Brian VanHooker
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Welcome to the dog days of summer, where you’ll sweat through your clothes mere seconds after stepping outside and you risk a nasty sunburn just from getting your mail.
That said, we’re more interested in the canine part of the equation. After all, what better way to distract you from a bout of heat stroke than by watching the funniest pups in the history of movies?
To determine which hilarious furballs should make our list, we reached out to all manner of dog experts — from veterinarians to dog groomers to the voice of the Taco Bell Dog to the guy who performs Rowlf for the Muppets. Which is to say: We’re confident that we most definitely barked up the right tree.
For the record, though, this list is only movie dogs, so no Eddie from Frasier or Courage the Cowardly Dog, though some of the dogs below are from both TV and film — like Snoopy — and inevitably carry over some goodwill from other forms of media.
Now, sit and read. Good boy!
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines is the underrated animated movie of the decade, and Monchi the pug was a hilarious part of it,” says Jack Chambers-Ward, co-host of the podcast Sequelisers and the marketing manager for Top Dog Harnesses. “Monchi was just this blob with bulgy eyes, and he was so adorable and so stupid. Plus, pugs are just hilarious.”
“As a kid watching Lady and the Tramp, I didn’t know Peg was voiced by Peggy Lee, but I think I was attracted to her,” says Bill Barretta, the Muppet performer behind Rowlf the Dog. “She was amazing with the hair over the eye. She was so swinging and cool, and she sang so beautifully. I think I was attracted to this dog. I never experienced anything like that. It’s weird, but she was like, a new feeling for an animation character for me.”
“I love the Danny DeVito dog from Look Who’s Talking Now!,” says Matthew Richards, a former manager of an ASPCA in New York City. “I don’t think I got any of the jokes when I was little — they’re highly inappropriate and full of sexual innuendo. Mostly though, it’s Danny DeVito. It’s a case where the comedian doing the voice is why the character is funny.”
“I loved 101 Dalmatians as a kid, and Rolly was a great character for me,” says Zann Hemphill, a pet portrait artist. “Rolly was the fat kid, and I was a bit of a chunky kid and growing up in the skinny 1990s, you’d never hear the end of that. So having this puppy get me was great. He’d just be like ‘I’m hungry’ while they’re lost in the snow and they’re going to be skinned, but all he cares about is that he’s hungry. He’s just a one-track-mind kid.”
“Obviously, Reggie has Will Ferrell voicing him, so just listening to Will Ferrell is funny. I also love the humor of a naive character like that,” says Dustin Staab, a retired military veterinarian and now a veterinarian at the Pet Health Center of Solon, Iowa.
“I love Dom DeLuise and that anxiety Itchy has against the other dog, Charlie, who is such a straight character, is a great contrast,” says Richards. “Overall, the concept for All Dogs Go to Heaven isn’t funny, but the way Itchy is anxious and on-edge at all times brings some much-needed comic relief.”
“Nana is definitely not the star of the show, but every scene she’s in is better for it,” says Nicole Ellis, a certified dog trainer and pet lifestyle expert with Rover.
“Mr. Peabody reminds me of my childhood, watching his segments on Rocky and Bullwinkle,” says actor Carlos Alazraqui, who supplied the voice for the Taco Bell Dog. “Bill Scott, who voiced Mr. Peabody, was so proper, so minute-marking, so sure of himself, so confident that he encouraged a sense of exploration in me and other kids. And when they did the movie recently with Ty Burrell, I thought he did an excellent job, too.”
“I don’t love when people put a lot of jewelry and accessories on a dog, but they managed to make it very funny with Chloe in Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” says Paola Cuevas Moreno, senior veterinarian and pet behaviorist at Hepper.com.
“When I was a kid, Benji was the movie we all loved,” says Alazraqui. “Benji was likable, cute and exemplified what dogs are — unconditionally loving.”
“There’s a mischievousness to Skip that’s funny and light,” says Michael R. Burke, animal communicator, behavior consultant and author of Intuitive Animal Communication: Co-Create a Meaningful Life and Deep Connection with Animals. “Skip is also quirky and smart, and it was fun how he was always getting into things.”
“The idea of a pug in the Outback is funny to me,” says Burke. “Pugs are just funny. They’re like Muppets.”
Gidget is the over-the-top, no-nonsense white Pomeranian brilliantly voiced by Jenny Slate in The Secret Life of Pets and its sequel. “Gidget is great! We all love a little dog with a giant personality, and that’s totally what she gives us,” says Ellis.
