Parents' Guide to

The Dog Who Saved the Holidays

By Tracy Moore, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Bawdy Christmas romp drags; heavy on flatulence.

Movie PG 2012 87 minutes
The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

  • The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Movie: Scene #1
  • The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Movie: Scene #2
  • The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Movie: Scene #3
  • The Dog Who Saved the Holidays Movie: Scene #4

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In THE DOG WHO SAVED THE HOLIDAYS, the Bannister family and dog Zeus (voiced by Joey Lawrence) visit Aunt Barbara (Shelley Long) for the holidays, where she gives them a new puppy named Eve. While the family is ensconced in some classic holiday bickering, the puppies compete for favorite family pet, and a team of burglars led by Ted (Dean Cain) case the joint in the hopes of a holiday score.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Nothing wrong with a little bawdy holiday action, but The Dog Who Saved the Holidays is really just a poor man's Home Alone. It relies too heavily on tired tropes (the nagging pregnant wife, the insensitive husband) and fart jokes to really pull off what could be a cute, if sentimental, holiday movie that owes its best scenes to Shelley Long.

Kids who like dogs may enjoy the plentiful scenes of puppies frolicking at the beach -- though you could also accomplish this with a few well-chosen YouTube compilations -- but parents may be wary of the endless flatulence jokes and stale stereotypes -- and, if not, even the plodding burglary plot will bore.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about feeling left out. Have you ever felt like a sibling or a pet got more attention than you? How did you feel? What did you do about it?

  • Competition among siblings or pets is healthy but can get out of hand. Do you know friends or siblings who compete? How do they behave? What are they competing for? What are some other ways to get more attention from parents?

  • The family bickers a lot in the film. Does your family argue? How do you deal with it? How does it make you feel?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate