The enduring popularity of this dynamic across filmography and digital media stems from core psychological themes:

I notice you're asking for an essay on a phrase that appears to combine a term for a male human ("man") with a term for a female dog, plus "filmography and popular videos." This phrasing is ambiguous and could be interpreted in ways that are inappropriate or nonsensical.

Roddy McDowall (and later, various leading men) alongside Lassie.