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Parents' Guide to

Step Dogs

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Predictable Home Alone-style adventure with talking dogs.

Movie NR 2013 85 minutes
Step Dogs Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Shawna T.
Shawna T. Parent of 10, 15 and 17-year-old
June 11, 2017
age 10+

What some find May find offensive!

The movie starts out with a woman wearing a low cut top and her boobs bouncing around while she is filming a movie. What's the purpose for her sharing ... it doesn't make the movie better. I feel it was completely unnecessary. I can handle two people kissing but find the opening scene offensive.

This title has:

Too much sex
1 person found this helpful.
llp13b
llp13b Adult
July 24, 2018
age 5+

Great for the Family!

Step Dogs was a great film for the whole family. The film features themes of companionship and overcoming difficulties as well a good amount of humor. I highly recommend to families who have a love for animals and a happy ending. Watching this movie on the dove channel app has allowed me to enjoy family movie night again.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Thanks to Aunt Sabrina (Emilie Ullerup) taking a break from her big Hollywood career to marry Rick and settle in, Lacey (Eliana Jones) and Josh (Dylan Schmid) are now stepsiblings. Problem is, they, and their beloved pet dogs Cassie and Meatball, are from two different worlds -- shallow Hollywood versus the bucolic countryside. But when the kids are left alone for their parents' honeymoon, and scheming thieves plot to steal Sabrina's family heirloom, the four of them will have to learn to put differences aside and not just get along, but also work together.

Is It Any Good?

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

STEP DOGS treads a lot of familiar ground: talking dogs, kids left alone, bumbling thieves after the family jewels. But competent performances here make this a perfectly passable, if rather unremarkable, piece of family entertainment.

Kids will enjoy the talking dogs and occasional fart joke, not to mention the endless pratfalls of the would-be thieves. There is a brief mention of the loss of one or more parents of both children to illness or accident, but it's not a recurring issue. That aside, parents can appreciate that this is a problem-free piece of entertainment that hits all the usual family comedy notes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about getting along with siblings. Do you have siblings? Do you get along well? Why or why not?

  • What age is it OK for kids to be left home alone in your family? What are some safety issues kids should be prepared to deal with when home alone?

  • Do you have pets? What do you think they might say if they could talk?

Movie Details

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