personal favourite film of all time.

14. Toby from The Great Mouse Detective

Toby is the namesake of my sister's dog which may be a part of the reason why I have such an affection for this investigative pooch. He has a super friendly disposition and a great way of sniffing out trouble, plus he can roll over on command

13. Max from The Little Mermaid

As Scuttle once described this fluffy puppy, "he's kinda slobbery" but he's also really cute. He's also pretty smart, after all he was the first character to suss out that Vanessa was bad news and Eric and Ariel were meant to be, what a good boy

12. Shadow and Chance from Homeward Bound (and Homeward Bound 2)

I watched this movie a couple of months ago and it brought back so many memories from my childhood and from the pets I had and loved when I was younger. Shadow and Chance may be incredibly different pups in many ways, but their ability to pull at our heart strings is one and the same

11. Stella from The Princess and the Frog

She may be a minor character in what I consider to be the last of the Disney classics, but with her big puppy dog eyes and begging for some delicious sweet treats, Stella makes a major impression on movie watchers

10. Bruno from Cinderella

Bruno is the unsung Hero of the animated version of Cinderella! He afterall, was the reason Lucifer ran away, leaving the mice with the key that would open up the attic door and let Cinderella out so that she could try on the glass slipper and go on to marry the Prince. Not to mention he helped her get to the ball by being the footman of the carriage. What a good boy!

9. Napoleon and Lafayette from The Aristocats

What a funny and clumsy pair of hounds these two are! One of the highlights of the wonderful The Aristocats for me has always been the appearance of Napoleon and Lafayette, the two snoozing hounds that try to sniff out and catch the evil Edgar as he is disposing of Duchess and the kittens. They are a classic comedy duo and they prove that not everybody wants to be a cat

8. Winston from Feast (short)

When I first saw this short, as with the majority of shorts before Disney movies, I got extremely emotional and was completely immersed in this adorable little tale of a this dog, his owner and his love for all tasty food. Although his appearance is enough to make him a lovable pooch, his love for his owner and what he does for him during this brilliant short puts his lovableness on a whole new level.

7. Dodger from Oliver and Company

With the smooth vocal stylings of a 1980s Billy Joel and a streetwise NYC attitude, Dodger is one of the most enjoyable parts of this underrated Disney classic. Add on top of that his super cute appearance and little bandana and he would make an awesome pet for any owner. I have to say, I am a big fan of all of the dogs in this film, Tito the Chihauha and Georgette the pampered poodle are also excellent characters.

6. Copper from The Fox and the Hound

This movie....oh my dear lord how this film makes me cry every damn time! It's such a little gem of a film and I always have to prepare myself emotionally to watch it. The character of Copper goes from being a little rambunctious little pup to a trained hunting dog. His friendship with Todd the fox is one of the greatest in all Disney history and one of the most heartwarming.

5. Bolt from Bolt

I am ashamed to say I only watched this movie for the first time ever a few months ago but I really really loved it. The first appearance of Bolt is absolutely one of the cutest moments in Disney movies and his animation is one of the best of any Disney dog ever. I find some parts of this movie so heart wrenching but the brave and adorable nature of it's protagonist also gives it some truly heartwarming moments too

4. Pluto from Mickey Mouse classic shorts

The original Disney dog and one of the greatest! Pluto has been a loyal sidekick to Mickey now for over 80 years, now that's a loyal companion right there! I may have a serious soft spot for him because I met him on my first ever trip to Disneyland but lets face it, no Disney dog list would be complete without this furry guy

3. Nana from Peter Pan

I have a real soft spot for old cuddly pups. There's just something so sweet about an older lazy old fluff that melts my heart and Nana definitely fits that bill. She also happens to be a fantastic carer to the three Darling children and she can rock a bonnet better than most humans!

2. Dug from Up

Dug epitomized my reaction to all dogs when I meet them "I have a just met you and I love you". He is the ultimate sweet canine companion and reminds me of so many gorgeous and friendly doggos I have met in my life. He also provides some of the best moments in the film and who wouldn't want a dog that could talk about all the unconditional love he has for you. 

1. Lady and the Tramp from Lady and the Tramp

Of course, how could it be anybody else but this darling pair. If there's ever been a cuter or more romantic couple in Disney history, I certainly haven't heard of them! Lady, the gorgeous "cockera spanish a girl" and Tramp the boisterous streetwise mutt are my personal favourite Disney couple and my favourite Disney dogs, I even have stuffed animals of them to prove it! Any owner would be lucky to have the love and companionship of these two every belle notte  

Best Disney Christmas Movies

Well now that it's officially less than 3 weeks till Christmas Day, and I'm really starting to feel the Festive Spirit, I thought I'd just make a little list of some of what I consider to be the best Disney Christmas Movies. There are A LOT of them, of course, but some in my opinion are just much better than others. So here's my personal favourites, and hopefully anybody looking to do a movie marathon of Christmas films will find it helpful in the coming weeks

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)

Okay, so this film will never live up to the original, obviously, but it's still a charming and sweet little story that brings all of our favourite characters to the screen again. The story takes place during Belle's time at the castle, before she and the Beast fell fully in love and he let her leave. The plot consists of Belle and the rest of the castle trying to change the Beast's mind about his hatred for Christmas. Paige O'Hara returns as Belle thank god, and Tim Curry does an excellent job voicing the villainous Organ Forte. There is also some lovely songs, particularly "As Long as There's Christmas". 4 out of 5 stars from me, even if that is helped a lot by nostalgia






The Santa Clause (1994)

This movie is played every single Christmas season as the Saturday movie here in Ireland and I look forward to it every time! It stars the fantastic Tim Allen, as a man who accidentally kills Santa Claus, which means he has to take his place as old Father Christmas. I adored this film as a child, it's a lot of fun and some really emotional moments. This yet again is a film that may be loved more by people who watched it as children than by people who watch it for the first time today, but I feel it still holds up as a Christmas classic. 5 out of 5 stars from me









The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

I recently had a debate with a friend of mine as to whether this was a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie, it obviously can be see as both, however I always found it to be more Christmassy than anything. With that in mind, I'll absolutely be watching it in the next few weeks. There's not much I can say about this film that hasn't already been said, so many people adore it and with good reason. The animation is wonderful and really charming and the songs. I remember when I first watched it, the song "What's This?" was just so magical to listen to and watch, it's still one of my favourites. 4 out of 5 stars from me








The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

Of all of the Disney Christmas movies and perhaps of any of the Christmas movies I watched as a kid, this one is by far my favourite. It has Michael Caine as Scrooge and Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, what's not to love? The classic Charles Dickens' story being told by the Muppets works so brilliantly well and cleverly. According to information I've read, the movie didn't do very well at the Box Office that year due to Home Alone 2, but I have to be honest, I feel this is a way better more festive feature and a childhood classic. 5 out of 5 stars







Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too (1991)

Well, here's one for the tiniest of tikes to enjoy, and if you're at all like me, the older tikes too. The movie is, like everything Pooh Bear related, absolutely adorable. I used to own this one VHS as a kid and I would watch it all year round. The plot revolves around all the Hundred Acre Wood gang going to the North Pole to get Christopher Robin's letter back before santa claus see's that it doesn't say what Pooh bear wants on it. It wouldn't be considered by critics to be as great an animation as the original Winnie the Pooh films, but I think it's a lovely little treat for kids and some adults on a Christmas morning. 5 out of 5 stars