IMDb 4.5 2012 HD

The Dog Who Saved the Holidays

The Dog Who Saved the Holidays

2012
Comedy Family TV Movie
87 min PG USA
4.6 / 10
4.5 IMDB

It's a sun-soaked holiday season for the Bannister family as they travel to Southern California to stay with Aunt Barbara, who surprises them with a new puppy named…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Michael Feifer
Starring
Gary Valentine / Elisa Donovan / Dean Cain / Shelley Long / Peyton List / Joey Lawrence / John K. Anderson / Wyatt Griswold

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

charming predictable family-friendly lighthearted humorous simple predictable heartwarming serviceable endearing uninspired cute

Reviews

G
Genevieve Dubois
Apr 26, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

This seasonal offering, ‘The Dog Who Saved the Holidays’, is a charming, if slight, addition to the holiday viewing canon. The plot, involving a family dog and a new puppy joining forces against would-be burglars, is inherently appealing…

A
Arthur Jenkins
Apr 26, 2026
2.0 / 5
2.0

‘The Dog Who Saved the Holidays’ is a film that plays it safe, offering a familiar narrative arc about canine heroism. The central conceit, where a family dog must team up with a new puppy to stop burglars,…

F
Fiona Campbell
Apr 26, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

For those seeking uncomplicated holiday cheer, ‘The Dog Who Saved the Holidays’ delivers in spades. The story pits two very different dogs against a pair of comically inept thieves, a setup that allows for plenty of amusing pet-centric…

B
Bernard Hayes
Apr 26, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

This is a film that wears its heart on its sleeve, and for the most part, that’s a good thing. ‘The Dog Who Saved the Holidays’ is a straightforward narrative about two dogs, one seasoned and suspicious, the…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 26, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

‘The Dog Who Saved the Holidays’ offers a perfectly pleasant, if somewhat predictable, festive diversion. The premise, a classic case of pets saving the day from bumbling burglars, is executed with a gentle touch. Gary Valentine and Elisa…

FAQs

Ted and Stewey, the thieves, are characterised as rather ineffectual and thrifty individuals whose attempt to break into the Bannister home provides the central conflict. Their portrayal leans towards the comedic, serving more as a plot device for the dogs' heroism than as genuinely menacing villains. Their presence drives the narrative forward, allowing Zeus and Eve to demonstrate their bravery.