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Groom Games

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This episode is one video with 2 short stories. Each story gets its own review and score.

Good

Recommended age Unlock

Co-watching from age 2

Balanced

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Groom Games

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Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2

Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2 - Slowscreen

Good · Co-watching from age 2. At Gigi's grooming palace, a group of puppies get their fur trimmed before heading out to play fetch with the Red Zoomer ball. On...

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https://slowscreen.com/en/series/pretzel-and-the-puppies/s1/e5b-groom-games

https://slowscreen.com/en/series/pretzel-and-the-puppies/s1/e5b-groom-games

Slowscreen

Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2 - Slowscreen

Good · Co-watching from age 2. At Gigi's grooming palace, a group of puppies get their fur trimmed before heading out to play fetch with the Red Zoomer ball. On...

Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2
Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2

slowscreen.com

Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2 - Slowscreen

Good · Co-watching from age 2. At Gigi's grooming palace, a group of puppies get their fur trimmed before heading out to play fetch with the Red Zoomer ball. On...

Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2
slowscreen.com

Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2 - Slowscreen

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Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2 - Slowscreen

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Subject Pretzel and the Puppies: Groom Games | Good, co-watching from age 2

Good · Co-watching from age 2. At Gigi's grooming palace, a group of puppies get their fur trimmed before heading out to play fetch with the Red Zoomer ball. On...

https://slowscreen.com/en/series/pretzel-and-the-puppies/s1/e5b-groom-games

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This program is well-balanced. It remains mostly easy to follow and process. It is a good fit for the recommended age. The pacing is fast. Images follow each other quickly, leaving little time to pause and take in what is happening. The sound is clearly present and regularly draws attention. The visuals are calm and well-organized.
The episode follows one clear thread: Dil cannot hold still long enough to be groomed, so he cannot see or go play. Events build in a recognisable order, from the first trims to the string of games and finally the successful groom, so a young child can follow what happens and why. Cause and effect is spelled out plainly, for example that fur in his face means he cannot see the ball. The small caveat is that a large cast of puppies and quick back-and-forth exchanges can pack a lot into single moments for this age.
The emotional world here is warm and safe, with friends rallying around Dil instead of mocking him for struggling. Support and encouragement run through every interaction, and the groomer Gigi stays kind and consistent with each puppy. When an attempt fails, the mood never tips into real distress; a cheerful 'let's try again' follows almost immediately, so any small frustration is resolved on the spot. The feeling stays steadily positive throughout, without jarring swings between moods, which helps a young child feel settled.
This episode stands out for showing real problem-solving in action. The puppies themselves propose idea after idea to help Dil stay still, story time, drawing, a balance game, Pippa Says, and pretending to be a statue, and they openly try, fail, and try something new. The reasoning is visible and spoken aloud, such as needing to stay still so Gigi can finish, which models thinking through a problem step by step. For a three-year-old this is a rich, encouraging picture of working something out together.
The language is clear and concrete, built from everyday words like groom, trim, ball, still, and waggling that a young child can picture. Sentences are short and used consistently, and instructions carry real meaning, for example explaining that staying still lets the grooming finish. The main softening note is the steady stream of excited exclamations and filler sounds, the 'oops', 'woo-hoo', 'buzz buzz', and 'ruff ruff', which sit alongside the more informative lines. Overall the words land well for this age while leaning playful.
The everyday value works partly but is held back by the premise of talking dogs who run a grooming business, which is more imaginative than grounded for this age band. What does transfer is strong: the stay-still games are real things a child can play, drawing and story time appear as genuine activities, and the friends-helping-a-friend dynamic mirrors real relationships. The grooming itself has a clear purpose, since Dil needs the trim to see. So there is practical, copyable content here, wrapped in a fantasy frame that limits the real-world connection.

More information

This score shows how inclusively the series portrays diverse people, families and cultures. Scale: Limited → Varied → Rich → Inclusive.
This is an all-dog world, where breed, colour and size variety stands in for broader differences between characters. The community is small and built around one two-parent family with several puppies, so the range of family forms and living situations stays limited. The series is stronger on how it shares roles: the puppies take turns leading, offer different ideas, and work together as equals regardless of gender. Tasks and feelings are not tied to a fixed type, which keeps the behaviour free of obvious clichés.
This score shows whether the series stays close to everyday reality or leans into fantasy. Scale: Fantasy → Mixed reality → Realistic.
This episode keeps both feet in the everyday: a visit to the groomer, a game of fetch with a ball called the Red Zoomer, and homemade games to help a friend hold still. The only real stretch of imagination is that the whole town is run by dogs who talk, groom each other, and have a mayor, and even that frame stays steady from start to finish. There is no villain anywhere; the single problem is a wiggly, over-excited puppy who can't sit still, and the others work together to solve it. For this age, the blend of familiar routines and a light, friendly imaginative world is a comfortable fit.
This score shows how enjoyable the series is for parents watching along. Scale: Tedious → Tolerable → Pleasant → Enjoyable.
This sits comfortably in the background for a watching adult without asking for much attention or giving much back. There is a clear thread to follow, Dil cannot see through his shaggy fur but is too wiggly to be groomed, so the other pups invent games to help him hold still. The voices stay excitable and the same waggle gag loops several times, so patience wears a little thin, though a couple of dog puns reward an ear that is paying attention. The animation is clean and the warm palette is easy to sit beside.

Behaviour

Overexcited tone

The puppies stay loudly excited and high-energy almost continuously, with frequent shouted 'Red zoomer!' and 'Woo-hoo!'

