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.
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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1. Fluke (1995)
Fluke is about a family man… well, a dog that used to be a man. Tom (Matthew Modine) comes back reincarnated as a stray pup called Fluke and works to piece together his past life. Number two on our list of most emotional dog films will make you tear up several times for a variety of reasons but it is perhaps Fluke’s best pal Rumbo (Samuel L. Jackson) who will stick around in your memory. Photo: Contributed
2. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2010)
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale encapsulates the bond between a man and his dog in a beautiful and entirely depressing way. It's officially the saddest dog film you can watch - with twice as many reviewers mentioning crying compared to its closest rival. It's based on the true story of a dog who would travel to the station every day to wait for its owner. One day, his owner didn't return but Hachi continued to make the journey to the station to wait every day for the next nine years. Photo: Contributed
3. Marley & Me (2009)
The third-saddest dog film on our list is the ever-popular tale of Marley & Me. The story of Marley is based on John Grogan’s book about his own family and their pet – one that he called ‘the world’s worst dog’. When John (Owen Wilson) and Jennifer Grogan (Jennifer Aniston) take in a badly-behaved puppy they don’t know what they are in for. Cue funny dog antics alongside important milestone moments for the family who quickly realise just how much they rely on their troublesome pup. Photo: Contributed
4. A Dog's Purpose (2017)
A dog (Josh Gad) is reincarnated through five lifetimes while searching for life’s purpose. This dog comes to different conclusions throughout the movie based on the various situations and humans that come into this dog’s many lives. A Dog's Purpose is a sad film all about loyalty and determination, with some nice owners and some nasty ones who influence the dog’s lives. But this strong-willed pup never gives up on the mission to discover life’s true purpose, making this both a heart-breaking and heartening dog movie. Photo: Contributed