Benji is the name of a fictional dog

Dog

The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...

 who has been the focus of several movie

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

s from 1974 through the 2000s. It is also the title of the first film in the Benji series

Benji (film)

Benji is the first film in a series of nine about the golden mixed breed dog named Benji. It was written and directed by Joe Camp and was released in 1974. It received one Academy Award nomination for the Best Original Song.-Plot:...

.

The eponymous canine character is a small, lovable mixed-breed dog

Mixed-breed dog

A mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...

 with an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time, usually to help someone overcome a problem.

Joe Camp

Joe Camp

Joe Camp is a motion picture director and writer. He is best known as the creator and director of the Benji films. He currently resides in Bell Buckle, Tennessee with his wife Kathleen. They also own property in Valley Center, California.Camp is also known for his work with horses...

 is the creator and director of the Benji films. The first dog to play Benji was a shelter dog named Higgins

Higgins (dog)

Higgins was one of the best-known dog actors of the 1960s – 1970s. Most people remember him either as "Dog" or as "Benji," two of the most popular roles he played during a 14-year career in show business....

, trained by Frank Inn

Frank Inn

Frank Inn was born as Elias Franklin Freeman, was an American animal trainer. He trained several animals for movies, but was most known for his work with the dogs in the Benji series.-Personal life:...

. Later, Higgins' offspring Benjean took the name for a few films.

Films and television specials

• Benji
  Benji (film)
  Benji is the first film in a series of nine about the golden mixed breed dog named Benji. It was written and directed by Joe Camp and was released in 1974. It received one Academy Award nomination for the Best Original Song.-Plot:...
  
  (1974)
• For the Love of Benji
  For the Love of Benji
  For the Love of Benji is the second film featuring Benji the dog and was released in 1977.-Plot synopsis:In this film, Benji is lost and becomes a stray animal in Athens, Greece, trying to reunite with his family while secret agents pursue him, trying to get a formula which was glued to his paw in...
  
  (1977)
• Benji's Very Own Christmas Story
  Benji's Very Own Christmas Story
  Benji's Very Own Christmas Story is the third film featuring Benji the dog which was released in 1978. It was originally a primetime TV special on ABC and is one of two such Benji specials to have been nominated for an Emmy Award...
  
  (1978)
• Benji at Work (1980)
• Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980)
• Benji Takes a Dive at Marineland (1981)
• Benji the Hunted
  Benji the Hunted
  Benji the Hunted is a 1987 children's film about a dog trying to survive in the wilderness. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures. This was the last Benji movie to star Benjean in the title role.-Plot:...
  
  (1987)
• Benji: Off the Leash!
  Benji: Off the Leash!
  Benji: Off the Leash! is a 2004 American film that was shot in various parts of Utah.-Plot:The film starts with the understanding that the makers of the Benji films are going to various towns in the U.S. looking for the next dog to play Benji. In a small town, a freelance dog breeder named Hatchett...
  
  (2004)