Real dogs in history, politics, royalty, exploration, and public life
- Argos Owner: Odysseus (mythic) Famous from: Homer’s Odyssey, the dog that recognises his master after years away
- Gelert Owner: Llywelyn the Great (legendary association) Famous from: Welsh legend of loyalty and tragedy, commonly tied to Beddgelert
- Hachikō Owner: Hidesaburō Ueno Famous from: Waiting at Shibuya Station in Tokyo after his owner died
- Greyfriars Bobby Owner: John Gray (traditional account) Famous from: Edinburgh story of a dog associated with guarding his owner’s grave
- Fido Owner: Carlo Soriani Famous from: Italian loyalty story of a dog reported to have waited daily after WWII
- Kostya Owner: Not clearly documented Famous from: The “Russian Hachikō” story from Tolyatti, known for waiting after a crash
- Bobbie the Wonder Dog Owner: The Brazier family Famous from: Reported long-distance journey home after being lost
- Barry (Barry der Menschenretter) Owner: Great St Bernard Pass hospice handlers (associated) Famous from: Alpine rescue legend linked to saving travellers
- Seaman Owner: Meriwether Lewis Famous from: The Lewis and Clark Expedition companion dog
- Bud Owner: Horatio Nelson Jackson (and companions) Famous from: 1903 cross-country automobile trip across the United States
- Owney Owner: Railway Mail Service staff (community caretakers) Famous from: US postal mascot dog who “travelled” widely with mail trains
- Pickles Owner: David Corbett Famous from: Finding the stolen Jules Rimet World Cup trophy (1966)
- Dash Owner: Queen Victoria Famous from: A royal pet often mentioned in Victorian biographies and letters
- Caesar Owner: King Edward VII Famous from: The royal dog said to have walked behind the king’s coffin
- Susan Owner: Queen Elizabeth II Famous from: The corgi widely credited with beginning the Queen’s famous corgi line
- Willow Owner: Queen Elizabeth II Famous from: One of the Queen’s later corgis, widely referenced in royal reporting
- Monty Owner: Queen Elizabeth II Famous from: Royal family dog featured in public photos and events
- Whisper Owner: Queen Elizabeth II (reported) Famous from: Royal pet coverage, often mentioned among the Queen’s dogs in later years
- Vulcan Owner: Queen Elizabeth II (reported) Famous from: Royal pet coverage, often listed among the Queen’s dorgis
- Candy Owner: Queen Elizabeth II (reported) Famous from: Royal pet coverage, one of the dorgis frequently mentioned in biographies and news
- Fala Owner: Franklin D. Roosevelt Famous from: US presidential dog, prominent in photos and political folklore
- Checkers Owner: Richard Nixon’s family Famous from: The “Checkers speech” and mid-20th century US political history
- Bo Owner: Barack Obama and family Famous from: White House dog during the Obama presidency
- Sunny Owner: Barack Obama and family Famous from: Second Obama family dog at the White House
- Major Owner: Joe Biden and family Famous from: White House dog during the Biden presidency
- Champ Owner: Joe Biden and family Famous from: Long-time Biden family dog, widely referenced in public life
- Buddy Owner: Bill Clinton and family Famous from: White House dog during the Clinton years
- Rex Owner: Ronald Reagan and family Famous from: White House dog during the Reagan administration
- Millie Owner: George H. W. Bush and family Famous from: Famous Bush family dog, well-known from public mentions and media
- Ranger Owner: George H. W. Bush and family Famous from: Bush family dog often mentioned among their pets
- Barney Owner: George W. Bush and family Famous from: White House dog, featured in public communications and media clips
- Miss Beazley Owner: George W. Bush and family Famous from: White House dog alongside Barney
- Seamus Owner: Mitt Romney (family dog, widely referenced in political coverage) Famous from: US election-era controversy and public discussion about pet travel
- Blondi Owner: Adolf Hitler Famous from: WWII-era historical accounts, notorious association
- Boatswain Owner: Lord Byron (reported) Famous from: Literary history, Byron’s well-known affection and elegy for the dog
