It's A Dog's Life (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Mascot Dogs & Guide Dogs for Runners - 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 types of dogs do all kinds
of incredible things

- to make our lives better.
- (BEES BUZZING)

BILL: There are dogs
that rescue people in need,

dogs that use their sense of smell
in amazing ways,

dogs that entertain us,
and believe it or not,

there are even dogs that work with cats.

- (CAT MEOWS)
- BILL: 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)

BILL:
Football is one of my favorite sports.

So we're headed to the home of the Aggies,

at Texas A&M University
in College Station, Texas



for the big game,
and to meet a very special dog

known as the Queen of Aggieland.

Her job? To make one very big...

- (AUDIENCE CHEERING)
- (DRUMS BEATING)

BILL: ...royal entrance.

- (AUDIENCE CHEERING)
- (DRUMS BEATING)

Well, howdy, buckaroos! Welcome to Texas.

We are in Kyle Field
and we are with Colton Ray,

who is a cadet here.

He has a very special job
taking care of a very special dog.

This is Reveille IX,
she's the mascot for Texas A&M University.

- Now, how does she enjoy the job?
- Oh, she loves it. (CHUCKLES)

She knows she's the Queen of Aggieland.

BILL: Texas A&M began
as a military school, and today,

an elite corps of cadets, like Colton,
maintain those traditions...

Cadets, oops.

BILL: ...including care of Reveille,
the school's mascot.

The tradition just started out
when a couple of cadets

were making their way
back from a football game.

(MILITARY BAND PLAYING)

COLTON: They found a small black cur
on the side of the road.

They picked her up and took her
to one of the dorms...

- BILL: Okay.
- COLTON: ...that are here on campus.

The next morning, she was found barking
at the bugler's side,

to the call of Reveille,
hence how she got her name.

(BUGLE CALL)

BILL: And ever since then,
Reveille has been a permanent member

of the A&M Cadet Corps.

COLTON: She attends class,

attends formation with all of our cadets,
our outfit.

She goes to chow with us,

she goes to certain events
around the university

where people, you know, want to get
to know her, and get pictures with her.

- Do you want a picture with her?
- For sure.

BILL: Now obviously,
Reveille is a celebrity around campus.

Most celebrities have to deal
with the paparazzi,

she probably has to deal
with the pup-arazzi.

- (COLTON CHUCKLING)
- Good joke.

(REVEILLE WHINES)

BILL: Reveille and Colton live together
24 hours a day,

and because Colton must see
to Reveille's every need,

his cadet rank is that of First Leash.

As Texas royalty, you have to dress her
in a certain way, I understand.

Oh, yeah, uh, she has her own wardrobe.

This right here is her blanket.

- BILL: Oh, wow.
- Right. And these are her diamonds.

She has a five-diamond rank,

which means she's the highest-ranking
cadet in the corps of cadets.

Now, what does she get to do
because she's a five-star general?

She takes precedence over anything,
if she sleeps on my bed,

uh, then I have to find somewhere else
to sleep.

Would you sleep in her bed
and she sleeps in yours

- if she wanted that?
- I mean, I could. Uh...

- It's pretty comfortable, not gonna lie.
- (LAUGHS)

So, topics on transactional leadership.

BILL: And while talking in class
is against the rules for you or me...

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

BILL:
...if Reveille gets bored and barks...

- (REVEILLE BARKS)
- BILL: ...it's class dismissed.

- It is a tradition at A&M.
- (STUDENTS CHUCKLING)

- But I know I'm not boring, okay?
- (CHUCKLING)

- Have a great rest of the day.
- (STUDENTS CHEER)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

I wish I could have done that.
(BARKS) "We're done."

- (CHUCKLES)
- You know, that would've been so nice.

- (PANTS)
- Now, how important is it for the fans,

for the teammates,

everyone else to see Reveille
here at the game?

She represents every single student
in the student body.

And so, her being able to come out
and run in front of the football team,

they basically see themselves
running out as well.

I mean, it just goes to show
that as Aggies,

we love football
and we love leading each other.

BILL: Cheering students call themselves
The 12th Man,

and Reveille is their leader.

BILL: Tomorrow, there'll be about
102,000 people in this stadium.

- What is that like?
- COLTON: When you step on Kyle Field,

there's just sort of an energy
that takes over

and I mean, it's a feeling like no other.

- Sounds like it's so exciting.
- COLTON: Oh, yeah. (CHUCKLES)

- It's fun.
- I can't wait.

Okay, Reveille,

we're gonna get you all groomed
and ready for tomorrow

for your big entrance into the game.

