It's A Dog's Life (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Dogs & Cheetahs & Companion Dogs - full transcript

BILL: Hello! Welcome to It's A Dog's Life.

You already know that dogs
can be our best friends.

But did you know that some dogs
also have jobs?

It's true.

All of types of dogs
do all kinds of incredible things

to make our lives better.

There are dogs that rescue people
in need,

dogs that use their sense of smell
in amazing ways,

dogs that entertain us,
and believe or not,

there are even dogs that work with cats.

And who am I? I'm Disney legend,
Bill Farmer.



As the voice behind Disney's
Goofy and Pluto,

and dozens of other animated characters,

I'm stepping out from behind
the microphone

to learn about my favorite
real-life characters, dogs.

Come with me as I explore how each dog

learns to develop its special
and unique talents,

and how the magical relationship
between dog and human

makes life better for both.

So, join me and our canine pals
on It's A Dog's Life.

(DOG BARKS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

Oh, hi.

I'm out here in the wilderness,

and I heard that I'm gonna come
face-to-face



with a couple of ferocious animals.

Now, I don't know what kind they are,
but I hope they're vegetarians.

BILL: Our first adventure
takes us to the Cheetah Encounter

at the Cincinnati Zoo
and Botanical Garden.

Well, Linda, we’re here
in the Cheetah Encounter.

And tell me a little about bit the zoo.

We're a great zoo, we're the second
oldest zoo in the country,

have been here since 1875.

We have over 500 species of animals here
on zoo grounds.

Well Linda, this is a show about dogs.

Why would we be here
in a Cheetah Encounter?

First, I want to introduce you
to one of the stars

of our Cheetah Encounter.

- (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)
- Okay. Uh, I'm ready.

Gotta be brave on this show.

(CHEETAH ROARING)

- (REMUS BARKING)
- It's a dog!

LINDA: That's right, this is Remus.

- (REMUS BARKS)
- Remus. I was expecting a cheetah.

Oh my gosh, what kind of dog is Remus?

- LINDA: We aren't quite sure.
- (REMUS BARKS)

BILL: Six-month-old Remus is a rescue dog
from a local shelter.

The zoo needs a dog with energy
and stamina.

Hello, hello.

- Looks to me...
- (REMUS BARKING)

BILL: ...like they made the right choice.

(IMITATING BARKING SOUNDS)

- (IMITATING BARKING SOUNDS)
- (REMUS BARKS)

- You seem to speak his language.
- (BILL LAUGHS)

Now, why would you have a dog
in a Cheetah Encounter?

LINDA: Because Remus is actually
best friends

with one of the newest additions
of the Cheetah Encounter...

- our four-month old Cheetah cub, Kris.
- BILL: Oh, my goodness.

There's Kris.

(CHIRPS)

In the animation world,
dogs and cats don't mix,

- but they do in the cheetah and dog world?
- LINDA: (CHUCKLES) They do!

BILL: Why wouldn't you have a cheetah
with another cheetah?

LINDA: Well normally,
that's what would happen,

but Kris was the only survivor
of her litter,

and a female cheetah won't raise

just one by themselves.

Cheetahs originally come from Africa,

where they live, hunt, and run.

In fact, cheetahs are the fastest runners
on Earth.

At the Cincinnati Zoo,
Kris was raised by trainers

to become an ambassador
for cheetahs in the wild,

part of the zoo's conservation efforts.

To maintain her natural instincts,

Kris was paired with a companion
who could keep up with her.

How long have they been together?

LINDA: They have been together
almost two months.

There's enough communication
between them

that they seem to get each other's,
"Hey I wanna play now" signals,

and "No that was too rough" signals...

and another cat might not take well
to playing with a cheetah,

whereas dogs sort of just say,
"Okay, let's go."

- (KRIS CHIRPS)
- BILL: Cheetahs are extremely shy animals.

