It's A Dog's Life (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - The Surfing Corgi & Bee Dogs - full transcript

Bill hits the beach to meet a surfing corgi. Then, he visits dogs whose noses help bees survive.

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.

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.

And who am I?
I am 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)
- (PANTING)

(SEAGULLS SQUAWKING)

BILL: Today, we’re off
to Huntington Beach, California,

known as Surf City, USA...

where a very special dog
is about to teach me how to hit the waves.

But first, he’s going to introduce me
to a few of his friends

at Corgi Beach Day.



Corgi Beach Day is an amazing event
'cause there’s, like, hundreds,

if not thousands, of corgis.

BILL: It's a day long event...

- MALE VOICE: Go!
- ...with games,

contests, and even corgi yoga.

BILL: How did you come up with the idea
of Corgi Beach Day?

Well, we just wanted to have a meet-up
with other corgi owners...

- Mm-hmm.
- ...so, it started with 15 people...

- Fifteen?
- ...and their dogs at the first one,

and seven years later,
now, we’ve got thousands.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BILL: Wanna see a corgi
in a costume contest?

It’s here.

- Why corgis? What’s so cool about corgis?
- Corgis are very interesting dogs,

they tend to be, like, really goofy.

(RECORD SCRATCH)

Corgis are goofy, I can relate to that.

Step on up and show them how it’s done,
Crouton!

BILL: How about corgi limbo?

(IN DEEP VOICE)
How low can they go?

(MOUTHING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

MALE VOICE:
Let’s hear it for Crouton!

BILL:
But it’s at the Corgi Kissing Booth...

that I catch up to everyone’s
favorite celebrity dog.

Supercorgi JoJo.

His job?

To reign as the top surfing corgi
in America.

He’s doin' it.

Maybe it’s those little legs,
I don’t know.

(WOMAN CHEERS)

MALE VOICE: Oh! (LAUGHS)

BILL: Way to go, JoJo!

It’s gnarly, dude!

(LAUGHS)

- Oh, my gosh.
- Hi, Bill.

- Josephine! That was incredible.
- Hey! Thank you.

- JoJo, you were amazing.
- Oh, my God.

- I’m glad you got to watch him surfing.
- Oh, my gosh!

Do corgis generally like to surf?

JOSEPHINE: No, he’s the only surfer
that I know that’s a corgi.

- BILL: Really?
- JOSEPHINE: Yeah.

BILL: By nature, corgis spend less time
on the ocean and more in the fields,

where their agility makes them

one of the world’s most popular
herding dogs.

And their good nature means
they’re ideal companions,

even for the queen of England.

Josephine...

- Hi, Bill.
- ...how did you ever find out

that this dog could surf?

From an accident that happened
about five years ago.

We were walking out the door,
going to the car, normal day...

two big dogs attacked us,

and the doctor said he had only months
to live.

He had a torn chest,

then his ears were all cut off,
so he had to get stitches there.

It was a nightmare. And I wouldn’t want
to wish it to anyone else,

because he is my life.

You know, I... I do everything with JoJo.

BILL: To help JoJo get better
and begin to feel safe again,

Josephine turned to
hydrotherapy exercises...

which JoJo took to like a fish to water.

- Did he learn to like the water from that?
- JOSEPHINE: Yeah, he did.

BILL: So, he wasn’t afraid of the water...

JOSEPHINE: He wasn't.

- ...to get on a surfboard after that.
- JOSEPHINE: Uh-huh. Yeah.

And my husband, he’s a surfer, so,
when he rested, JoJo hopped on his board.

- Just hopped on on his own?
- JOSEPHINE: Yeah. (LAUGHS)

And so, we just took him out, like,

- about to here, just to see...
- BILL: Yeah.

...and he balanced on it.

We were so surprised.

- So...
- BILL: He's got a low center of gravity,

so maybe those short little legs
are pretty good for surfing.

JOSEPHINE: Yeah, but it was a...

You had to train him
to stay in the back, because first he’ll,

- like, walk every time.
- BILL: Uh-huh.

- JOSEPHINE: So, we had to do...
- He would tip over

- so he had to find...
- ...a lot training.

JOSEPHINE:
Yeah. So, he’s been surfing since then.

BILL: Now eight years old,

JoJo has won surf contests

all over California, and even Hawaii.

