There is no anime that can't be improved with the addition of a dog. Whatever shape or size they come in, canines are often loving and dependable friends with hearts of gold, and can sometimes be relied on better than human companions.
Sometimes they are adept partners in battle like in Gintama, other times they are the sources of comic relief as seen in Cowboy Bebop, and on occasion, they are just normal but beloved pets like Tetsuya #2 in Kuroko's Basketball. One thing is for certain, though: an anime hero's best friend will love their master to their last breath.
Ein (Cowboy Bebop)
Ein the Welsh Corgi is an extremely rare "data dog," meaning that because of the genetic experimentation performed on him, he is one of the smartest characters in Cowboy Bebop. In his debut episode, "Stray Dog Strut," Spike and Jet try to use him to catch their latest bounty, but upon failing they keep him as a pet instead.
He demonstrates not only great intelligence and likability in Cowboy Bebop but a keen sense of danger as well. For instance, in the episode "Brain Scratch," he realizes that Jet is about to succumb to the SCRATCH device's brainwashing, and bites him to break him out of it. Ein then takes over and hacks the system, accomplishing in moments what prodigious hacker Edward had been struggling with.
Black Hayate (Fullmetal Alchemist)
As a puppy, Black Hayate was found on the street by Colonel Mustang's team. Lieutenant Hawkeye instructed them to find him a home by the end of the day, but when no suitable home could be found in time, Hawkeye took the dog home herself. In both the 2003 and 2009 adaptations of Fullmetal Alchemist, Black Hayate forms a touching friendship with Hawkeye.
The pooch receives military-precision training from Hawkeye, which includes performing several commands before meals and being housebroken with firearms. He accompanies her on missions and will readily leap into battle for her, such as in the Brotherhood episode "Death of the Undying" when he bit the Homunculus Gluttony to protect her.
Makkachin (Yuuri!!! On Ice)
The fluffiest and cuddliest friend a figure skater could ever ask for, Makkachin is the pet poodle of Victor Nikiforov. He has been Victor's sole companion for many years: as a child, Yuuri was inspired to get a poodle himself by seeing Makkachin with Victor, and Makkachin accompanies Victor to Japan to meet an adult Yuuri much later.
Both Victor and Yuuri love Makkachin dearly. When Makkachin is hospitalized and nearly dies in one of Yuuri!!! On Ice's saddest moments, Victor leaves in the middle of a pivotal skating competition to go be with him, at Yuuri's urging. Thankfully, Makkachin recovers and continues to stick close to both his masters.
Densuke (Dennou Coil)
Cyber canines need love too. Densuke is a virtual reality creation given to Yasako by her grandfather. Only those wearing glasses that allow them to access cyberspace are able to see him.
Densuke follows Yasako and the other child heroes of Dennou Coil as they work to solve the mysteries of both the real and virtual worlds. He appears to die protecting Yasako from a pack of deadly Nulls, but according to the opening narration of the episode "Yasako and Isako," cyber pets "go live somewhere else" when they die, so the pup may still be hanging on somewhere in cyberspace.
Tetsuya #2 (Kuroko's Basketball)
It's often said that dogs will look very much like their masters. This puppy, his owner Tetsuya Kuroko, and their identical bright blue eyes prove the rule so much that his name is simply Tetsuya #2. Adopted by Kuroko as a stray, #2 quickly endears himself to the rest of the Seirin High basketball team as well.
He becomes the team's unofficial mascot, complete with his own little Seirin jersey. He barks appreciatively when Seirin scores points, and at times even mimics them by rolling a basketball around. While he has no special abilities beyond what a normal canine possesses, Tetsuya #2 provides invaluable moral to a team that often needs it when they encounter tough losses or internal conflicts.
Iggy (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
In the world of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Stand abilities aren't limited to humans. Animals can wield them too, including orangutans, birds, and, of course, dogs. Iggy the Boston Terrier's Stand, the Fool, allows him to manipulate sand, which comes in handy when he s the heroes in the Egyptian desert.
Initially, Iggy isn't as friendly or loyal as the average dog, having to be bribed or forced to help at all. He has a change of heart after losing his leg to DIO's hawk Pet Shop, and ultimately gives his life to save Polnareff from Vanilla Ice in the episode "The Mist of Emptiness, Vanilla Ice, Part 2." In this instance, this anime canine is notable because it undergoes a radical character transformation that is largely seen in only human protagonists.
Blue (Wolf's Rain)
Wolf's Rain centers around a group of wolves who can disguise themselves as human to avoid being hunted. As a wolfdog who is initially unaware of her wolf half, and travels with her human master Quent to hunt wolves to extinction, Blue is a true anomaly.
She adores Quent, considering him her family. The revelation that she is part wolf herself shocks her and strains the pair's relationship. But after Blue returns from her journey of self-reflection, Quent hugs her, reassuring her he loves her despite her heritage.
Taromaru (School-Live!)
In the manga version of School-Live!, Taromaru only appears in one chapter. However, he gets much more screen time in the anime, becoming a much-needed bright spot in the lives of the obscure but fun anime club the School Living Club. In this anime, children are trapped indefinitely in their school by a zombie apocalypse.
Taromaru is able to keep up with Yuki when she runs around the building, lets the girls bathe and play with him, and gives them unconditional affection and comfort. When Taromaru is infected and transformed by the zombie virus, it's a truly disheartening moment and one that marks a definitive end to the brief innocence the School Living Club's possessed before their dire situation overwhelmed them.
Sadaharu (Gintama)
The resident pet of the Yorozuya group is no exception to the off-beat mayhem Gintama is famous for. Sadaharu is an over-six-hundred-pound mass of fluff, who was revealed in the episode "Walk Your Dog at an Appropriate Speed" to be not just a dog but an inugami ("dog god") with an affinity for destruction.
Sadaharu chews his caretakers' heads instead of bones, will transform into a raging monster if fed strawberry milk, and kills the leader of an alien cockroach invasion with one swat of his paw in the episode "I Told You to Pay Attention to the News!" It's all just an average workday for the Yorozuya.
Akamaru (Naruto)
No family loves their dogs more than the Inuzuka clan of Naruto. Each member is given a dog who will be their companion for life. Akamaru is Kiba's, and the two are never seen without each other. In the original series, Akamaru, still a puppy, is often seen riding in Kiba's hood, and in Naruto: Shippuden, he's grown big enough for Kiba to ride into battle.
Kiba's techniques rely on working in tandem with Akamaru. The dog's sharp senses help to track and assess targets, and when they fight, the two bombard their opponent with hard-hitting combination attacks, such as the ones that gave Naruto trouble in the episode "Akamaru Unleashed! Who's Top Dog Now?" The canine here is an invaluable fighting partner for Kiba, who is saved by his companion time and again throughout the series.