I recently read an article which described the authors top 11 fictional dogs. Sure some of the pooches on the list are great (fictional) dogs but I must take issue with some that were left off. It is tough to put them in order but here are a few that were unjustly left off this list.



Pluto: Liekly one of the most recognizable dogs in the world, I can't imagine why he was not on this list. He even had a planet named after him. Okay thats may not be true but both made there debut in 1930 and it is still debated who came up with the name first, despite Walt Disney saying he named the dog after the planet. But still, Pluto has been around for nearly 80 years and is best friends with the quintessential cartoon and not listing him in a top 11 is just criminal.



Lassie: Listen, Underdog may fly and talk, but lassie could convey detailed directions through the woods simply by barking. Created in 1938 the famous Border Collie is a lock on my list, assuming I'm trapped in the bottom of a mine.



Beethoven: Sure he'll never fly around in a spaceship like astro, but he's a Saint-Brenard and that means he comes with a little keg around his neck. That's enough for me, although i could go for a little less slobbering.



The Beast: The beast is everything a dog should be, a large lumbering pooch that loves playing so much it's almost scary. What's more he wouldn't harm a fly (unless that fly was perched on a Babe Ruth signed ball). Yeah he looses a few points for ruining so many great games of ball but he was truly a legendary mutt.



Toto: Not only was he a great dog but Toto pulled down a fine salary, $125 a week for the 1939 movie The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Adjusted for inflation that's between $1500 and $17000, not to bad. My criterion here also includes how loyal a dog is, and any pup that follows an owner down a rabbit hole and through such an outrageous series of adventures gets a nod.



Old Yeller: A moment of silence here. Old Y has been the cause of many tears. He quite literally gave his life defending the family who was so kind to him.



Santas Little Helper (Simpsons): He might not be the best looking dog on the list but he may be the most accomplished. SLH has served as a seeing eye dog, a police dog, the mascot of Duff Beer, and sired dozens of other Springfield dogs.



Brian Griffin(Fmaily Guy): Sure he's got a slight drinking problem, and developed a drug problem while serving as a police dog but Brian provides tons of laughs. His list of odd jobs is even longer than Santa's Little Helper, bu he takes a backseat as a cartoon family pet solely on the fact that he acts too human.





Did I miss any of your favorite dogs? Put it in the comments.