Parents' Guide to

The Shaggy Dog (2006)

By Susan Granger, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Silly remake will entertain grade schoolers.

Movie PG 2006 90 minutes
The Shaggy Dog (2006) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 4+

Based on 3 parent reviews

LuisReynoso
LuisReynoso Parent of 9-year-old
August 5, 2022
age 2+

Building a new bathroom

This title has:

Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
Jojano
Jojano Parent of 9 and 11-year-old
March 3, 2012
age 7+

Even better when edited for The Hallmark Channel

We saw this edited on The Hallmark Channel from a PG to a G rating...so so cute for the whole family. Not sure what was cut out to make it a G but it was perfect for my family. Both my kids (11 yr old boy and 9 yr old girl) cackled at this movie. My husband and I even giggled at parts. I just love a movie that I can sit down and watch with my kids.

This title has:

Great messages
1 person found this helpful.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In this latest version of the Disney fantasy-adventure, ambitious Deputy District Attorney Dave Douglas (Tim Allen) is so ambitious that he often ignores his lovely wife (Kristin Davis), their idealistic teenage daughter (Zena Grey) and conflicted son (Spencer Breslin). He's tackling a complicated legal case involving animal testing run by evil Dr. Marcus Kozak (Robert Downey Jr.) when he's accidentally infected with an experimental gene-mutation serum by a stray sheepdog. His weird affliction first manifests itself with growling and barking in the courtroom, but soon he's sniffing, scratching, licking and romping around, transformed into a replica of the sheepdog. Confused and no longer able to communicate in human language, he befriends a motley menagerie, including a chimp, rats, rabbits, and a cobra and, in doing so, gets his priorities straight.

Is It Any Good?

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

Tim Allen wreaks hilarious havoc with an uncanny canine-like performance; there's lots here to entertain kids, who will be amused by all the silliness. Writers Cormac & Marianne Wibberley, Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, working with director Brian Robbins, have the added advantage of advanced computer technology to enhance the outrageous episodes and slapstick comedy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what it would be like to live, albeit briefly, as someone or something else. If your kids could transform into anything, what would they pick and why?

  • For the more adventurous, you might ask what your kids think about cruelty in animal testing, which the teenage daughter is actively protesting. Are there ever circumstances when it's necessary to test on animals?

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

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