If you walked into a theater in 2019 expecting a simple rehash of the first movie, you probably walked out with a soaked tissue and a very different perspective on how these stories work. Most people call it A Dog’s Purpose 2, but the actual title is A Dog’s Journey. It’s a bit of a naming quirk that confuses folks looking for the sequel on streaming platforms, yet it’s the definitive continuation of Bailey’s multi-life saga.
Hollywood sequels usually just blow things up or make them bigger. This one didn't do that. Honestly, it went smaller and more personal.
Based on the 2012 novel by W. Bruce Cameron, the film picks up right where the first one left off at the farmhouse. But the stakes shifted. Instead of Bailey just trying to find his way back to Ethan (Dennis Quaid), he’s given a new mission: protect Ethan’s granddaughter, CJ. It’s a shift from "finding home" to "guarding a person." That change in narrative DNA is why the movie resonated so differently with audiences compared to the original 2017 hit.
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The transition from A Dog’s Purpose to the sequel
The first film was a sprawling exploration of what a dog’s life actually means. It was philosophical. We saw Bailey go through lives as a Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd police dog, and a Corgi. It was about the "purpose" of a dog in a general sense. When we get to A Dog’s Purpose 2, the tone gets more focused. It stops being about the dog’s existential crisis and starts being about the human's survival.
Director Gail Mancuso took the reins from Lasse Hallström for this one. You can feel the difference. Mancuso, known for her work on Modern Family, brought a more grounded, episodic feel to the lives Bailey inhabits.
It’s kind of a heavy movie. Let’s be real. If you’ve seen it, you know the cycle of "rebirth" involves some pretty sad moments. But the sequel manages to avoid feeling like "misery porn" by rooting everything in the relationship between the dog and CJ, played as an adult by Kathryn Prescott. It’s less about the sadness of death and more about the persistence of love. Or something like that.
Why the "Journey" subtitle matters
Marketing-wise, calling it A Dog’s Journey instead of A Dog’s Purpose 2 was a specific choice. It signals that the search for meaning is over. Bailey knows his purpose now. The journey is the execution of that duty.
In the story, Ethan tells Bailey (who is currently in his "Buddy" form) to look after CJ because she’s going through a rough time with her mother, Gloria. It’s a heavy setup for a family movie. Gloria, played by Marg Helgenberger, isn't your typical villain. She’s a grieving widow struggling with alcoholism and neglect. This adds a layer of realism that caught some parents off guard. It’s not just "puppies and rainbows." It’s "puppies and systemic family trauma."
Breaking down the lives of Bailey in the sequel
The structure of the film follows the same reincarnation logic we saw previously. Bailey dies, comes back as a new breed, and finds his way back to his person. It’s a trope, sure, but it works because of the voice acting by Josh Gad. Gad has this way of making the dog’s internal monologue sound naive but incredibly wise.
First, there’s Molly. She’s a Beagle/Cocker Spaniel mix. This life is crucial because it’s where the bond with CJ really cements. Molly learns to "detect" cancer, which is a real-life trait many dogs have. According to a study published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, dogs can use their highly evolved sense of smell to identify blood samples from people with cancer with nearly 97 percent accuracy. The movie uses this scientific fact to drive the plot, as Molly senses something wrong with CJ’s friend Trent.
Then comes Big Dog, an African Boerboel. This life is short. It’s basically a brief interlude where the dog lives at a gas station. It’s one of those moments in the film that feels like a gut punch because it shows the randomness of a dog’s life. Not every life is a grand adventure. Some are just quiet and short.
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Max, a small Yorkshire Terrier, is the final major incarnation. This is where the story loops back around. Max is the one who has to convince CJ—and eventually an aging Ethan—that he’s the same "boss dog" from decades ago.
The science and psychology of the "Boss Dog" connection
People love these movies because we want to believe our pets never truly leave us. It’s a comforting thought. But is there any biological basis for how dogs "choose" their people, like Bailey chooses Ethan and CJ?
According to Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, a lead researcher at the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, dogs don’t just see us as food providers. They actually form "secure attachments" similar to human infants. When a dog looks into your eyes, both of you release oxytocin, the "love hormone." A Dog’s Purpose 2 leans heavily into this biological reality, even if it wraps it in a supernatural reincarnation wrapper.
The film suggests that the dog’s soul is constant. While science can’t prove the soul part, it does prove that dogs have "episodic-like memory." A 2016 study in Current Biology found that dogs can remember complex actions performed by their owners even when they weren't expecting to be tested on them. So, the idea of a dog remembering a specific scent or a game of "catch the tail" over many years isn't as far-fetched as it sounds.
