That's My Dog
Encyclopedia
That's My Dog was a television game show which aired on The Family Channel
in the United States
. Two families and their dogs competed for prizes in games and stunts oriented toward the dogs. It aired between September 1, 1991 and September 30, 1995 for a total of 100 episodes.
and was made by TSW and aired on the ITV
network from 1984 until 1987, while that of the American version was Steve Skrovan
, who was later replaced by Wil Shriner
for the show's next two seasons.
Skrovan had two female assistants, Roxie Styce and later Susan Pari, during his stint on the show. Originally, Wil didn't have an assistant, but later in his version, he was accompanied by a bull mastiff named 'Tiny', who showed signs bearing the name of the next event, and brought medals for the dogs at the end of the show.
The announcer was Dean Miuccio, although the Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows lists Gene Wood
as being an announcer during early episodes of the Skrovan era.
In America, That's My Dog was taped at Universal Studios
for the second season, then later at Disney-MGM Studios
, both in Orlando, Florida
.
s competed in a series of events fit for the dogs. These included going through a maze
, performing tasks, the dogs' masters answering dog-related questions, and finally a standard dog obstacle course.
During the first season of the Skrovan version, the round one competition was played for 20 points (10 if the race was half done).
In round two of the season one Skrovan shows, the dogs faced a tray of six balls. Their job was to fetch balls back to their masters. Each fetched ball was worth 5 points for a maximum of 30.
bowl, and other things. A dog making it through would earn 20 points, with the faster dog getting 10 bonus points (only applicable if both dogs completed the run). If a dog left the maze at any point other than the regular exit by jumping over the outer wall, that dog would be disqualified for the event and score no points for the run (and in later episodes, a 'Runaway Dog' graphic would pop up on the screen and sirens would go off). However, jumping within the maze structure was acceptable.
During the early shows of the first season of the Skrovan version, the maze was played first.
In the first format, the "Talent Showcase", the dogs would perform a talent of some sort within a 30-second time limit, then a panel of three audience members would give the dog up to 30 points (10 from each panelist). After both dogs performed, the audience members won prizes.
Note: During the early shows of the first season of the Skrovan version, the Talent Showcase was played second but under a different name which was "Tricks 'n' Treats".
In the second format during the last season of the Shriner version, the dogs and their masters went to the Doggy Bowl to play another game. Each dog would do a stunt much like in round 2, usually lasting 30 seconds, and would score points based on their performance.
, later from Kibbles 'n' Bits
) and a gold medal. In the one episode where the final score was a tie, the dogs took turns wearing the medal; presumably, both dogs later received one. During the last season of the Shriner era, there was a silver medal for the runner-up, and a gold one for the winner, both brought out by the show's resident dog Tiny.
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Two families and their dogs competed for prizes in games and stunts oriented toward the dogs. It aired between September 1, 1991 and September 30, 1995 for a total of 100 episodes.
Hosts and production notes
The host for the UK version was Derek HobsonDerek Hobson
Derek Hobson is a TV and radio broadcaster and journalist, best known as the original host of ITV's New Faces, which introduced, among others, Lenny Henry, Victoria Wood, Jim Davidson, Les Dennis and Michael Barrymore to a Saturday night audience of more than twelve million viewers.Recently, he...
and was made by TSW and aired on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network from 1984 until 1987, while that of the American version was Steve Skrovan
Steve Skrovan
-Career:A former stand-up comedian, Skrovan was a writer for the CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. Previously, he was the host for the first two seasons of the game show That's My Dog! on Family. Skrovan was also the original host of Totally Hidden Video, which aired on FOX from 1989-1992...
, who was later replaced by Wil Shriner
Wil Shriner
Wil Shriner is an American actor, comedian, director and game show host.-Life and career:Shriner was born in New York City, New York, the twin brother of soap opera actor Kin Shriner and the son of Eileen “Pixie” McDermott and Herb Shriner, a Hoosier humorist who had several shows in the early...
for the show's next two seasons.
Skrovan had two female assistants, Roxie Styce and later Susan Pari, during his stint on the show. Originally, Wil didn't have an assistant, but later in his version, he was accompanied by a bull mastiff named 'Tiny', who showed signs bearing the name of the next event, and brought medals for the dogs at the end of the show.
The announcer was Dean Miuccio, although the Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows lists Gene Wood
Gene Wood
Eugene Edward "Gene" Wood was an American television personality, known primarily for his work as an announcer on various game shows. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he announced many game shows, primarily Mark Goodson–Bill Todman productions such as Family Feud, Card Sharks, Password, and Beat the...
as being an announcer during early episodes of the Skrovan era.
In America, That's My Dog was taped at Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
for the second season, then later at Disney-MGM Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
, both in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
.
Game play
Two teams of three (sometimes two) family members and their dogDog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s competed in a series of events fit for the dogs. These included going through a maze
Maze
A maze is a tour puzzle in the form of a complex branching passage through which the solver must find a route. In everyday speech, both maze and labyrinth denote a complex and confusing series of pathways, but technically the maze is distinguished from the labyrinth, as the labyrinth has a single...
, performing tasks, the dogs' masters answering dog-related questions, and finally a standard dog obstacle course.