And along the way,
he’s become an internet sensation.

But surfing isn’t the only thing
that makes JoJo a superstar.

When he’s not on the water,
JoJo turns his surfer fame...

into a chance to cheer up
military vets

who deserve to have a little cheering
of their own.

(DOG BARKS)

JOSEPHINE: JoJo, you wanna go out there
and surf again?

BILL: It looks like JoJo’s ready
to go back out and surf a little bit.

Do you think I could join him?
Do you think I could learn to surf?

- Of course you can.
- I've never surfed

- in my life.
- Oh, my God, it’ll be so fun,

let’s go out there.

- JoJo!
- I’m gonna go surfin'!

- JOSEPHINE: Woo-hoo!
- (BARKS)

BILL: But if I’m going to learn
how to ride the waves,

it’s got to be from the best,

and that means a lesson with JoJo
and his surf trainer, Aidanne.

AIDANNE: So, straighten out,
right on the stringer...

hands by your armpits,
and kinda just pivot

and go in a ninja stance. Sweet.

BILL: With Jojo by his side,

Aidanne walks me through
the basics on the beach.

Now that I can surf the sand,
time for me and JoJo to hit the waves.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BILL:
Hopefully, I can make JoJo proud.

Or not.

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

Cowabunga!

And after lots of practice on the waves...

well, I might need a little more practice.

Just when my day can’t get any better,

JoJo has one more thing he’d like to share
back at Corgi Beach Day.

It’s a machine that makes bubbles.

Bacon flavored bubbles.

Better with some pancakes, I think.

What a treat for a special dog.

Hey, everyone, time for some
pet friendly pointers

told with the help
of a very special friend.

(PLUTO BARKS)

Heroes come in many shapes and sizes,

and you don’t have to have special powers
to be one.

You can be a hero simply by rescuing
a rescue dog.

We call them "rescue dogs"
because they spend time

in an animal shelter
waiting for a new home.

Hey, do you want a treat?

BILL: Many are like any dog you’d meet,

but some may need
some extra love and attention.

- That can make them extra special.
- GIRL: Let’s go home.

If you choose to rescue a dog...

GIRL: Welcome to your new home.

BILL:
...they may appear nervous at first.

GIRL: Good boy, you like it?

BILL:
So, establish a daily routine.

- GIRL: Good boy!
- BILL: Regular mealtimes,

and walks.

- Scheduled playtime.
- Do you wanna play? Come on!

Life in the shelter
may have been unpredictable...

- Up here! Good boy!
- ...so this routine will make

- your new friend feel safe.
- GIRL: Go inside.

BILL:
Setting up a dog bed or crate

will also provide a super safe place,

if they ever feel overwhelmed
in their new life.

- All right, sit.
- BILL: Finally, work on

- obedience training right away.
- There you go.

Lay down. Good boy.

BILL: Take extra time to teach

- and socialize your new pet.
- GIRL: Okay.

And if your dog is still
having a hard time,

professional dog training is a good idea
to think about, too.

Everybody deserves a second chance,
so be a hero

and give a rescue dog
the life that every dog deserves.

You're such a good boy! (LAUGHS)

(PLUTO BARKS)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BILL: Today, we’re on the road
to Jarrettsville, Maryland

and a farm a-buzzing
with the makers of sweet, sticky honey.

And you know where honey comes from,
right? Of course, from bees.

But today, some bees
have very serious problems.

But don’t worry any,
because we’re on our way

to meet a couple of very special dogs
that are helping to solve those problems

in a way that you simply won’t...

bee-lieve.

BILL: Hey, guys!

Look at these guys.
Who do we have here?

- This is Tukka and this is Mack.
- Hey, Mack, how are you doing?

Oh, my gosh,
what kind of a dog is Mack, here?

- Mack is a yellow lab.
- Uh-huh.

He’s about five and a half years old.
And Tukka

is a springer spaniel,
and he is almost four.

Are Mack and Tukka your dogs?

Yes, they are my dogs,
but they are also my coworkers.

- Really? What do they do?
- Yes.

They are bee inspectors.

- BILL: Bee inspectors?
- CYBIL: We all three are bee inspectors.

BILL: In fact,
Mack and Tukka are the only

official bee disease detector dogs
in America,

a job that requires
more than nine months of training.

