It's A Dog's Life (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Stunt Dogs & Water Rescue 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 types of dogs
do all kinds of incredible things

to make our lives better.

There are dogs that rescue people in need,

dogs that used their sense of smell
in amazing ways,

dogs that entertain us,

and believe it or not,
there are even dogs that works with cats.

(CAT MEOWS)

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...
- (DOGS BARK)

...on It's A Dog's Life.

(DOG BARKING, PANTING)

Oh, hi, I’m glad you’re here.

I’m at the Livermore Valley
Performing Arts Center

because something spectacular's
going on in there.



It’s Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience.

I can hardly wait to get inside.
In fact, I’m going now. Come on.

MALE VOICE: Ladies and gentlemen,
boys and girls, the time is now.

Get ready to watch the fur fly
as we celebrate the Stunt Dog Experience.

BILL:
If you've never seen stunt dogs work,

well it's kind of unbelievable.

And Chris Perondi's team...

- Wow.
- ...is one of the best.

- ANNOUNCER: This is big air Koda.
- (CROWD CHEERING)

BILL: These dogs fly...

jump rope...

and show their signature moves
like nothing I've ever seen.

How do they do it?

That was a great show last night,
wasn’t it?

Well, we’re on our way
to where all the magic happens,

to the home of Chris and Suhey Perondi
here in French Camp, California.

You know, a lot of people have one
or two dogs in their house

but the Perondis,
on the other hand, have 13.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)
I wonder where they all sleep.

(DOG BARKING)

- It’s a cacophony of canines!
- SUHEY: Excuse me, guys. Excuse me.

- My goodness. Look at this.
- Can I sit there?

- This is our pack, Bill. (LAUGHS)
- This is a full house,

- my gosh.
- It sure is.

BILL: What is it like living
with this many dogs?

Well, it can be a little chaotic at times,
but, uh, it’s a joy as well.

- (DOG BARKS)
- Well, they are performing dogs,

but when they're like, at the house here,

- they’re like, regular dogs.
- They’re just pets.

They are our pets first
and performers second.

Now, how did you get started in this?
I mean,

not too many people have like,
13 dogs in their house.

Well, it started as a hobby.

I wanted a dog to catch a Frisbee

is how this whole madness began.
(CHUCKLES)

BILL: What began as a hobby for Chris
and his first dog, Pepper,

quickly became a chance
to perform at football games.

And as one trick led to another,

Chris added more dogs and someone else.

Suhey, how did you get involved
in all of this?

Well, I'd like to say
that I married into it.

- BILL: Uh-huh.
- (SUHEY LAUGHING)

SUHEY: I actually met Chris back in 2008,

and what interested me about him
is exactly what he does with the dogs,

that he was a dog trainer.

Well, why a show?
Why not just have like, 13 dogs?

- Well, we want to inspire people.
- BILL: Uh-huh.

And we want to educate people
on how great rescue dogs can be.

- BILL: Yeah. These are all rescue dogs?
- CHRIS: Every single one of them

is a rescue from a pound, a shelter,
or just off the streets.

Do you think you could show me

how you train these dogs
to do all these stunts?

Absolutely. I think we sure can.

CHRIS: I got Vinnie Valentino,
and the chatty one over here...

(DOGS BARK)

...is Storm Shadow.
They’re both excited this morning

because they love playing
this flying disc, all right?

- BILL: Okay.
- CHRIS: This is their favorite activity.

- They’re gonna go on their name.
- They are ready.

That is their cue to go around me.

- Okay.
- So I’ll say "Shadow."

She’ll go out, go for a catch.

Vinnie, he’ll go out, go for a catch.

BILL: Wow.

BILL: All dogs love to play...

so Chris finds what a dog enjoys most,
then helps them turn it into a stunt.

- Yeah, beautiful. Shadow, get it.
- Wow. (LAUGHS)

BILL: Once dogs like Vinnie and Shadow
master their first trick,

other stunts quickly follow.

Do you want to give it a shot with Vinnie?

- BILL: Yeah.
- All right, well get down real low for me,

Bill, and I’ll see if I can
lure him up here.

Vinnie, come over here. Vinnie, up, up.

- Yes! Just like that, Bill.
- BILL: Hey!

That was it! Ta-daa!

BILL:
And soon, their playtime becomes showtime.

Oh, my gosh, what a dog,
what a beautiful boy.

It’s like instincts that
they already have...