- Gipsy Owner: George Eliot (reported) Famous from: Literary biography, often mentioned in accounts of Eliot’s home life
- Stickeen Owner: John Muir (travelling companion, reported) Famous from: John Muir’s story “Stickeen”, a dog and wilderness survival narrative
- Red Dog Owner: No single owner, community dog Famous from: True story from Western Australia and the film Red Dog
War dogs, service dogs, and rescue dogs
- Sergeant Stubby Owner/handler: 102nd Infantry Regiment, associated with J. Robert Conroy Famous from: WWI mascot and decorated war-dog legend
- Rin Tin Tin Owner/handler: Lee Duncan Famous from: Early Hollywood film star after being rescued during WWI
- Strongheart Owner/handler: Film handlers (trained for cinema work) Famous from: Silent-era canine movie star
- Smoky Owner/handler: Bill Wynne Famous from: WWII Yorkie war-dog story, morale and communications work
- Chips Owner/handler: US Army K-9 Corps (handlers varied) Famous from: WWII war-dog accounts commonly cited for bravery
- Judy Owner/handler: HMS Grasshopper crew (and later POW companions) Famous from: WWII ship’s dog and prisoner-of-war survival story
- Gander Owner/handler: Royal Rifles of Canada Famous from: WWII mascot story, often cited for saving soldiers (details vary by retelling)
- Rags Owner/handler: Reported with US forces (WWI), details vary by source Famous from: Messenger dog stories from WWI-era retellings
- Antis Owner/handler: Robert Bozdech (often reported) Famous from: WWII story of a dog travelling with a Czech airman, widely told in wartime animal histories
- Bamse Owner/handler: Royal Norwegian Navy (mascot, handlers vary) Famous from: WWII naval mascot dog, celebrated in Norwegian and allied stories
- Rip Owner/handler: ARP rescue context (reported, UK wartime) Famous from: WWII London Blitz rescue dog stories, details vary across accounts
- Nemo A534 Owner/handler: US Air Force security police (Vietnam War) Famous from: Military working dog credited with saving his handler, later widely honoured
- Lucca Owner/handler: US Marine Corps working-dog handlers Famous from: Modern military working dog profiled for service
- Cairo Owner/handler: US Navy SEAL handler (name not always public) Famous from: Publicly reported as the dog involved in the bin Laden raid
- Lex Owner/handler: US Marines (handler Russell and unit commonly reported) Famous from: Modern combat service story, often cited in military dog memorial coverage
- Sarbi Owner/handler: Australian Army (handlers documented in coverage) Famous from: Australian military dog story, survival and recovery narrative after Afghanistan service
- Frida Owner/handler: Mexican Navy (SEMAR) Famous from: Earthquake rescue work, widely celebrated after the 2017 Mexico earthquake
- Bretagne Owner/handler: Denise Corliss and SAR teams Famous from: 9/11 search-and-rescue dog commonly featured in memorial coverage
- Apollo Owner/handler: NYPD handler (varies by source) Famous from: Early K-9 search work at Ground Zero after 9/11
- Roselle Owner: Michael Hingson Famous from: Guide dog credited with helping her owner evacuate the World Trade Center on 9/11
- Salty Owner: Omar Rivera Famous from: Guide dog 9/11 evacuation story often told alongside Roselle
- Endal Owner: Allen Parton Famous from: Assistance dog known for high-profile demonstrations and reported rescues
- Hurricane Owner/handler: US Secret Service handler Famous from: Protection dog recognised for stopping an intruder at the White House
- Swansea Jack Owner: Local caretakers (varied) Famous from: Dog credited with multiple rescues in Swansea docks
- Kabang Owner: Family in Zamboanga City (Philippines), not always named in popular retellings Famous from: Dog credited with saving children from a motorcycle, later received international attention
Sled dogs and polar exploration
- Balto Owner/handler: Gunnar Kaasen’s team (associated with Seppala’s kennels) Famous from: 1925 serum run to Nome, famous for the final leg in many retellings
- Togo Owner/handler: Leonhard Seppala Famous from: 1925 serum run to Nome, widely credited with the longest and hardest distance
Science and space dogs
