Pick of the Litter (2018)

Pick of the Litter: Directed by Don Hardy, Dana Nachman. With Diane Meer, Terry Blosser, Janet Gearheart, Sharon Kret. Pick of the Litter follows a litter of puppies from the moment they’re born and begin their quest to become Guide Dogs for the Blind, the ultimate canine career. Cameras follow these pups through a two-year odyssey as they train to become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners from harm. Along the way, the dogs meet a community of dedicated individuals who train them to do amazing, life-changing things in the service of their human. The stakes are high and not every dog can make the cut. Only the best of the best. The pick of the litter.

“First, an assumption: you will only watch this film if you are a dog lover…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWith that in mind, PICK OF THE LITTER has an advantage over many other films. THE CUTENESS FACTOR! The old warning u0026quot;never work with children or with ANIMALSu0026quot; comes to mind here. Fortunately this is not a drama or a comedy, though there are elements of both. And the humans that are part of the story are not movie stars worried about being upstaged, so no one is offended.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePICK OF THE LITTER is a u0026quot;dogumentaryu0026quot; about a litter of five puppies born into training as service dogs for the blind. It is typical for MAYBE only one dog to meet the rigorous standards that must be met. Herein lies the drama of the film. Who will make the cut? Which dog will you root for?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe personalities of the pooches as they learn and grow are distinct and of course, in each case, completely lovable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe best thing about PICK OF THE LITTER is we get an up close look at how guide dogs are trained. The love and patience that the handlers and foster parents display is inspiring. The dogs are challenged but never stressed. They are evaluated by qualified, impartial adjudicators who make the hard decisions, such as when to relocate a dog to a different foster home (and the considerable impact this can have on the humans).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOther fascinating bits include the special bond between the dogs and their eventual owners. These beautiful animals serve us in so many ways just as pets, let alone as specially trained guides.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eComing on the heels of the news that a retired police dog in the U.S. was put up for adoption rather than kept by his former handler, PICK OF THE LITTER is a reminder of how much we, as humans, owe these loyal to the death creatures who touch our lives in so many heart-warming and important ways. It is devastating to think that once upon a time, retired military and police dogs were simply euthanized when they got older…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut such considerations are beyond the world of this wonderful documentary. PICK OF THE LITTER is a beautiful, educational, inspiring film made with love, appreciation and plenty of glue-like dog slob to hold it all together.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTen arfs out of ten.”