The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating

Cutesy, but not unbearably so, Dog Lovers Guide To Dating has two affable, exceptionally well-groomed leads, and their inevitably glutinous will-they-won't-they shtick is of a far higher pedigree than expected. This cosily fluffy tail of workaholic, love-shy dog trainer Alex (Rebecca Dalton) and slick, big-hearted ad exec Simon's (Corey Sevier) puppy love is certainly no dog's dinner, perhaps, being a surefire candidate for Best in Show. For reasons I have never cared to examine too closely, I have long had a singular penchant for wallowing unthinkingly in gloopy Hallmark pap, my tolerance for syrupy sentimentality remains disturbingly high. Geared with a ruthless efficiency to appease canine-loving romantics, even as more of a cat person, I wasn't wholly immune to the adorable doggies warmly fuzzy charms!

We've liked both leads in other movies, and we've been dog owners for close to 40 years, so The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating had a double draw for us.

Early on was a line that knocked off a star for me. "I don't train people. I train dogs". That's actually not the focus of dog training. While you DO train dogs, you also train people how to control and interact with their dogs. If you just train a dog and hand it back to a clueless owner, all the training is wasted.

So it would be nice if writers knew something about dog training before writing about dogs and dog training. They did get one thing right. Reward a dog for good behavior.

The romance itself started out as antithetical but they moved past that VERY quickly, to two people attracted to each other and unable to admit it. It made for a compelling story, and one we enjoyed.

After being underwhelmed by Hallmark Christmas movies this year, I wasn't expecting much out of their first post-Christmas movie. I was wrong. Very wrong. This movie was well written, acted, and directed. It was thoughtful and never over the top and kept my attention for two hours. I thought the lead actress, Rebecca Dalton, did an especially good job in this very likable movie. Come to find out, she is the wife of one of my favorite Indy Car drivers, James Hinchcliffe. I think it was a very watchable movie that any dog lover will find enjoyment. Hallmark really did a nice job on this movie and I look forward to other new movies in 2023.

I was looking forward to seeing this. Rated it an 8 out of 10. This is a low budget movie. Not much in the way of costumes or expensive sets. The premise was funny and the main actors were very good. The female lead was gorgeous, witty and articulate. The male lead was funny, but I had trouble understanding him in a few places because his voice was so low. The secondary actors were just okay. The dogs could have stolen the show but they were just props. I watched it twice just to make sure that I was being fair with my review. I am. One last thought, the lady the main male character is pursuing to date plays an outstanding self oriented, selfish designer who does a great job of being in love with herself.

Listen, I'll be honest and say the previews for this movie did not excite me; however, both my husband and I ended up loving it! It premiered on January 1st, and was fun, playful, lighthearted, had great banter and chemistry between the leads, was energetic and entertaining, and was the perfect movie to jump start the new year. I don't typically enjoy dog training movies, but this one worked for me.

At one point, it looked like it was about to go deep into some family drama, but they only used that information to explain a reaction to something else, and kept it moving. It did not bring down the mood of the movie, which often times can happen.

I would say this movie is best to watch when you are needing a break from the heaviness of life.

It was such a wonderful pick-me-up!