- Laika Owner/handler: Soviet space program Famous from: First dog to orbit Earth (Sputnik 2, 1957)
- Belka Owner/handler: Soviet space program Famous from: One of the first dogs to orbit Earth and return safely
- Strelka Owner/handler: Soviet space program Famous from: Orbited and returned safely, later widely referenced in space history
Fictional dogs in classic literature and children’s books
- Lassie Owner: Varies by version (often Timmy or Joe, fictional) Famous from: Lassie Come-Home and decades of books, films, and TV
- Toto Owner: Dorothy Gale (fictional) Famous from: The Wizard of Oz
- Nana Owner: The Darling family (fictional) Famous from: Peter Pan
- Snowy (Milou) Owner: Tintin (fictional) Famous from: The Adventures of Tintin
- Snoopy Owner: Charlie Brown (fictional) Famous from: Peanuts
- Odie Owner: Jon Arbuckle (fictional) Famous from: Garfield
- Clifford Owner: Emily Elizabeth (fictional) Famous from: Clifford the Big Red Dog
- Blue Owner: Steve or Josh (fictional hosts) Famous from: Blue’s Clues
- Wishbone Owner: The Talbot family (fictional) Famous from: Wishbone
- Shiloh Owner: Marty Preston (fictional) Famous from: Shiloh (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)
- Winn-Dixie Owner: Opal Buloni (fictional) Famous from: Because of Winn-Dixie
- Sounder Owner: The boy’s family (fictional) Famous from: Sounder
- Old Dan Owner: Billy Colman (fictional) Famous from: Where the Red Fern Grows
- Little Ann Owner: Billy Colman (fictional) Famous from: Where the Red Fern Grows
- Buck Owner: Multiple, in story (fictional) Famous from: The Call of the Wild
- White Fang Owner: Weedon Scott (fictional, later) Famous from: White Fang
- Old Yeller Owner: The Coates family (fictional) Famous from: Old Yeller
- Fang Owner: Rubeus Hagrid (fictional) Famous from: Harry Potter series
- Gaspode Owner: N/A (talking dog character, fictional) Famous from: Discworld (Terry Pratchett)
Animated and comic dogs
- Pluto Owner: Mickey Mouse (fictional) Famous from: Disney shorts and films
- Goofy Owner: N/A (anthropomorphic dog character) Famous from: Disney animation and films
- Scooby-Doo Owner: Shaggy Rogers (fictional) Famous from: Scooby-Doo
- Scrappy-Doo Owner: Scooby’s family (fictional) Famous from: Scooby-Doo
- Courage Owner: Muriel Bagge (fictional) Famous from: Courage the Cowardly Dog
- Santa’s Little Helper Owner: The Simpson family (fictional) Famous from: The Simpsons
- Brian Griffin Owner: The Griffin family (fictional) Famous from: Family Guy
- Dug Owner: Carl and Russell (fictional) Famous from: Pixar’s Up
- Gromit Owner: Wallace (fictional) Famous from: Wallace & Gromit
- Droopy Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: Classic animation shorts
- Spike Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: Tom and Jerry
- Hector the Bulldog Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: Looney Tunes
- Krypto Owner: Superman (fictional) Famous from: DC Comics
- Astro Owner: The Jetson family (fictional) Famous from: The Jetsons
- Deputy Dawg Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: Classic TV animation
- Hong Kong Phooey Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: Hanna-Barbera series
- Huckleberry Hound Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: The Huckleberry Hound Show
- Underdog Owner: N/A (superhero dog character) Famous from: Underdog (classic animation)
Film and television dogs
- Benji Owner: Varies by film (fictional) Famous from: Benji film franchise
- Beethoven Owner: The Newton family (fictional) Famous from: Beethoven films
- Marley Owner: John Grogan (real person, in memoir) Famous from: Marley & Me
- Enzo Owner: Denny Swift (fictional) Famous from: The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Skip Owner: Willie Morris (as a boy, story-based) Famous from: My Dog Skip
- Eddie Owner: Martin Crane (fictional) Famous from: Frasier
- Comet Owner: The Tanner family (fictional) Famous from: Full House
- Einstein Owner: Doc Brown (fictional) Famous from: Back to the Future
