I don't own any dogs nor do I particularly like or dislike them any more than any other animal. So coming from that utterly neutral position, I can say that this movie isn't nearly as terrible as others have implied - often for their own jaundiced reasons.
First, unlike the contemporary Wall-E, this movie isn't preachy about anything. It's just a silly minor adventure with talking animals where all things work out pretty well in the end - as they must in a kids' movie from Disney. Sure, I was bothered by depictions of the excesses of the super rich of Beverly Hills; the way they lavish excess not only upon themselves but their dogs. However, this does exist. There are people who piously attend charity events for starving strangers and then go home to feed their dogs Kobe beef. That's the world and this movie did not make that world.
I would prefer being upset about watching the reality of such excess than watching the superb and factually accurate Hotel Rwanda. I found that movie unwatchable due to the pain it evoked in me knowing that these events actually occurred during my lifetime.
So given a choice - do I wish to feel pain at real or even a pretend horror depiction or contempt at the super rich's folly? I'll take the latter.
This movie is silliness with some amusing CGI. Let's not get overly concerned that it should be more than that.