- CHRIS: Yes.
- ...and you’re just adapting it

- to play.
- CHRIS: Yup, exactly.

BILL: Rescue dogs come in all shapes
and sizes, and so do their tricks.

This is Hollywood,
one of the newest additions to the team.

He already knows some agility obstacles.
Stay.

SUHEY: Over.

BILL: With Suhey’s help,

Hollywood has high hopes
to become a star...

SUHEY: Over.

...by jumping more than five feet
in the air.

- Wow! (CHUCKLES)
- SUHEY: Yes! Good job! You made the jump.

- Good, buddy.
- BILL: He did it, he did it.

Ready? Koda, hoop. Yeah. Koda, hoop.

BILL: Koda is a Goldendoodle
rescued from Nashville, Tennessee.

Koda, hoop. Yes.

- Good boy.
- BILL: Very good, very good.

How do you train a high energy dog
like that to jump through a hoop?

Well, at first you need to get him

- comfortable with the hoop.
- Uh-huh.

- Okay.
- So, maybe you just place it on the ground

and you have him walk over it,

just to kinda get him comfortable with it.

Then you can just get him
going through it

- just like that.
- BILL: Okay, with a treat,

- and so he gets the idea.
- SUHEY: Yeah, with a treat in your hand,

so he gets a reward.

And then, slowly you can pick it up off
the ground a little bit, just like that,

and now he’s kinda jumping over it
a little bit.

And then you’re just going to go higher
and higher each time. Koda, hoop.

BILL: He’s been a stunt dog
for less than a year,

mastering his tricks step by step,
until there’s no hoop too high to conquer.

All it takes is practice.
Lots of practice.

Ready? Koda, hoop.

- SUHEY: Yes! Good job!
- BILL: Wow.

- This is Tex, Bill.
- You must be Tex.

- Yeah, what a good-looking boy.
- Isn’t he?

- He is a good-looking one.
- Yes. Oh, he is a sweet boy, too.

He just loves everybody.

And he’s just a great athlete,
super excited.

- That's the...
- He looks like he’s ready to go.

CHRIS:
That’s the kinda energy we look for.

When we go to a shelter, we look for dogs
that are excited, and pumped up,

and that want to play...

- BILL: Oh, my gosh.
- ...and just get excited about it.

BILL: Tex is one of Chris
and Suhey’s stars,

and he’s worked for months

to master one of the most difficult
stunt combinations.

- CHRIS: You want to see him race?
- Absolutely.

All right. Come here, buddy.

BILL: The obstacle course.

Steady, and go! Tex, go! Weave!

Weave! Weave! Weave! Weave!
That's a boy. That's a boy.

Get through. Get through. Hoop!
Go, Tex, go! Tunnel!

Go, Tex! Get your ball, get your ball!
Get it, get it, get it, get it! Yeah!

Good boy! Go, go, go fast!
Get through, Tex! Go, go, go!

Get it. Yeah! Good job, Tex!
Come here, man. Come here. Up here, up.

- Nice job. Nice job.
- (LAUGHS)

CHRIS:
Spin. Spin. Spin. No. Okay. Come on.

BILL: For the 13 dogs who live
and train here, the fun never stops,

and no matter the hoops they jump through,

these dogs always have
another trick up their sleeve.

And I just taught her to jump
through the mini hula hoop...

- Mini?
- ...just this summer.

You ready? Here we go. Hoop! Yeah!

- Hoop! Yes!
- BILL: There we go.

- Hoop. Yes. Hoop. Very good.
- BILL: Wow. There you go.

- That's great. That is great.
- Yeah.

Nice job there, girl. Very good!
Now, you want to see her signature trick?

- Yes.
- All right.

- This is her famous paw stand.
- Okay. okay.

We’re gonna see if we can
get her to do it today.

Here we go, Confetti. And balance.

- (WHISPERS) Yeah, there you go.
- Wow.

BILL: It just goes to show,
never underestimate a dog,

especially a rescue
who can bring fun and family together.

- She’s a licker, licker. Oh, yeah.
- Oh, what a licker. (LAUGHS)

BILL: Although, I still don’t know
where they all sleep.

SUHEY: Okay, good night, guys.

BILL: Hey, everyone!
Time for some pet-friendly pointers,

told with the help
of a very special friend.

(PLUTO BARKING)

Who doesn’t like to play in the mud?

Dogs certainly do.

Those front paws can be
like high-powered shovels.

(CHUCKLES) Just look at him go.

Murphy, no!

