The Underdogs - did you see it?

[Lotti]

Did anyone see this programme, it ran from Monday-Wednesday 9.30am and actually condensed 5 weeks into the 3 short shows.

 

They took 6 trouble teens who had never succeeded in anything, school drop-outs and time wasters and paired them up with rescue dogs from the dogs trust. Each dog was matched to it's handler in personality.

 

One laid back lad, got a laid back dog that didn't want to learn, a drama queen got a drama queen dog, etc. etc.

 

It was fantastic imo - thought it taught the kids a lot. They had 5 weeks to get these rescue mutts ready for Crufts heelwork to music and agility and they had about 3-4 weeks to get them up to scratch for their bronze good citizen award.

 

They really pulled their finger out and most of the kids kept their dogs afterwards because they felt that the dogs had done so much good for them.

 

Of the other dogs that were left behind - actually, only two, one had a bronze good citizen award to help her find a home which didn't take long at all, and the other, well his handler was a complete waste of time so the poor dog didn't get the award.

 

If you search channel 4 - the underdogs, there's a website on it.

[technophobe]

It was brilliant. Although I felt really sorry for the dogs due to the chavy handlers. Just goes to show that all dogs if given enough time and effort are clever enough to enter the best dog show in the world.

[Lotti]

definitely - And I was actually impressed with the kids too, yes they were chavvy, particularly Gary, but - it just shows that dogs bring out the best in people.

 

Gary changed completely and accepted responsibility. He'd never succeeded in anything, nor had Andrea, but they both did remarkably well and proved they could do it.

 

I'm also glad that at the end the kids gave their dogs the credit they were due, they were so pleased that they'd succeeded in something and acknowledged the fact it was their dogs that had got them through it.

[Strix]

This is what bothers me about people who advocate keeping dogs entirely separate from children at all times - it's the kids who are missing out big time

 

My childhood was greatly enhanced by the dogs peppered throughout it, starting with my grandad's Jack Russell - the breed with one of the worst reputation for snapping at kids - who became my self-appointed guard dog when I was born, although he would quite happily have eaten any child from the secondary school down the road given half the chance