If Kris followed her natural instincts,

she'd be hidden, solitary,
and impossible to train.

- (REMUS BARKS)
- BILL: Remus' job?

Bring her into the open
and act as a bridge

between the wild cheetah
and her human trainers.

LINDA: Dogs will listen to human cues,

and so she will learn cooperation
with humans from Remus.

Things as simple as drinking out
of a water bowl.

The cheetah sees that the dog does it
and says,

"Oh, that must be something
that's okay to do."

BILL: In fact, dogs like Remus
have been working as cheetah companions

at the Cincinnati Zoo for almost 40 years.

LINDA: She'll always be a wild animal,

and so we really want to make sure
that she doesn't learn that humans

are the thing we play with.

BILL: So, the dog is cat's best friend.

After their morning run,
Remus helps Kris chill out,

and it gives me a chance
to get up close and personal

with this super cool cat.

There you go.

Even though Remus has worked with Kris
for only two months,

it's remarkable how much he helps

the shy young cheetah come out
of her shell.

She's like a regular cat there.

There ya go, there ya go.

Yes! We love that you're wearing
Remus out.

It's really important for everyone

- to get all their energy out...
- It's wearing me out!

LINDA: ...before we ask them to listen
to us during training.

BILL: (LAUGHING) This is such
a bucket list thing.

I mean, I'm playing with a cheetah
and her friend, a dog!

A big part of Remus and Kris' job
as ambassadors

is to visit schools to teach kids
about cheetahs.

So now, Remus hands off his friend
for some basic training.

So we're watching a training session,
and we want her to learn sit...

- BILL: Mm-hmm.
- LINDA: ...down,

to listen to Andy.

So the animal learns that
if they do the behavior correctly,

they're gonna get a delicious reward.
In this case, it's raw meat.

As you can see, she's doing
a great job.

BILL: Yeah!

We just have Kris in here training now,
do you train Remus and Kris together ever?

We don't train them together.

We have found that if you try
to train together,

more play happens and less work happens,

and when we're training, we really want
them to focus.

I do a lot better when I study alone, too.

For Kris, class is now dismissed.

There he is! There's my buddy, Remus.

Time for Remus to do a little homework
of his own...

- Hi, Andy.
- Hey, how's it going?

- BILL: ...with a clicker...
- ANDY: Target!

BILL: ...and wand.

We're gonna try to get him to do a circle.

- A circle, okay.
- So you're kind of gonna use that

- like a magic wand.
- Okay.

(IN HIGH-PITCHED VOICE)
Remus, we will now cast the magic spell

and do the magic circle.

Come. Can you go all the way around?

- (CLICKER CLICKS)
- (IN HIGH-PITCHED VOICE) There you go.

Very good dog.

(IN NORMAL VOICE) Can you do a circle?

(CLICKER CLICKS)

BILL: Circle!

- (CLICKER CLICKS)
- BILL: Perfect. Way to go, Remus!

Remus and Kris are well on their way
to become public ambassadors.

But while they're still learning...

Oh my goodness, look at this!

...it's back to the Cheetah Encounter
to meet a couple of pros.

ANDY: His name is Moose and he's a three-
and-a-half year old chocolate lab.

BILL: Oh, my goodness.

Hello Moose, how are you?

- What a beautiful boy.
- (ANDY CHUCKLES)

Right. So, Moose is one
of our cheetah encounter ambassador dogs.

He loves learning new behaviors,
like high five.

- ANDY: There we go, that's a good one.
- That's very good.

- He loves his food, he loves treats.
- BILL: Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.

But you don't know Moose...

until you've met his BFF, Donni,
a three-and-a-half-year-old cheetah.

How long has he been with Donni?

ANDY: They've been together pretty much
their whole lives.

They met when they were about
four months old.

BILL: Amazing.

These guys, when they're younger
and they're developing,

there's a lot more play that happens,

and they still hang out and do sleepovers.

