TPBA Presents: The Best Music Videos Starring Dogs!

Dogs are a big part of my life- I mean, here I am blogging about them for crying out loud!  I've worked with dogs professionally for the past 5 years, and have spent a lot of time training my own pups.

The other big part of my life is music.  I'm a guitarist and songwriter, and play in a punk rock band!

So today I am combining my two passions into one awesome post!  Today, we will be watching the best music videos starring dogs!  The videos I'm posting tend to fall in the genres of rock, alternative, and indie music.  I've seen a few in other genres but for the sake of consistency, and because I'm most familiar with rock, I've chosen to omit those from my list of personal favorites.


9. The Take Over, The Breaks Over- Fall Out Boy

What do dogs dream of?  Apparently this.  And here I was thinking they just chase squirrels in their dreams.  Well, Delilah does at least.  It was clever how the band used the video to respond to fans disappointed about their change in sound.  "Everyone changes" is how I've always felt about bands- my favorite bands all change over time, it's what comes with longevity.  No one wants to hear a band play the same 3 chords for 20 years!  (Well maybe some people do).

8. Wake the Dogs- Donots

With a title like "Wake the Dogs," could the music video really star any other animal?  In 2012, German punk band, Donots released this apt video featuring dogs simply being dogs.  This album has a lot of folk punk influence, a favorite genre of mine, and even contains a track featuring Frank Turner!

7. Closer (with Dogs!)- Tegan and Sara

I always joked that when I'm away my pets throw parties.  I guess that's a thing.  My favorite part is when they're playing spin the bottle- the dogs' expressions are right on!  And the pug... haha, so funny!  This isn't the official music video, but a parody that was made for a series by Pet Collective.  It seems Tegan and Sara are big dog lovers though- they just released a video for their song 100x that stars dogs too.

6. Santeria- Sublime

Iconic Dalmatian Louie belonged to Bradley Nowell of Sublime.  He became Sublime's unofficial mascot, making an appearance in many other videos, in artwork, and even on stage!  Sadly Lou Dog outlived his owner, who passed away shortly before their major label debut album, Sublime, was released.  This video is a tribute to him.

5. Island in the Sun (Spike Jonze Video)- Weezer

Weezer's best known video for their 2001 single, "Island in the Sun," appears to be an excuse to play with adorable baby animals.  Nothing wrong there, other than me being jealous!  In addition to some very cuddly lab puppies; lions, bears, and chimpanzees also make appearances.  If you want to feel warm and fuzzy, this is the video to watch.


4. Wait Up (Boots of Danger)- Tokyo Police Club

Indie rock and a puppy pool party!  You can see the joy on these dogs' faces as they run, leap, and swim.  I thought 0:51 was hilarious- the "normal" dogs were running, and then you see the Border Collies stalking in the background.  Everyone in this video looks like they're having a great time!


3. Say You Don't Want It- One Night Only

This video has a twist ending and I don't want to give it away.  But I will say Emma Watson, dogs, and Britpop is a great combo!  After you watch the ending the video will make a lot more sense.


2. White Knuckles- OK Go

OK Go are known for their incredibly creative, visually interesting one shot videos.  The music video for White Knuckles promotes animal rescue and features shelter dogs performing a variety of behaviors.  What's impressive is the coordination between the band members and the dogs, and the dogs' abilities to focus and perform in the face of distractions including cameras, other dogs, and even a goat!  Delilah is... not at that level yet.  This is such an inspiring video for trick training!  The behind-the-scenes videos for White Knuckles are also a lot of fun to watch.

1. Save the World- Swedish House Mafia

In the dark of night, when order falls to chaos, only one thing can save this city... dogs!  Not only is this tune ridiculously catchy, but the music video stars super hero dogs fighting crime!  What a great idea!  And the music goes along with the video so well.


Honorable Mention: Dogs In Cars by Keith Hopkin- The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

This video didn't make the list because it's not an official music video butttt it's a great concept and really fun to watch.  The band, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, posted it on their Facebook page, and that how I found it.  It reminds me of my last dog, Mia.  She loved sticking her head out the window on car rides.  She was really fluffy so her face always looked so funny in the wind.



Well, those are my favorite dog music videos!  What are yours?  Are there any that I'm leaving out?