Are you ready? Yep, she's ready.

COLTON: Susie, this is Bill.

- Hi, pleasure to meet you.
- He's here to learn about...

- Hi, how are you?
- ...all the traditions

surrounding Reveille.

COLTON: I gotta go to class
and I'll be back later.

Okay, I'll stay around
and see what goes on.

What do we have in store
for Reveille today?

Well, today, she's gonna get a bath,
um, brush out.

You got any extra,
I need a little off the sides actually.

- Okay. (LAUGHS) We can do that.
- Come on, Reveille.

BILL: To do her job,
Reveille has to look her best.

So, for the next four hours,
she's at the salon.

Now, is there a basic collie cut?

- This is, um, basically a collie cut.
- Right.

Um, you're not supposed to shave collies
because they... they are double coated.

What does it mean double coated?

- You feel this hair on top...
- Yeah. Uh-huh.

...you can feel how thin it is,
and then when you come back here,

- you can feel...
- It's...

- Oh, yeah. It's a whole different te...
- ...the thickness right there.

- ...texture. Yeah.
- Yes.

BILL: Reveille's special coat
does double duty,

protecting her skin
from both cold and the hot Texas sun.

- After we brush her out...
- Mm-hmm.

...we come back here
and we trim up all this hair

and what we do is we...
I would say, we basically shape her booty.

(BOTH LAUGH)

- Reveille is a very special dog.
- She is, she's the First Lady.

- She is, the First Lady of Aggieland.
- Yes. (LAUGHS)

BILL: All right.

(IMITATES POSH ACCENT)
Oh! It's a never-ending struggle

to be so pretty.

- MALE VOICE: Oh!
- BILL: Oh. (LAUGHING) You knew it.

(BILL LAUGHING)

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

BILL: Trimmed, washed, and blown dry,
Reveille and I are looking our best.

You want a treat?

- Got an extra?
- Sure, special for you.

- (SUZANNE CHUCKLES)
- It's for a friend of mine.

Okay, you ready for game day?
Let's go, we got a game to win.

Now, the countdown to the game begins.

(MILITARY BAND PLAYING)

BILL: The next morning, Texas A&M fans
are fired up...

(ALL SCREAM)

BILL: ...led by the corps of cadets.

(ALL CHANTING)

What are you gonna do when you see
Reveille run across the field?

Whoop!

- MALE VOICE: Back leg up.
- Whoop!

- No, no, no.
- No, no?

- Okay, like this?
- MALE VOICE: Kick your left leg up.

Whoop!

- BILL: That move is called a "Gig 'Em"...
- Whoop!

BILL: ...although, I'm not quite sure why.

When you see Reveille
run across the field,

what does that represent to you?

It signifies that we're about to beat
every team that we're about to play.

(LAUGHS) On that note, let's win! Whoop!

ALL: Whoop!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

BILL: Now, it's on.

Nearly 103,000 fans
await Reveille's entrance...

- (AUDIENCE CHEERING)
- BILL: ...and the start of the big game.

Hold on, it's gonna get loud.

- (AUDIENCE CHEERING)
- (MUSIC INTENSIFIES)

(BARKS)

(BARKS)

BILL: And on her mark, Reveille get set,
and go.

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

BILL: With the football team behind her,
it's game time...

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

BILL: ...and Reveille and Colton teach me
to sing the school song,

Aggieland style.

- Saw Varsity's horns off!
- Saw Varsity's horns off!

- Saw Varsity's horns off, short! Hey!
- Saw Varsity's horns off, short! Hey!

BILL: Reveille and Colton are incredible,
and the game sure was fun,

but before I leave,
there's one last thing I'd like to try.

Attention!

Left...

face!

(REVEILLE WHINES)

BILL: Turns out, it's a lot harder
than it looks.

Forward march!

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

FEMALE CADET: Guide column left!

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

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

told with the help
of a very special friend.

(PLUTO BARKS)

Road trip!

You know who always loves to take one?

- That's right, your dog.
- Come on.

BILL: Dogs love to hop in the car
and go for a ride.

It's a fun adventure for them.

But, it's important that you know
what to do and what not to do

when traveling together.

Before you leave, make sure to pack
everything your dog will need.

A leash, food bowl, water,

any medicine,
and of course, a favorite toy or blanket.

Inside the car, safety comes first.

All dogs love to poke their nose
out the window,

but it's far too dangerous
when the car is moving.

So, protect your dog

just like we protect ourselves
with seat belts,

or safer yet, a dog carrying crate,

one that's large enough
to allow the dog to stand

and turn around and lie down.