'Cause now Donni is fully grown

and he can run just like a really
great big cheetah

and Moose was an integral part in helping
him to become such a great ambassador.

Oh. So good. Good job, bud!

(MOOSE BARKS)

BILL: Donni may be a great ambassador,
but he's a terrible diplomat.

LINDA: Catching the Wiffle ball and not
giving it back

is one of his favorite things to do.

BILL: He does not want to give it back,
I can tell.

LINDA: He thinks he worked
very hard for it.

(MOOSE BARKING)

I've got an older sister,
I understand this.

(MOOSE BARKING)

BILL: For nearly four years,
Moose and Donni have been inseparable,

but there's one area where Donni
leaves Moose in the dust.

My buddy, Moose, here
has invited me to see

one of the most exciting things here
at the zoo, the cheetah run.

And Donni, his buddy, is running.

Ever since he and Moose first met,

Donni has been training to show off
his running skills.

Remember, cheetahs in the wild
can go 70 miles an hour.

And if you've never seen
an adult cheetah run full speed,

prepare to be amazed.

Right? Let's watch.

MALE VOICE 1: Thirty-five.

- FEMALE VOICE: Fire rocket.
- MALE VOICE: Standby 264.

FEMALE VOICE: Ready for launch.
Three, two, one.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BILL: That was amazing, wasn't it, Moose?

That's what I said.

What a great visit to the Cincinnati Zoo.

And the next time someone says
dogs and cats don't get along...

just remember Moose and Donni...

and Remus and Kris,

four fast friends who are pals for life.

Good boy.

BILL: Hey everyone, time for some
pet-friendly pointers

told with the help of a very
special friend.

(PLUTO BARKING)

BILL: It happens all the time.

You're on a walk, and you see a dog
you'd like to meet.

But, before you race over,
put yourself in the dog's shoes.

Are you playing with your leash?

BILL: How would you like
to be patted on the head

- the first time you meet someone new?
- FEMALE VOICE: Are you a silly thing?

(CHUCKLES) That'd be weird, right?

So, here are some tips
on how to make a good first impression

on that dog you'd like to meet.

To begin, ask permission
from the dog's owner.

Can I pet your dog?

BILL: They know how their dog behaves

and they can tell you right away
if it's okay to approach.

Sure, he's friendly, come on over.

BILL: Offer the back of your hand
for the dog to take a sniff.

Sniffing is the way dogs learn
about the world around them,

and about you, too.

And if it seems okay, then try
a gentle pat

on the dog's back or their side first.

You're such a good boy.
Oh, you're so cute.

And if you see any special tags
or a doggy uniform, remember,

some dogs are service dogs who
help humans with special needs

or other important jobs.

Follow these simple rules
and you'll be surprised

on how many new canine friends
you'll make.

- Chino!
- You're such a good dog.

(DOG BARKING)

(DOG BARKS)

MALE VOICE: Why don't we get
all the Goofy stuff first

- and then we'll...
- Okay.

MALE VOICE 2: ...remind ourselves who
Uncle Goof is and what he sounds like,

and then we'll go back and get him.

BILL: Being the voice of Goofy and Pluto,
and many other Disney characters

over the last 30 years,
has been a dream come true.

We've done two seasons of this,
I didn't know his name was Bertram.

- (LAUGHS)
- (MAN LAUGHS)

BILL: So when I heard there was
a very special dog named Lark

helping a young man
try to follow in my footsteps...

(BURBLES)

(IMITATING GOOFY)
Hyuck! Gawrsh. Golly.

(IMITATING MICKEY MOUSE) Oh, boy,
I hope you enjoyed that. (CHUCKLES)

BILL: ...I had to meet them.

And discovered that Lark
carries the load every day...

to help Logan pursue his
voiceover dreams.

Lark, here. Good girl.

BILL: Sparks, Nevada is located just east
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,

where there's lots of skiing
and fun on the water.

