A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Educational Value
very little
Kids can learn about both the responsibilities and the joys of pet ownership.
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Positive Messages
a lot
Love and family are more important than wealth and possessions. Home is where the heart is. Friends help each other. Greed and lying don't pay. Pets offer their owners unconditional love in exchange for good care.
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Positive Role Models
a lot
Trouble is undyingly faithful to his owner and, when she passes on and he gets lost in the city, he still retains his faith in humankind. When Zoe takes him in, he bonds with her immediately and she quickly comes to love and want to care for him as well. Trouble befriends street and park dogs and helps Rousey regain her desire for human connection. The park dogs form a pack and look out for one another. Mrs. Vanderwhoozie's niece and nephew are only interested in her money, and they lie, cheat, and mistreat their aunt's staff in their pursuit of an inheritance. The film's voice cast is diverse.
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Violence & Scariness
some
See Also‘Black Dog’ Review: A Resonant, Visually Resplendent China-Noir About Taming the Mad Dog WithinTrouble's loving owner passes away. Trouble falls out of a truck and tumbles down a hill. He has multiple encounters with threatening squirrels, who throw nuts at him and steal his fancy dog collar. Dogs growl at each other. Humans threaten to send dogs to the pound. An animal tracker has a gun and repeatedly says he'll bring Trouble back dead or alive. Animated skirmishes, fights, and accidents never end in serious injury.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Squirrels talk a lot about the treatment of their "nuts," and Trouble humorously notes a couple of times how inappropriate it all sounds. A small dog humps anyone and anything in its path, and when the animal tracker sees this, he cracks, "it's a dominance thing -- been there, done that."
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Language
a little
Bodily humor jokes references abound, including jokes about "nuts." There's a play on words that some kids might pick up on involving the confusion of "shedhouse" and "s--thouse." Insults include "stupid," "dumb," "idiot," "mutt," "pip-squeak," "punk," and "slimeball." "Jeez."
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dog Gone Trouble -- about a pampered pooch named Trouble (voiced by Sean "Big Sean" Anderson) who ends up lost after a beloved owner (Betty White) dies -- features dogs in peril. Younger kids may find Trouble's predicament sad, if not a little scary. Animated skirmishes with other dogs, oncoming traffic, a menacing animal tracker seen one time with a gun, and a gang of dancing squirrels are more funny than frightening. The same goes for a short stint in the dog pound, where one inmate plays soulful prison music with his paws. Expect lots of bodily function humor, especially "nut" jokes and references. There's a play on words that some kids might pick up on involving the confusion of "shedhouse" and "s--thouse." Insults include "stupid," "dumb," "idiot," "mutt," "pip-squeak," "punk," and "slimeball." The film's messages are that home is where the heart is, and love and family are more important than wealth and possessions. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
Trouble the dog (voiced by Sean "Big Sean" Anderson) lives a pampered life in DOG GONE TROUBLE. He has a therapist whispering self affirmations in his ear, a stylist coiffing his fur, and a butler who mists his bottom. But that all changes after his beloved human, Mrs. Vanderwhoozie (Betty White), dies, and her greedy niece and nephew barge in demanding their inheritance, tossing Trouble out with the rest of their aunt's prized possessions. When Trouble falls out of a moving van, he finds himself lost in the woods and threatened by a gang of dancing squirrels. He befriends tough-as-nails stray Rousey (Pamela Adlon) and a pack of dogs at a local dog park, but little does he know he's being hunted by a hired animal tracker (Wilmer Valderrama). One day, struggling musician Zoe (Lucy Hale) finds Trouble on the road and takes him home. Will she be able to keep him?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the stipulations in Mrs. Vanderwhoozie's will in Dog Gone Trouble that whoever cares for her dog gets her estate. Can you imagine loving a pet so much that you would link your inheritance to him or her? Why or why not?
What other animated films about dogs have you seen? How were they similar to or different from this one?
Why are dog movies so popular? What do you think is the appeal?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 8, 2019
- On DVD or streaming: May 28, 2021
- Cast: Sean "Big Sean" Anderson, Pamela Adlon, Lucy Hale
- Director: Kevin Johnson
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Adventures, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship
- Run time: 88 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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