The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating

I really like watching Rebecca Dalton and this is a good role for her. She is always upbeat. She is very easy to look at. She and Corey Sevier have decent chemistry if not sparkling.

One of the first scenes is Sevier's Simon chasing Simon the dog as the dog wrecks havoc with picnics in the park. Sevier tries to channel Dick Van Dyke's comedy by clumsiness and does an ok job.

Simon is rather a sad excuse and needs Dalton's Alex to show him to man up in life both with dogs and girlfriends. Meanwhile Alex is obsessed with her father's abandonment to the point to hiding in her dog world. As so often the case in rom/coms, the two romantic leads help each other change their lives.

Throw in a charity gala to save the dog rescue center (didn't I just watch that movie before Countdown to Christmas or that was probably another channel). Meanwhile the obviously appealing Alex has attracted the attention of a local veterinarian who helps with the gala. Things progress about how you'd expect. No great highs or lows or surprises. One aspect that might set these characters apart is how directly they confront each other with honest evaluations, but only in terms of degree.

This was a nice break from Christmas movies, but other than Dalton's charm, nothing to stand out.

This was a light hearted movie shot in a beautiful city. I found out that it was shot in Newfoundland Canada, although US flags are scene through the movie.

The title name was spot on and it was a good enjoyable movie. Main actors kept the pace going. Daddy issues with main character could of had a rewrite. The Blonde in the movie, where did she come from? Never seen her before but they saved the movie including more scenes of her at the end. It's Hallmark, plots are similar but it's simple and refreshing for the Holidays. I'm glad I can sit down with my kids and watch a decent movie, we all need that.

8.1 stars.

This is simply a good romantic comedy on the Hallmark channel. The lead female is fun, beautiful, a good actress, and charismatic on the screen. The male lead I've seen several times in various other Hallmark movies this year (I've watched nearly 200 of them). He will get the ladies watching this movie, and the female lead caught my attention for sure. There isn't much to say but that it entertains where it needs, provides good romantic chemistry, and the acting is good all around. There isn't one person that can't act, although I can detect a few amateurs. The lead female's younger sister is an old soul, way beyond her years with wisdom and advice, which seemed a bit unbalanced. The male lead's girlfriend was the most realistic character of them all, being that she was nice, but potentially a snob, and yet wasn't snobbish at all. She knows they were using each other for the glam aspect of dating, and she truly cares for him, and he for her, even though they aren't meant to be. Good writing, even though the whole script is more along a YA level. I still enjoyed it for being a cute romance. There is a lot of witty banter, good sarcasm, a nice detour from the usual drab conversations on Hallmark. The dogs were a nice addition, and they were also very cute and cuddly, and they always add an irresistible dimension to any film. If in doubt, throw in some puppies.

It wrapped up neatly, all is happily ever after. This is a good summertime watch in the beach house after taking a long dip in the bay. Nothing makes you more famished than a swim, and this film seems to "feed" off the appetite of people, there is a side focus on food, and I bet this movie might make you hungry. Just a hunch. Grab the doggies, order a pizza, or some sandwiches, and cue up 'The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating'. You won't be disappointed.

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.

Movies that focus on dogs kind of cheat. Everybody loves dogs (or at least they should) and so viewers are already inclined to enjoy themselves when watching dog centric movies. But I've seen a lot of average dog movies including many on Hallmark (most recently, A Very Corgi Christmas). The mere presence of dogs can't hide a movie's flaws. But I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

I'm not Corey Sevier's biggest fan, but he was quite good in Noel Next Door, and he was good again here as Simon the Ad Man. I just didn't like his clothes which featured goofy suits, silky polka dot shirts (with an unflattering Saturday Night Fever vibe), turtle necks, etc. Ugh. He definitely did NOT go for the Don Draper look at all (even though that Mad Men name got dropped in the movie).

Rebecca Dalton, on the other hand, who'd look great in a burlap sack, was usually walking around in very flattering yoga pants and attractive but subdued tops. She played Alex, a beautiful, warm, and engaging dog trainer with no idea how to feed dogs, at least based on the opening scenes (Jacob the vet needs to educate her on dog diets). She was very very watchable. Hallmark needs to lock her down into an exclusive movie deal.

I also enjoyed the filming location in St. John's, a city on Newfoundland island, the easternmost part of Canada. If they ever mentioned the movie being set in an American town, as they normally are despite most Hallmark movies being filmed in Canada, I missed it. The area looked beautiful and the colorful buildings looked quite charming.

The movie was very well written. It was based upon an actual guidebook called "The Dog Lover's Guide to Dating: Using Cold Noses to Find Warm Hearts" that was written 20 years ago by a dog trainer named Deborah Wood. The premise?: "Studies show you're three times more likely to meet someone if you have a dog with you." That guidebook was turned into a romantic movie by new writers Catherine Reay and Kate Somerville. And when Simon and Alex meet, they both have dogs with them. Alex's sister Sarah was a well written character with some great lines delivered by a compelling Emily Stranges. Although younger than Alex, Sarah is much more at peace with their POS father ("You're just letting Dad's mistakes make the most important decisions for you"). I also liked that the competition (Chloe and Jacob) were quite likable. Jacob, played by Justin Nurse, is a handsome veterinarian who volunteers and will do literally anything to help Alex. Chloe, played by Eliza King, is a model turned successful fashion designer. She's a kind dog loving woman who knows what she wants (and what she doesn't):

Simon: "That drink order was really something" Chloe: "Well, why would I compromise when I know what I like"

There's also a fun scene where Alex and Simon realize they're really attracted to each other:

Simon: "This next part should come really naturally to you. You have to remain rigid." Alex: "Very funny. Never mock a woman with an axe in her hand."

Simon is described as "thoughtful, funny and reliable". I sure hope my daughter finds somebody like that one day.

But, once again, in the world of Hallmark, the depiction of money and business issues simply ignores reality. The only solution to the Shelter suddenly losing their lease is for them to buy the property? I don't know what the real estate values are in Newfoundland, but having a nonprofit Shelter buy the building seems like it might be a bit of a stretch and would require more than a last minute lightly attended silent auction.

I pointedly didn't watch this movie when it first came out. Instead, I began watching it a week later with every intention of turning it off. But I was drawn in by Rebecca Dalton and found the movie much more entertaining than I had anticipated. I grade Hallmark on a curve, so that's why this gets an 8.