Manny has moved to a new school, and it's not easy to fit in. After wishing he had more friends, Manny finds a mysterious collar and puts it on Rufus, the family dog. Suddenly, Rufus turns into a boy! Manny's not sure what to do, so he enrolls Rufus in school. When the other students notice Rufus's silly dog antics -- chasing squirrels, eating without utensils, asking for belly rubs, and catching a soccer ball with his mouth -- he immediately becomes the most popular kid around. Manny is jealous of his new best friend but eventually learns that a dog's loyalty to his owner always comes first.
Acting
Jace Norman fully commits to dog-boy physical comedy
Practical Effects
Savage Steve Holland's weirdo Nickelodeon aesthetic
Writing
Somehow 42 minutes feels both too long and too short
Director
Savage Steve Holland
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is peak 2016 Nickelodeon TV movie era, when Jace Norman was basically the entire network.
Director Savage Steve Holland also did Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer — yes, THAT guy made this dog movie.
US