What are you inspecting for?

A very contagious bacteria
called American foulbrood.

Oh, it’s like germs,
they get germs and they get sick?

Yes, the bees get very sick.

So you, like, have to get little bees
and go, "I’m going to inspect you,

turn your head and buzz."

I wish it was that easy.

BILL: And because their work
is so important, Mack and Tukka want me

to meet the bees, up close and personal.

Which means I get to wear a fancy suit.

So, this is a beehive.

BILL: It’s like an apartment complex
for bees,

- huh?
- CYBIL: It... it is.

- BILL: Oh, wow, look at that.
- CYBIL: So, we’re going to pull out

- a frame of bees...
- BILL: Oh, yeah.

- Look at that.
- ...and they’re going to store

their baby bees in the middle.

- BILL: Oh, in those little holes.
- CYBIL: And...

They’re called cells.
The queen is right here.

- BILL: And that little... oh!
- You see how long

- her abdomen is?
- BILL: Yeah, she doesn’t have a crown.

CYBIL: No, she’s the only one
who lays eggs in the colony.

BILL: (IN BRITISH ACCENT)
Hello, Your Majesty. Welcome.

- CYBIL: Right here.
- We're just checking you out.

And so, they make honey and they put it
in the little cells, too,

- right?
- CYBIL: Yes.

BILL: What would it look like if it had
that germ that the dogs are sniffing for?

It would be brown and stinky.

- Oh, wow.
- CYBIL: Yeah, it would

- kinda look slimy. And...
- BILL: Yeah.

- ...it would look and smell very sick.
- BILL: Wow.

Well, bees, you’ve been
absolutely wonderful.

CYBIL:
What grade would you give them?

I’d give them a... B.

(BOTH LAUGH)

I set you up for that one.

BILL: Now that I’ve seen a healthy hive
up close,

time for a training session
with Mack and Tukka.

And my first stinky encounter
with the germs.

So, this black, greasy mess

is what would come out
of an unhealthy colony.

- BILL: Uh-huh.
- When we were in the colony

and we saw the yellow beeswax...

- BILL: Yeah.
- ...that was nice and healthy.

With that germ in it, it turns brown
and slimy, and greasy,

and then we have this.

- Can a person smell that? I mean...
- CYBIL: Yes,

- it smells very stinky.
- Okay.

Ew... oh.

It’s like the bottom of a parrot cage.
Old socks full of cheese.

- Oh, my gosh. So...
- I like that.

...how do you use that stuff
to teach the dogs?

I’m gonna take this bag of stinky stuff,
the germ,

and I'm gonna hide it in a tube,
and we’re gonna ask Tukka to find it,

and then we’re gonna reward him
when he finds it with his toy.

- BILL: All right, let's see him do that.
- Okay.

- BILL: We’re hiding it in that pipe.
- CYBIL: In that tube. And Tukka.

- Tukka, can you find the...
- Find.

(SNIFFING)

Check here.

Good job, Tukkie.

BILL: Not only has Tukka found the germs,
he strikes a pose to alert Cybil

- that the germs are there.
- Yes.

BILL: (CHUCKLES) It’s kinda cute.

Quick to follow, Mack takes their training
to the next level, popper boxes.

One of these boxes
has the germ hidden in it,

and we ask them to find it and sit.

BILL: And that’s how we know

- that he found it.
- He must sit.

- So, Mackie, can you check here?
- BILL: Okay.

CYBIL: Check here.

(MACK WHINES)

- BILL: There you go! Way to go, buddy.
- Woo! Good boy!

- He did it.
- Good job, buddy, good boy.

BILL: It doesn’t take long
before Mack and Tukka know,

find a whiff of the germs

and get a reward.
It looks like they’re having fun,

but this is also serious bees-ness.

Why do we want to save bees?

- I mean, bees can sting us.
- CYBIL: Well,

the bees do a lot of good things for us.

One third of every bite that we eat
is thanks to the honeybees.

BILL: Fruits, nuts, and lots of vegetables
depend on bees to pollinate their flowers,

and turn them into delicious snacks
and meals.

CYBIL: That’s why it’s very important
for Mack and Tukka,

and all bee inspectors,

to keep this disease closed up.
We don’t want it to spread.

