A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. (L to R) Brooke Lena Johnson as Ello, Ruby, Winstead and Ethan Loomis as Sean, in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Cr. Diyah Pera/Netflix ©2026.
Netflix’s first Christmas movie of the year asks a simple question: Is a corgi puppy the only thing a struggling family needs to bring them together when calamities arise? Based on the beautiful, poignant, and charming novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas lands on the streamer on November 4th, and the first trailer and first-look images have now arrived. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Netflix is getting in the holiday spirit super early this year, beginning its slate of Christmas movies in early November. There’s Groundhog Day style time-loop movie In A Holidaze and a new movie from Tyler Perry coming our way, but the first to arrive is A Dog’s Perfect Christmas, a movie poised to tug at our heartstrings — especially for the dog owners out there. The film adapts the novel of the same name by bestselling author W. Bruce Cameron. Of course, Cameron is already well-known for the A Dog’s Purpose film franchise.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas shares much of the same creative DNA as A Dog’s Purpose. For the new movie, A Dog’s Purpose co-writer Cathryn Michon is returning to direct from a script written by Cameron. Dennis Quaid is also returning, but he is playing a different character to Ethan Montgomery, whom he portrayed in A Dog’s Purpose (2017) and A Dog’s Journey (2019).
Down below we’ve detailed everything you need to know about A Dog’s Perfect Christmas.
What is A Dog’s Perfect Christmas about?
Based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2020 novel of the same name, A Dog’s Perfect Christmas is narrated by a wise old basset hound named Winstead (voiced by Thomas Haden Church). Two Christmases after losing his wife, grandfather Sander Goss is grieving, grumpy, and increasingly at odds with his teenage granddaughter, Ello. Then a sudden emergency threatens to ruin the holiday season: Ello’s mother, Juliana, falls ill and is placed in an induced coma, throwing the family into turmoil. As Ello and Sander struggle to keep the household together, the arrival of a lively Corgi puppy named Ruby might be the only thing capable of galvanizing them for the holiday season.
Plus — SPOILER — fans will be glad to know that this isn’t another gut-wrenching story where the dog dies. The director has already confirmed that no dogs die in this movie.
The official description for the Netflix movie reads:
From the bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, a tale of a family in crisis where a teenager, her grandfather, and his trusty basset hound struggle to keep the household together at Christmas.
The movie was filmed with three corgi puppies playing Ruby, the pup that galvanizes the Goss family. “I directed this movie much of the time holding one of our three corgi puppies who plays Ruby in my loving arms,” director Cathryn Michon wrote on Instagram. “Our Animal Department Head Bonnie Judd believes strongly in socializing puppies that will be working in a film, so believe me I fell in love with that corgi puppy times three. The names of our corgis were Harry, William and Charles (yes they were boys, and yes they were named after the Royal Family!)”
Watch the trailer for A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
The first full trailer for A Dog’s Perfect Christmas debuted exclusively via PEOPLE on October 12th, a day after the movie featured in Netflix’s teaser for its four-film Christmas 2026 slate.
The two-minute trailer opens with a young Winstead popping out of a Christmas present and being handed to Sander, the start of a lifelong bond. But Winstead tells us things haven’t been the same since Sander’s wife passed away two Christmases ago, and Sander has turned into a grouch — something Ello is more than happy to call him out on.
Never one to sit on the sidelines, Winstead takes matters into his own hands, yanking the tablecloth off the table mid-dinner in an effort to get the pair to play together and remember how much they love each other. Before long, grandfather and granddaughter are bonding over Ello’s new puppy, Ruby, and leaning on one another as Sander starts spending time with Claire (Mary Steenburgen), and as Hunter (Milo Ventimiglia) breaks the news to Ello that her mom is sick.
As Winstead puts it by the end: “The dog’s purpose is to make people happy.”
What the cast have said about A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
Speaking to PEOPLE, Dennis Quaid called the movie “a heartwarming film” and said he was thrilled to be part of it. He described the story as a reminder of what the holiday season is really about — love, togetherness, and making the most of time with family and pets — and said he hopes audiences laugh, maybe cry a little, and watch it with the people they love.
