Ferocious Pal: A Dog, Some Sheep, and Not Much Else

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’re into black-and-white curiosities where the dog is the smartest person on screen. If you need pacing, modern editing, or anything resembling a high-stakes plot, you’re going to be bored to tears within fifteen minutes. But for the folks who like to see how they made movies back when a "wonder dog" could carry an entire subplot? It’s charming enough. Just don't go in expecting The Miracle Man.

The story is a real slow burn. Two teenagers run away—I never quite caught why, and frankly, the movie doesn't seem to care either—and end up at a ranch. Suddenly, there are sheep going missing. It’s the kind of conflict that feels like it’s happening on the other side of a fence while you’re trying to have a nap.

Kazan the Wonder Dog is the real star here, obviously. There’s a moment where he’s just sitting there, staring at a sheep with such intense focus that it feels like he’s directing the scene himself. He has more screen presence than most of the humans, who mostly just walk in and out of frame looking mildly concerned about the rustling.

The Oregon Vibe

The scenery is actually pretty nice. It’s got that raw, unpolished look that reminds me a bit of the atmosphere in Shadows!—just a bunch of people standing around in wide-open spaces, waiting for the camera to roll. Sometimes the frame lingers on a tree for a few seconds too long, like the cameraman was checking to see if he left his lunchbox on a branch.

• The sheep look perpetually confused, which honestly fits the tone.
• The dialogue is mostly just people telling each other where to stand.
• Kazan deserves an Oscar, or at least a very large steak.

There’s a strange, quiet rhythm to it. It doesn’t feel like a movie that was trying to change the world. It feels like a movie made because they had a dog and some sheep and a couple of cameras. It’s not as manic as The Office Boy, which is probably for the best. Sometimes you just want to watch a dog solve crimes in Oregon.

I found myself zoning out during the scenes where the adults argue about the sheep. Then, the dog would do something clever, like nudge a gate open, and I’d be pulled right back in. It’s that kind of movie. It’s perfectly okay at being exactly what it is, and not a hair more. 🐕