Episode 4 Dick 'N' Dom Go Wild

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This show features professionals working with unpredictable animals.

So, do not attempt to do anything you are about to see yourselves.

BOTH: Yes?

Did you know that now, right now, there are people all around the UK

who are working their socks off to help wounded wildlife

and poorly pets?

And we've managed to get VIP passes for willing helpers to get stuck in

at the busiest vets, wildlife sanctuaries and rescue centres.

Rats!

It's tough and dirty work but somebody's got to do it.

On today's show, Reece and Daniel eye up parasites

and go swimming with sharks.

-Argh.

-Ha-ha-ha.

The race is on for Ayan and Ryan to help homeless hounds.

-Come here, Lizzie.

-Tommy, yes!

And Dick nets himself a job helping Herring gulls.

Just put it in the net. Good lad.

One-nil.

Mask. Snorkel. Why?

I'm off to a sea life centre today. So, I thought I'd swim there.

-I can see a little problem.

-What?

Water. Lack of it.

Don't you worry, my little fruitcake.

Here at Scarborough's Sea Life Centre,

their aim is to protect the oceans and the creatures that live in them.

The dedicated team work very hard and appreciate a helping hand.

Today, I'm providing them with four helping hands.

So, let's meet them. Not the hands, the people attached to them.

Meet Reece and Daniel.

Daniel just adores his dog, Jack.

But he's not so sure about scary sea life.

Crabs might actually snap you with their pincers.

And it could hurt cos it might be quite sharp.

Reece loves dogs too but he hasn't got one.

He's not a big fish fanatic either.

I think I kind of like sharks. I wouldn't want to go up and meet one.

Neither of them is overly keen on wet, wild things

but I reckon they could still make waves in Scarborough.

On your bikes, boys.

-Huh-hum.

-Yes? Ah, you two.

Daniel, Reece welcome to Dick 'N' Dom Go Wild.

-You're both into a bit of animal action, yes?

-Yeah.

-But, Daniel, you don't like sharks or crabs.

-No.

That could be an issue at a sea life centre.

-And, Reece, you don't like picking up slimy things, do you?

-No.

-That could be another issue. You do like swimming?

-Yeah.

Which is great news

cos that means we can throw you in at the deep end.

-Quite literally. Are you ready for some underwater action?

-Yeah.

Right, don these red boiler suits and let's do one.

This place is full of cracking, underwater wonders.

There are over 150 awesome, aquatic species

and there's even a fully kitted-out sea life hospital.

It's going to be a non-stop, wild, working day for our lads.

We're behind the scenes where no members of the public are allowed

-at the centre. Have you got a job for the boys?

-I certainly do.

The first job is to feed our otters

but you've got to do the food prep first.

-All right to do a bit of otter feeding?

-Yes.

-Yes.

Come on then.

These chaps are Asian Short-Clawed otters

and they're lodging at the Sea Life Centre

until a permanent home can be found for them.

They might be smaller than the type you'd find living wild in Britain

but they're just as lively.

And they demand their grub fresh and raw.

So, yeah, you'll need those on, boys.

On today's menu is a lovely mix of fish, fowl and red meat.

What would otters eat in the wild?

In the wild, our Asian Short-Clawed otters would like to eat everything

from little birds eggs to the little chicks that hatch out

right through to even fruit and berries.

No fruit today though.

It's a full-on meaty feast thanks to our boys.

-Shall we move onto the fish?

-Yes.

-To the second course.

Do you want to have a root through? Nice, small pieces.

Do they like the scales?

They do. They like everything.

They don't even think about what they're eating.

-I can't believe I'm doing this.

-Oh.

It's slimy and horrible all right.

I'm going to be sick.

So, top marks for getting stuck in, boys.

-Look what we've got. It's a meal fit for a king.

-Wow!

And later, will our breakfast go down well with the otters?

Looks shy to me.

But first, Dom races to Surrey where speedy dogs need special care.

Today, we are at the Celia Cross Greyhound Trust in Surrey.

They've been open for over 40 years

and they rescue, rehabilitate and re-home retired greyhounds.

Now, did you know that a greyhound is fast?

Yes, very fast. They can travel up to 45 miles an hour.

So, today's helpers won't stand a chance if they try to do a runner.

On your marks, get set, it's Ayan and Ryan.

Now, Ayan once had a pet tarantula and isn't impressed by pooches.

Dogs are ugly cos they're just, like, all hairy and dribbly.

They've got bad breath.

I find it annoying that everybody is like,

"Look at the cute, little doggie."

And I'm just thinking that's a ball of disgusting phlegm.

Unlike Ayan, how Ryan keeps lions.

Not really, but he does keep chickens though.

