According to the Chinese zodiac, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. Since domestication, dogs have been our friends, playmates, protectors and caregivers. 

The animal has become such an important part of human history that we have celebrated them in dozens of movies, plays, books, statues and poems. Among all these canines, this lineup may be the most famous. 

Hachi 

The faithful Hachi is held up as an example of loyalty and fidelity across the world. Most people got to know him from a 2009 British-American drama film called Hachi: A Dog's Tale. It is based on the true story of the faithful Hachikō, an Akita dog born on a farm near the Japanese city of Ōdate in the Akita Prefecture. He is remembered for the remarkable love for his owner, for whom he continued to wait for nine years, nine months and fifteen days following his death.

His loyalty impressed the Japanese, and later, the rest of the world. Long after his death, he continues to be immortalized in popular culture worldwide, with movies, books, and appearances in various media. A well-known Japanese artist made a sculpture of the dog, renewing interest and awareness in the Akita breed throughout Japan.

Uggie 

Uggie was a trained Jack Russell Terrier dog famous for his role in The Artist. He was abandoned by at least his first two owners, but was luckily adopted by animal trainer Omar Von Muller. Von Muller discovered that he was very smart and very willing to work, and then started rewarding him for his performances.

Uggie's earliest roles were in commercials, getting his first big break in the romantic drama Water for Elephants. But the role in 2011 silent movie The Artist was the one that really brought him global attention, with some critics saying he was "stealing every scene." For his stunts and performance, Uggie won the Palm Dog Award for best performance by a canine at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. On June 25, 2012, he had his paw prints placed in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Rin Tin Tin 

Rin Tin Tin was a male German Shepherd who became an international movie star. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, Lee Duncan, who trained Rin Tin Tin and obtained silent film work for the dog. Rin Tin Tin was an immediate box office success and went on to appear in 27 Hollywood films, gaining worldwide fame in the process. 

Rin Tin Tin was so popular at the time that according to author Susan Orlean, the dog received the most votes for Best Actor at the first Academy Award competition in 1929, but the Academy wanted to appear more serious, so they gave the award to a human actor. In 1960, Rin Tin Tin was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1627 Vine Street.

Snoopy

As for fictional dogs, one of the most known characters is Snoopy, Charlie Brown's pet beagle in Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts comic strip. Since his debut on Oct. 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in all of comics.

The original Snoopy drawings were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz's childhood dogs. Snoopy is a loyal, innocent, imaginative and good-natured beagle who is prone to flights of fancy, including being an author, a college student known as "Joe Cool" and a Red Baron-esque World War I ace. 

Snoopy and Charlie Brown were ranked by TV Guide as the 8th greatest cartoon characters of all time. On Nov. 2, 2015, Snoopy was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Snowy 

Snowy is a brave, clever white Wire Fox Terrier who is a companion to Tintin, the protagonist in The Adventures of Tintin, the comic series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé.

He debuted on Jan. 10, 1929, in the first installment of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. He is able to understand humans, and throughout the series, Snowy is Tintin's sidekick and companion. He is the only character besides for Tintin to appear in all of the volumes.

The story of Snowy and Tintin has been adapted several times including The Adventures of Tintin cartoon series in 1991, and the 2011 motion capture film The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn, which was directed by Steven Spielberg.