Dr. Light: Behold! my greatest invention!Rush, the robotic dog! Mega Man: What? A robotic dog? What's so great about that? Does ittransform or something? Dr. Light:A transforming robotic dog? Of course! Absolutely brilliant! —Bob and George

Robots are cool. Dogs are cool. Put them them together and you get aRobot Dog!

Unsurprisingly, the best traits a dog could have make for excellent traits in robot companions: loyalty, friendliness, a fierce protective streak... so why not jump to the logical conclusion and combine the two? A Robot Dog has all the good perks of a lovable pooch without (theoretically) any of the bad! Tearing furniture up, hiding your slippers, leaving hidden piles of poop for you to step on in the yard? All a thing of the past should you own one of these metallic mutts!

However, these traits also make them a force to be reckoned with. If you thought a fiercely loyal and aggressive attack dog was scary enough, those traits are so much worse in a more durable, powerful robot than can be armed with all kinds of weapons.

As a rule, Robot Dogs tend to be owned by scientists of both the benevolent and mad varieties, tech geeks, kids with family ties to influential toy and robot companies, as well as evil overlords, CEO's, and any other unscrupulous types with money to burn.

Anime andManga

• In the late 1970s animeYatterman, the two heroes ride on a giant dog-shaped mecha.
• Friender from any incarnation ofNeo-Human Casshern (save the live action movie), who was aWe Can Rebuild Him case. Friender is also the inspiration forRush.
• Balican fromChargeman Ken was Ken's sidekick robot dog.
• Peach fromDemashita! Powerpuff Girls Z.

Comic Books

• Robbie the Robot Dog fromThe DCU.
• Spot, Krypto's robotic friend, from an issue ofSuperboy.
• Pooch, Manhunter's pet, fromTangent.
• Blackhawk built a robot dog in his self-titled comic series.
• Valeria Richards built a robot dog inThe Mighty Avengers.
• Half-Face, from theMarvel Universe, invented several devices including a robot dog.

Fan Works

• InNobody Dies, Zwei, orUnit-02 as you may know him, is a 200-foot-tall killing machine that thinks that it's Asuka's doggie; it's a deliberateExpy of Dug fromUp.
• InFinal Stand of Death, more like aPetting Zoo People mixture withMechanical Lifeform, Fusion Gundam in counts since they do take on wolf-forms.
• In theMega CrossoverNo Tendo, the giant AI tank on the planet Refuge creates dozens of AI dog-bots to be its liaisons with various human groups (and to be the occasional infiltrator as well).

Film

• Rags the Robot Dog inWoody Allen'sSleeper:

Rags: Woof, woof, woof. Hello, I'm Rags.

• A rather unpleasant pair of them show up inKingsman: The Golden Circle.

Literature

• TheIsaac Asimov story "Robutt" is about a boy and his robot dog.
• The "rat things" ofNeal Stephenson'sSnow Crash combine actual dogs with robotic parts to create extremely deadly guards.
• In Yevgeni Veltistov'sRessi - An Elusive Friend, the titular character is a robotic dog built by a child android named Elektronik as a companion. The dog is highly intelligent and, while incapable of human speech, could remotely transmit data directly to Elektronik. Ressi (which is an acronym) can run and swim extremely fast. In fact, it becomes a plot point after Ressi is captured and reprogrammed by aCorrupt Corporate Executive, as there is almost nothing manmade at sea capable of swimming at Ressi's top nautical speed, which equals to that of a swordfish (about 50 mph). Ressi is finally re-captured by the only boat capable of reaching that speed underwater.
• The Hound inFahrenheit 451. Interestingly, it may not have actually looked much like a dog since it was built as an octopod, but Bradbury was a little vague on the details.

Live-Action TV

• Robbie built one of these in an an episode ofLazyTown. The dog attacks when the word 'trouble' is uttered. There's even a song about him.
• Doctor Who and laterThe Sarah Jane Adventures have K-9.
  • Averted in a Series 6 episode whenThe Eleventh Doctor advises Craig to avoid stepping on Yappy, the Robot Dog, then remarks that it wasn't as much fun as he remembers.
• Muffy II the robotDaggit in the 1970sBattlestar Galactica.
• Murphy inTokusou Sentai Dekaranger.
• R.I.C. 2.0 (Robotic Interactive Canine) fromPower Rangers SPD, he can transform into aBFG for the rangers, or aPowered Armor for the Red Ranger. Or a scooter to ride on when the bumbling assistant scientist pretended to be a Ranger. He really becomes aDo-Anything Robot, with a lot of random things added to him just because they could when said assistant and the tech-savvy Ranger, Bridge, upgraded him in their spare time.
• A few Zords have been giant robotwolves, including the Blue Ninjazord fromMighty Morphin Power Rangers, theWolf Wildzord, theWolf Galactabeast who turned from a giant wolf into a giant robot wolf, theWolf Animal Spirit (a giant robotic-looking wolf...made out of pure ki.) Yeah, Power Rangers a big on giant robot wolves.
• My Name Is Earl: when the gang move into the local big box store because they thinkY2K destroyed all civilization,Randy took up residence in the toy department and made friends with a toy robot dog.
• The eponymous hero ofTetsuwan Tantei Robotack is one.
• Denshi Sentai Denziman has IC as theTeam Pet andThe Mentor at once.

Music

• TheThey Might Be Giants song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett (In Outer Space)" mentions a robot drone that Crockett reprograms into a robot dog.
• mc chris'sRobot Dog.

Newspaper Comics

• There was aFrank and Ernest comic in which a robotic dog was referred to as a "dogmatic".