U.S. Version
In the U.S. version, the dogs competed in five games. The dog (and family) with the most points at the end of the game won a year's supply of dog food and prizes for the rest of the family.Round One
The first was usually a head-to-head competition played under a 30 or 60-second time limit. Usually, both dogs received points based on their performance, with the better-performing dog earning an additional ten points. For example, in one event, the dogs went down a line of doggy treats (on pie plates), and for each one eaten, they would get 2 points, with a 10-point bonus for the dog who could eat more of them faster. One notable exception was "Doggie Bag," in which the dogs and masters climbed into a large cloth bag and exchanged T-shirts; the team that first emerged from the bag within the 60 seconds won 20 points.During the first season of the Skrovan version, the round one competition was played for 20 points (10 if the race was half done).
Round Two
From then on, each dog played separately. In round 2, each dog had (usually) 30 seconds to perform a stunt for points. For instance, in one event, the dog had to bring slippers back to their master, picking up 5 points for each slipper brought back and 10 bonus points for each matching pair. Another event gave the dog 30 seconds to jump over a bunch of hurdles of varying heights, starting at one point for the lowest one, and six points for the highest. If a hurdle got knocked over, it was out of play.Have a Ball (Skrovan Version)
In round two of the season one Skrovan shows, the dogs faced a tray of six balls. Their job was to fetch balls back to their masters. Each fetched ball was worth 5 points for a maximum of 30.
Round Three (Mixed-Up Maze)
The third round was known variously as the Mixed-Up Maze and the "Twisting, Turning, Tricky Trail". Each dog had 45 seconds (60 in the later Shriner episodes) to get from the starting gate to their master at the finish line (who, true to the theme of the show, would be waiting in a doghouse structure). Along the way, the dog might be distracted by a sandbox filled with dog food, a toy car, a waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
bowl, and other things. A dog making it through would earn 20 points, with the faster dog getting 10 bonus points (only applicable if both dogs completed the run). If a dog left the maze at any point other than the regular exit by jumping over the outer wall, that dog would be disqualified for the event and score no points for the run (and in later episodes, a 'Runaway Dog' graphic would pop up on the screen and sirens would go off). However, jumping within the maze structure was acceptable.
During the early shows of the first season of the Skrovan version, the maze was played first.
Canine Quiz Round (Skrovan Version)
During the first season of the Skrovan version, the dog's masters played the "Canine Quiz Round". Host Skrovan asked a series of dog-related questions, and the first player to buzz in (also called 'barking in') was given a chance to answer. An incorrect answer from the bark-in player allowed an opponent to answer. Each correct answer was worth 5 points. Later on in the first season, the last question of the round was worth a special prize from the doggy bag.Talent Showcase
In the first format, the "Talent Showcase", the dogs would perform a talent of some sort within a 30-second time limit, then a panel of three audience members would give the dog up to 30 points (10 from each panelist). After both dogs performed, the audience members won prizes.
Note: During the early shows of the first season of the Skrovan version, the Talent Showcase was played second but under a different name which was "Tricks 'n' Treats".
Doggy Bowl
In the second format during the last season of the Shriner version, the dogs and their masters went to the Doggy Bowl to play another game. Each dog would do a stunt much like in round 2, usually lasting 30 seconds, and would score points based on their performance.
The Doggy Decathlon
The final round was the "Doggy Decathlon", an obstacle course. In the Skrovan run, the dog would have 60 seconds to complete 7 obstacles (8 in the 1st season Skrovan shows); during the last season Shriner episodes, the dog would have 100 seconds to complete ten obstacles. The course varied from week to week, but always (by late 1993) ended with the dog leaping through the big letter "O" in the show's logo. Each completed obstacle earned 10 points; in the Skrovan run and in Shriner's first season, a 30-point bonus (or 20-point bonus) was awarded if the dog completed all 7 (or 8) obstacles within the time limit; in any case, a perfectly completed course would yield a total of 100 points. A dog could skip an obstacle, but jumping through the show logo would always end the run, regardless of time remaining.Winning
The team with the most points won the game. The winning family received prizes, while the winning dog won a year's supply of dog food (originally from IamsIams
Iams is a brand name for dog food and cat food manufactured by Procter & Gamble . The company sells pet food for cats and dogs formulated for puppy/kitten, adult and mature. Its products are developed by nutritionists and veterinarians and can be found in three main formulas: ProActive Health,...
, later from Kibbles 'n' Bits
Kibbles 'n Bits
Kibbles 'n Bits is a brand name of dog food manufactured and marketed by Del Monte Foods. It was originally created in 1981 as the first dual textured dog food, having soft chewy pieces as well as hard crunchy ones....
) and a gold medal. In the one episode where the final score was a tie, the dogs took turns wearing the medal; presumably, both dogs later received one. During the last season of the Shriner era, there was a silver medal for the runner-up, and a gold one for the winner, both brought out by the show's resident dog Tiny.
Special Episodes
- Celebrity Dogs - celebrity dogs Rin Tin TinRin Tin TinRin Tin Tin was the name given to a dog adopted from a WWI battlefield that went on to star in twenty-three Hollywood films. The name was subsequently given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin...
(of Rin Tin Tin K-9 Cop) and Dryfuss (Bear from Empty Nest) competed, but they each came in with one master; they both played for charity. - Christmas - in the last season there was a Christmas themed show with appropriately themed events.
- Puppy Love - also in the last season of the show, there was a special Puppy Love episode aired where puppies did the events the adult dogs normally did. One of the puppies was actually only 10 days old (announced on the show), surprisingly enough. This turned out to be one of the lowest scoring games (before the Doggy Decathlon) in the history of the show, with both puppies struggling to reach double digits before the final event. It was likely the only time in the final season that both contestants failed to finish the decathlon before time expired (the closer one still had several obstacles to go when time ran out).