Dogs are a Disney movie and our best friends. They're right there at our sides whenever we need them, ready to spill their undying love. We see our fur babies as family members, willing to do anything for them and ensuring their health and wellness needs are met. It's a complex but rewarding privilege to have.
My dogs will respond by watching other dogs on-screen, whether it's barking, whining, or just being intuned. And through the years, it's a hilarious experience to witness.
As we're in a mood for dogs, we selected five iconic canine classics for you to watch with your families and your four-legged members. It'll be a tail-wagging good time and don't forget the snacks!
5 Disney Dog movies to enjoy with your kids (and fur babies)
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Romance blossoms between a pedigree cocker spaniel named Lady and a streetwise mongrel named Tramp. Although both dogs were brought up in polarizing backgrounds, this is proof that love exists, with money or poverty being an issue. The animation behind this beloved tale depicts gorgeous Bostonian 1910s scenery, acknowledging Walt Disney's early beginnings in St. Louis, Missouri, when he lived on Main Street.
After their first date at Tony's, trouble brews between Lady and Tramp, severing their relationship. The former soon finds out about her beau's past relationships at the pound, leaving her heartbroken. He does win her back after killing the endangering rat and is adopted by Lady's family, just in time for Christmas.
Lady and the Tramp gave us a wonderful soundtrack, performed by the late Peggy Lee.
In 2019, an updated live-action movie was released on Disney+ and major story elements were altered to fit today's societal standards. For example, Lady and Tramp didn't have a litter, and the Siamese Cat song was re-worded to erase Asian stereotypes.
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Set in Swinging London, 101 Dalmatians told the story of two upper-class Dalmatians raising their brood of fifteen puppies. After Cruella De Vil kidnaps the pups to make coats out of their fur, Pongo and Perdita set off to rescue them and return home with an additional 84 Dalmatian puppies. That's a lot of dogs, but owners Roger and Anita decide to adopt them all, as the family is now wealthy from Roger's music career. They'll roam in the English Countryside where they'll relocate from the city.
The intitial movie spanned a franchise, with a live-action remake in 1996, TV series, and the 2019 live action film, Cruella in 2021.
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Fox and the Hound is another classic to have on your watchlist. A fox cub named Tod and a bloodhound puppy named Copper become quick friends, despite the fact they're natural enemies. The movie promotes an unbreakable friendship, even though when Tod and Copper become adults and encounter issues that often happens in hunting. In a turn of events, Tod saves Copper and his owner Amos from a bear attack, and for retribution, the fox's life is spared.
The Fox and the Hound can open our eyes to sport hunting's depravity and highlight mutual respect between animal and animal if you're willing to understand.
Oliver and Company (1988)
In the 1988 underrated film Oliver and Company, an orphaned kitten named Oliver lives with a pack of feral dogs in Manhattan until he's adopted by a young girl whose world contrasts wealth and comfort from the streets. Oliver and the dogs resided on. When Jenny (his owner) is kidnapped, it's up to Oliver, his dog friends, their owner Fagin, and his family mate, a champion show poodle named Georgette, to save her.
Oliver and Company is derived from Charles Dickens's 1830s coming-of-age novel Oliver Twist. The story reflects several problematic topics London faced in the 19th century, including abuse, unequipped and unsanitized orphanages, societal class barriers, and child labor.
Disney's version heavily watered down many of Dickens's elements, but several of the characters were based on those in Oliver Twist. Instead of London, the movie took place in New York in the 1980s, where other historical events took place.
Frankenweenie (2012)
Lastly, we have Tim Burton's Frankenweenie. In this black-and-white film with stop-animation, an aspiring young scientist experiments with electricity to resurrect his recently deceased dog, Sparky, and in a miraculous way of science, the beloved terrier is brought back to life. As a result, Sparky continues his easy-going and playful life of being a dog despite his stitched-up exterior. However, soon, others want to bring back their passed-on animals with electrical resurrection, and soon, the town faces a problem with the undead pets.
The film also questions whether people should become a higher power or entity to recreate life or allow natural circumstances to respond. As much as we love our family, is it the right and moral thing to do, or does it interfere with the natural balance of the universe and its rotation?
Frankenweenie is inspired by Mary Shelley's 1818 science fiction novel Frankenstein and the monster movies of the 1930s. It's also a reimagining of the 1984 featurette of the same name, which was also directed by Burton.