Looking for the best Christmas movies with dogs? You've come to the right place, as we've got a whole host of titles featuring adorable four-legged friends that are perfect for welcoming in the holiday season.
From Christmas classics like The Grinch (yes, his dog Max is the star of the show!) to Hallmark movies, you'll find lots of suggestions that the whole family will love, and they're sure to keep you entertained when the cold evenings set in.
Better yet, why not watch some of these Christmas movies with the family dog to get them involved in the festive celebrations? After all, there's nothing quite like snuggling up with your pet after a long day!
Read on to find out our picks for the best Christmas movies with dogs, and where you can stream them in 2023. We've got recommendations for Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney Plus and more...
Santa Buddies: The Search for Santa Paws
The Air Bud franchise spawned a spin-off series focusing on a gaggle of adorable Labrador puppies and struck gold with their Christmas fare. Tom Bosley (Happy Days, Murder, She Wrote) stars as Santa Paws in his last-ever film performance. Unlike the first of the Air Bud films, now the puppies can talk! And it's adorable, too. Of the four winter pup options, Santa Buddies is the cutest and filled with the most good-time Christmas feels.
Where to watch: Disney Plus
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is hailed as a Christmas classic, with Ron Howard's adaptation of the Dr. Seuss story continuing to delight viewers 22 years after it was originally released.
Starring Jim Carrey as the titular Grinch, we watch as plans to ruin Christmas for all of the citizens of the town in an act of revenge. And while it's officially the Grinch's movie, Max definitely steals the show as his adorable sidekick, so he deserves to be on this list!
Where to watch: Freeform (US), DIrecTV (US), Netflix (UK), Prime Video (UK)
An All Dogs Christmas Carol
Did you know All Dogs Go to Heaven is part of a trilogy ending with a Christmas movie? In this third movie, Angel puppies ask Annabelle to tell them the story about how Carface saved Christmas, with help from his pals Charlie and Itchy.
Using Carface as a stand-in for Ebenezer Scrooge, this retelling of A Christmas Carol is filled with references to other films — including a great homage to The Mask as the ghost of Christmas Future. It’s a cute interpretation of a classic, with a zesty charm only Don Bluth animated dogs can provide.
Where to watch: The Roku Channel (US), Tubi (US), online rental (UK)
Santa Stole Our Dog
Santa Stole Our Dog is a magical holiday adventure featuring original Christmas songs by Dolly Parton, and starring Golden Globe winner, Ed Asner (Elf), so there are some great names attached!
The Whitehaven family embarks on a whirlwind journey to the North Pole when their beloved dog, Rusty, goes missing on Christmas Eve, in this festive adventure that's sure to entertain the whole family.
Where to watch: Paramount Plus (US), Prime Video (UK), Freevee (UK)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Perhaps the most beloved Christmas special in history, thanks to Snoopy is Peanuts’ A Charlie Brown Christmas. Here, everyone’s favorite cartoon beagle appears all over this special but mainly focuses on decorating and redecorating his doghouse for the neighborhood lights display competition.
Snoopy is a certifiable pop culture icon and it's a nice reminder to see where he made his television debut all those years ago!
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus
A Christmas Tail
Presented by Norman Rockwell, A Christmas Tail is about a single mom named Maggie who adopts a Labrador Retriever for her son, only to discover the dog only ended up at the pound after getting lost chasing a cat. Maggie meets the single dad and his daughter who originally owned the dog and a custody battle over this dog ensues. Every Christmas movie ever has prepared you for exactly how this story ends, but it's still a charming film with a super cute dog.
Where to watch: Tubi (US), The Roku Channel (US), Freevee (US), Plex (US), not streaming in the UK
A Dog Named Christmas
Based on the book of the same name, A Dog Named Christmas is considered to be in the Hallmark Christmas movies “Hall of Fame”. A young neurodivergent man (Noel Fisher of Shameless fame) begs his family to foster a dog named “Christmas,” much to his father’s chagrin.
The dog inevitably turns out to be the best thing to ever happen to the family and merriment follows, making it a must-watch this festive season.
Where to watch: Prime Video (rent or buy), Apple TV (rent or buy), Peacock Premium
