Netflix kicks off its 2026 holiday season with A Dogs Perfect Christmas, a family film starring Dennis Quaid and based on the novel of the same name by bestselling author W. Bruce Cameron, creator of the A Dogs Purpose saga. The film arrives on the platform on November 4, 2026, and already has an official trailer and preview images.
The production shares much of the creative team from A Dogs Purpose: Cathryn Michon, co-writer of that saga, directs this time from a script written by Cameron himself. Dennis Quaid also returns, though playing a different character than the Ethan Montgomery he brought to life in A Dogs Purpose (2017) and A Dogs Journey (2019).
Below, we review everything confirmed about the film: plot, trailer, cast, filming, and availability on Netflix.
What is A Dogs Perfect Christmas about
The story is narrated by a wise basset hound named Winstead, voiced by Thomas Haden Church. Two Christmases after losing his wife, grandfather Sander Goss lives in grief and irritability, increasingly distant from his teenage granddaughter, Ello.
Everything gets complicated when an emergency threatens to ruin the holidays: Ello's mother, Juliana, falls seriously ill and is placed in a medically induced coma, plunging the family into chaos. As Ello and Sander try to keep the home together, the arrival of an energetic corgi puppy named Ruby could be the key to reuniting the family during Christmas.
The official Netflix synopsis describes the film as follows: from the bestselling author of A Dogs Purpose, a story about a family in crisis in which a teenager, her grandfather, and their faithful basset hound fight to keep the home together during Christmas.
Director Cathryn Michon has already confirmed that, unlike other stories in the franchise, no dog dies in this movie.
Three corgi puppies to bring Ruby to life
According to Michon on Instagram, the filming was done with three corgi puppies taking turns playing Ruby. The director explained that she directed much of the film with one of the puppies in her arms, following the animal department's criteria of socializing the dogs working on a set. The three corgis were named Harry, William, and Charles, in honor of the British royal family.
A Dogs Perfect Christmas trailer
The first full trailer premiered exclusively through PEOPLE magazine on October 12, one day after the film appeared in the preview Netflix dedicated to its four 2026 Christmas releases.
The two-minute preview starts with a young Winstead coming out of a Christmas gift box to be given to Sander, the beginning of a bond that lasts a lifetime. The dog explains that things haven't been the same since Sander's wife passed away two Christmases ago, turning him into a grumpy man, something Ello doesn't hesitate to call him out on.
Winstead, far from staying on the sidelines, pulls the tablecloth in the middle of dinner to force grandfather and granddaughter to remember how much they love each other. Shortly after, both begin to bond thanks to the puppy Ruby, while Sander starts a relationship with Claire (Mary Steenburgen) and Hunter (Milo Ventimiglia) gives Ello the news that her mother is ill. Winstead summarizes the film's message at the end of the trailer: a dog's purpose is to make people happy.
What the cast has said about the film
Speaking to PEOPLE, Dennis Quaid described the film as a heartwarming movie and said he was delighted to be a part of it. The actor defined the story as a reminder of what really matters during this time of year: love, family unity, and making the most of time spent with loved ones and pets, and expressed his hope that the audience will laugh, perhaps cry a little, and watch it in the company of the people they love.
Brooke Lena Johnson, who plays Ello, highlighted the touch of magic that her canine co-stars brought. The actress acknowledged that working with a corgi puppy taught her that, no matter how planned a scene was, the dogs usually had their own ideas, and joked that they probably stole more than one scene. Johnson also praised her human co-stars: Quaid for his naturalness and sense of humor on and off set, Ventimiglia for his generosity, and Steenburgen for living up to everything expected of her.
Confirmed cast of A Dogs Perfect Christmas
The film is led by Dennis Quaid as grandfather Sander Goss, who thus adds another project to his Netflix career after titles like Blue Miracle (2021) and War Machine (2026). Quaid also starred in the A Dogs Purpose films, adaptations of W. Bruce Cameron's novels.
The voice of the endearing basset hound Winstead is provided by Thomas Haden Church, an Emmy winner who recently returned as Phil in the Netflix comedy Tires.
Rounding out the cast are Brooke Lena Johnson (Cruel Intentions) as Ello, Mary Steenburgen (Book Club, Easys Waltz) as Claire, and Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us) as Hunter. Also participating are Jennifer Tilly (the Chucky franchise), Kathleen Rose Perkins (Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.), and Ethan Loomis.
An audiobook narrated by Mary Steenburgen before the premiere
Before the film arrives in November, the original novel will receive a new adaptation in audiobook format narrated by Mary Steenburgen, the same actress who plays Claire in the film. Steenburgen voices both the original novel and a children's version of the story.
The actress explained to PEOPLE that, as an expert on dogs and Christmas movies, she enjoyed being part of A Dogs Perfect Christmas immensely, and that it was an honor to voice this story in both the novel and the picture book.
With this project, Steenburgen adds her fourth Christmas movie, having previously participated in One Magic Christmas (1985), Elf (2003), and Four Christmases (2008).
Where and when the film was shot
Although the story takes place in Traverse City, Michigan, the filming was mainly done in Vancouver, British Columbia. The production lasted for approximately a month and a half, from October 28 to December 13, 2025. The film is already finished and ready for its November premiere.
When does A Dogs Perfect Christmas arrive on Netflix
A Dogs Perfect Christmas is the first installment of Netflix's 2026 Christmas calendar and will arrive on the platform on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Other holiday releases will follow, such as Guarding Stars, In a Holidaze, and the Tyler Perry film titled The Gospel of Christmas.
It should be noted that A Dogs Purpose and A Dogs Journey, the previous W. Bruce Cameron adaptations starring Dennis Quaid, left the Netflix catalog in the United States at the end of September, so those who want to review them before the November 4 premiere will have to look for them on another platform.
Frequently asked questions about A Dogs Perfect Christmas
When does A Dogs Perfect Christmas premiere on Netflix
The film arrives on Netflix on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, being the first Christmas release in the platform's catalog for that year.
What is A Dogs Perfect Christmas based on
It is an adaptation of the 2020 novel of the same name written by W. Bruce Cameron, the same author of the books that gave rise to the A Dogs Purpose saga.
Who stars in A Dogs Perfect Christmas
Dennis Quaid leads the cast as grandfather Sander Goss. He is joined by Thomas Haden Church as the voice of the dog Winstead, Brooke Lena Johnson as Ello, Mary Steenburgen as Claire, and Milo Ventimiglia as Hunter, along with Jennifer Tilly, Kathleen Rose Perkins, and Ethan Loomis.
Does any dog die in A Dogs Perfect Christmas
No. Director Cathryn Michon has publicly confirmed that, unlike other similar stories, no dog dies in this movie.
Where was A Dogs Perfect Christmas filmed
Although the plot is set in Traverse City, Michigan, the filming took place mainly in Vancouver, British Columbia, between October and December 2025.
Is Dennis Quaid the same character from A Dogs Purpose
No. Although Dennis Quaid repeats his collaboration with the universe created by W. Bruce Cameron, in A Dogs Perfect Christmas he plays Sander Goss, a different character from the Ethan Montgomery he portrayed in A Dogs Purpose and A Dogs Journey.
