PICK OF THE LITTER: A Simple, But Still Heartwarming “Dogumentary”

I consider myself an animal lover, which ironically is the reason why I shy away from most animal-focused movies. You can go ahead and judge me for being more sensitive towards trauma suffered by animals than anything that happens to people on the big screen, but the truth is that animal stories tend to stress me out before they break my heart, and the sadness sticks with me for far too long.

However, in an odd turn of events, I was drawn to Don Hardy Jr. and Dana Nachman’s dog-focused documentary – or dogumentary, if you will – Pick of the Litter. This family-friendly film chronicles the approximately two-year journey of a litter of five puppies who are training to become service dogs for the blind. As warm and fuzzy as the adorable puppies at its center, Pick of the Litter is pleasant viewing for anyone who needs an emotional lift this holiday season without any animal-induced anxiety.

Trained to Serve

The film focuses on the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind, a West Coast-based guide dog school and nonprofit that was first established back in the 1940s to train service dogs for veterans who were blinded during World War II. As the film begins, the titular litter is born and named: Potomac, Patriot, Primrose, Poppet, and Phil. Once these five puppies are about two months old, they are sent off to volunteers known as “puppy raisers” who will care for the dogs until they are about 16 months old.

Being a puppy raiser is more than just getting to snuggle a cute puppy, however: volunteers are responsible for doing the in-depth groundwork necessary to prepare the dogs for the more serious period of training they will undergo later. And as Pick of the Litter shows us, being a puppy raiser can be both rewarding and heartbreaking. Early on in the film, one young first-time puppy raiser breaks down in tears when his puppy, Potomac, is taken away from him and given to a more experienced raiser after Potomac caused too much trouble at school.

In the film’s most poignant storyline, Adam, a military veteran who suffers from severe PTSD, tells us that raising guide dogs is the main thing that motivates him to keep living. Adam connects deeply with Patriot – a fitting name considering who he gets paired with – but we all know that Adam’s job is to prepare Patriot for a life with someone else. Adam is an incredibly warm, likable guy, and his own journey in Pick of the Litter is just as inspiring as that of any of the puppies.

The Incredible Journey

Not every dog is cut out to become a guide dog for the blind – after all, these dogs need to be so well-trained that they will stop their owners from walking into traffic even if the owner demands that they proceed. Those who appear to be too rambunctious or impulsive for such serious work are “career changed,” which can mean either being transferred to another organization that uses service dogs or given up for adoption to a loving family. If, like me, you hear the incredibly official-sounding term “career changed” and feel a pit grow in your stomach, never fear – Guide Dogs for the Blind ensures that every dog finds his or her true purpose in the end.

Indeed, not every dog profiled in Pick of the Litter makes it all the way to guide dog graduation. Despite the alternate happy futures that await them, it’s hard not to feel bad when a dog gets career-changed, mostly because of all of the hard work that has gone into getting the dog so far in the first place. Watching the film, one grows so emotionally attached to these dogs – not to mention their raisers and trainers – that you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat as the dogs who make it to the final round of training undergo the final tests necessary to become guide dogs. I never thought watching a dog lead a blindfolded person around the edge of a parked car could be so nerve-wracking, but watching Pick of the Litter, I was practically biting my nails in anticipation, so invested was I in these dogs’ journeys. (It helps that, you know, they’re really freaking cute.)

Now, Pick of the Litter is not a terribly complex documentary; if you want an in-depth look at the precise kinds of training these dogs go through, you’re in the wrong place. The 81-minute film largely glosses over what the puppy raisers do, focusing more on the emotional aspects than the practical side of that stage in training. I would have liked to know more about what makes certain career-changed dogs acceptable for other service organizations when they don’t make the cut at Guide Dogs for the Blind. Perhaps if the film had focused on fewer dogs, it would have been able to zero in more on certain aspects of the dogs’ journeys. Nonetheless, it’s impossible to come away from Pick of the Litter feeling disappointed. By the time the dogs who have made it to graduation are paired with their owners – some of whom have been waiting years for the freedom that a service dog can provide – you’ll only want to stand up and cheer.

Pick of the Litter: Conclusion

Pick of the Litter is a sweet and simple film about animals that doesn’t place any of them in peril – so it’s a winner in my book.

What do you think? Does Pick of the Litter sound like a satisfying animal story? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Pick of the Litter is currently available on DVD and VOD in the U.S. You can find more international release dates here.