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Parents' Guide to

Pound Puppies

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Heartwarming '80s remake is doggone fun for kids.

TV Discovery Family Channel Kids' Animation 2010
Pound Puppies Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 4 parent reviews

noway
noway Adult
June 9, 2022
age 5+

Another ruined 80s franchise

Please, stop ruining 80s franchises. First Pac Man and now POUND PUPPIES. Though, at least the Pound Puppies reboot is somewhat watchable but the Pac Man reboot is so bad I want to burn it from existence. Anyways, the problem with the Pound Puppies reboot is that none of the original characters are in it. No Holly, No Cooler, no nothing. It's all totally different and completely unrelated to the original. The only thing left from the original is that they are still helping puppies get adopted, but without Katrina trying to stop them. The villains are what made it fun! Now its boring and so stupid. Niblet is also annoying. Squirt and Cookie are jerks, Lucky is not Cooler, and the only good character is Strudel. Also, the Super Secret Pup Club exists for no reason at all and is just there to annoy you. Mr McLeash is a negative influence, and he mistreats his assistant. The puppies they are trying to adopt are usually annoying and total jerks as well. This show is not pleasing. Please stop trying to bring back 80s franchises because clearly it's not working. Just stick with the originals, please, and avoid these downprovements at all costs. (and yes I did just make up that word)
Wesley D.
Wesley D. Adult
June 9, 2018
age 5+

good

not that bad
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

POUND PUPPIES is the story of an underground network of canines whose mission is to match up homeless dogs with dog-less people. Operating from a secret command center beneath Shelter 17, Lucky (voiced by Eric McCormack), Cookie (Yvette Nicole Brown), Strudel (Alanna Ubach), and the other Pound Puppies befriend newcomers to the shelter and set to work identifying their ideal human match. Creativity is key to the process, since all of this must be done under the not-so-watchful eyes of the distracted shelter director Mr. McLeish (Rene Auberjonois) and the dimwitted dog catcher, Olaf (M. Emmet Walsh).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (10 ):

Pound Puppies originally burst onto the scene in the mid-‘80s as sad-eyed plush animals whose instant popularity spawned a TV special, an animated series, and a movie. This 2010 version borrows little more than the name from the original, with all new characters and a new direction for the stories. The good news is that its focus on the do-gooder dog pack has some imbedded messages about empathy and helping others, since the Pound Puppies aren't out to help themselves -- and some of them even have their own families to go home to.

From tough-talking Cookie to resourceful little Squirt (Michael Rappaport), kids are sure to love the diverse doggie characters in this cute series, and their minor transgressions won't have any adverse effect on a young audience because it's clearly done in humor. There is some name-calling among the pups, but the rest of the show is well suited -- and even a bit heartwarming -- for kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about helping others. In what ways do the Pound Puppies help their friends? In what ways are their actions difficult for them? What reward do they get from helping others? How do you feel when you help someone?

  • Parents and their kids can talk about pet care. Why is having a pet a big responsibility? What are some of the jobs associated with having a pet? If you could have any animal, what would it be? What special needs would that animal have? Could you fulfill those needs, or would you need help?

  • Kids: In what ways do TV shows or movies influence your likes and dislikes? Does seeing a show or movie with particular characters make you more inclined to want toys or books with those same characters? What are some of your favorite TV shows? What, if any, other products do you have with characters from those same shows?

TV 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.

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