
On CinemaScore, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

The site's critical consensus reads, " A Dog's Purpose offers an awkward blend of sugary sentiment and canine suffering that tugs at animal-loving audiences' heartstrings with shameless abandon." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score 43 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 33% based on 66 reviews, and an average rating of 4.8/10. The film received mainly negative reviews by critics.

As the boy grows older and comes to a crossroad, the dog once again comes back into his life to remind him of his true self. Reincarnated as multiple canines over the course of five decades, the lovable pooch develops an unbreakable bond with a kindred spirit named Ethan ( Bryce Gheisar).

A devoted dog ( Josh Gad) discovers the meaning of her own existence through the lives of the humans she teaches to laugh and love.
