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Parents' Guide to

My Dog the Champion

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Teen and dog save the farm in wholesome, predictable film.

Movie G 2014 87 minutes
My Dog the Champion Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 10+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Carefulaboutmovies
Carefulaboutmovies Adult
May 3, 2015
age 13+

Surprised it's rated G....not a G movie

Common Sense Media has gotten this one wrong! my 8 year old and I watch this based on the reviews here. I was shocked I cannot believe this movie is rated G, it should at least be PG. The whole movie is about a teenage relationship blossoming with some scenes, although they were innocent, were definitely not comfortable or appropriate for my 8 year old to watch. The movie had very grown-up themes... also the main character is not a role model. She was very rude, disrespectful and dressed too sexy. She only pretended to be nice in order to get a boy to notice her initially. The movie was not at all about dogs or dog training ...it was basically a romance. Be cautious with young children!
1 person found this helpful.
Cwstorr
Cwstorr Adult
July 19, 2019
age 6+

Super heart warming movie

My 7 year old loved this one. She says it's now her favorite movie. I liked that there were no bad guys and was a good feel good movie.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When Maddie's mom is deployed overseas with the Army, she (Dora Madison Burge) is shipped off to her grandpa's (Lance Henriksen) ranch. It's so far out in the sticks that she can't even use her mobile phone to text her city friends, much to her dismay. But things start to look up when she meets the hunky Eli (Cody Linley) who lives nearby and is training his dog for the big competition. Soon, Maddie is trying to train her dog Scout for the event, and the stakes get even higher when she realizes Grandpa's having money problems and the cash prize will help him keep the bankers away from the ranch.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

MY DOG THE CHAMPION won't win accolades for originality. The basic fish-out-of-water plot has been used time and time again, and watching a city girl initially alienate people in the country, and then learn to appreciate the lifestyle, is neither new nor surprising. Expect perhaps a misfire of a scene where a character is desperately trying to find a mobile-phone signal, a sequence so long you wish she'd find it already. As soon as we learn that Grandpa's in debt, we can tell that Maddie's going to win the big competition and help save the farm. How lucky that she turns out to be a natural when it comes to training dogs.

The dog scenes are fun to watch, and Scout, the canine star is definitely adorable. The rest of the movie isn't very special, however, though it certainly might appeal to young viewers looking for a wholesome story about helping family and getting in touch with one's true self. And that's a message everyone can appreciate.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the lessons Maddie learned. How does she learn to enjoy life in the country? What are her favorite parts of living on a ranch?

  • Why is Maddie so attached to her mobile phone? How does her attitude toward rural life shift once she accepts that she won't be able to send and receive text messages?

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