15 dog movies ranked by how much you’ll cry

3. The Fox and the Hound (1981)

As mentioned in the intro to this list, The Fox and the Hound so deeply devastated me as a child that I haven’t been able to watch it since. This Disney animated classic follows Copper, a hound dog, and Tod, a fox, as they become unlikely friends in their youth. “We will always be friends forever, won’t we?” Tod asks at one point, to which Copper replies, “Yeah, forever.”

Except… not. As the two age into adulthood, Copper becomes an accomplished hunting dog and tells Tod in no uncertain terms that although he still values their friendship, they can’t spend time together anymore. If that isn’t sad enough, Copper and his packmates end up hunting Tod, then vowing vengeance when one of the dogs is killed by a train during his pursuit. Tod’s human, who rescued him as a baby, takes him to a game preserve and removes him from everything he’s ever known.

This movie’s ending is bittersweet, but the majority of it is just awful and sad. Bring extra tissues if you want to watch The Fox and the Hound, because all that sweet stuff about found family gets ripped to shreds and breaks your heart in this one. The movie starts off really, really cute, but quickly takes a dark turn that’s only somewhat mollified by the ending. I’ve never seen The Fox and the Hound 2. I’m afraid to, honestly, because The Fox and the Hound still makes me feel like my chest is collapsing as an adult.

Likelihood of making you cry: 9/10