Movies like Life of Don Matsugoro (1986)
The best movies like Life of Don Matsugoro (1986) are A Dog's Journey (2019), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Benji (2018). If Life of Don Matsugoro hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedA Dog's Journey (2019)8.1/10 from 1,669 votes
- NewestDog Gone (2023)Released 2023
A Dog's Journey (2019)
A dog finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Dog's Purpose (2017)
A dog goes on quest to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with multiple owners.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBenji (2018)
Two school kids strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy named Benji. When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPAW Patrol: The Movie (2021)
Ryder and the pups are called to Adventure City to stop Mayor Humdinger from turning the bustling metropolis into a state of chaos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFirehouse Dog (2007)
Rexxx, Hollywood's top canine star, gets lost and is adopted into a shabby firehouse. He teams up with a young kid to get the station back on its feet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDog Gone (2023)
When his beloved dog goes missing, a young man embarks on an incredible search with his parents to find him and give him life-saving medication.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRufus (2016)
Manny has moved to a new school, and it's not easy to fit in. After wishing he had more friends, Manny finds a mysterious collar and puts it on Rufus, the family dog. Suddenly, Rufus turns into a boy! Manny's not sure what to do, so he enrolls Rufus in school. When the other students notice Rufus's silly dog antics -- chasing squirrels, eating without utensils, asking for belly rubs, and catching a soccer ball with his mouth -- he immediately becomes the most popular kid around. Manny is jealous of his new best friend but eventually learns that a dog's loyalty to his owner always comes first.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite (2020)
It's been ten years since the creation of the Great Truce, an elaborate joint-species surveillance system designed and monitored by cats and dogs to keep the peace when conflicts arise. But when a tech-savvy villain hacks into wireless networks to use frequencies only heard by cats and dogs, he manipulates them into conflict and the worldwide battle between cats and dogs is BACK ON. Now, a team of inexperienced and untested agents will have to use their old-school animal instincts to restore order and peace between cats and dogs everywhere.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHomeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Before the Seavers leave for a family vacation to San Francisco, they drop off their pets -- Chance, an adventurous American bulldog; Shadow, a wise golden retriever; and Sassy, a cautious cat -- at a friend's ranch. But when the animals start to worry that they've been left for good, the three embark together on a treacherous and thrilling journey to find their way back home through the California wilderness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIsle of Dogs (2018)
In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island used as a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBenji (1974)
Benji is a stray who has nonetheless worked his way into the hearts of a number of the townspeople, who give him food and attention whenever he stops by. His particular favorites are a pair of children who feed and play with him against the wishes of their parents. When the children are kidnapped, however, the parents and the police are at a loss to find them. Only Benji can track them down, but will he be in time? If he can save the day, he may just find the permanent home he's been longing for.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAir Buddies (2006)
The offspring of sportsman canine Air Bud: B-Dawg, Mudbud, Budderball, Buddha, and Rosebud, uncover a kidnapping plot motivated by a little rich boy's desire to have the world's most athletic dog as a pet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDog Gone (2008)
A courageous boy battles a gang of bumbling thieves to rescue a dog carrying a fortune in stolen diamonds.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Stage Fright (2013)
Join Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the Mystery Inc. crew as they head to Chicago for Talent Star, a hit talent show in which Fred and Daphne are finalists with some high hopes. Unlucky for them, the competition is frightful as the show is being broadcast from an opera house with a history of horrors and a particularly vengeful phantom that has cursed the show's production.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRescued by Ruby (2022)
Chasing his dream to join an elite K-9 unit, a state trooper partners with a fellow underdog: clever but naughty shelter pup Ruby. Based on a true story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrouble (2019)
A pampered dog named Trouble must learn to live in the real world while trying to escape from his former owner's greedy children and must learn how to survive on the big-city streets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrapped (2002)
Held hostage in different cities after their daughter is kidnapped by a master extortionist, a desperate couple must find a way to outsmart a seemingly foolproof plot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Life of Don Matsugoro?
The closest matches to Life of Don Matsugoro are A Dog's Journey (2019), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Benji (2018). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Life of Don Matsugoro?
Start with A Dog's Journey (2019), the closest match to Life of Don Matsugoro.
What is the highest-rated movie like Life of Don Matsugoro?
A Dog's Journey (2019), rated 8.1/10 by 1,669 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Life of Don Matsugoro?
Dog Gone (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Life of Don Matsugoro?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to Life of Don Matsugoro chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Life of Don Matsugoro, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.