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5 Episodes 2008 - 2008
Episode 1
Debra Hull breeds her Basset Hounds to be top competitors in the show ring, and she doesn't approve of second place. Hull's hounds need to earn their keep, whether it's winning a show title or landing a Hollywood role in the movies...these dogs even help with the laundry
Episode 2
Lucinda Glenny has over 25 years of experience breeding and training dogs. Previously a breeder of poodles, Lucinda currently has only one left: Kudos, a seven-time National Champ, and her last remaining poodle. Unfortunately Kudos now has a terminal disease. With her most successful breeding program coming to an end, she is working hard to start up a new one with a new breed - Chihuahuas. It's the passing of the torch: from one breeding dynasty to a new one.
Episode 3
The Dogue de Bordeaux breed has had a tough time through history. These gentle giants have twice been brought to the brink of extinction at the hands of French Revolutionaries and Nazi soldiers - with only eight dogs left in the world after WWII. It's been a struggle to rebuild the population of this breed, but Donna Deschambault is dedicated to the preservation and protection of this remarkable dog. Donna is the chief organizer of the National Dogue de Bourdeaux Specialty competition. Not only is she entering four of her own dogs (with a quick side trip to a vintage car wash turned dog wash for last minute grooming), she's managing the mayhem and politics of the competitive dog world - whose bark may just be as bad as its bite. There are very few Dogues in Canada and breeders like Donna must go to great lengths and extra cost to avoid inbreeding. Semen is often cryogenically frozen and imported from around the world to these dedicated breeders. And there are additional hurdles. It's very difficult to breed these dogs due to their huge size, and the unborn pup's large heads make the birthing process potentially dangerous. One of Donna's dogs is about to give birth and we follow along to find out if she can deliver naturally, or needs human intervention in the form of an emergency c-section. But all the effort is worth it for Donna, who gets deep satisfaction from knowing she's helping the Dogue breed reestablish its presence in the world.
Episode 4
Dressed in camouflage, toting a rifle, surrounded by her champion Nova Scotia Duck Tollers, Sue Kish is not your typical breeder. She has a mission...one she believes most dog breeders have forsaken. She believes dogs are born to hunt, "I breed in order to maintain a dog's natural instincts."
Episode 5
Breeders, Heather and Greg Pendragon, are passionate about their plethora of poodles. But their love affair with this canine began with just one - Greg's poodle, named Uther Pendragon. When Greg and Heather married, it was bow-tie sporting Uther who walked Heather down the aisle and gave her away with a bark. And with that - their breeding careers began.