Tabletop Games

Card Games

• StarMunchkin has a card "Dogbot" which is probably anExpy ofDoctor Who's K9.

Tabletop RPG

• A petbot in the shape of a dog in theParanoia adventureSend in the Clones.
  • A few missions also include doberbots. Naturally, a doberbot's primary combat tactic is"attack someone until they die, attack someone else until they die, attack someoneelse until they die..."
• InWarhammer 40,000 'verse Imperium has Cyber-Mastiffs (umbrella term for variety of types, rather than specific), mainly used by Adeptus Arbites and local enforcers. They don't appear in the tactical tabletop, but in spin-offs where law enforcement is present -Inquisitor,Necromunda,Dark Heresy andBlack Crusade.
  • Dark Heresy even haveCyber-Mastiff Handler character option for Tech-Priest inBook of Judgement - much like with other servitors, while an enforcer can command one of those with basic training, optimal use and care require qualification.

Toys

• Energy Hounds fromBionicle.
• The Alphas from Mechatars

Video Games

• Dog fromHalf-Life 2. Not too dog-shaped, but it has a dog-like behavior and name. Then again, Alyx said he used to be "yay-high", implying that Dog was more dog-like until Alyx began "adding on to him".
• The Mecha-Chomps fromMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga are robotic Chain Chomps with the body of a standard robot dog.
• K9 inFallout 2 is a cyborg, but close enough to qualify. Rex fromFallout New Vegas is also an example.
• Rush isMega Man's robot dog. There's also thegiant, fire-breathing robot dogs in Wood Man's stage. And while he's more wolf-like, Bass'sCanine Companion Treble is another example.
  • Sigma has one of his own in the form of Velguarder in the firstMega Man X game. If his dialogue is any indication, he regularly lets him deal with soldiers of his that turn traitor.
• The K9000 enemy fromMother 3.
• The FENRIS Mechs fromMass Effect 2. The collector's edition ofMass Effect 3 will include a non-hostile one that follows Shepard around on the Normandy.
• InProfessor Layton and the Curious Village, you can build your very own robot dog. In addition to unlocking new puzzles, he can be used to tell you when there are hidden things in the area.
• InSecret of Evermore, your dog would change according to the region he was in. Naturally, the "future" world made him a robot (and a toaster).
• A robotic bulldog is a type of enemy inSecret Agent, described as "not a man's best friend". Curiously, these are always found near tiny little dog houses.
• InSecret Agent Barbie, one ofBarbie’s gadgets is a tiny and rather cute robot dog.
• MEL from the late 1990sBlaster Series games.
• Wolfenstein: The New Order has Panzerhunds, which are colossal mechanical nightmares created by Deathshead to serve as some of the deadliest killing machines the Nazis have in their arsenal.

Web Comics

• Snuffy the Pooch fromA Beginner's Guide to the End of the Universe gradually turns into one of these, as the protagonist uses hisReality Warper powers to upgrade her into aCyborg.
• InSchlock Mercenary thefabber tutorial for sophonts from Earth involves making toy robot dogs.
• Unintentionally Pretentious hasAibo —Do-Anything Robot/genericNon-Human Sidekick. A mobile music player/roomba/guide dog (it got built-in GPS navigator)/bodyguard.

Web Original

• Linkara expresses his distaste for these things as video game enemies in hisAdamantium Rage review:

"Ugh, a robot dog. Why do video game designers always include dogs? They're one of the most annoying enemies ever!"

• 5-Second Films' "Robodog".

Western Animation

• Subverted inThe Jetsons, as Lectronimo was nowhere near as good as Astro.
  • Also there's Cogswell's robot dog, Centro.
• Dynomutt Dog Wonder, with the Blue Falcon. He later appeared onDexter's Laboratory, as well.
  • Dynomutt also appeared inHarvey Birdman. RIP.
• Goddard fromThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron.
• A robotic dog was featured as a rival forScooby Doo inA Pup Named Scooby-Doo.
• Phineas and Ferb had a robotic dog show up in the theme song.They actually build it in "Canderemy".
• Robo-Puppy fromFuturama, which is a direct parody of Sony's AIBO mentioned below. Bender actuallykicks the Robo-dog!

Robo-Puppy: Robo-Puppy commencing two hour yipping session: YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP! YIP!

• 1-Rover-1 fromBattle of the Planets.
• Rover inPlanet 51.
• Sniffer McGross fromGrossology.
• Preston turns out to be one of these inWallace and Gromit: A Close Shave.
• Sari's pet Sparkplug inTransformers Animated.
• K-999 inThe Problem Solverz. He's actually not very helpful and constantly insults and pranks the team.
• In theAnimated Adaptation ofThe Partridge Family, Danny had a robot dog named Orbit.
• Again, MEL fromBlasters Universe.

Real Life

• Sony'sAIBO series of robots were literal robot dogs, or at least as close as was possible within the limits of artificial intelligence.
• Hasbro's Furreal Friends included Biscuit, a robot dog for kids.
• Poo-Chi, a robot dog for kids (followed by Meow-Chi, Chirpie-Chi [bird] and Dino-Chi), which came in various colors. Among the variants were a poodle, a bulldog and three dalmatians (actually Domino, Little Dipper and Oddball, to promote102 Dalmatians. The toys were made from 2000 to 2002. One of the complaints about them was thatthey wouldn't shut up!

• Trope
• Sliding Scale of Anthropomorphism
• Robot Dog
• Robot Roll Call
• Robot
• Canine Tropes