How to Train a Dog (1936) User Reviews

What a droll commentator on everyday events Benchley was

[Paularoc · 8/10 · 31 August 2012]

I luckily caught this short on TCM as I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Benchley's observations. Benchley goes to a pet store and acquires new puppies; the focus of the rest of the story is on a Scottie. He tries to teach the Scotie to roll over and ends up rolling over himself much to the amusement, he says, to the puppy. The best bit is when he tells the audience not to drink alcohol when training because under the influence a trainer is apt to get too optimistic and is apt to think he has trained the dog better than he has. There's then an animation sequence of a well trained dog. The whole short is amusing and a reminder when funny didn't have to be vulgar. It was also an interesting short for featuring a Scottie, for I remember a time - long ago - when Scotties were very popular. Haven't seen a Scottie in years but they sure were cute dogs.

Not my favorite Benchley short but worth a look

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 15 September 2017]

Another MGM "How To" comedy short starring Robert Benchley. In this one Benchley amusingly discusses buying and training dogs. Cute stuff but not one of Benchley's best. There really weren't any laugh-out-loud funny moments. Still, these old shorts are fun and have a lot of "window into the past" moments that I enjoy.

Some rich dude brings home five or six mutts . . .

[pixrox1 · 6/10 · 14 March 2019]

. . . from the local pet store, without so much as a single litter box. The next morning he emerges from his mansion wielding a humongous bull whip, apparently left over from the time he was Potty Training Junior. HOW TO TRAIN A DOG focuses upon teaching these three canine tricks: 1)Eating a plate of fried eggs and bacon atop the family dinner table, 2)Dragging five-pound catfish into your bed, and 3)Performing triple somersaults. My best advice to a guy wishing to see these skills displayed in his household would be for him to wed a gymnastic angler. However, if this option is not within his budget, why not venture over to the corner drive-in and throw some fish skins under the waitress' roller skates as she's approaching with your BLT Basket? This may not scramble any eggs, but it WILL probably attract every canine within a four-block radius. Then there's the 50-50 chance that your cell phone video of this incident will go viral, with the added benefit that you will not have to worry about your pooches having "accidents" while you're gone from your mansion.

One of Bob Benchley's best shorts;All should be gathered into one video before they're lost.

[histfire · 10/10 · 14 July 2000]

Bob Benchley's short films are some of the funniest ever made. Turner Classic Movies has played a few of them including How to Train a Dog, which I have on tape. The kids all love it, and I'm sure that if someone put a complete video together of all these wonderful shorts before they are lost, it would provide many hours of fun and an appreciation of one of America's true funny men.

Cute but Not Funny

[Michael_Elliott · 10 December 2010]

How to Train Your Dog (1936)

** (out of 4)

Another entry in Robert Benchley's "How to..." series with this one, as the title says, teaching you how to train a dog. We see Benchley go into a pet shop where we're told what not to do when picking out a new pet. We then see him take several home where we learn how to make sure they know who makes the rules as well as them knowing what not to eat. These Benchley shorts are always very hit and miss but this one here is somewhere in the middle. I'd call the film a miss because it simply doesn't contain any laughs but at the same time it's rather cute and somewhat charming so on this level you could call it a hit. I think the biggest problem is that Benchley's style of humor is going to be lost on many people and I'm one of them. I think this film has several cute scenes including Benchley coming home drunk, finding his room destroyed but one of his dogs decides to keep him company. This scene works as does another where Benchley leaves his breakfast out and his dog decides to take a bite.

More Benchley mediocrity, rare moments of glory

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 26 May 2018]

"How to Train a Dog" is an American 8-minute black-and-white short film from 1936, so it is already over 80 years old and it is another of thiese "how to" comedy sketch videos starring Robert Benchley before the age of 40. Director is Arthur Ripley and it is not his only collaboration with Benchley, one of the bigger comedy stars from his era though obviously never on the level of Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel, Hardy, the Stooges etc. Writer is Mitzi Cumming and not only is it unusual to see a female screen writer in the 1930s, but especially one that is still not even 30 years of age. The formula is the same here like in other Benchley works, the title says "how to", but the real essence of the comedy here is "how not to" as it all goes wrong in terms of selecting which dog to buy, feeding the dog, (not) allowing it certain actions in terms of crossing boundaries and eventually letting it know who is the real master of the house. I don't know, none of the comedic moments really made an impact on me whatsoever, but it is still tolerable, certainly not the worst from Benchley's stuff I have seen. But definitely not good enough for me to give it a thumbs-up and a positive recommendation. My suggestion (as somebody who is not too big on Benchley and thinks his works have not aged too well) is to skip this one as well and watch something else instead. Well, maybe as a huge dog lover, you can give it a go. But these are really the only ones who may take a chance on it.