Breeder of the Pack

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. Lucinda is putting all her hopes on Sonic, a feisty little male Chihuahua. Lucinda takes her young stud to meet adorable prospective mates, but in order to attract the highest quality bitches, Lucinda realizes that she needs Sonic to stand out in the pack. So she’s daringly entered him in Working Title a competition – which up until now has been the exclusive domain of much larger dogs like Retrievers, Shepherds, and Collies. Little Sonic has been practicing the obstacle course but is struggling to make the jump. In the end, all that matters is that he makes the jump on competition day. A tall order for such a little dog.

Debra Hull breeds her Basset Hounds to be a top competitor 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! In this episode, we feature three of the Hull hounds all at different stages in their doggie careers. We meet a problematic pup, Dahlia, who may not be able to live up to her elite pedigree in the show ring; Lily, her top dog, who’s a serious contender for a Best in Breed prize; and Debra’s oldest Basset Hound, Megs, who at the age of 11 is finally getting her moment in the limelight when she is cast opposite an Oscar nominee in a Hollywood film. The pressure mounts when Debra travels to the National Basset Hound Specialty competition. It’s here where we find out the fate of her young pup. If Dalia doesn’t perform well, there’s a good chance that Debra just may give her away. And all eyes will be on Debra’s favourite dog, Lilly, who is just one prize short of winning it all. This will be Lilly’s best chance to be victorious, and it will all be decided in the ring.

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. 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.

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.” Along with her sister Dianne, and their two French Canadian “crack shot” boyfriends, Sue owns Foxgrove Kennels, internationally renowned breeding, and training facility located on a picturesque country estate. Her facility is so highly regarded people board their dogs for training for as long as nine months, or place themselves on a year-long waiting list for puppies.

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.

Call them the Supermodels of the dog world - with their long, silky coats and slender physique, Afghan Hounds certainly look the part. But unfortunately, they also suffer from the same stereotype as their human counterparts – Afghans aren’t known for being “the fastest ball in the dog park”, so to speak. Dee Devins has spent her whole adult life trying to change people’s perception of the Afghans and increase their popularity. But her time is not her own these days as she helps her husband Wayne, cope with a terminal illness. So she’s recruited a young protégé, Dani, and is teaching her everything she knows – from grooming techniques (Dee’s a professional hairdresser) to lure coursing and, of course, the show ring. Dani launches her career in an attempt to carry on her mentor's legacy as Dee’s oldest Afghan, Leo, has his final turn in the ring.