BEST IN SHOW BIZ

MAKE NO BONES ABOUT IT. THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING STORIES BEHIND HOLLYWOOD’S TOP DOGS

1 LASSIE 

Starting with 1943's Lassie Come Home, the screen's most famous collie was actually played by a male dog, not a female! This prompted Elizabeth Taylor to say of her furry co-star, "On reflection, treckon some of my best leading men have been dogs."

2 RIN TIN TIN 

Rescued from the battlefields of WWI, German Shepherd "Rinty" went on to make 27 films and became so beloved that in 1932, radio stations interrupted programs with news of his death.

3 BRUISER

Besides actress Reese Witherspoon, the pup who played her constant companion in 2001's Legally Blonde and its 2003 sequel had another famous gal in his life - his chihuahua roommate Gidget, who was the star of the "¡Yo quiero Taco Bell!" commercials.

4 BEETHOVEN

According to trainer Teresa Ann Miller, Kris, the St. Bernard star of the first two Beethoven pics, "had no idea how big he was and often wanted to sit as close as possible and sometimes on top of you!"

5 PETEY