Even in non-pet households (like mine), most kids seem to have some level of fascination with dogs. Personally, I don’t love man’s best friend. But it seems that my kids could watch dogs for hours.
Whether you love dogs or not, there is no shortage to movies and TV shows about dogs that will occupy kids’ attention and probably even be a bit entertaining for you.
Here are 5 movies and TV shows perfect for these last “dog days” of summer.
An oldie but a goodie. This live-action adventure movie about a talking group of pets trying to find their way home was one of my favorite movies of all time when I was little. The voiceover cast includes Michael J. Fox and Sally Field.
While this movie will probably come across as fairly cheesy to a more mature adult audience these days, it’s still a fascinating and exciting watch for animal-loving kids.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is streaming on Disney+.
“Dogs” is a PG-rated Netflix docuseries about the bonds between people and dogs. Episodes are nearly an hour long, and each of the six episodes examines a different angle of the connection between man and dog.
Some episodes might be a bit intense for younger viewers: one episodes features bombs, and another has a dog attack in it. There’s also some light profanity.
Dogs streams on Netflix.
This one is an animated Disney movie about a dog who stars as a super-powered dog in a TV show and must rescue the girl who co-stars with him. There’s lots of entertaining fun here and little to concern parents, though it’s rated PG for “some mild action and peril.”
Bolt is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
This movie -- based on characters from the 1960s Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon show -- is a pretty funny animated film about a genius person-like dog and his boy. There is time-traveling, some hilarious encounters with historic events, and a quest to repair the damage they accidentally did to history.
It’s rated PG, with a little crude humor and some action, but nothing too intense.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman is currently streaming on Netflix.
SPOILER ALERT!
Would any list of dog movies and shows be complete without this classic dog-and-boy film? In case you need a refresher, Old Yeller is about a young boy in the 1860s who forms a bond with a stray dog while his dad is gone on a cattle drive. After the dog saves the boy on multiple occasions, it ends up getting rabies and, well, you know, kind of has to be euthanized.
This classic dog-dying-in-the-end movie can be pretty intense for some kids, so definitely use caution if your kids get upset at animal death. But despite being several decades old, the quality of the film does hold up, and it’s still a pretty entertaining watch.
Old Yeller is streaming on Disney+.
Image: Adobe Spark
Adrienne Thorne is a Catholic mom, blogger and screenwriter.
Keep up with Family Theater Productions on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.