We had a good run, Paw Patrol, and my family. For the better part of a decade, I’ve logged countless hours going on adventures with Chase, Marshall, Skye, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, and the various other characters in Adventure Bay and Adventure City alongside my kids. Movies, live musicals, birthday parties, toys, toys, and more toys, and multiple pairs of shoes inspired by the show that even lit up with each step. We had or did it all. Well, it looks like those days are over in my house…
When I told them about Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie premiering on the 2026 movie schedule, I thought they’d be jumping with joy and begging to go see it. Instead, they didn’t care at all. It hit me… they had moved on. As a parent who’s going through this for the first time, I have some feelings to share…
Paw Patrol Has Been A HUGE Part Of Our Lives For Years
While my oldest daughter never got into Paw Patrol like her siblings, my son and younger daughter have been obsessed with the franchise for about as long as I can remember. I’ve taken them to early screenings of the movies, spent way too much money on seats for Paw Patrol: The Musical, and pretty much used my Paramount+ subscription as a Paw Patrol streaming service for a number of years. If there was trouble in Adventure Bay, we were watching to find out how that group of pups would save the day and thwart Mayor Humdinger’s latest plan.
I will admit that a few years into this wild journey of parenthood, getting an assist from a group of animated talking dogs saving people in trouble and taking a bite out of crime (wait, wrong pooch here), I actually started to have fun with Paw Patrol. Sure, it could be the joy of watching my kids having their own favorite shows, but that was only part of it.
I Thought I’d Be Excited, But Instead I’m Just Bummed Out
Fast forward to 2026. My son wants Nikes instead of Rubble shoes, my daughter’s Paw Patrol toys have been replaced by KPop Demon Hunter figures, and my kids are bouncing between episodes of Phineas & Ferb and Craig of the Creek before begging to play Roblox. Though it’s nice not hearing that earworm of a theme song these days, and I enjoy not having to hear a tantrum when the right shoe no longer blinks like a firetruck, I’m having a hard time moving on, even if my kids already have.
You know, I honestly thought I’d be excited for this day to come. It’s representative of my kids growing up, learning new things and fine-tuning their tastes. Though I am glad they’re becoming obsessed with The Simpsons and other great animated TV shows from my youth, I can’t sit here and act like I’m not also bummed out that this part of our journey together is over. The book is closed, and we’re off to the next adventure. Exciting, but also bittersweet, as I don’t know if we’ll ever return.
This is all part of growing up, both for my kids and myself. What really has me bummed out is the fact that the Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie trailer makes this upcoming kids movie seem like the best of the series.
