Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘A Dog’s Perfect Christmas’ follows a Basset Hound named Winstead, who wishes for his family to be happy and safe. There are many hurdles to fulfilling that wish, but a major problem arises when the mom, Juliana, falls gravely ill. While the rest of the family members try to keep things together in her absence, it also falls on Winstead to make sure they are always nudged in the right direction. The arrival of a new pup, Ruby, also stirs things up a bit. Eventually, the dogs play a crucial role in ensuring the family’s survival. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Real Dog Actors Bring Winstead and Ruby to Life on Screen
Winstead and Ruby are an important part of the varied cast of characters in ‘A Dog’s Perfect Christmas.’ To ensure that their love and care for the Goss family were effectively conveyed on screen, the movie’s creators cast highly trained dogs in the roles. Dog actors Candy and Jenkins play Winstead, with Rufus portraying him as a puppy. Meanwhile, three Corgis, Charles, William and Harry, play Ruby. All dogs were trained for weeks to act out the stunts we see in the movie. Their charge was taken by experienced animal trainer Bonnie Judd. Over the past three and a half decades, she has worked on movies like ‘A Dog’s Journey,’ ‘A Dog’s Way Home,’ and ‘A Christmas Tail,’ and TV shows like ‘Resident Alien,’ ‘Supernatural,’ ‘The Recruit,’ and ‘Alert,’ among others.
Judd’s experience and expertise in training dogs have given director Cathryn Michon the confidence to choose a Basset Hound and a Corgi as the film’s dog characters. In the book, Winstead is a Wolfhound, while Ruby is also not a Corgi. However, their loyalty and beauty made Michon want to use them in the film. Still, she noted that they are easy breeds to train, particularly for the chaos of a film set. The actors, too, noted that they had to be more flexible when working with a dog actor and accept their big personalities, which are also reflected in the movie. But to Judd’s credit, all the dogs knew their roles, and while some adjustments were made, their overall performances were brilliant and stole every crew member’s heart.
Both Dogs Survive in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
Everyone loves a dog movie, but the downside of these films is the anxiety one grapples with concerning the fates of the canine characters. While there is already a lot of emotional weight concerning the pets, it becomes even more of a gut punch if the dog dies at the end. Fortunately, ‘A Dog’s Perfect Christmas’ does not put the audience and the film’s characters through that tragedy. Yes, there is death and a sense of impending doom concerning some characters, but these dangers don’t come close to harming Winstead. Ruby, however, has a bit more difficult time. First, she is abandoned by her previous owners on the side of the road, which is heartbreaking as is. But then, Ello brings her home, and the puppy finds a new home with the Goss family.
Later, when Sander goes to Ello’s school to pick her up, Ruby runs out of the car and is almost hit by another car. Fortunately, the car’s driver pumps the brakes at the right time. Ello, Sander, and Winstead rush to check on Ruby and are even chided by the car’s driver for their carelessness. Still, Ruby comes out of this experience unharmed, if a bit scared. Meanwhile, Juliana has a hard time at the hospital, where she recovers from an infection that almost killed her. Two years ago, the family had experienced a tragedy following the death of Sander’s wife, Barbara. The grief depresses him to the point that he considers killing himself. But Winstead senses his hopelessness and helps him find the will to live again.
Thus, the dogs remain away from any imminent danger, and even help pull their humans back from the brink of their own demise. In the end, Sander learns to love and live again, while Juliana pulls through and makes a full recovery. In the meantime, her family has also grown a lot, which means she will have a much more stress-free life now. The entire family, including Winstead and Ruby, spends Christmas together, reinforcing the pets’ belief that Christmas time is always a happy time.
Read More: A Dog’s Perfect Christmas: Is Winstead Based on a Real Dog? Is the Goss Family Real?
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