Never ride a dog, no matter how big the breed

As an animation lover, I enjoyed this movie immensely. As an animal lover, I was horrified since this lovely film may inadvertently add to unnecessary dog injury. After watching this movie, children can mistakenly believe that riding a dog is as acceptable as riding a horse and that is a dangerous assumption. As Cornell University Veterinarian Sarah Bassman told The Stir: “Children riding on the back of their family dog is very dangerous for the animal, and the child, even if you have one of the giant breeds as your family pet. The muscles in a dog’s back are not strong enough and not designed to carry a passenger and could be damaged by this activity. We worry about muscle sprain and strain, vertebral subluxation, and disc-related problems. Lesser sprains and strains may need to be treated with pain medications or physical therapy while serious spinal injuries could lead to paralysis which may or may not be able to be surgically repaired.”

Please don't take my word for it; check with any vet.