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This short is featured on the Animation Show Vol. 3 DVD.

GUIDE DOG is a sequel to prolific animator Bill Plympton’s 2004 Oscar-nominated short GUARD DOG. The animation legend brings more of his twisted flare to this installment, featuring his overly eager dog that loves to throw itself into its work. This time around the bouncing pooch wants to take a job as a seeing-eye dog, however, mishaps with birds, traffic and all around bad luck don’t bode well for a long future in the new profession.

Not as funny as GUARD DOG, which just barreled ahead with manic force, GUIDE DOG is tamer when it comes to energy, but features a darker and sadder tone. Outside of the bizarre first gag, the subsequent jokes aren’t very surprising. One sees where the rest of the film is going from the first gag and the following gags don’t have the punch that repetitive humor really needs. Plympton still does an excellent job of crafting the dog’s personality — sensitive and enthusiastic. The character seems a bit smarter this time around, however his single-mindedness in the original was part of what made the first film so funny. Some knowledge of the first film also makes the second funnier. Like most of Plympton’s work, the beautiful pencil drawings and exaggerated performances define his style, which is truly original and makes all his work worth seeing.

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