“Pongo brings a lightheartedness to 101 Dalmatians,” says Ellis of the charming father dog Rod Taylor plays in the Disney classic.
“The Colonel from 101 Dalmatians is that type of character where they’re strict and it’s like they’re in the military. He takes himself really seriously and that’s why he’s funny,” explains Aleksandar Mishkov, a writer specializing in dog-related subjects and the owner of The Daily Tail.
“Bug is the main protagonist of Strays,” explains Staab of the foul-mouthed Boston Terrier voiced by Jamie Foxx. “He’s also the comic relief of Strays, and he’s the one getting everyone into trouble.”
“I love Clifford because of my childhood,” says Kathy Bennet, a veterinarian’s assistant. “It’s his size that was funny. He was also relatable. The silly things he did were the silly things all dogs do, his size just made them funnier.”
“Papi from Beverly Hills Chihuahua is very independent, stubborn and extremely loyal to his people. That’s what chihuahuas actually are, and I like movies that depict the dog’s personality to be like the actual breed’s personality,” says Mishkov.
“It’s a combination of the high-pitched squeakiness of Alpha’s voice with how seriously he takes himself that makes him funny,” says Richards of the enemy dog from Up, voiced by Bob Peterson.
“When I think about There’s Something About Mary, I think of the scene where Puffy attacks Ben Stiller,” says Jeannie Assimos, head of content at Way.com and the woman behind the viral dog account LilJonny. “Puffy was a huge part of that movie, like when Matt Dillon drugs him and then has to shock him back to life. He steals that movie.”
“Tito had a line that stuck with me for years and years: ‘If this is torture, chain me to the wall.’ It put everything in perspective so sharply,” Hemphill recalls of the feisty Disney chihuahua played by Cheech Marin.
“I’m picking Lucky for selfish reasons,” admits Barretta. “Norm Macdonald was a fun choice to voice that dog in Dr. Dolittle, but I was the animatronic version of Lucky. I was manipulating him along with Mak Wilson. He was also really funny with Eddie Murphy and had some great jokes.”
“The Secret Life of Pets is great because it’s filled with moments where we all go, ‘That could be my dog,’” says Ellis. “Plus, we all wonder what’s happening with our dog when we’re not with them, and Max brings his own sense of humor to that concept.”
“Bruiser had to make this list because he’s this tiny dog that’s helping Elle become the powerhouse that she is,” says Ellis. “Of course, there’s also the matching outfits and everything. How could you not like Bruiser?”
“Marmaduke is just goofy and great for the whole family,” says Ellis of the messy, lovable great dane. “He’s also held up over time — from the comics to TV to the movie.”
“Chief is extremely relatable,” says Hemphill. “For me, the best humor is when a character does something and you’re like, ‘I do that, and I didn’t know I did that.’ The way Chief introduces himself by saying ‘I bite’ is so funny, and it’s this totally distorted view of himself. Bryan Cranston is so deadpan in that role.”
“Buddy was such a stud,” says Assimos. “Buddy played all those different sports in so many movies, and it’s funny to see him in his uniform and see him slam-dunking and playing soccer.”
“I’ve always loved this combo,” says Michael Lawrence, a veterinarian at the CreekWood Veterinary Hospital in Murfreesboro Tennessee. “In the clinic where I work, several of Jock and Trusty’s lines go through my head over and over again. They’re just really supportive, wholesome characters who wanted to help.”
“I like Bolt’s confidence. Whatever is challenging Bolt, there’s always a confidence to him,” says Staab of the underrated Disney comedy about a heroic dog who doesn’t know he’s just a TV dog (voiced by John Travolta).
“I just revere the Bumpus Hounds because A Christmas Story is just my special memory for Christmas,” says Alazraqui. “I love how they just defy Ralphie’s dad. I love dogs that are single-minded, and all they’re about is, ‘We are going to get that turkey.’”
“I love Tim Burton movies, and Frankenweenie is a great one. My inner goth just takes that Beetlejuice/Nightmare Before Christmas vibe and chugs it down like chocolate milk,” says Hemphill of the Frankenstein-like story of a reanimated dog. “Sparky was heartwarming and completely unaware of his faults, like when he leaves limbs behind without realizing it. It also should be gross but it never is. He’s just lovable and hilarious.”
“Baxter was one of these characters with a big reveal,” says Hemphill. “It was always assumed throughout the movie that Ron Burgundy was just making up whatever Baxter was saying. Then we get to the bear scene and it’s like, no, Baxter is actually this very sophisticated character, and he’s the dog looking out for the idiot.”