What critics and audiences got wrong
When A Dog’s Journey hit theaters, critics were somewhat split. Some called it overly sentimental. Others found the reincarnation gimmick a bit tired by the second go-round. But here’s the thing: those critics often missed the "human" element of the sequel.
The sequel deals with much darker themes than the first one. We see:
- Parental neglect and the cycle of abandonment.
- The fear of terminal illness.
- The struggle of a young musician trying to find her voice in a big city.
- The reality of aging and saying goodbye to grandparents.
Basically, the dog is just the lens through which we watch a girl grow up in a broken home. It’s a coming-of-age story disguised as a pet movie. That’s probably why it has a significantly higher audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (around 91%) compared to its critic score. People didn't care if it was "sentimental." They cared that it felt true to the experience of owning a pet during the hardest years of their lives.
Comparing the two films
| Feature | A Dog's Purpose | A Dog's Purpose 2 (Journey) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Finding the meaning of life | Protecting a specific person (CJ) |
| Main Human | Ethan | CJ |
| Director | Lasse Hallström | Gail Mancuso |
| Tone | Existential/Nostalgic | Emotional/Relational |
While the first film felt like a collection of short stories, the second feels like a cohesive novel. The through-line of CJ’s life provides a much stronger narrative anchor.
Dealing with the "Sadness" Factor
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. This movie makes people cry. A lot.
Psychologists actually have a term for why movies like A Dog’s Purpose 2 hit us so hard: "The Lassie Effect." We have an evolutionary predisposition to react strongly to the distress of animals, often more so than to the distress of other humans. Because dogs are seen as perpetually "innocent," their deaths on screen feel like a violation of the natural order of goodness.
But the sequel handles this better than the original. In the first movie, the deaths felt like a reset button. In the second, they feel like transitions. There’s a scene toward the end where the "spirit" of the dog is visualized, and it helps bridge the gap between the various lives. It makes the ending feel less like a goodbye and more like a completion.
Real-world impact and the Cameron "Dog" Universe
W. Bruce Cameron has basically built a literary empire out of these stories. Beyond the two main films, there’s also A Dog’s Way Home, which is a separate story but carries the same DNA.
The success of these films sparked a massive interest in "detection dogs." After the sequel showed Molly sniffing out illness, real-world organizations like Medical Detection Dogs in the UK saw a spike in public interest. These dogs are currently being trained to sniff out everything from malaria to Parkinson’s disease. It’s a case where a "silly dog movie" actually highlights a very real, very miraculous biological capability.
Actionable insights for fans and dog owners
If you’re watching or re-watching these movies, there are a few things you can take away that aren't just "buy more tissues."
First, pay attention to the body language cues the trainers used in the film. The dogs in A Dog’s Journey were trained by Bonnie Judd, one of the best in the business. You’ll notice that "Bailey" (in all his forms) often communicates through subtle ear shifts and head tilts rather than just barking. Learning these cues in your own dog can drastically improve your bond.
Second, consider the "purpose" of your own pet. The movie suggests a dog’s purpose is to be there for us, but modern veterinary behaviorists suggest it's a two-way street. Enrichment activities—like scent work (which Molly does in the movie)—can significantly reduce anxiety in high-energy breeds.
Finally, if you're looking for the book version, keep in mind that the movie makes some significant changes. The book A Dog’s Journey dives much deeper into the character of Trent and the complexities of CJ’s career. It’s a great read if the movie felt a little too "fast" for you.
Next steps to take:
- Check the scent: If you’re interested in the cancer-sniffing aspect shown in the movie, look up the "InSitu Foundation." They are a leading group in the US training dogs for early disease detection.
- Breed research: If you loved "Max" the Yorkie or "Molly" the Beagle mix, research the temperament of these breeds before adopting. Yorkies are notoriously "big dogs in small bodies," which the movie portrays accurately.
- Watch the extras: Most digital versions of A Dog’s Purpose 2 include a "Dog’s-Eye View" featurette. It’s genuinely fascinating to see how they rigged cameras to capture the world from a height of 18 inches.
The "Boss Dog" isn't just a movie character. He’s a representation of the persistence of the human-animal bond. Whether you call it A Dog's Purpose 2 or A Dog's Journey, the message stays the same: we don't choose the dogs; they kind of choose us. And then they spend their whole lives—however many they get—making sure we're okay.