A Dog Named Duke (2012 TV Movie) User Reviews

For Dog-lovers

[gordonm888 · 6/10 · 11 April 2019]

This made-for-TV movie, currently being shown on one of the Hallmark channels, is a serious drama - but Be Warned! for there is no romantic love and there is no humor. This movie is not a light-hearted romp through the sunlit plains of human emotions.

It is a story that centers on a disabled veteran and his love for his dog, Duke, and its narrative finds true emotional power by separating and eventually reuniting the man and his dog. It is unflinching in showing the wreckage of the man's life caused by his military service, his PTSD and his injury. Kudos to the filmmakers: the veterinary medicine in the movie is highly realistic, and the eventual reunion of some family members is treated realistically and with restraint. There are various side-stories (a bid to buy the animal clinic, a daughter's marriage, and an attempt to find employment) that do not distract too much from the central drama.

My wife cried like a blubbering baby at one point in the movie and rejoiced at the end of it. That is an important measure of a film's success, and you may react to "Duke" in the same way, especially if you love dogs.

Hallmark Got This Right

[thegreenwizardnc · 7/10 · 23 October 2019]

It was refreshing to see a film portraying a military veteran's struggles with post traumatic stress. To see the end result with healing instead of harm was refreshing. The actor nailed the performance.

cute dog

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 2 February 2021]

A stray dog walks into Bethany Pulaski's grade school class. He answers to the name Duke. The dog follows her home and becomes the family pet. Her husband Terry Pulaski (Steven Weber) is a soldier injured in Afghanistan and forced to take medical discharge. His troubles overwhelm him and years later, he's living alone in a trailer with Duke. He finds solace in fixing things and feeding the homeless. Duke gets sick and he is forced to put him down. Dr. Angela manages to save Duke which leads to a family reunion.

The dog is cute. The story is sweet but it's not really a narrative. It's not a story flow with drama. It's a series of situations which leads to an inevitable ending. It has no actual tension but it's a sweet story for family viewing. It's perfectly fine for Hallmark.

A Man's Best Friend

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 26 July 2017]

***SPOILERS*** Heart warming little made for TV movie about a US Army veteran Terry Polesky, Steven Weber,suffering for PTSD syndrome coupled with mortar shell wounds from his service in Afganistan who gives up on life and becomes a homeless member of society, living in a trailer, who finds the one person, man or animal, who really cares about his pitiful plight a scroungy mutt or dog named Duke who makes him feel that life is really worth living. Up until then Terry was a lost soul leaving his family and friends in the dust as well as giving up on life by becoming a more or less bum going through life doing simple handy work, like raking leaves and screwing in light bulbs, whenever he could find it. It was Duke who gave Terry a reason for living by showing him the friendship that he lacked even from his family members, whom he had since deserted, who thought of him as being some kind of odd ball who didn't care if he, as well as them, lived or died.

It's Duke who stayed with Terry after he checked out from life as well as his family who gave Terry a real reason for getting back on his feet and looking after himself as well as Duke. It was when Duke suddenly become ill that Terry decided to have him put to sleep at a local animal shelter only to have him miraculous survive with the kind and professional help from the caring Dr. Angela, Allison Hossack, who paid for Duke's medical expenses out of her own pocket. Terry meanwhile who had checked out on Duke, like he did to his family ten years earlier,thinking that he had passed away and become history. It was Terry's teenage daughter Alice,Sarah (A strange way to spell Smith)Smyth, who he hadn't seen in ten years after reuniting with Duke who tracked down her father to tell him the good news. First that Duke was alive and well and second that her mom and Terry's wife Bethany,Kendall Cross, passed away two years ago from cancer.

It was Duke together with Alice who gave Terry the push that he so badly needed to clean up his act and stop feeling sorry for himself by seeing that there are people as well as animals-like Duke-who really care about him and to pick himself up and make something of himself despite all the ills and sufferings that he went through in life. We see Terry later having shaved off his scrubby and unkempt beard and nicely dressed working as a building contractor contributing to society instead of taking, by leaching off it, from it. But if it wasn't for Duke and Alice as well as Dr. Angela helping him he may have well have ended up either a broken man on skid row or in an early grave.

A Heartwarming Story

[kupcr · 6/10 · 27 August 2020]

'Wings' star Steve Weber plays a Marine Sergeant named Terry Polesky who returns from his service in Afghanistan with a lot of emotional and physical scars and he has a feeling like a burden to his family, but Terry decides to leave with Duke, his Border collie, as he begins a life on the streets. It wasn't until many years later when Duke falls ill that he's forced to reach out for help, thus re-connecting with his daughter. This is a heartwarming story. Some scenes are so emotional. Actress Allison Hossack plays a veterinarian. Such a great story.

Wonderful movie

[toncincin · 10/10 · 17 February 2020]

Missed this one back in 2012. Thank you Hallmark Drama for airing this wonderful movie again! It's not your typical Hallmark movie - no human love story. It's about the struggles of Veterans. It about PTSD. It's about loyalty. It's about facing your fears. It's about forgiveness. But most if all - it's about the relationship between man and dog. I watched it on our DVR - and saved it for my hubby to watch. He loved it too. Great story ... and Steven Weber is amazing in a non-comedic role (which we seldom see him in). Highly recommend watching it whenever it's available on TV.

Tissue Warning!

[ksm · 8/10 · 17 November 2020]

OMG, I was bawling like a baby. Not a typical romance story that Hallmark is known for, but a heartwarming must watch nonetheless.

Wonderful show!!!

[tinatalksavon · 10/10 · 10 March 2022]

Being dog lovers and doggie parents, I don't know how we ever missed this movie. But, it was well worth the wait.

At some point during a movie (even Hallmark), one of us usually doses off - but not this movie.

Since I cried through most of the movie, I wouldn't really classify it as a comedy - but there were many funny parts.

LOVED Duke!!!! 🐾👍🐾

A heartbreaking film

[afeeney-15486 · 10/10 · 10 August 2023]

At First you Think that the dog is going to go But and then it is a happy story I really recommend you to watch this film. It is a very happy story. The man loves his dog very much. I really do give it a 10/10. It is perfect for me as I love border collies. And I love films like this. I'd give it a 10 out of 10 other people might not think it is as good as I think. As the man is also very nice in This film I think it is brilliant This film is very bright and lovely Little also Love the man very much I just think that this film is brilliant I do recommend it for some people, but other people might not think it's as good as I think.