What do you think of dogs, Ryan?

I used to be quite scared of them.

Now that I'm like getting older,

I'm just starting to see them differently and I like them more.

But I'm still wary of the occasional one that comes running up

and going woof, woof, woof, bow, wow, wow.

We can sort that out. Chop to it, you two.

To the greyhound sanctuary.

Ayan and Ryan, hello, welcome to Dick N Dom Go Wild.

Now, you have got one fear, one big fear only which is...

BOTH: Dogs. You've got one on your top!

-That' a wolf.

-It's still in the dog family.

Look, what I'm going to do today

is try and prove to you that dogs aren't that scary.

They're not that dangerous. Some are, some aren't.

-We're here at a greyhound rescue centre. Good?

-Yeah.

All they need is a little bit of TLC.

For example, watch this, lean in there.

-Look, look, look.

-Hello.

Did you know that greyhounds are raced just like horses?

Well, they are.

And when they get too old or injured, they come to a place like this.

Every year, the Celia Cross Trust helps around 150 hounds

get back on track.

Ayan, Ryan, I'd like you to meet Jane

who runs this wonderful greyhound rescue centre. Hello, Jane.

What's the best way for these guys to overcome their fear of big dogs?

I think we actually need to get them into the run to meet

some of the dogs, let them see how gentle they are.

Their nickname is 45-mile-an-hour couch potatoes.

They tend to lean into you rather than jump up

and they just like nice stroking and lots of attention.

Right, here we are in dogland.

How do you feel now we're here?

Kind of all right cos we're quite close but still a bit wary.

Most racing dogs retire when they're three or four years old.

When they stop racing, sadly, some are no longer wanted by their owners.

Many of them have never experienced any type of home-life.

They've lived a very, very robotic life within a racing kennels

to be used for the function of greyhound racing.

So, we get them in and we basically teach many of them

to actually become dogs and family pets.

One greyhound who really needs a new home is Arnie.

The poor lad has been in this rescue centre for nearly a year.

Arnie's been here for so long because of his colour.

Black greyhounds are not as popular as the other colours.

-Poor, old Arnie. It's hardly fair, is it?

-No.

What do you think of his coat?

I really like it. I think it's really nice.

It surprises me that people would not adopt him

-just cos of the colour of his coat.

-Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

I think he looks cute with the white tip at the end of his tail.

Ah, yes. Like a little magic wand.

Like a little, curly magic wand.

-Who are you more scared of, greyhounds or me?

-You.

And later, Ayan and Ryan actually get hands on with a hound.

Never thought I'd see the day when Ayan would be stroking a dog

and not being freaked out.

Back in Scarborough, Daniel and Reece are serving breakfast

to two very hungry Asian Short-Clawed otters.

But it's not delivered on a plate, it's hidden in holes.

Exactly why are we putting it in the log?

Well, what we want them to do is keep occupied.

If we put food into these holes,

they actually have to try and get it out of all the holes.

They nosh a lot, do otters.

They eat a third of their body weight every day in the wild.

That's the same as me eating 200 quarter pounder burgers. Mmm.

The otters smell their grub.

But seem a little edgy about grabbing it.

What they're doing is actually sniffing around cos they're thinking,

"Who's that in the enclosure? Who's been in my enclosure?"

They're being a bit cautious

but once they get used to your smell they'll be straight out.

And on cue, here come the otters.

-Woah.

-Oh-oh.

Look at him. They're quite cute.

Them big eyes, that's the cute feature about them.

Look at that, the otters are clearly giving our fleshy feast

a big thumbs up.

Well, they would if they had thumbs anyway. Nice work, chaps.

Later, Daniel and Reece eye up a lump of a fish

with a skin problem.

-Funny-looking thing, isn't he? Do you like it?

-Yeah.

At the Greyhound Trust in Surrey,

Ayan and Ryan have raced in to help out.

But they need to overcome their wariness of waggy tail first.

This is Seth. He's one of our ex-racers.

Six-year-old Seth arrived from a dog pound in Manchester four months ago.

His racing days are behind him

and he's now in need of some tender, loving care.

Anyone brave enough to give him a biscuit?

-I will.

-There you go, that's it.

That's so cool.

-Just reassure him and tell him he's a good boy.

-Good boy.

Nice one, Ryan. Now it's doggie disliker, Ayan's turn.

How come he hasn't he sat down through this whole thing?

They found it very difficult to sit down.

They have incredibly long legs so they tend to stand.

And if they're very tired they tend to just flop down and lay down.

It's very, very unusual to see a greyhound sitting.

-Makes them unique.

-They are definitely unique.

When Seth was flying around the track

he was known as Special Impact.

-Good boy.

-Aw.

