The Most Popular Dog Breeds... in Movies

While some dog breeds star in more movies than others...

Protect My PawsWe provide some facts that will change what you thought you knew about dogs in movies.

There is no doubt that the powerful German Shepherd is the canine king of Hollywood movies. These dogs, also known as Alsatians, have accumulated nearly double the credits of the second most active dog breed in cinema, the bulldog.

The Saint Bernard tends to steal the spotlight with its presence. We can see it in films like 'Beethoven' and 'Daddy Daycare'. But there are also nine other breeds, including the poodle and the chihuahua, that have more movies to their name. And the Dalmatian? Since we count the number of movies rather than the number of dogs, the Dalmatian isn't even among the top ten.

How have audience preferences for canine talent changed over the years? The original Alsatian superstar, Rin Tin Tin, rose to fame in the 1920s. However, his descendants and namesakes worked with sporadic success.

It wasn't until the 1960s that the German Shepherd once again became the most popular breed. The long-haired hound was seen in the zombie film 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968) and in the auteur classic 'The Diary of Chambermaid' (1964), among over 50 titles in the 1960s. But undoubtedly, its most iconic role was in 'The Little Tramp', a stray dog that solves problems for strangers.

The German Shepherd has dominated every period since the 1960s. However, Hollywood's golden age was an era of bulldogs. This wrinkled-faced dog has 34 titles to its name in both the 1940s and 1950s. We can see it alongside Judy Garland in 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944). But most of the bulldog's credits come from appearances in cartoons, like Spike, a canine sidekick of Tom and Jerry.

That only leaves a surprise winner for the 1930s: the dachshund. Why a surprise? Because this type of dog is better suited for wide-screen films, which weren't common until the 1950s. We can see them in movies like 'The Secret Agent of Hitchcock', but the majority of appearances are found in cartoons.

Why? Because movies featuring these dogs have an average rating of 56.5. They are thus the 14th most critically acclaimed dog breed.

And the critics' favorite dog is undoubtedly the Border Collie. As sharp as Joan Crawford, as tenacious as Sigourney Weaver, and as lovable as Heath Ledger. These dogs appear in films like 'Babe' (1995) and 'The Lobster' (2015). They have also played the 'dog par excellence' in dog movies like 'A Dog Year' or 'Hotel for Dogs'.