Review: Pick of the Litter / Maddy

I’m canine crazy, so I was looking forward to watching Pick of the Litter as a part of the Sydney Film Festival family films. Pick of the Litter is a documentary that follows the process involved in training guide dogs for the blind. We are invited in to view the lives of a litter of Labradors called Potomac, Patriot, Poppet, Phil and Primrose known as the ‘P’ Litter who take their journey from tiny puppies to licenced Guide Dogs.

A temperament and confidence test of the puppies establishes if they do or don’t have a future as a guide dog. We watch them continue through the different stages through to graduation.

The film also follows the stories of the people that will receive the guide dogs and the bonds developed along the way with their handlers and puppy raisers.

Pick of the Litter makes you realise how much time and effort goes into raising a guide dog and how much of an impact these lovable labs have on a persons life.

Maddy (14)

Pick of the Litter
Melbourne International Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival