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Dogs aren’t just man’s best friend, they’re music’s best friend, having become the furry muses behind a number of chart-toppers and enduring hits, especially within the country genre.
‘Ol’ Red’, ‘Cracker Jack’, ‘Maggie’s Song’ – just as country music would be incomplete without its dog tunes, country artists would be nothing without their own pups.
From Riley Green’s equally famous Carl “the cowboy corgi” to Miranda Lambert’s entire pack, we’ve herded together the very best of the country canines, bringing you a list to wag your tail about.
In honor of National Day Day, here is Holler's list of the Best Dogs of Country Music:
Julian - Keith Urban
On top of being a country superstar, husband to the celebrated actress Nicole Kidman and father to two humans, Keith Urban is also a dog dad. There are no cattle dogs or kelpies in this Aussie’s pack, instead finding companionship in a miniature poodle named Julian.
The golden-furred pup was welcomed to the Kidman-Urban clan in 2019 and appears to often travel the world with the celebrity family. Whether it be looking adorable on location or on tour, Julian is no doubt the dog for the job.
- Alli Patton
Jack - Chase Rice
Though his last record was titled I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go To Hell, Chase Rice has a spot near and dear to his heart for his furry four-legged friend named Jack.
While Jack was first adopted when Rice was in need of a bird dog, it's apparent that the black-coated pup has made quite an impact on the artist and fans alike as he often steals the show during Rice's performances.
From having his own merch, being the frontman on gigs and starring in the heartbreaking music video for Rice's 'Bench Seat,' Jack's paws are pretty full but we're pretty sure he gets paid in an ample amount of belly scratches for all of his hard work.
- Lydia Farthing
Kona & Cash - Thomas Rhett
Thomas Rhett is known as being the ultimate family man – a status that was again consolidated by his brand new album, About a Woman, a 14-song love-letter to his wife.
We're still waiting on a sweet, rose-tinted ode to one of Rhett's two dogs, Kona and Cash, but we reckon it hopefully won't be too long before he pays homage to his furry pals on wax. Kona's a Catahoula Leopard dog while Cash is a chocolate lab.
When it came to naming Kona, Rhett was sold on Lady, which his wife, Lauren, vetoed. Perhaps TR is a little sneakier than his devoted lovestruck ballads suggest, as he still managed to get his way.
They ended up opting for Kona in honour of their Hawaiian honeymoon, which is a popular baby name in Hawaii that means lady.
- Maxim Mower
Johnny & June - Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce adopted her dog June – whose full name is June Jolene Pearce - a few weeks after news broke about her divorce from fellow country star Michael Ray, and ever since they've been inseparable.
Along with her brother Johnny (who used to belong to Pearce’s parents), her furry companions have gone on tour with her, popped up on her socials and even made appearances at awards shows.
"These 2 are truly my besties and the most unconditional lovers I've ever had," Carly Pearce wrote on instagram as she celebrated the 4th birthday of her two Shih-Tzus. "Here’s to living 100 years my sweets."
Oh god, who's going to tell her? She should have got a tortoise.
- Jof Owen
Betty - Blake Shelton
Gwen Stefani is not the only lady in Blake Shelton’s life. From what we’ve gleaned from social media, his good dog Betty has been by his side as early as 2017.
Aside from obviously being adorable, the black and tan hound is apparently also affectionate, albeit a touch clingy, and seems to be a big fan of naps.
Shelton may have a song about ‘Ol’ Red’, but it’s Betty who has his heart in her paws.
- AP
Blue - Brit Taylor
As someone who has their own furry friend named Blue, Brit Taylor's pupper holds a special place in our hearts... and in recent years he's become kind of a big deal!
According to what Taylor told us last February, she found her own Blue at her papaw's house during the Thanksgiving of 2022. “I said to my papaw: ‘Just feed him and if he’s there when I come, I’ll take him home with me,'" she explained. "He’s my little Kentucky Blue dog.”
That last sentence rings true as Taylor's 10-track 2023 project, Kentucky Blue, pays a little homage to the lovable pup who also happens to grace the cover. The same goes for Taylor's 2024 re-issue, Kentucky Bluegrassed, which was released earlier this year.
While Taylor has an undeniable love for animals – she lives on a farm with a menagerie of pets that include goats, chickens, cats, donkeys and more – we can only assume that, based on his presence on her social media channels, Blue might be her favorite... but you didn't hear that from us!
- LF
Miranda Lambert's Pack
No one in country music loves dogs more than Miranda Lambert!
"I have a little plaque in my house that says: 'There is always room for one more dog,'" she told People in 2014.
It's not clear exactly how many dogs the Texan singer has at the moment. At last count, it was just Cher and Bellamy that we knew of. Jessi and Waylon passed away a few years ago, along with Delta Dawn and Thelma and Louise more recently. Which makes it just the two, but like the plaque says, there's always room for more.
