Ace the Bat-Hound If you caught the movies but never read the comic books, you might have missed Batman’s dog, Ace, a clever canine investigator and sidekick of the Caped Crusader. Krypto Superman also had a furry best friend, a nondescript, white dog from the planet Krypton. Like Superman, Krypto had supernormal abilities and senses. His alter ego was the Kent family dog, Skip. K-9 Fans of UK sci-fi series Dr Who will be familiar with K-9, his robot dog companion. He packed a laser-gun nose, serious computing power, and encyclopaedic knowledge. Dynomutt Another robot sidekick, this one of Blue

This confident, active, tenacious little ragamuffin is the smallest of the Scottish terriers, and was originally bred for hunting rodents and small game like otters, foxes, and badgers. A Cairn’s paws are made to dig—literally. The front paws are bigger and flatter than the hind paws, making it easier for the dog to get into “cairns,” the rock dens where his quarry lived. Cairns also sport a weather-resistant outer coat, highly expressive ears, and enough personality to steal any picture. Case in point: the unforgettable Toto in The Wizard of Oz was a Cairn (“he” was a she called Terry).