BILL: Now it’s time for Cybil to put Tukka
to the hardest challenge yet.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS)

CYBIL: This is the final test.

We’re going to take this nice,
stinky-smelling bacteria

and we’re gonna hide it into this
dummy hive where we do not have bees...

- BILL: Okay.
- ...and we’re not concerned about...

- Mm-hmm.
- ...infecting anyone else.

So, we’re gonna open the baggies...

- BILL: Uh-huh.
- ...and we’re going to slide them

into the front of the colony and...

- BILL: Mm-hmm.
- ...we’re gonna run this last drill.

BILL: (EXHALES) That’s rank.

- Oh, and here comes Tukka.
- CYBIL: Ready, Tukkie?

Check here.

Check here.

BILL: Unlike human inspectors,
Mack and Tukka

never open a hive or disturb the bees.

CYBIL: All right, Tukka, find.

BILL: And because cold weather makes bees
sleepy, these two disease sniffers

work in the morning,

when cooler temperatures
make it safe to do so.

CYBIL: Check here.

Check here.

Check here.

Oh, look at that.

- CYBIL: Good boy.
- (LAUGHS)

- So, he gets the toy when he sits.
- CYBIL: We reward him,

he works for the ball.

So, you’re able to handle a lot more hives

in a shorter period of time
using the dogs.

- Yes.
- BILL: How many colonies

can a dog go through in a day?

CYBIL: In recent past,
they have done 500...

- Five hundred?
- ...in one day, yes.

How many could a person do in one day?

I could feasibly do about

- thirty, forty colonies in a day.
- BILL: Really?

- Thirty to 500.
- Mm-hmm.

- So, thanks to Mack and Tukka...
- CYBIL: Here.

...there are more bees, which means
there’s more food for everybody.

- More variety as well.
- That’s amazing.

I wanna thank Cybil for showing us around
the farm today, and I wanna thank Tukka

and Mack here for sticking their noses
where they do belong,

into beehives to keep them safe,

and to help put food on your table.

Well, it’s time for me to make a beeline
out of here.

Right, guys?

I guess so.

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.

(LAUGHS)

LAURIE: You like playing? You do?

- (PLAYS PIANO)
- (HOWLS)

Hi, I’m Glen.

I’m Laurie,
we’re from Long Island, New York.

Our dog, Buddy Mercury,
he loves to play piano and sing everyday.

(HOWLING)

LAURIE: Three years ago,
we were looking to adopt a dog

and we went to an adoption event.

He was the very first dog we saw,
and the poor little thing looked so tired

and frail, you could tell he needed love,
and I knew we had love to give.

GLEN: And all the other dogs
were jumping around...

- LAURIE: Yeah.
- ...and they were yapping. He was the only

quiet dog in the whole place.

- Ironically, he was the quiet one.
- (LAUGHS)

(HOWLS)

GLEN: I did not expect Buddy
to be a musical dog.

The first hint of it was

when Laurie would play the piano
a little bit and then he would sing along,

and I was like, "Wow, that’s interesting."
So then one day

all of a sudden
I heard the piano start playing...

- (LAURIE LAUGHS)
- ...by itself.

(HOWLING)

And I heard him singing along.

(HOWLS)

GLEN: And I said,
"Whoa, what just happened?"

And he just kept doing it from then on.

(WHINING)

(HOWLS)

LAURIE:
We have a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler,

and ever since she could crawl
she wanted to join Buddy’s band.

She’s got shakers and tambourines,
and so any time she breaks out

into a musical number, Buddy runs
to the piano to play, and then likewise,

if Buddy runs over to the piano first,
she runs and gets her guitar,

so they... they very much influence
one another.

GLEN: She’s like the hype girl.

(BOTH LAUGH)

GLEN: So, Buddy plays two
to three times a day.

Whenever the inspiration just hits him,
he’ll just start banging out some tunes.

LAURIE:
He plays with so much passion,

and his little tail is wagging
the whole time, he’s so happy.

I can’t quite describe it, it’s special.

GLEN:
Yeah, when I miss a performance,

I’m like,
"Man, I should've caught that one."

(BOTH LAUGHING)

GOOFY: For keeping a family in tune,
that dog's a hometown hero.

(CHORTLES)

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)

(DOG BARKS)