- Pongo Owner: Roger and Anita (fictional) Famous from: One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Perdita Owner: Roger and Anita (fictional) Famous from: One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Patch Owner: Dalmatian family (fictional) Famous from: 101 Dalmatians
- Lady Owner: Darling family (fictional) Famous from: Lady and the Tramp
- Tramp Owner: N/A (fictional) Famous from: Lady and the Tramp
- Jock Owner: The Darling family (fictional) Famous from: Lady and the Tramp
- Trusty Owner: The Darling family (fictional) Famous from: Lady and the Tramp
- Max Owner: The Grinch (fictional) Famous from: How the Grinch Stole Christmas adaptations
- Bruiser Woods Owner: Elle Woods (fictional) Famous from: Legally Blonde
- Verdell Owner: Melvin Udall (fictional) Famous from: As Good as It Gets
- Hooch Owner: Scott Turner (fictional) Famous from: Turner & Hooch
- Chance Owner: The Burnford family (fictional, in film) Famous from: Homeward Bound
- Shadow Owner: The Burnford family (fictional, in film) Famous from: Homeward Bound
- Hachi Owner: Parker Wilson (fictionalised owner) Famous from: The film Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (based on Hachikō)
- Bolt Owner: Penny (fictional) Famous from: Disney’s Bolt
- Dodger Owner: N/A (fictional) Famous from: Oliver & Company (dog character in the adaptation)
- Fly Owner: The Heeler family’s farm contacts (fictional) Famous from: Babe (the border collie who helps train Babe)
- Rolf Owner: N/A (fictional character) Famous from: The Muppet Show
- Vincent Owner: The Fisher family (fictional) Famous from: Lost (dog frequently seen on the island)
- Asta Owner: Nick and Nora Charles (fictional) Famous from: The Thin Man films and their iconic terrier sidekick
- Cujo Owner: The Camber family (fictional context) Famous from: Stephen King’s Cujo and film adaptation
- Petey (Pete the Pup) Owner: The kids (fictional group) Famous from: The Little Rascals
Real dogs who were famous as animal actors
- Moose Owner/handler: Trained for screen work (handlers documented in entertainment coverage) Famous from: The dog actor who played Eddie on Frasier
- Higgins Owner/handler: Frank Inn (trainer) Famous from: The dog actor strongly associated with Benji publicity and appearances
- Buddy Owner/handler: Kevin DiCicco (trainer/owner) Famous from: The dog actor behind Air Bud
- Uggie Owner/handler: Trained for film work (trainer widely cited) Famous from: The Artist and other film roles
- Terry Owner/handler: Carl Spitz (trainer, documented) Famous from: The dog actor who played Toto in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
- Skippy Owner: Trained for screen work (ownership varies by studio era) Famous from: The original dog actor associated with The Thin Man films
Video game dogs
- Dogmeat Owner: Player character (fictional) Famous from: Fallout series
- Chop Owner: Franklin Clinton (fictional) Famous from: Grand Theft Auto V
- Koromaru Owner: SEES team (fictional) Famous from: Persona 3
- Repede Owner: Yuri Lowell’s party (fictional) Famous from: Tales of Vesperia
- DD (Diamond Dog) Owner: Venom Snake (fictional) Famous from: Metal Gear Solid V
- Hewie Owner: Fiona Belli (fictional) Famous from: Haunting Ground
- Amaterasu Owner: N/A (deity figure presented as wolf-dog) Famous from: Ōkami
- Rush Owner: Mega Man (fictional) Famous from: Mega Man series (robot dog companion)
- Polterpup Owner: Luigi (fictional) Famous from: Luigi’s Mansion series
Anime and manga dogs
- Ein Owner: The Bebop crew (fictional) Famous from: Cowboy Bebop
- Akamaru Owner: Kiba Inuzuka (fictional) Famous from: Naruto
- Iggy Owner: The Stardust Crusaders group (fictional) Famous from: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
- Sadaharu Owner: Kagura (fictional, later the Yorozuya) Famous from: Gintama (dog-like companion, often treated as a “big dog” character)
- Koro Owner: The Nohara family (fictional) Famous from: Crayon Shin-chan
- Pochita Owner: Denji (fictional) Famous from: Chainsaw Man (dog-like devil, often described as dog-shaped)
Advertising, logos, and corporate mascots
- Nipper Owner: Originally owned by Mark Henry Barraud (commonly reported) Famous from: The “His Master’s Voice” image used for records and electronics branding
