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Be warned - your four-legged friend may not like what happens to the canine lead in many of these films.Be warned - your four-legged friend may not like what happens to the canine lead in many of these films.
Be warned - your four-legged friend may not like what happens to the canine lead in many of these films.

Sad Dog Films 2023: Here are the 10 saddest dog movies of all time - from Homeward Bound to Marley & Me 🐶

Sometimes a good cathartic cry is just what is needed to recharge the batteries and let out the emotions, and nothing can make us weep like a sad movie about the beloved family dog.
By David Hepburn
Published 19th May 2022, 10:40 GMT
Updated 31st Aug 2023, 10:13 GMT

But how do you know which film will make you sob the hardest? Well, to help you out when you need a truly tear-jerking movie at the ready, canine holiday specialists Canine Cottages decided to do the research to track down ten of the most emotional dog films out there.

In order to rank the most emotional dog films, Canine Cottages analysed mentions of crying, sadness, sobbing, tears and emotion in each movie's IMDB reviews.

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The rankings were based on the number of mentions against the number of reviews, and were given extra weight if the main dog dies in the film – with films needing at least 50 reviews to be considered for the rankings.

Here are the films that are all but guaranteed to get the tears flowing.

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For all the latest dog news, chat, advice and information, join our Scotsdog Facebook group here

Possibly the most iconic sad dog film on our list, Old Yeller is famous for THAT scene that pulls at the heartstrings every time and is sure to leave viewers a crying mess. It was released back in 1957 based on the novel of the same name but has stood the test of time. Set on a Texas ranch just after the Civil War, this story is about a boy called Travis (Tommy Kirk) and a stray dog who enters his life for the better.

5. Old Yeller (1957)

Possibly the most iconic sad dog film on our list, Old Yeller is famous for THAT scene that pulls at the heartstrings every time and is sure to leave viewers a crying mess. It was released back in 1957 based on the novel of the same name but has stood the test of time. Set on a Texas ranch just after the Civil War, this story is about a boy called Travis (Tommy Kirk) and a stray dog who enters his life for the better. Photo: Contributed

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Based on the best-selling book and true story written up by Louis de Bernières, Red Dog is a sad dog movie about an Australian cattle dog who roamed the outback looking for his lost master, uniting the community as he went. He was also known as ‘The Pilbara Wanderer’ and there is a statue that was erected in his memory in 1979 in the city of Dampier where Red Dog often visited.

6. Red Dog (2011)

Based on the best-selling book and true story written up by Louis de Bernières, Red Dog is a sad dog movie about an Australian cattle dog who roamed the outback looking for his lost master, uniting the community as he went. He was also known as ‘The Pilbara Wanderer’ and there is a statue that was erected in his memory in 1979 in the city of Dampier where Red Dog often visited. Photo: Contributed

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In Eight Below a dogsled team is left behind at an Arctic research station when the humans are forced to leave in a hurry and must find a way to survive the winter. The initial tears may well flow at beginning of the film when the humans are seen pulling away. While our human protagonist Jerry Shepherd (Paul Walker) worries about the dogs, there’s nothing he can do except wait to return in the spring. It’s up to the pack to survive on their own.

7. Eight Below (2006)

In Eight Below a dogsled team is left behind at an Arctic research station when the humans are forced to leave in a hurry and must find a way to survive the winter. The initial tears may well flow at beginning of the film when the humans are seen pulling away. While our human protagonist Jerry Shepherd (Paul Walker) worries about the dogs, there’s nothing he can do except wait to return in the spring. It’s up to the pack to survive on their own. Photo: Contributed

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A beautiful story of loyalty and friendship between a boy and his dog, My Dog Skip is a film to make you ugly cry. Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) receives a dog called Skip for his ninth birthday who helps him navigate bullies, moonshiners and girls. Father and son duo, Moose and Enzo, both play the Jack Russell dog Skip and even have their own IMDB biographies if you want to know more about these fine four-pawed actors.

8. My Dog Skip (2000)

A beautiful story of loyalty and friendship between a boy and his dog, My Dog Skip is a film to make you ugly cry. Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) receives a dog called Skip for his ninth birthday who helps him navigate bullies, moonshiners and girls. Father and son duo, Moose and Enzo, both play the Jack Russell dog Skip and even have their own IMDB biographies if you want to know more about these fine four-pawed actors. Photo: Contributed

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