So, I decided to check out
the competition.

Bill: Well, Logan looks like
a sailor out there.

- I think he looks great out there, too.
- Yeah.

And this is only his third time
being alone out there.

BILL: Really?

So, Lark has kinda opened up
a whole new world for him, it sounds like.

SHARI: Oh, I think so.

BILL: What kind of health challenges
does he have?

SHARI: Logan was born with a primary
immune deficiency disease,

as well as an endocrine disorder.

BILL: Because of Logan's condition,
he gets tired very quickly.

Simple everyday tasks, like opening doors
and picking things up,

can leave him exhausted
and sap his confidence.

But with Lark at his side, Logan can store
his energy for fun things,

like kayaking, or to practice
his voiceover skills.

Logan and Lark seem to have
a very close relationship.

I think that Logan's had a rough time.

His brother's away at college,

and when Hunter left,
it was really hard on Logan.

Hunter really looks out for him.

- BILL: Really?
- SHARI: He misses Hunter a lot.

- BILL: How did he find Lark?
- Canine Companions for Independence said,

that we should apply for a dog
to help Logan out.

Lark is a tremendous help socially.
I think people see Lark,

they want to say hello to Logan,

that helps Logan feel
a little more confident,

and then he feels like talking to people

and it's really helped him
to feel better about himself.

BILL: That's amazing.

BILL: (IMITATING PIRATE)
Ahoy there, matey.

- Welcome aboard here.
- (LOGAN LAUGHS)

- How was it out there?
- LOGAN: It was fun.

BILL: Lark looked like she was ready
to fall asleep.

- Yeah, she likes it in the kayak.
- BILL: I don't blame her. I would, too.

Ever since his older brother, Hunter,
left for college,

Lark and Logan have been inseparable.

But Lark is more than a companion,

she's a real help for Logan
around the house.

To show me just how special Lark is,

Logan has a few demonstrations
up his sleeve.

Here. Good girl.

Juice box!

They come fully trained, but you can
train them to do new things.

- BILL: Yeah.
- Here.

Good girl.

She helps me do my laundry.

Push.

Lark, get.

Get. Get.

- Good girl.
- BILL: And at bedtime...

Lark, light.

BILL: ...when Logan can't get up
to turn off the light.

LOGAN: She can turn off my light at night.

- Good girl.
- BILL: She's got a lot of talent.

Can she do your homework for you?

- Uh, unfortunately not, no.
- No? Not yet.

- Not yet, but she's working on it.
- LOGAN: (CHUCKLING) Yeah.

Now, what do you want to do
when you grow up?

- Maybe what you do. (CHUCKLES)
- Oh, really? A voice actor, huh?

- Yeah.
- BILL: What are some of your favorite

- voices to do?
- Um....

(IMITATING GOOFY)
Hyuck. Gawrsh. Golly. Hyuck!

- BILL: Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah.

It's always fun to watch movies
and try and impersonate the voices.

- Yeah. Yeah.
- That's exactly how you start.

It kind of reminds me when I was
starting out.

I practiced all the time.

And since Lark gives Logan
a boost every day,

I wanna take a little time to do the same.

Well, Logan, here we are
at the recording studio.

Is this the first lesson
you've ever had doing voiceover?

- Yeah.
- All right, well there's some basics

that I want to tell you about
being a voiceover artist.

- If you just say the word "Ah."
- Ah.

And then if I pinch my throat kinda...

(STRAINED)
...like you're being choked.

- (STRAINED) Ah.
- BILL: There you go.

If you start talking with that tone,

you've got a character.

(HOARSELY) I didn't need her,
plenty of fish in the sea.

(HOARSELY) I didn't need her,
there's plenty of fish in the sea.

(WAILING) Oh, who am I kidding?

(SOBBING) I'll never get another manatee
like that one.

(WAILING) Oh, oh, oh!
I'll never get another one again.