The safest place for the crate
is hooked to a seat belt

or a bungee cord in the backseat,

so the crate won't slide around,
and your dog will feel safe and secure.

All right, you ready to go potty?
Let's go.

BILL: No one likes to sit
in the car forever.

So, make frequent stops
for bathroom breaks and a little exercise.

That way, when you get
to where you're going,

your dog will be happy, well rested,
and ready for adventure.

FEMALE VOICE:
Hey, you're such a good dog.

(DOG BARKING)

BILL: Everybody loves to run.

So, we're headed to Yorktown, New York...

(DOG BARKING)

BILL: ...to meet a very special dog
who helps a very special runner

achieve his big dreams.

Every morning,
Tricia takes her handler, Chaz,

for a three-mile run.

Chaz hopes to compete in half marathons,
and even future Paralympic Games.

That's the thing,
Chaz is visually impaired.

So, it's up to Tricia to guide
the two of them while they run.

She's highly-trained and frees Chaz
to reach for his goals.

BILL: Okay, yeah, there he is right there.

- Chaz! Chaz!
- CHAZ: Hey.

- Hi. Bill Farmer, how are you?
- Bill, nice to see you.

- And Tricia, how's Tricia?
- Yeah, we got Tricia.

- Oh, she's good.
- (TRICIA PANTS)

Now, how did you get started running?

So, I started running
when I was about 12 years old

in seventh grade, and I just
really loved the gym class mile.

It's not something you really hear
a lot of people say,

but I just really took to running
and... and really love it.

BILL: As he grew up,
Chaz became a high school track star,

winning lots of medals along the way.
But during his freshman year of college,

a rare disease cost Chaz
most of his sight.

How did you feel about that?
That must be terrifying.

I got really sad.

You know, I was in my... my room
and I very rarely left my room.

One day, my dad said,
"You can't have another bad day

"if you just keep trying
to have a positive attitude

"and get up every day and find a routine,
then you'll find that sense of self again

"and you'll find that importance
in your life," and I did.

BILL: Inspired by his dad,

Chaz returned to the one thing
he loved the most, running.

And two years later, Chaz met Tricia.

CHAZ: When I first met Tricia,
the first thing that happened was,

she knocked me right down
to the ground...

- (BILL LAUGHS)
- ...and gave me the biggest hug that

I ever could have gotten from her.

BILL: Tricia is a graduate of a program

started by another
visually-impaired runner, Thomas,

the first near-blind athlete
to run a half marathon

with a team of dogs.

I'll tell you when our six feet
crossed that finish line,

it felt wonderful.

Took us two hours and 21 minutes,
13.1 miles.

- Really?
- THOMAS: Yes.

BILL: This non-profit program
trains guide dogs

for runners with vision loss.
The first of its kind.

You know, a dog's natural working pace
is our jogging pace.

Do you train them to, uh, ignore things
like if you put a cheeseburger down...

- (CHUCKLES)
- BILL: ...or, uh, a squirrel runs

across the path,
that it won't veer off into the weeds?

Yes. So, Blaze here is trained
to work at that fast pace

without being distracted by those things.

I'd have trouble ignoring
the cheeseburger myself.

- Me, too.
- I might chase the squirrel, I don't know.

As they do their job,
guide dogs like Tricia

must make lots of decisions
really quickly,

and build a special bond
with their human partner.

To give me a taste
of this special partnership,

Thomas introduces me to Pierce,

an up-and-coming guide dog,
and his handler, Stephanie,

a top guide dog trainer.

STEPHANIE: He's gonna know
that he's earned a treat

- when he hears me click.
- (CLICKER CLICKS)

BILL: Turns out, learning to be
a guide dog

begins with a touch of the nose,

the click of a clicker,
and a few doggy treats.

- BILL: What if he gets full?
- STEPHANIE: Labradors don't get full.

- (BILL LAUGHS)
- (CHUCKLES) They just make more room.

- (CLICKER CLICKS)
- BILL: From those clicks...

To the curb.

BILL:
...trainee dogs learn to stop at curbs...

- (CLICKER CLICKS)
- BILL: ...navigate through traffic...

- (CLICKER CLICKS)
- BILL: ...and keep their handler safe,

especially when running.

But of all the jobs a guide dog has to do,

none is more important
than reliability and trust,

as I'm about to find out
when Stephanie hands me a blindfold.

Putting on the blindfold now.

Wow, I can't see anything now,
I'm definitely visually impaired.

- Ready?
- STEPHANIE: Okay.

Pierce, forward.

You're gonna wait for him to walk
before you go. Good.

