Dogs have long been man’s best friend, known for their unwavering loyalty and affection. This holds true even in theworld of anime, where canine companions play a vital role. Though animators have creative license to dream up fantastical creatures, there’s something familiar and heartwarming about a faithful hound at a character’s side.
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Animal companions are prevalent in anime. Whether for emotional support or to act as the mascot of a show, the best ones have left quite an impact.
Perhaps it’s the underdog appeal, but audiences quickly fall for these animated pups. The most loyal anime dogs always have their master’s back, no matter the trial or tribulation ahead. They’re the ultimate animated adventure companions.
10Bond Forger From Spy X Family
Brave Yet Cowardly
Spy x Family
Characteristics:
Bond Forger is a large, fluffy white dog with black paws. He is the pet of theForger Familyin the popular manga and anime series Spy x Family. He was originally a lab experiment, but he was rescued by Anya Forger and adopted into the family.
Bond has the ability of precognition, which means that he can see the future. He uses this ability to protect his family and help them out in difficult situations. He is always there for the Forger family, no matter what, even though he may act cowardly at times.
Release Date
Where To Watch
Jun 04, 2025
Crunchyroll
9Black Hayate From Fullmetal Alchemist
Loyalty Beyond Commands But Gets Little Screen Time
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Black Hayate is a pet dog of Riza Hawkeye, a sharpshooter and Roy Mustang’s subordinate. Black Hayate is a Shiba Inu, characterized by his black and white fur. The stray puppy quickly forms a strong bond with Riza after she adopts him.
His loyalty extends to the other members of the military team as well, particularly to Roy Mustang, to whom Riza is extremely loyal. In the series, Black Hayate is often used ascomic relief, but his loyalty and bravery are shown in various scenes. Honestly, the fandom would have loved to see more of Black Hayate in the show, but the dog doesn’t appear on the screen that often.
Aug 16, 2025
8Tetsuya #2 from Kuroko’s Basketball
The Unofficial Mascot
Tetsuya #2 is the pet dog of Tetsuya Kuroko, one of the maincharacters in Kuroko’s Basketball. Despite not playing in the games, Tetsuya #2 is often seen in the audience during Seirin’s matches, barking and wagging his tail during games for the team.
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Tetsuya #2 gets excited during Kuroko’s games and seems to understand when Kuroko makes an impressive play. He cheers on Kuroko in his own way. The dog’s presence and enthusiastic cheering, especially during high-stakes games like the Winter Cup finals, provide moral support and comic relief. These moments further endear Tetsuya #2 to both the team and the fans of the series.
Aug 07, 2025
7Guts From Kill La Kill
Loyal With A Laid-Back Demeanor
Kill la Kill
Guts is a small, pug-like dog with a notably large tongue that often hangs out of his mouth. His character design is rather comical, lending to many of the humorous moments in the series. Despite his silly, laid-back demeanor, Guts has shown that he’s more perceptive than he initially appears.
Guts have been shown to exhibit bravery and loyalty when the Mankanshoku family or their friends are in danger. Moreover, his reactions to the outrageous events around him often mirror the audience’s own surprise or amusement.
Jun 19, 2025
6Shiro From Crayon Shin-chan
Loyalty Overshadowed by Underappreciation
Crayon Shin-Chan
Shiro is the family pet of the Nohara family, which includes the young and mischievous Shinnosuke (Shin-chan), his younger sister Himawari, and their parents, Hiroshi and Misae. He is a white, fluffy dog of an indeterminate breed. Despite his family’s chaotic tendencies, Shiro is often the most “reasonable” and “sane” member of the household.
He is also shown to bevery intelligent, occasionally displaying a deeper understanding than his human owners. Lastly, Shiro is known for his bravery, frequently risking his own safety to protect the Nohara family, particularly Shin-chan and Himawari.
Aug 21, 2025
5Chouchou From One Piece
Loyal Till Death But Lacks Power
Chouchou is a small white dog who appeared in the Orange Town Arc. Chouchou was the pet of a shop owner named Hocker in Orange Town. After Hocker died, Chouchou faithfully guarded the pet food shop, waiting for his master’s return.
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Chouchou does not have any special powers, but he is willing to face off against a much larger and stronger enemy to protect his master’s shop. His loyalty touched theStraw Hat Pirates, particularly Luffy, who got involved when the Buggy Pirates threatened the pet shop.
Jul 17, 2025
4Sadaharu From Gintama
Docile But Aggressive
Sadaharu is an enormous white-furred dog, resembling a massive Inugami (a dog god of Japanese folklore). He’s often shown with his tongue out, and his size far surpasses that of a normal dog, towering over all the characters in the series.
Despite his intimidating size, his facial expression is often quite cute and docile. Sadaharu often acts based on his instincts, and his actions can range from playful to destructive. He has a tendency to bite the heads of people, especially Gintoki, the protagonist. He also enjoys going for walks and being petted, much like a regular dog.
Jun 24, 2025
3Akamaru From Naruto
Battle-Ready Companion
Akamaru is a white-furred nin-dog (ninken) and is best known as the companion of one of the main characters, Kiba Inuzuka. He’s highly intelligent, even by the standards of a ninken, and is a fiercely loyal companion to Kiba. Like all members of the Inuzuka clan’s ninken, Akamaru possesses extremely enhanced senses, particularly his sense of smell.
He can track scents from great distances and distinguish between different people and objects. Akamaru can perform collaboration techniques with Kiba, most notably the Fang Passing Fang (Gatsuga) technique, where they spin rapidly in a vortex of wind and can cut throughanime villainswith their sharp claws and teeth. Moreover, Kiba and Akamaru don’t even need to speak to communicate, unlike other pet-human partners.
May 31, 2025
2Ein From Cowboy Bebop
Super-Intelligent Canine
Cowboy Bebop
Ein is a data dog, a term that is never fully explained in the Cowboy Bebop series but suggests that he has been genetically engineered to have superior intelligence. He is shown to understand human speech and interaction to a far greater extent than a typical dog.
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Ein often assists the other characters in their bounty-hunting jobs, and his intelligence comes in handy in various situations throughout the series. He consistently sticks with the crew through thick and thin, despite the dangerous and uncertain nature of theirbounty huntinglifestyle.
Jun 10, 2025
1Iggy From JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures
Loyalty Bloomed From Reluctance
JoJo Bizarre Adventure
Iggy is a small Boston Terrier who is introduced as a rather unconventional member of the protagonist team. He was originally a stray dog living in New York City, but he was captured by the Speedwagon Foundation and brought to Jotaro Kujo and his team due to his Stand abilities. Iggy is initially quite aloof and even antagonistic toward the team. He’s stubborn, loves coffee-flavored chewing gum, and has little interest in the team’s mission to defeat Dio Brando.
However, as the series progresses, he begins to show more loyalty and bravery, culminating in his critical sacrifice for Jean Pierre Polnareff. Vanilla Ice’s Stand almost kills Polnareff, but Iggy uses the last of his strength to control The Fool and lift Polnareff out of harm’s way.The duohad a love-hate relationship, but Iggy proved his loyalty in the end.
