Hey, guys. Let’s lighten the mood up a bit this week. As I was sitting down with my little boys, I thought of an extremely fun topic for this week — movies. With the rainy weather, what’s better than sitting down on the couch for a family movie marathon with your bucket of popcorn.

I’ve compiled a list with brief summaries of several of the most popular doggy movies. If your favorite isn’t on here, there may not have been enough space, but I will do my best to include as many as possible. Also, visit facebook.com/specialistamberdrake to add to the list. This article will be posted on there as well to allow for additional comments.

Marley and Me

“Marley and Me” didn’t originally start out as a famous movie. This movie started out with John Grogan (played by Owen Wilson) writing columns, similar to this one, in his local newspaper. As he was in the middle of his writing career, he and his wife (Jenny- played by Jennifer Aniston) adopted an adorable yellow lab puppy. The “clearance” puppy was the pup they chose. As Marley grew, his ability to destroy anything and everything also grew. John Grogan described him as the “best worst dog ever!” If you haven’t seen this, it’s a must-watch.

Beethoven

Nearly everyone has heard of Beethoven, the Saint Bernard who joined a family as an adorable, fluffy little puppy. “Beethoven” is one of the highest earning dog films of all time. There’s a series of “Beethoven” movies, so if you have a deep love for Saint Bernards, you could make a movie marathon out of this movie alone.

Marmaduke

“Marmaduke” is one of my boys’ favorite movies. Marmaduke (Owen Wilson) helps his family adjust to life in California. At first, he’s excited, but he soon finds out he doesn’t quite fit in. This movie will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. If you haven’t heard of the movie, you may know the comic strip created by Brad Anderson which ran from 1955 to 2015.

Old Yeller

“Old Yeller” is a classic. This may or may not be a movie you want to watch with your family as a whole. It’s a tearjerker. Released in 1957, in this classic movie, a runaway dog (Yeller) damages one of the fields owned by the farmer’s family. Due to the damage, Travis, one of the farmer’s son’s, attempts to drive the dog away. Then, something magical happens. Yeller saves his brother’s life. Travis and Old Yeller become closer and closer with time. You’ll have to watch the movie to find out the rest.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale

“Hachi” is based on the true story of an Akita puppy who was found by a Professor at a train stop. The Professor takes the puppy home and a strong bond grows over the following year. Every day, Hachi met the Professor at the same train stop. The same time, every day. One winter day, the Professor never showed up. He had suffered from a brain hemorrhage while at work. Even after the Professor passed away, the dog waited at the very same train stop, every day, at the same time. The movie shows the true devotion between a man and his dog.

Lassie

Lassie is a female Collie who was forced to be given up by her family due to a financial crisis. The movie features her escape and journey back home to her family.

Turner & Hooch

Scott Turner, Tom Hanks, is an uptight detective who hopes to work in a big city. When his friend is murdered, he inherited his dog, Hooch. Turner accepted Hooch with the hope that he would assist him in solving the murder case. The movie outlines Turner’s adjustment to the ‘dog world.’

Shiloh

Marty Preston, a child with a love for dogs, wants to keep a beagle who followed him home. His father insists his son bring the dog back to his rightful owner even though the dog is being abused. Shiloh is returned to his rightful owner, and once abused again, runs ‘home’ to Marty. That’s all that can be said regarding this one. You’ll have to find out the rest for yourself.

Homeward Bound

Before a family leaves for vacation to San Francisco, they drop off their three pets — a bulldog, a golden retriever, and a cat. The dogs, Chance and Shadow, and the cat, Sassy, believe they have been left for good and begin to worry. They escape and attempt to find their way back home embarking on a dangerous journey.

101 Dalmatians

You likely know this as both a cartoon and a “real-life” motion picture. If you haven’t seen this, it’s a classic both adults and children will enjoy. The villain in the movie, the evil Cruella De Vil, finds a litter of adorable dalmatian puppies and decides their skin would make a beautiful fur coat. She sends two foolish men to steal the puppies. The puppies’ parents, Pongo and Perdy, go after their beloved puppies on a long, treacherous journey.

Fox and the Hound

This one is my boys’ favorite movie, other than Bambi, of course. In the beginning of the movie, Tod, the fox, is left motherless and alone. He is taken in by a kind widow and soon befriends the neighbor’s dog, Copper. They are inseparable, but as they age, they are torn apart due to Copper being a hunting dog and Tod being a fox that’s generally hunted. They must come together to find a way to remain friends.

Movie Night

Time to pick a movie, or a few, and sit down to have a family movie night. Or, even just a movie night with your significant other. Some of these are movies you may have forgotten about. Some are old, others are new. They are all a terrific portrayal of the love our dogs share with us every day.

That’s all I have for now. Have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time.