BILL: But when holes start appearing
all over the yard,

then maybe your dog likes
to dig a little too much.

So, how can you get your puppy
to give it a rest?

Some dogs dig because they aren’t getting
enough exercise.

So, take your pet on a walk
and let them stretch those legs.

Other dogs are just bored.

To stop them from digging,
try some playtime.

After all, a fun game with you
beats digging holes any day.

For stubborn diggers, try an old trick.

Bury orange peels
in your dog’s favorite dig spots.

Most dogs don’t like the smell,

and that might just put an end to it.

But for dogs who just have
to get down and dirty,

fill a kiddie pool with sand,
bury some treats or chew toys,

and in no time at all,

your dog will love
their new custom-made digging pit.

And that is a whole lot better.

(PLUTO BARKING)

BILL: Our next adventure takes us
to beautiful Castaic Lake,

- just 45 miles from Los Angeles...
- (DOG BARKS)

...where a special group
of Newfoundland dogs

are about to take the plunge...

FEMALE VOICE: Good boy!

...to try to become official
water rescue dogs.

This is no day at the beach.

Being a rescue dog is hard to do.

These Newfies train year-round
to master the tasks required

at three different levels.

The first level, must retrieve objects
from the water and tow a boat.

FEMALE VOICE: Jump.

BILL: Level two, must bring life-rings
out to targets...

and leap from boats into the water.

And the best of the best
will perform mock rescues...

FEMALE VOICE: Good girl.

...to earn level three honors.

This is serious work.

And no dog tries harder
than two-year-old Tucker,

who’s just getting his paws wet in hopes
of one day being a water rescue dog.

CELIA: Slow.

- Yeah, slow. Good job.
- Hi, Celia.

- Hey, Bill.
- Hi! It’s good to see you.

- Nice to see you.
- Oh, and this must be Tucker.

- CELIA: It’s Tucker.
- Oh, my gosh. He is a big boy.

- How much does he weigh?
- Well, he weighs 140 pounds.

BILL: What’s it like to live
with a 140-pound dog at home?

Okay, you wanna come up? Okay!
That's a good boy!

You have to forget about the drool.

Yes, okay.

- They’re a great family dog.
- That's my good boy.

BILL: Turns out, Tucker’s 140 pounds
is about average for a young Newfoundland.

They’re a Canadian breed
that’s been around since the 1500s,

to rescue people washed overboard,
or shipwrecked on the treacherous shore.

BILL: What makes a Newfoundland
the best dog for water rescue?

CELIA: If you look at his coat,

- see how thick it is?
- BILL: Oh, yeah.

CELIA:
And he has an undercoat like duck down,

and their top coat is really oily
so it repels the water.

- BILL: Oh, it’s like two coats in one.
- Exactly.

BILL: But his thick coat isn’t the only
advantage Tucker has in the water.

Remarkably, all Newfoundlands
have webbed feet,

that help them paddle and swim.

- He’s like a dog that’s half duck.
- CELIA: Exactly.

BILL: As a puppy, Tucker’s unique
black and white coloring

made him a popular show dog.

But Tucker’s true calling
was to be like other Newfies...

and dive into becoming
a highly trained water rescue dog.

CELIA: He loves to swim,
that’s what they were bred to do

and I wanted to keep that instinct alive.

Yes!

Well, what are you doing here in a park?
I don’t see any water around here.

First, we do a lot of land work.

- Well, let’s see him do his stuff.
- Cool.

Go, get it.

BILL:
Every morning for the last four months,

Tucker and handler, Celia,

- have hit the park to work on the basics.
- (CELIA SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)

BILL:
Sometimes, that’s easier said than done.

Take it.

He has to take this knotted line
out to a stranded swimmer.

- BILL: (WARBLING) Help, I’m drowning!
- Go out.

CELIA: And the swimmer grabs
onto the line and he tows them in.

- Oh, my gosh, thank you!
- Yay! Tucker did it.

- He did it! Way to go!
- CELIA: Come here, Tucker.

You saved me, Tucker.

- But wait, he’s leaving.
- BILL: And he’s leaving. (LAUGHS)

- CELIA: Come here.
- He’s going home.

He’s done his job and he’s going home.

In the run-up to testing day,

it's clear Tucker is still
a work in progress.

So twice a week,

Tucker and Celia make the three-hour
round-trip drive to Castaic Lake,

to give Tucker his time in the water,
and meet other Newfies in training.

