Netflix's A Dog's Perfect Christmas, set in Michigan's Traverse City, was filmed largely in Canada's British Columbia, with Vancouver and Penticton providing the wintry surroundings for the family drama released on 4 November.The production used Vancouver as its principal filming base, while a public skating rink and festive lighting installations in Penticton supplied identifiable outdoor locations. The Canadian shoot contrasts with the film's American setting, where the Goss family confronts a medical emergency as Christmas approaches.
Penticton's municipal government confirmed that filming took place at Gyro Park on 10 December 2025 under the working title Winstead & Ruby. Its advance public notice identified the outdoor rink, Link Road and a seasonal light tunnel as locations reserved for the production.
The city said preparations would begin on 9 December, with equipment removal scheduled for 11 December. Gyro Park remained accessible during the shoot, although parts of the Christmas light display faced temporary restrictions and the rink was closed to public skating.
The notice also warned of limited parking near City Hall on Main Street while the crew worked. One accessible parking space was retained, and signs informed visitors that filming was taking place. These arrangements provide a documented account of how the production incorporated Penticton's public Christmas attractions. The city also advised residents to expect additional pedestrian and vehicle activity around the park during preparation and dismantling.
The film's main production period began on 28 October 2025. A British Columbia performers' union production listing identified Vancouver as the base, named Cathryn Michon as director and recorded the working title alongside the finished film's name. Its scheduled filming period ran until 12 December, although some film listings give 13 December as the completion date.
Vancouver's streets and buildings served as substitutes for Traverse City, a community on the shores of Lake Michigan. Production accounts also identify the neighbouring city of Burnaby as part of the wider filming area, but precise addresses for most residential and school scenes have not been publicly established.
The choice of Canadian locations means viewers encounter a fictionalised Michigan landscape assembled from locations across British Columbia. The Penticton material includes a hockey sequence filmed around the outdoor rink, a setting that fits the film's winter narrative without requiring the crew to shoot in Michigan.
The story follows Winstead, an elderly basset hound whose efforts to keep the Goss family together intensify when a medical crisis disrupts the household. A young corgi, Ruby, becomes part of the family's attempt to navigate the approaching holiday. The action centres on the relationship between a teenager, her grandfather and their relatives.
Dennis Quaid plays grandfather Sander Goss, while Brooke Lena Johnson portrays his granddaughter Ello. Milo Ventimiglia and Mary Steenburgen also appear, alongside Jennifer Tilly, Kathleen Rose Perkins and Ethan Loomis. Thomas Haden Church provides the voice of Winstead, giving the dog a narrative role beyond his appearances on screen.
The film is adapted from a novel by W. Bruce Cameron, whose work also inspired A Dog's Purpose. Michon directed the adaptation and shares screenplay credit with Cameron. Netflix categorises the 2026 release as a family drama with comedy elements and identifies it as a film based on a book.
Although the narrative is rooted in Traverse City, the production's relationship with the Michigan community was not limited to its screenplay. Cameron sought footage from local residents showing the area during late autumn and early winter, potentially allowing authentic views of the setting to supplement material shot in Canada. The extent to which submitted footage appears in the finished film has not been independently established.
The distinction between setting and production location has attracted attention because Traverse City is integral to the story's identity. British Columbia's filming infrastructure provided the principal locations, while the Penticton shoot used existing seasonal decorations rather than relying entirely on constructed Christmas scenery.
Netflix released the film on 4 November 2026 and lists Quaid, Ventimiglia and Johnson among its leading performers. The streaming service describes the central predicament as a medical emergency that threatens to pull the Goss family apart before Christmas Eve.
Penticton's outdoor rink was scheduled to reopen for family skating on 15 December 2025, after filming equipment and temporary alterations were cleared. The city said hockey sessions would resume on an alternating schedule once the nets had been reinstalled.
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