“You can’t go wrong with John Candy,” says Bob Tkacik, comic book artist, writer and creator of the Good Boy Paws comic.
“I like how Dante’s one of those crazy dogs who looks like their lights aren’t on, but that joy he has is part of his magic,” says famous dog groomer Gabriel Feitosa. “He embodies a lot of what we associate with dogs — always happy, but also, in their own way, very wise.”
“I love Slinky’s sarcasm,” says Chambers-Ward of the Toy Story staple voiced originally by Jim Varney and later by Blake Clark. “Slinky’s also got some classic cowboy vibes. He and Woody are like the last two old gunslingers in the West. There’s a nice loyalty and friendship between the two.”
“Garfield’s got this huge ego while Odie’s this innocent puppy. He’s really innocent and really durable, which can be really funny,” says Hemphill.
“When Milo puts the mask on and he has those superpowers, it’s just hilarious,” says Feitosa.
“I love Chance,” says Tkacik. “Michael J. Fox was amazing as Chance, and Homeward Bound was a film I grew up on. It’s funny, thoughtful and soulful.”
“My friends trained the dogs that played the Marley & Me dog. The real-life Marley and those dogs that played him all have so much personality,” says Ellis. “Of course, Marley starts off very rambunctious, but the story is also relatable to people who had dogs that aren’t doing what they want, which brings its own sense of joy and humor.”
“What’s funny about Hooch is just how much trouble he gets into,” says Staab of the Dogue de Bordeaux from the beloved Tom Hanks buddy cop comedy. “He’s just a dog who likes to get in trouble, and then there’s the human counterpart who’s trying to manage it.”
“Droopy is such a great character,” says Barretta. “Vocally he’s such a unique thing. He’s not this wacky, loud character, he’s an anti-character who’s down all the time.”
“Is there anything cuter than a pug in a suit? I don’t think there is,” says Chambers-Ward.
“Frank was so funny,” Beretta adds. “He was a real dog, and the voice of Tim Blaney fit really well. He also had these great little moments. I love when Tommy Lee Jones is shaking him. It’s so good.”
“Gromit is a nonverbal character, and I just love the expressions,” says Barretta. “I love the design and whoever is animating him understands the emotions that can come from a face. It’s a wonderful performance. I have such admiration for that character.”
“Gromit is funny because he’s the adult in the room, taking care of his bumbling owner,” adds Hemphill.
“Rowlf is funny because he’s just a regular guy, but with a dog’s perspective,” says Barretta, who inherited Rowlf after the passing of Jim Henson. “Rowlf was Jim’s first breakout character, and to me, what’s special about him is that he’s very musical. He plays the piano, he sings — he’s a lot like Jim.”
“Dug talking with the translating collar is such a brilliant idea,” says Chambers-Ward of the Pixar pup voiced by Bob Peterson. “Unlike most talking dogs, where they usually feel like a man in a dog’s body, Dug is a talking dog that is a dog and that’s what is so funny about him. Plus, the line ‘Squirrel!’ was such an instant classic.”
“Max knew the Grinch was lonely before the Grinch knew the Grinch was lonely,” says Alazraqui. Tkacik also notes that “Max was a great straight man to Jim Carrey’s Grinch.”
“I love how imaginative Snoopy is,” says Richards. “Whether it’s him as the World War I flying ace or him as Joe Cool or the way he interacts with Woodstock. Both he and Woodstock don’t have any dialogue, so it’s all physical comedy and pantomime. Those playful antics are really funny, and they juxtapose with the other main characters in Peanuts.”
“Snoopy is the GOAT,” Burke adds for emphasis.
“You’ve got to love Beethoven,” says Mishkov. “It’s the perfect story of someone who doesn’t want a dog who falls in love with a dog. It happens in every household, and it happens perfectly in Beethoven.”
“Goofy, who is now being done by my friend Bill Farmer, is such a loyal companion to Mickey. He’s just happy-go-lucky, and I love his sense of will — he’s forever an optimist,” says Alazraqui.
Richards adds that Goofy is also “probably the most iconic dog on this list. Because he’s one of Disney’s biggest characters, he’s got global reach. He’s also just really funny with that laugh and all of his slapstick comedy.”
“I love his laugh. I love the way his feet scramble when he’s afraid and how he jumps in Shaggy’s arms. I love how he’s part of the group. And I love his love for Scooby Snacks,” says Assimos.
“Scooby-Doo is the definitive funny dog,” Chambers-Ward adds.
Or as Ellis puts it, “Who doesn’t love Scooby-Doo?”