- Spuds MacKenzie Owner: Brand mascot (Bud Light), real bull terrier used in campaigns Famous from: Bud Light advertising in the late 1980s
- Bullseye Owner: Brand mascot (Target) Famous from: Target’s bull terrier mascot
- The Taco Bell Dog (Gidget) Owner: Animal actor, owner not commonly foregrounded in pop coverage Famous from: Taco Bell ads, “Yo quiero Taco Bell” era
Celebrity-owned dogs
- Asia Owner: Lady Gaga Famous from: Frequently photographed and referenced as one of Gaga’s dogs
- Koji Owner: Lady Gaga Famous from: Gaga’s French bulldog, widely covered in celebrity media
- Gustav Owner: Lady Gaga Famous from: Another of Gaga’s dogs, often mentioned in coverage
- Toulouse Owner: Ariana Grande Famous from: One of her well-known dogs, frequently shown on social media
- Tinkerbell Owner: Paris Hilton Famous from: Early 2000s celebrity-chihuahua era, paparazzi photos, and pop culture references
- Mr. Amazing Owner: Paris Hilton (reported) Famous from: One of Hilton’s small dogs featured in media and social posts
- Boo Radley Owner: Channing Tatum (reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet coverage, widely shared in entertainment media
- Norman Owner: Kaley Cuoco (reported) Famous from: Advocacy and frequent public posts about her dogs
- George Owner: Jennifer Aniston (reported, earlier years) Famous from: Celebrity pet often mentioned in interviews and magazine features
- Dolly Owner: Jennifer Aniston (reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet, widely mentioned in lifestyle coverage
- Pepper Owner: Jennifer Aniston (reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet coverage, often photographed
- Fynn Owner: Amanda Seyfried (reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet frequently posted and referenced
- Penny Owner: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend (reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet widely featured in social posts and media coverage
- Pippa Owner: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend (reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet, often mentioned alongside Penny
- Hulk Owner: Lionel Messi (widely reported) Famous from: Celebrity pet featured in social posts and interviews
Internet-famous dogs and social media icons
- Boo Owner: Irene Ahn Famous from: “World’s cutest dog” era of social media
- Doug the Pug Owner: Leslie Mosier Famous from: Social media fame, books, and appearances
- Jiffpom Owner: Not always consistently reported in mainstream summaries Famous from: Social media and pop appearances
- Tuna Owner: Courtney Dasher Famous from: Early viral “unique face” dog celebrity online
- Marnie Owner: Adopted by Shakina Nachman (commonly reported) Famous from: Viral senior rescue dog with a signature head tilt
- Kabosu Owner: Atsuko Sato Famous from: The original Doge meme image (Shiba Inu)
- Balltze (Cheems) Owner: Kathy (commonly reported) Famous from: “Cheems” meme and Doge-adjacent internet culture
- Menswear Dog (Bodhi) Owner: Yena Kim and David Fung (commonly reported) Famous from: Fashion parody and street-style dog photos
- Crusoe the Dachshund Owner: Ryan Beauchesne (commonly reported) Famous from: Comedy videos and dog “adventures” content
- Maymo Owner: Not consistently foregrounded in popular summaries Famous from: Viral beagle videos and costume content
University and sports mascot dogs
- Uga Owner/handler: University of Georgia mascot handlers (tradition, real dog line) Famous from: Georgia Bulldogs live mascot
- Smokey Owner/handler: University of Tennessee mascot handlers (tradition, real dog) Famous from: Tennessee Volunteers live mascot
- Reveille Owner/handler: Texas A&M Corps of Cadets (tradition, real dog line) Famous from: Texas A&M University live mascot
- Handsome Dan Owner/handler: Yale University (tradition, real dog line) Famous from: Yale Bulldogs mascot tradition
- Dubs Owner/handler: University of Washington mascot handlers (tradition, real dog line) Famous from: Washington Huskies live mascot
Veterinary Advisor, Veterinarian London Area, United Kingdom