‘Pick of the Litter’ brings puppy love
Like all films about the unique relationship between dogs and humans, “Pick of the Litter,” a documentary from filmmaking partners Don Hardy Jr. and Dana Nachman (“Witch Hunt”), has its awww factor (not to mention its paw factor).
The film traces the development from birth and whelping to fully trained working guide dogs for the blind of a litter of puppies (yes, I said puppies). The film begins with blind people telling stories of being saved from injury or death by their dogs when the dogs refused to obey an order because they knew it would put their owners in danger.
The dogs in the film all have names beginning with P — Poppet, Primrose, Patriot, Potomac, Phil — and they begin their training at the homes of volunteer families, all relatively affluent, who pick up their dogs in opening scenes at Guide Dogs for the Blind of San Rafael, Calif. The institution provides its services to the blind free of charge and relies upon donations and volunteers with no government funding, which is surprising since you would think this is exactly what the government
should fund.
If a dog is not responding well, it is transferred to other “raisers” to see if its performance can be improved. Patriot, a frisky puppy who bites and is easily distracted, is handed over to a wounded veteran, who bonds with him, and in scenes typical of the way film can tug on the heartstrings, must give him up for final training.
As emotional as the film is at times, one gets the sense that it might have been better suited to a shorter running time. Scenes of endless tests, some of which seem staged, become a bit tedious and repetitive. The use of dramatic music to enhance emotional response is manipulative. Some dogs get “career changed,” which is a euphemism for failing out of guide school, and while “Pick of the Litter” passes with almost flying colors, it loses by being almost exactly what you expected.