She even founded MuttNation with her mom, Bev Lambert, in 2009. Since then they've raised over $9 million and made it their mission to promote the adoption of shelter pets, help end animal abuse and homelessness.
- JO
Marley - Bailey Zimmerman
What keeps country artists motivated to keep plugging away at the gruelling tour circuit and hitting the studio year after year to find yet another pun revolving around whiskey?
For many, it's the sheer aspiration of becoming the best at your craft. For some, it's their partners. For others, it's their children.
For Bailey Zimmerman, it's his dog Marley.
In an interview with ABC, Bailey endearingly shared that his golden retriever is what keeps him going. “She is a very expensive little dog, but is the reason I keep working hard and the reason I’m going to continue to work hard, so I can take care of my dog.”
Marley often appears across the ‘Religiously’ hitmaker's socials more than he does. While we sure love her, it sometimes feels a bit like when the new parents at the BBQ want to show you 200 photos of their baby. But hey, we're not complaining, and Zimmerman has been described as giving golden retriever energy so he and Marley seem like a match made in heaven.
There will be complaints, though, if there's not a song on Zimmerman's new album called ‘Marley and Me.’
- MM
Pearl - Kacey Musgraves
"My three-legged rescue dog, Pearl," Kacey Musgraves once told Country Living when asked what were things she could never live without. "She's an angel in a furry body."
The little Jack Russell mix, who's been with Kacey since she was 21, lost her leg in a car accident when she was hit near her home and had to have one of her legs amputated.
- JO
Billy the Kid - Dolly Parton
Appearing as a children’s book lead and acting as the poster pup for a pet clothing line, Billy the Kid is probably the most famous of the country canines.
The brindle French bulldog is the god dog of Dolly Parton and the inspiration behind the star’s kid lit series, Billy the Kid Makes It Big, as well as her Doggy Parton pet apparel brand.
While Billy is her manager's Frenchie, that hasn’t stopped the country legend from pouring her love over the spirited pup.
- AP
Boston - Zach Bryan
As we’ve mapped Zach Bryan’s rising star through the lens of social media these last few years, we’ve also glimpsed the growth of his yellow lab Boston. The now-one-year-old pup has become just as much a celebrity as her owner, gracing his feed and even inspiring a tune or two.
With the release of the song ’28’ from his latest opus, The Great American Bar Scene, Bryan shared that the song was penned after the young Boston faced some pretty scary emergency surgery. She came of it just fine, leading the artist to ponder: “How lucky are we?”
- AP
Penny - Noah Kahan
Noah Kahan got Penny around the time his life began to change.
The German Shepherd pup came under his career during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was around the same time that the singer-songwriter began to post the first snippets of what would become his breakthrough hit, ‘Stick Season’, on TikTok, little reels that would soon go viral and launch the artist to wide acclaim.
Penny has been there for it all, lengthy tour runs, award show snubs and an endless stream of hits. We have no doubt ‘Stick Season’ will always be her favorite though.
- AP
Dibs - Kelsea Ballerini
When it comes to which four-legged friends we see the most often from our favorite country artists, Kelsea Ballerini's adorable pup Dibs has to be pretty high on the list.
A constant presence in the Knoxville native's life dating back to fall of 2015, the cute pooch gets his name from Ballerini's second No. 1 at country radio, the Platinum-certified 'Dibs.'
Much like the song, the lab mix also dons a gorgeous coat of platinum blonde and has been stealing the hearts of fans for years, while also properly stealing all the attention from his mom. Most notably, Dibs was less than impressed with Ballerini's hosting duties during the 2022 CMT Awards as she was sick with COVID and forced to broadcast live from her Nashville home.
- LF
Hippie - Lainey Wilson
In the last few years, Lainey Wilson has become a household name for all country music fans, but behind our favorite bell bottom-wearing superstar is her uber cute French bulldog, Hippie Mae.
A star in her own right, Hippie boasts nearly 23K followers on her personal Instagram, and has recently been enjoying much time in the limelight as her mom has unveiled her 2024 record, Whirlwind.
From helping release the current rocking single, 'Hang Tight Honey,' to helping tease album cuts like 'Ring Finger,' it's evident that Hippie's schedule is about as booked and busy as Wilson's these days
- LF
Carl - Riley Green
Dogs are a bit like children, in that you promise over and over again that you don't have favourites, but deep down, you really do. For us, it's hard to beat out Carl the Cowboy Corgi, Riley Green's hugely popular dog, who regularly makes on-stage appearances.
Green now jokes that fans only come to his shows to see Carl, and although we're not sure how PETA would feel about a dog being screamed at by thousands of drunk concert-goers, it's nonetheless become a much-loved part of Riley's set.
Carl is one of the few country dogs to have his own Instagram account (with nearly 75K followers) and – much like his pops – you can often find him out in the woods doing what he loves most of all, hunting, before reluctantly returning to his day job and hitting the road once again.
- MM
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