Love at First Bark

The film opens with Julia Galvins and her junior designer Sherry opening their own design studio after their previous boss retires. Julia is anxious about the transition and relies heavily on a meditation app to stay 'centered and focused.' To celebrate her new business, she attends an adoption fair and adopts King, a 'strong-willed' dog that the shelter staff says chooses its owner. At the fair, she meets Owen, a dog trainer who offers her free sessions. Julia initially rejects his structured, boundary-setting methods, believing that 'love is all you need' to train a dog. Julia's professional life hits a snag when restaurant mogul Wyatt Salas rejects her pitch for being too small-scale. Desperate for a win, Julia meets Cassie Guggenheim at a dog park. Cassie is pregnant, and her dog Ginger is also expecting puppies. Julia pitches a 'magical forest' nursery for the baby, but to differentiate herself, she spontaneously invents the 'puppery'—a dedicated nursery room for the upcoming puppies. Cassie is delighted and hires her, but the timeline is accelerated to just two weeks to coincide with a high-profile fundraiser. As Julia works on the project, she begins training sessions with Owen. He teaches her to find her 'commanding voice' and be the alpha, which Julia finds translates to her professional confidence. They bond over games of pool and a late-night rooftop wine date where Owen shows Julia all the buildings she helped design in the city skyline. However, a conflict arises when Owen's ex-girlfriend Bridget (referred to as 'the poodle lady') appears at the fundraiser. Julia misinterprets their interaction and, fearing that Owen isn't over his ex and that romance is a 'distraction' from her career, she pushes him away. At the 'puppy shower' fundraiser, the puppery is a massive success. Wyatt Salas attends, is impressed by Julia's innovation and soundproofing techniques, and offers her a major restaurant project. Despite her professional success, Julia is miserable without Owen. After a heart-to-heart with Sherry, Julia realizes she was 'scared' and that love is the 'best kind of distraction.' She returns to the adoption fair to give a speech about how King changed her life. Owen arrives with dog toys, using Julia's 'lead with love' theory to reconcile. They admit their feelings for each other and commit to a relationship as the film ends.