- (SNIFFLES) Yeah.
- (WAILING)

- You can sniff a little bit.
- (SNIFFLES)

(BILL AND LOGAN SOBBING, SNIFFING)

BILL: All right, Logan,
we're ready to record...

and I thought it'd be good
if maybe we can get someone else in here

to read with you right now.

Can we get someone to come in and read,
uh, a double?

(DOOR OPENS)

Oh.

Hi. Hi, Lark.

- BILL: Who is that?
- That's my brother.

- (LAUGHS)
- Hi, Logan.

- Hi.
- What's going on?

We thought it'd be fun
to just bring your brother in

because of course Lark has been, uh,
filling in for your brother.

It's been a while since Logan's
seen Hunter.

Oh, who am I kidding?

(HOARSELY) Oh, who am I kidding?

I'll never get another manatee
like that one.

(HOARSELY) I'll never get another manatee
like that one.

(HOARSELY) Aye, that there's a sad one.

- Whoa, objection, Your Honor.
- (NASALLY) Whoa, objection, Your Honor.

- HUNTER: The defense just used...
- BILL: But like most brothers,

they immediately pick up
where they left off.

And she was very rude.

- (NASALLY) And she was very rude.
- (CHUCKLES)

BILL: I think that's a keeper.

That's awesome, you did good,
that last one.

- Who do you think sounds better?
- Me. (CHUCKLES)

(ALL LAUGH)

BILL: I had so much fun with Lark, Logan,
and his brother in the recording studio.

It kinda reminds me
of when I was just starting out,

when I first got to do the voice

of one of my all-time favorite
Disney characters.

Hey, no hound dog's gonna catch me
in this, baby.

I'll put my foot on the gas
and I'm outta here quick.

Well, Hunter, thanks for flying down
from Seattle to be a special guest today.

Logan, thank you for being
a great student.

(IMITATING PIRATE) Aye, yes I was.

(HOARSELY) And of course
we ought to thank Lark

for being a good dog.

BILL: So far,
we've met some incredible dogs.

Now, it's time for you to show us
your special pets.

Good girl.

GOOFY: Now, time for Goofy's
Hometown Heroes. Hyuck!

MARK: High five. High five. High five.

Hi, this is Mark from Deer Park, New York.

This is Marley, the biggest-hearted dog
you'll ever find.

2008, I broke up with my girlfriend,
and so I moved down to Texas.

I came across a post about these dogs
that were found in a dumpster

and I was very moved.
Seeing Marley, he was very thin,

he had this big belly 'cause he had
a lot of worms.

But I felt like we had this connection
that we were able to be comfortable

just with ourselves.

I rekindled with my ex-girlfriend,
I sent her a picture of Marley,

and before I knew it, she was
in Texas visiting.

They really fell in love.
She's never had a dog in her life

and during that time that she was visiting

we got into a car accident and I totaled
the car, she broke her arm,

and when we got back to the apartment
he would not leave her side.

And I knew at that moment that

not only did I have a connection with her,
but so did he,

and I knew that I had to come home
at that point.

MELISSA: Good boy, you found it!

So, I knew Marley
was gonna be my best man from day one.

So when I proposed to Melissa,

we knew that he had to be there
and had to wear something on point.

And Melissa's mom put together
this just incredible tux for him.

So at the moment that we were
getting ready for the wedding,

I was holding his tux, and he sat down,

knowing it was time for him
to get dressed.

(SNIFFLES, CHUCKLES) I mean, everybody...

People do ask, what do you think
he's thinking at this moment

when you're trying to fix his tux?

And, uh, I think he was saying, you know,
this is really gonna work out.

(CHUCKLES) Like, he was happy to be
with his two best friends...

And... And... And, uh...

and I had his support, and he was just
letting me know, like...

"You did a great job, man."

GOOFY: For being a best man
and a best friend,

that dog's a hometown hero. (LAUGHS)

(DOG BARKS)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)