Parents' Guide to

The Ugly Dachshund

By Nancy Davis Kho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Slow-moving story is for dog lovers only.

Movie NR 1966 93 minutes
The Ugly Dachshund Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 7+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Mixyplixl
Mixyplixl Adult
August 28, 2014
age 6+

Charming and funny with dogs and people antics!

This film is a lot of fun, both for the very funny mishaps the dogs cause, and also the way it shows how nuts people can be in their love of their pets - like the wife giving the husband birthday presents from her dogs. Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette are wonderful - a young, loving couple divided by their dogs (she likes the "dachsys", he wants the big dane (the "ugly dachshund"). Yes there is some stereotyping of Asian-Americans, but I think it's a teachable moment. Especially as the DVD extra has an interview with one of the Asian actors about his Hollywood career. Of course other aspects are a little dated (such as the couple's twin beds). But all in all, we have added this to our list of Disney live-action favorites for the whole family.
applebutter
applebutter Adult
December 7, 2012
age 7+

The Ugly Dachshund

I think this CSM reviewer is being too hard on this movie. The adults have a more realistic marriage, I think, than is shown in a lot of kids' movies. The wife doesn't like the Great Dane because she sees it only as a big, dumb, clumsy ox- not like her adorable dachshunds. The husband really wants to keep "his" dog and sees the little dogs as annoying and yappy. He's willing to compromise, but she is more stubborn and forceful and not willing to compromise. Well, nobody said all adults in family films had to be perfect. There is a lot of comical canine destruction similar to the Beethoven movies, and it ends with a dog show. There are the racial Asian stereotypes to talk to your kids about. Drinks are served at a backyard party, though your kids may not ask what they're drinking or care with all the dog stuff going on. There are funny moments with a policeman, and the big dog redeems himself when he saves a smaller dog from the trash truck. I guess this reviewer isn't used to watching movies that are older or dated. This one will remind you of other similar movies like The Love Bug or The Cat From Outer Space.

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What's the Story?

THE UGLY DACHSHUND is a live-action Disney movie that follows the trials and tribulations of Fran (Suzanne Pleshette) and Jim (Dean Jones) as they raise a litter of puppies born by their beloved dachshund Danke. Unbeknownst to Fran, Jim and the vet slip a Great Dane puppy into the litter, in Jim's quest for a more masculine companion. The Great Dane, Brutus, is forever getting into trouble for the mayhem caused by the other puppies, and Fran wants to get rid of him. Jim decides the only way for Fran to understand Brutus's value is to have him win a dog show which she, of course, has entered with Danke and her daughters.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (3):

While scenes of puppies getting into mischief may entertain dog lovers of every age, neither plot nor the characters will win over other viewers. Fran is an unlikable nag who seems strangely vindictive to the hapless Great Dane pup, while Jim's passiveness masks a willingness to manipulate or hide facts to get his way. Plot threads are introduced and then left unresolved, like the presence of a cat burglar in the neighborhood. By the third scene of the puppies getting Brutus into trouble, we all know how it will end.

Scenes of beehive hairstyles, a milkman making a home delivery, a themed backyard barbecue, and fins on the automobiles lend a nostalgic '60s feel to the movie. Characters making fun of a Japanese character who embodies all the negative racial stereotypes of the era do not. The movie is appropriate family fare, but one viewing is probably all anyone will request.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Jim's decision to sneak home a Great Dane puppy without telling his wife first. Was there a different way he could have handled it? Why does Fran finally start to like Brutus? What do you think that says about her character?

Movie Details

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