Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common causes of heart failure. The etiology of DCMis complex and its mechanisms are still not clear. As a severe disease threatening human health, DCM has been a populartopic of clinical and laboratory research. An appropriate animal model is an essential prerequisite for the research. In thispaper, the animal models used in relevant literature both at home and abroad were reviewed and analyzed in order to provide reference for further research.