10 Interesting Facts About COCO's Character Dante

I received an all-expenses-paid trip to San Francisco for the coverage of this press event for Disney•Pixar. However, all opinions are my own.

Disney•Pixar’s movie COCO is one of the best movies to watch if you want to learn more about Day of the Dead in Mexico. When the movie was released I was invited to a press trip where we learned a lot about how the movie COCO was made and I wanted to share with you a few things I learned about one of the film’s most endearing characters: Dante.

Before I begin telling you about Dante, the adorable dog in Coco. I will first share that I wrote this article about Dante while traveling in Mexico. I always use a VPN when working abroad. If you’re looking for the best one check out this comparison of surfshark vs nord VPNs before deciding. If you are looking for a great VPD app click this site.

10 Interesting Facts About Dante

Dante is Miguel’s friend and sidekick in the film COCO and his partner and guide as he journeys to the Land of the Dead. Although this goofy dog may seem to be in the movie just for the laughs with his hanging tongue and crazy antics he brings with him a lot of symbolism and meaning. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Dante:

Dante was inspired by the Xoloitzcuintle breed (or “Xolo”), which is also the Mexico’s national dog.
The Xolo is featured in legends of the Aztec afterlife where Xolos act as spirit guides to the dead as they make their journey to the underworld. So, it just makes sense that Dante would be the one to accompany Miguel as he embarks on his adventure in the Land of the Dead.
Xolo dogs are named after the Aztec God Xolotl who was associated with lightning and death.
Dante is a member of one of the most ancient breeds of dogs, believed to be over 3,500 years old.
Xolos are believed to safeguard the home from evil powers and intruders and the breed makes a good watchdog.
A lot of people believe that Xolos have healing powers. The heat from their bodies is commonly used to soothe arthritis and other ailments. They’re basically big, snuggly hot water bottles.
This ancient breed is prone to losing their teeth, which causes their tongues to hang out of the sides of their mouths and this is where Dante gets his tongue lolling adorable look!
Dante is a hairless dog, this doesn’t mean that he has absolutely no hair. The artists at Pixar gave him wiry tufts of hair on his head and tail which add to his character.
When bringing him to life, the animation team’s greatest challenge was the fact that he had no hair so his expressions and his movements had to be designed taking into account the way his skin moves and folds.
Dante was inspired by other Disney and Pixar dogs including the dog in Up! and Lady and the Tramp.

There is no doubt that you will all fall in love with Dante, Miguel’s faithful canine companion. He’s the perfect sidekick to guide you on a journey to the Land of The Dead and he’s also hilarious and adorable! You can get to know him better by watching him star in his own Pixar short film: Dante’s Lunch.

I do believe that Dante’s best look is when he’s wearing that luchador mask and cape! So funny!

You can check out this video that Disney posted on their Facebook page and see a real Xolo dog and his adventure at Pixar Studios!

Disney•Pixar’s COCO In Theaters on November 22nd

If you’re looking for a great movie to watch forEl Dia de Los Muertos be sure to check out the trailer for Coco below and you’ll see why we can’t wait to see this movie!

You can read more about Disney•Pixar’s COCO by visiting the Disney Movie website HERE.

You can also like Pixar COCO on Facebook, get the latest updates through @PixarCOCO on Twitter and follow @PixarCOCO on Instagram.

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Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Paula moved from her native Guatemala to SW Florida with her husband and two children and together they are discovering what it means to live life between two languages.

Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .

When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.

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