Der Weihnachtshund (2004)

The newly engaged financial adviser Katrin Schulmeister is looking forward to escaping the Christmas stress and spending a holiday in St. Moritz with her betrothed, Aurelius von Waldborn. Her parents are delighted by their daughter’s unexpected plans to marry and thrilled to have Aurelius as a son-in-law. So they invite the world-travelling Aurelius, who is unaccustomed to family life, to spend Christmas “with the family”—and, to Katrin’s horror, he accepts. Her plan has therefore fallen through, until Katrin remembers her father’s dog-hair allergy, which triggers asthma attacks at the mere sight of a dog. So they need a dog. Katrin heads straight to the pet boarding kennels to borrow a dog for the Christmas holidays and spare herself a dull celebration with her parents. There she meets Max, who wants to leave his lazy four-legged companion, Kurt, there so he can escape to the South Seas for Christmas. Kurt, with his faithful-looking eyes, is Katrin’s dream dog, and the loan is arranged. Despite their initial reservations, the professional chef, who also writes newspaper columns under the name of his basset hound, and the young woman soon grow fond of each other—and a romantic love story could get underway at once, if it weren’t for Max’s strange philemaphobia (fear of kissing). Whenever he so much as tries to kiss someone, he faints, and he doesn’t dare tell Katrin. Instead, he seeks advice from Nathalie, his neighbor in the apartment building, which his beloved naturally misunderstands. With Nathalie’s help, he realizes that his phobia will probably be cured once he has found his great love. He promptly cancels his trip to the South Seas and meets up with Katrin, who has herself realized that she can only be happy with Max and breaks off her engagement. They attempt their first kiss together, and with Katrin’s help Max finally overcomes his handicap. The bewildered Aurelius unexpectedly runs into Nathalie, and the two fall in love at first sight.