Mild violence

Dil repeatedly bumps into things and runs the wrong way, with friends calling 'Dil, wrong way!'

At Gigi's grooming palace, a group of puppies get their fur trimmed before heading out to play fetch with the Red Zoomer ball. One puppy, Dil, is too excited to hold still, so his fur keeps covering his eyes and he cannot be groomed or see. His friends invent stay-still games, a balance game, Pippa Says, drawing, and pretending to be a statue, to help him calm down. Once Dil holds still, Gigi finishes the trim, he can see again, and everyone goes to the park to play.

Season 1

10 episodes

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E01 Story A

Pretzel and the Puppies

Make Your Bark

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

In the town of Montgomery, the Doxie family of dachshunds, parents Greta and Pretzel and their five pups, walk Mom to her job as mayor and notice a dull, blank wall that no dog wants to be near. Paxton suggests painting a mural, the city council votes to approve it, and the pups gather paint and try out designs at home. When they cannot agree on a single picture, they decide to let every dog add a paw print instead. The wall fills with colourful prints, dogs gather to play nearby, and Paxton is proud to have 'made his bark.'

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E01 Story B

Pretzel and the Puppies

Pup to the Races

Stimulating
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

In a sunny park, a litter of small dachshund puppies discovers the kibble cart derby but learns they are too short to reach the steering lever and brake of the big carts. Led by Pedro, they try one idea after another, stretching themselves, testing different boxes and wood, and finally building tiny carts they push instead of ride, using doggy discs as wheels. They race the new carts successfully and create a pup cart derby of their own. The episode closes with the pups and their parents celebrating and a short song about making your own spark.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E02 Story A

Pretzel and the Puppies

Treat Yourself

Stimulating
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

At Kibble Fest in the town of Montgomery, the Doxy dachshund family arrives to taste new kinds of kibble. One pup, Puck, does not want to try anything, so his brother Pedro and the rest of the pups help him search for a flavor he likes. When nothing works, Mom and Mr. Kibble invite the pups to make a fresh batch, and Puck chooses the ingredients himself. He tastes the kibble he made, loves it, and Pedro is praised for helping him try something new.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E02 Story B

Pretzel and the Puppies

Pups on Parade

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

A family of dachshunds in the dog city of Montgomery learns at breakfast that their city is turning 100 today. The pups decide to throw a surprise birthday party and set about gathering decorations, ordering treats from Kibble Market and finding a place big enough. When they realise they forgot to invite any guests, they run through the streets calling everyone to come. The celebration turns into a city-wide parade, ending with the birthday song for Montgomery.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E03 Story A

Pretzel and the Puppies

Do the Doxie

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

Pretzel, a dad dachshund, takes his five pups to visit their grandmother Nana while Mom is at work. They discover that Nana's exercise class is closed, so the pups set out to find another way for Nana and her neighbourhood friends to move their bodies. After trying gardening and a tea party, they land on a dance party. The episode ends with everyone, including Mom, dancing the Doxie together.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E03 Story B

Pretzel and the Puppies

Hot Dogs

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

On the hottest day of the year, a family of dachshund puppies finds it is too hot to play their favorite game, Puck Duck. With help from their dad, the pups try one idea after another to cool down, from finding shade to playing with ice and water. When the ice melts and the water soaks away, they combine a hose and watering cans into a big sprinkler they call the Cool Down Play Zone. They invite every overheated dog in Montgomery to join, and the whole neighborhood cools off and plays together.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E04 Story A

Pretzel and the Puppies

Bowl Them Over

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

The Doxy puppies bring their friends Dylan and Delilah to The Bowl, a restaurant run by Jules, only to find the friends are allergic to wheat and cannot eat anything on the menu. Disappointed, the group heads home and recreates the restaurant as a 'Doxy Bowl,' then experiments in the kitchen until they invent a wheat-free dish of rice, beans and cheesy chews. The friends love it, and when Jules tastes the dish she adds it to her own menu. The episode ends with everyone able to eat at both restaurants.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E04 Story B

Pretzel and the Puppies

Cone-Do

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

Delilah, a young dachshund, arrives wearing a cone after hurting her paw and keeps bumping into things during tag and fetch. With Pretzel and her friends she rides a train to the park to find a game that works for her. There she discovers the cone helps her hear faraway sounds, which lets her find a lost pup and reunite it with its mother. The friends turn the discovery into a new game called Hear and Seek, and Paxton makes his own cone so he can play too.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E05 Story A

Pretzel and the Puppies

Welcome Waggin'

Stimulating
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

A new dog named Gus Growler moves to the town of Montgomery with a long list of things to buy but keeps getting lost. The Doxy puppies and their parents, dad Pretzel and mom Greta the mayor, first tell him directions and then give him a tour, but he gets lost both times. Finally the pups draw him a colorful map, and with it Gus finds the kibble market, the bed shop, and the post office. The pups hang the map outside City Hall so it can help other new dogs in town.

Pretzel and the Puppies
S01 E05 Story B

Pretzel and the Puppies

Groom Games

Balanced
recommended age Unlock co-watching from 2

At Gigi's grooming palace, a group of puppies get their fur trimmed before heading out to play fetch with the Red Zoomer ball. One puppy, Dil, is too excited to hold still, so his fur keeps covering his eyes and he cannot be groomed or see. His friends invent stay-still games, a balance game, Pippa Says, drawing, and pretending to be a statue, to help him calm down. Once Dil holds still, Gigi finishes the trim, he can see again, and everyone goes to the park to play.

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