Sunday, May 8, 2011

My favorite animal-related TV shows

Here is something a little different from my usual posts. I thought it would be fun to do. 


So here is a list of my favorite animal-related TV shows:


Pitbulls and Parolees


This is a really cool TV show. You can watch it on Animal Planet. I don't think there are any new seasons of it right now though. Anyway, Pitbulls and Parolees is a show all about this pit bull rescue in California. It is called Villalobos Pitbull Rescue and it is run by this woman, her two daughters, and a whole bunch of parolees. It is cool to watch a rescue organization and see how it functions. I also like that the rescue gives both the pitbulls and the parolees a second chance.


It's Me or the Dog


This is definitely one of my favorite shows. It is a very popular show on Animal Planet. It is a dog-training show. Victoria Stilwell, a dog trainer, teaches people and their problem pooches. I like seeing all the training techniques and the progress the dogs (and the people) make. New episodes are airing every Saturday night at eight right now if you want to check it out.


The Dog Whisperer


Most of you have probably heard of this one. You can watch it on National Geographic. In this show Cesar Millan (aka the dog whisperer) rehabilitates dogs that have some serious problems like aggression, fear, obsession, etc. It is pretty amazing seeing these extreme cases becoming  well-behaved dogs.


My Cat from Hell


This is sort of like "the cat whisperer". It is a brand new TV show on Animal Planet, so I have only seen one episode so far. It is fun to watch. The cat behaviorist plays guitar in a band at night and helps cat owners with their "evil" cats during the day. On the show I watched last night just by doing a few simple things helped this cat who was like a demon to be a happy cat. Basically he just had the family provide a way for the cat to navigate their living room from off the floor, by putting in perches and clearing off the tops of bookcases. Then he taught the family to play with him a lot, and taught them better ways of handling the cat. And just like that the cat went from snarling demon attack cat to a very friendly happy cat. I learned a lot from the show last night like:


Cats that hide or lay in their litter boxes are stressed so they are surrounding themselves in their own stink. (which as a human I will never understand) Now I know why so many cats do that at the shelter.


When cats "wag" their tails back and forth frequently it means they are overstimulated and could easily become stressed out. 


The best place to pet a cat is their cheeks, under their chin, and behind their ears (I knew that but I never knew why) because in all those places the cat produces pheromones so when you pet them there you get their scent all over you, and they like that I guess. (that is also why cats like to rub their heads on things)




So those are my current favorite animal-related TV shows. I have had other favorites, mostly on Animal Planet like:


The Monks of New Skete (they were dog training monks, it was a cool show.)


A petfinder TV show, I can't remember the name, but it was a fun show.


And Underdog to Wonderdog (a team would take shelter dogs and find them a home, and train and groom the dog etc. to get them ready for their new home. It was a super awesome TV show)


However, as far as I know, Animal Planet does not show these three TV shows anymore.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for allowing me to experience having pets through your blog. Of course, we have Buttercup the bird, but no furry critters. I do like animal shows though. Martha

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  2. Those shows sound very interesting; thanks for the reviews. I have seen the Dog Whisperer a few times and learned a lot. Also read the Monks of New Skete book on raising a puppy before we got our little guy last fall. It was very helpful since we hadn't had a little puppy in a long time.
    -Animal Gram

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