Parents' Guide to

Pick of the Litter

By Tara McNamara, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

"Dog"umentary fetches empathy, enlightenment, warm fuzzies.

Movie NR 2018 81 minutes
Pick of the Litter Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Emily H.
Emily H. Parent
May 30, 2021
age 3+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
ArchKeystone
ArchKeystone Parent of 5-year-old
June 30, 2019
age 6+

Endearing and instructive

Sweet images of puppies and compelling storytelling made this an enjoyable alternative to Saturday morning cartoons.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

PICK OF THE LITTER shines a light on what goes into raising a guide dog. Directed by Dana Nachman (Batkid Begins) and Don Hardy Jr., it follows one litter of puppies bred into a career of service work in the Guide Dogs for the Blind program, starting from their birth and tracking them through 20 months of training. Cameras follow puppy siblings Poppet, Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, and Phil as they experience the challenges of obedience training that goes well beyond what's expected from your average pet canine. The cameras capture the excitement, disappointment, heartache, and joy of the community of volunteers who dedicate months of hard work in hopes of delivering a guide dog who will be able to protect and improve the life of a sight-challenged person.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (5):

This easygoing, upbeat documentary is a treat for dog lovers.Pick of the Litter is all about all the time, effort, sacrifice, heartache, hope, and love that go into teaching a guide dog to be a helpful companion for a sight-challenged person. This is a a subject that most people probably haven't given much thought to, and getting insight into the rigors of training one of these dogs is enlightening. And while you may be drawn in by the puppies, it's the human volunteers who drive the story. Many people are involved in the lives of training just one dog -- and those people experience not only joy from their involvement, but also heartache when the inevitable happens and they must return their "student" back to the organization. (Those emotional pangs help balance out the puppy fever the movie sparks.)

The movie's information can feel a little too breezy: Sometimes it seems like it could be a presentation video titled "So You Want to Be a Guide Dog Trainer!" And for a film that's all about dogs learning stringent obedience training, it's disappointing that there are no specific takeaway lessons. (For that matter, no information is offered on how to become a trainer family, which feels like a missed opportunity.) But with a brisk 81-minute run time, it does provide a snackable, captivating experience that will likely open viewers' minds, hearts, and opportunities for awwwws.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Pick of the Litter's subject material. Do you prefer documentaries about animals to those about humans? Why or why not? Who did you connect with most in the film: one of the dogs or one of the humans?

  • What didn't you know before about the life of someone who is blind? If your vision were limited, how would it change your life? Is your vision is limited, how has it affected your life? How does hearing the stories of people who are visually impaired increase your empathy?

  • How do the Guide Dogs for the Blind staff and at-home trainers demonstrate teamwork to get each puppy to achieve its full potential?

  • The trainers, who serve as human "parents" to the puppies, are the most invested in whether the pups achieve guide dog status. Do you see any similarity to how parents and kids approach school, grades, and/or the college application process?

  • Why do people volunteer for community service? How do you think you could help your community?

Movie Details

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