Australian Cattle Dogs don’t have the “cuddle” effect Hollywood looks for in a family dog like a Golden Retriever or a fuzzy mixed breed. Nor the super tough guy image of the Rottweiler or Doberman. Nor dog hero reputation of the Border Collie or German Shepherd. As a result, they rarely find good film roles, despite versatility that suits them perfectly to any of these movie dog molds.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
or Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
Red cattle dog in one scene with fishermen—strangely enough.
Air Bud: World Pup
- Golden Retriever
- ★★★
- Australian Shepherd
- ★
- Miniature American Shepherd
- ★
- German Shepherd Dog
- ★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Basenji
- ★
- Belgian Malinois
- ★
- Border Collie
- ★
- Boxer
- ★
- Briard
- ★
- Collie (rough)
- ★
- Dalmatian
- ★
- English Springer Spaniel
- ★
- Parson Russell Terrier
- ★
- Rottweiler
- ★
- Mixed Breed
- ★
Babe
or Babe: The Gallent Pig
- Border Collie
- ★★★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
Groundbreaking animal film paving the way for live-action meets CGI talking animal movies. Babe remains a classic and one of the best in the genre.
The Blob
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Born to Run
or Harness Fever
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★★
- Australian Shepherd
- ★
From a Wonderful World of Disney TV film.
Brokeback Mountain
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Australian Shepherd
- ★
A couple of Australian Cattle Dogs accompany the cowboys at the beginning of the film, plus one shot of an Aussie. More extended footage of the dogs was cut during editing.
Captain Johnno
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
TV movie with a dog at the schoolhouse that looks more like a Cattle Dog/Kelpie mix than purebred.
The Darwin Awards
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Devil’s Hill
or Touch the Sun: Devil’s Hill
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★★
- Labrador Retriever
- ★
From the Australian TV series Touch the Sun, which released six feature TV movies for families. This one is based on the novel by Nan Chauncy.
Dusty
- Australian Kelpie
- ★★★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
Classic Kelpie movie. Only released on VHS tape in North America.
The Earthling
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Golden Winter
- Golden Retriever
- ★★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Chihuahua
- ★
- Mixed Breed
- ★
The Incredible Hulk
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Last of the Dogmen
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Man of Steel
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★★
The Cattle Dog here has a small but critical role. Seen a few times, midway and late in the film.
Marley and Me
- Labrador Retriever
- ★★★
- Australian Shepherd
- ★
- American Bulldog
- ★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Cocker Spaniel
- ★
- Doberman Pinscher
- ★
- Beagle
- ★
- Border Collie
- ★
- Mixed Breed
- ★
- Poodle
- ★
- Newfoundland
- ★
- Doodle
- ★
- Collie (rough)
- ★
- Siberian Husky
- ★
- Weimaraner
- ★
- German Shepherd Dog
- ★
- Bulldog
- ★
- Rottweiler
- ★
- Boxer
- ★
- Dalmatian
- ★
- Golden Retriever
- ★
- Miniature Pinscher
- ★
Beyond the Labrador Retrievers, dozens of dogs are seen in obedience class, at the beach, etc. The Newfoundland is a Landseer.
The Monster of Mangatiti
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Collie (rough)
- ★
- Mixed Breed
- ★
There are many dogs in this film, which is part documentary, though they are mostly only seen in the background.
Mr Reliable
or My Entire Life
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Piranha
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
The Road Warrior
or Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★★
Australian Cattle Dog as post-apocalyptic sidekick.
The Rover
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
Secret Window
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
Chico, an eleven-year-old ACD, was almost totally blind when he appeared in this film. He landed the part because the director liked the idea of an elderly canine costar.
The Silver Brumby
or The Silver Stallion
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★★
“Monday is wash day, makes every doggie happy.”
The Thorn Birds
- Australian Shepherd
- ★
- Australian Kelpie
- ★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Mixed Breed
- ★
This is a miniseries and technically out of the scope of Reel Dogs, which doesn’t deal with TV shows or animation. However, you can watch it like a very long movie and there’s some interesting canine content here. The dogs at the sheep ranch are in multiple scenes and appear in great quantities.
The Tree of Life
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
The Wedding Pact
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★★
Talented Hooligan plays “Buddy” and appears in several scenes.
Welcome to Woop Woop
- Australian Cattle Dog
- unconfirmed
White God
or Fehér isten
- Mixed Breed
- ★★★
- German Shepherd Dog
- ★
- Dutch Shepherd
- ★
- Australian Cattle Dog
- ★
- Rottweiler
- ★
- Labrador Retriever
- ★
- Australian Shepherd
- ★
- Beauceron
- ★
- Jack Russell Terrier
- ★
- Greyhound
- ★
- Doberman Pinscher
- ★
- Belgian Malinois
- ★
- Border Collie
- ★
- Czechoslovakian Wolfdog
- ★
- Pit Bull
- ★
- Dalmatian
- ★
- American Staffordshire Terrier
- ★
- Cane Corso
- ★
- Boxer
- ★
- Vizsla
- ★
- Australian Kelpie
- ★
- Catahoula Leopard Dog
- ★
- Belgian Sheepdog
- ★
- Beagle
- ★
280 dogs worked in this film. “Hagen,” played by brothers trained by Teresa Miller, is the star.