Brooke Lena Johnson, who plays Ello, credited her canine co-stars with giving the movie a bit of extra magic. She admitted that working with a Corgi puppy taught her that whatever plan she had for a scene, the dogs often had their own ideas — and that they probably stole a few scenes in the process.
The Cruel Intentions star was just as complimentary about her human co-stars, praising Quaid for being real and honest in every scene and bringing laughs on and off set, Ventimiglia for his thoughtfulness, and Steenburgen for living up to everything you’d hope she’d be.
First-look images
Netflix has also released a batch of first-look stills from the movie, including Ruby hitching a ride on a robot vacuum — a moment that also made it into Netflix’s holiday slate teaser. Eagle-eyed viewers will also spot director Cathryn Michon making an on-screen appearance alongside Milo Ventimiglia.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. (L to R) Mary Steenburgen as Claire, Jennifer Tilly as Lucille and Karen LeBlanc as Allison in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Cr. Diyah Pera/Netflix ©2026.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. (L to R) Mary Steenburgen as Claire, Winstead, Dennis Quaid as Sander and Ethan Loomis as Sean in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Cr. Diyah Pera/Netflix ©2026
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. (L to R) Milo Ventimiglia as Hunter and Cathryn Michon as Mrs. O’Brien in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Cr. Diyah Pera/Netflix ©2026.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Ruby in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Cr. Diyah Pera/Netflix ©2026
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. (L to R) Brooke Lena Johnson as Ello, Ruby and Dennis Quaid as Sander in A Dog’s Perfect Christmas. Cr. Diyah Pera/Netflix ©2026.
Ahead of the movie, Audible is releasing a new version of the novel narrated by star Mary Steenburgen
Before the movie releases in November, the novel is getting an audiobook adaptation narrated by Mary Steenburgen, who plays Claire in the adaptation. Steenburgen narrates both the original novel and a children’s version. “As a bit of an expert on dogs and holiday movies, I loved being a part of A Dog’s Perfect Christmas,” she told PEOPLE. “It was also an honor and pleasure to voice this lovely story for the novel and picture book.”
“As a director, working with her has been a peak life treat,” director Cathryn Michon wrote. “For those of us who love the audiobook experience, I can honestly say I’ve never heard a more perfect combination of acting talent and brilliant, heartwarming writing. Oh and, PLOT SPOILER: No dog dies! How’s that for a ridiculously early Merry Christmas gift! And after you’ve listened to the books, see the gorgeous movie starring Mary.”
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas marks the fourth holiday movie that Steenburgen has been involved in, having previously starred in One Magic Christmas (1985), Elf (2003) and Four Christmases (2008).
Who is in the cast?
The movie is headlined by Dennis Quaid as grandfather Sander Goss, continuing a solid run of projects at Netflix including Blue Miracle (2021) and War Machine (2026). Quaid also headlined the A Dog’s Purpose movies, which adapted the novels by W. Bruce Cameron. Voicing the lovable basset hound, Winstead, is Emmy-winning star Thomas Haden Church, who most recently returned as Phil in Netflix’s sitcom Tires.
Brooke Lena Johnson (Cruel Intentions) plays Sander’s granddaughter Ello, Mary Steenburgen (Book Club, Easy’s Waltz) plays Claire, and Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) plays Hunter. Rounding out the cast are Jennifer Tilly (the Chucky franchise), Kathleen Rose Perkins (Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.), and Ethan Loomis.
When and where did A Dog’s Perfect Christmas film?
While the story is set in Traverse City, Michigan, filming primarily took place in Vancouver, BC. Production lasted around 1.5 months, from October 28, 2025 to December 13, 2025. The movie is complete and ready for release in November.
When does A Dog’s Perfect Christmas arrive on Netflix?
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas is the first entry in Netflix’s holiday slate for 2026. It lands on the streamer on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. After that, other holiday movies coming to Netflix include Guarding Stars, In a Holidaze, and Tyler Perry’s The Gospel of Christmas.
A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey both left Netflix in the United States at the end of September, so if you want to revisit Quaid’s previous W. Bruce Cameron adaptations before November 4th, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