Our test is next week,

- so this week it’s a training session.
- Mm-hmm.

CELIA: So, we’re going to help each other
train our dogs.

BILL:
That’s a lot of hassle to go through.

CELIA:
But you know what? I love it.

It’s so rewarding to see your dog
enjoy what they’re doing.

- Go out.
- BILL: And the more Tucker practices...

He knows what to do.

...the better he gets.

CELIA: We work really hard to get
these titles, it’s not an easy thing.

- BILL: He’s got it! Way to go!
- CELIA: That's really good, buddy.

CELIA: The first time your dog does that,
it’ll make you cry.

Bring it in. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.

BILL: I bet he has a blast, and that’s
what it’s ultimately all about, right?

- CELIA: It’s all about Tucker.
- BILL: It’s all about Tucker.

- Good boy.
- BILL: (CHEERS) Good dog!

(WATER SPLASHING)

BILL: Now, after months of training...

time for Tucker to take his test,
and become a first level water rescue dog.

FEMALE VOICE:

CELIA: Well, you get nervous
'cause I want to do good with my dog,

I’d really love to get that title.

We've worked all summer for it,
and I just hope Tucker will do it.

BILL:
Tucker plunges into his first challenge,

swimming with his handler.

MALE VOICE: Got it.

BILL:
And he pulls it off without a hitch.

(VIEWERS APPLAUDING)

BILL:
His next challenge, retrieve a bumper...

CELIA: Good job, Tucker.
Come on, bring it in, right here, buddy.

...and carry it all the way back to shore
without dropping it,

in order to pass.

- (WHISTLE BLOWING)
- BILL: Another win for Tucker!

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

BILL: Now, the floating cushion.

But with the wind picking up...

Tucker faces an unexpected challenge.

CELIA: Tucker, over here.

BILL: The wind pushes the cushion
far out of the testing area,

and that confuses our rookie rescuer.

CELIA: Go get it. Go get that cushion!

BILL: So, Celia must intervene.

CELIA: Take it. Good boy.

And that means Tucker’s hope
to pass the test is over.

CELIA:

I was really happy that he listened
to me and was redirected.

That’s huge. Because a lot of dogs
will just blow you off

and they won’t do it, but the fact
that he followed my voice

and listened to my directions,
that was huge.

BILL: But while Tucker didn’t pass,
that doesn’t mean he’s ready to quit.

And while his chance at certification
is over for this year,

he still wants to practice
until he gets it right.

CELIA: Good job.

I’m sure by next season he’ll be
on his way to get his title.

We’ve just gotta keep working.

It’s just bonding with my dog
and have a good time.

Next summer,
we’ll be back out here, he’ll get it.

BILL: While Tucker didn’t pass today,
Celia makes sure to let Tucker know

that the important thing
isn’t about winning,

it’s about doing your best,
and always working hard to do better.

That’s what this is all about.

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.

(GOOFY CHUCKLES)

Hi, my name is Meghen.
I’m a media specialist

at South Salem Elementary School
in Georgia,

and this is Booker the pug,
who’s our full-time therapy dog.

(CHILDREN CHEER)

MEGHEN: Reading therapy dogs offer
a non-judgmental being to read to.

He’s not going to correct them
when they say something incorrectly,

he’s not going to make fun of them
if they pronounce a word incorrectly,

he’s simply there to listen.

What attracted me to Booker
was his temperament,

I needed a dog that was going
to be exceptionally tolerant

around children, around strange noises,
strange smells.

And when I first met him,
I actually cried... (CHUCKLES)

...because I was like, "This is it!
This is the dog that I had imagined."

As a reading therapy dog,
he has his own reading doghouse

with a chair and a cushy dog bed
and he will sit in there calmly

and read books with students.

Booker’s personality is perfect
for his job,

because he has hundreds
of elementary school students

come to visit him daily.

Sometimes they jump,
sometimes they squeal,

and he’s very calm
and welcoming to the students.

(LAUGHS) He is sleeping on me!

We have seen a huge increase
in circulation of students

in the Media Center.

Many students come in here, get a book,
check the book out, simply to see him.

Students come to see him for reading,
as a reward sometimes,

if they are having a rough day.

Sometimes we have students
who are on the autism spectrum

and he’s a great calming tool for them.

He’s almost like a doggie counselor.

He, in some way or another, has affected
our entire building of students.

GOOFY:
For being an A-plus friend to students,

that dog’s a real hometown hero.

(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)