What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this CGI animated series
incorporates lessons about friendship, self-confidence,
teamwork, and perseverance in its fun-filled stories. Kids will
relate to the issues that arise in the canine characters' lives
(helping a friend who's feeling blue, for instance) and may
pick up some tips from the endearing pups on navigating their
own relationships with others. Although one character often
breaks rules to better his chances of winning, his underhanded
methods are always foiled in the end, and the sticky situations
remind kids that cheating really doesn't pay off.
Families can talk about good sportsmanship. How do the Turbo
Dogs react to winning a race? Do they gloat over their victory
or accept congratulations respectfully? How do they act when
they lose? Are there any characters who aren't good sports?
Have you ever known someone who didn't play fair? How does it
change your enjoyment of the game? How important is winning to
you? How do you define being a winner?
TURBO DOGS follows the antics of a group of fun-loving canines with a passion for racing. Based on the picture book Racer Dogs by Bob Kolar, the series is set in the colorful burg of Racerville and centers on the town's speediest group of dogs: Dash (voiced by Lyon Smith), Mags (Stacey DePass), GT (Dan Petronijevic), Strut (Joris Jarsky), Clutch (Peter Cugno), and Stinkbert (Hadley Kay). Though the pooches are competitors on the track, they're always fast friends in the end, showing kids that no matter what the problem, cooperation, hard work, and good sportsmanship are the keys to overcoming life's little pitfalls.
Turbo Dogshas all the qualities of a sure-fire kid pleaser: zany characters, funny stories, and fast-paced action. Young viewers will get a kick out of sneaky Strut's creative but ill-fated attempts to weasel his way to racing victory (think giant magnets on extendable car appendages), Stinkbert's deep love of all things trash, and, of course, the high-octane races.
Meanwhile, parents will be pleased that the series wins on another level, promoting valuable messages about teamwork, friendship, and fair play through its well-crafted stories. If a flaw can be found, it's in the noticeable shortage of female characters (there's only one), which seemingly promotes the stereotype that cars are a "guy thing." But girls who do tune in will find a positive role model in Mags, whose skill on the track is matched by her level-headedness and loyalty to her friends.
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Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.