- Okay.
- So, you're gonna start to feel him

move you a little
to the right very slightly

and he's going nice and slow
'cause you're at that first obstacle.

BILL: Unable to see,
I must rely on Pierce completely.

And I can't lie, it's a little scary.

I just have to trust this remarkable dog

and try to feel the signals
he's sending me.

- Okay, so he stopped.
- And he stopped, there must be something.

STEPHANIE:
Yeah, so with your right hand,

- you can, kinda...
- BILL: Oh, wow, there's a bar.

- STEPHANIE: All right.
- BILL: Pierce, forward.

STEPHANIE: Good, so you're gonna feel him
take a step,

- and then you're gonna...
- Okay.

...step down onto the grass.
Good, he's, kinda...

- Okay.
- ...checking in with you.

- Okay, Pierce.
- He knows you're a little new to this.

BILL: One step at a time, Pierce guides me
through the obstacle course.

And it's hard work.

Okay, there he goes so I can feel...

BILL: But to run together
would require practice and teamwork.

Forward.

BILL:
And to do it at Chaz's pace is remarkable.

What is the relationship like
between a guide dog and his handler?

Well, it's the love you feel for a pet,
and so much more.

CHAZ: The first thing I had to do
was really trust her and know that...

- BILL: Mm-hmm.
- ...she's gonna keep me safe...

- Right.
- ...as long as I believe in her.

And she's gonna know if I believe in her,

just from my personality
and... and my demeanor towards her.

And so, the first time that we ran,
I just really put all of my trust in her

- and...
- BILL: Right.

...and we made it safely,
and we've been pretty safe ever since.

Well, Chaz, I don't want to interrupt
your training,

so I'm gonna let you
go on to your jogging,

I'm gonna take a little stroll
and take it easy for a while.

Strolls are nice too, Bill.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you, Bill. Forward.

BILL: Tricia has freed Chaz to do
what he loves the most,

and at the next Paralympics,
Chaz intends to prove

no obstacle is too big
for a young man with dreams.

With the help of his dog.

What an amazing day.

Seeing what Guiding Eyes for the Blind
does for visually impaired runners

is absolutely inspiring,

and Chaz and, uh, Tricia,
I mean he's already

- a gold medal winner in my...
- CHAZ: Hey, Bill.

Hey, Chaz. Hey, Tricia.
We'll see you in the Olympics!

- CHAZ: See you there.
- BILL: Don't they ever stop?

I'm already exhausted just watching them.

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

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

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

MEGAN: Come on, honey!

Look at you go, girl!

- I'm Jason.
- And I'm Megan.

And we're the proud parents of Abigail.

MEGAN:
And we live in Fort Myers, Florida.

JASON: Good girl.

When we first got her,
Abigail's personality was

this timid little dog
that didn't know how to be a dog.

She didn't know what a tennis ball was,
she didn't know what toys were,

she was afraid of doorways

because she wasn't born
into the typical puppy life.

Abigail was used as a bait dog
in a dog-fighting ring.

When Abigail was found,
she had severe injuries

to her head and her face,

and ultimately needed, uh,
immediate medical attention.

During one of Abigail's surgeries,
they had to put head wraps over her head

to protect all the wound,

and the gauze formed
what looked like a bow.

So, Abigail's rescuer, Victoria, said,

"Let's start dressing up her head wraps
with these cute headbands

"and let's call them her bonnets."

So, that's when Bonnets for Abigail
was created,

and people started sending in bonnets
from all over the world

and today, Abigail has about 450 bonnets

and she wears them as a sign of hope
for other dogs

that might be living
in her same situation.

You wanna be a little bear?

JASON: People reach out to us and say

they want one of Abigail's bonnets
to put on their dog that's injured.

We go one step further
and we actually hand-craft the bonnets

specifically for those dogs.

Can you sit? Good girls.

When we first got Abigail,

we already had a pitbull,
her name's Talla,

and the first time that we ever brought
Talla to meet Abigail,

Talla started training
her how to be a dog.

Day by day,

she started getting her own personality
and started turning

into this bubbly little girl.

Aw. You're so sweet, Abby.

JASON: Today, she will fetch a ball,
she will do tricks,

she plays with other dogs,
she will jump up into anybody's lap

and let them pet her, she loves kids.

A lot of people think
that because a dog has a bad past

that they're broken, they can't be fixed.

At the end of the day, love always wins,

and Abigail is proof
that... that love always wins.

GOOFY: Hyuck! For being an old dog
who can teach us all new tricks,

that's a real hometown hero.

(CHUCKLES)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)