And that's exactly what he's having on our pair.

-I never thought I'd be cuddling a dog.

-You're not frightened of him?

-No.

-I'm pleased that you've come today.

I never thought I'd see the day when Ayan would be stroking a dog

and not being freaked out or had a dog eat out of her hand.

I'm not scared of greyhounds any more

or, like, not as scared of greyhounds any more.

Ayan just doesn't cuddle dogs until now. I'm proud of her.

Brilliant effort, you two.

Later, Ayan and Ryan have a close-up brush with another hound.

It's not like human toothpaste.

It's not minty, it's chicken flavour.

But first, Dick plots a great gull getaway.

There he is, look.

Freddy, the famous fish and chip thiever from Filey.

Locked up for crimes against fast food.

-What?

-This lot. Locked up against crimes against fast food.

They've been nicking fish and chips.

No, no, no, these beautiful birds are called Herring gulls.

Some people see them as thieving, seaside troublemakers

I, on the other hand, see them as brilliantly intelligent

survivalists, not criminals.

Ah. So, they're innocent.

-Yes, that's right. They're innocent.

-Don't worry, fellas,

we'll have you pooing on babies' heads again in no time.

We're going to break them out, starting with a tunnel.

What do you think, viewer?

Do you think we should tell him that this is a seagull enclosure

that looks after orphaned, sick and injured birds

or do you think that we should let him keep on digging

with his grotty little fingers? Hmm?

Dick thinks he's helping imprisoned Herring gulls escape.

Ah, a gate. Very clever.

What Cloth Head doesn't realise is that we have very special permission

to round up and release these fully-recovered seabirds to the wild.

Ah-ha, a guard has left a carrying box and a net.

Just what I needed. Right then, little fellas, let's do this.

That's it. Come on. They're everywhere. Good lad.

Go on, get it.

Just put him in the net. Yeah, good lad.

One-nil.

Now, gulls can be a bit feisty

so do not ever try and catch them yourselves.

Good lad. This way to freedom. This way to freedom.

We've got expert guidance here.

No more bread and water for you lot. Back to fish and chips.

Who wants some fish and chips? Come on.

That's it. You're doing a really good job. He's not.

You're doing really well. He isn't.

I'm really proud of you. I'm not.

You're free! Got you.

Ah. Argh!

Please help them. Take them to sea.

I'll wait here with the others.

It looks like this a job for the experts. Hello, Sara.

Sara, a guard. We've been rumbled.

Look. How many times do I have to tell you?

This is an animal rescue centre.

These Herring gulls are going to be taken out to sea

and released into the wild.

These ones are staying here until they're better. Now, get out!

Through the gate.

Freedom!

Back in Scarborough, Reece and Daniel are busy working hard

behind the scenes at a sea life centre

and it's real in-at-the-deep-end stuff.

Next, it's a big job with a strange creature called a lumpsucker.

In aquariums, these fish can suffer from skin problems

and need to be checked out regularly.

Our boys are about to help Todd give one the once-over.

And this is a lumpsucker.

Ah, oh! That is a fish?

-It's fat.

-Very.

The lumpsucker gets its name from its ability to stick to rocks

using a sucker on its belly. They also look a bit like a lump.

-It's a funny-looking thing, isn't he? Do you like it?

-Yeah.

Todd is concerned our fish might have been attacked by a parasite.

So, what we're going to do today is we're going to scrape his skin,

have a look down the microscope and see if we can see any parasites.

If there are some, then we're going to get him on some treatment.

Parasites live and feed off other animals. Ugh.

This is what we're looking out for.

These bad boys can be deadly to a lumpsucker.

Scrape down one side.

First, Todd carefully scrapes the side of the fish

with a small, glass slide.

-There we go.

-There you go, painless.

And then, it's over to the boys

to see if our fish is being attacked by tiny terrors.

So, what you're looking for is anything that's moving

and anything that looks a bit odd to what else is there.

-Can you see anything moving?

-No.

-No, well that's a good sign.

-See anything, Reece?

Anything squiggling around?

-No.

-There you go, no. It's all clean.

-Yeah.

Looks like we've got one healthy lumpsucker

and he's ready to go back into his tank.

Not a parasite in sight.

Our lumpsucker is home and dry, well, sort of.

And later, I join Reece and Daniel as we go underwater, egg collecting.

What's in here with us?

Well, we've got a real mix of British species of fish

and, actually, shark in the tank.

At the Greyhound Centre in Surrey,

Ayan and Ryan are coming around to liking these four-legged flyers.

Good job, there's loads of work to be done.

Five-year-old Alistair is a recently retired racer looking for a new home.

Jane needs to give him a thorough check-up

and she's hoping our pals will be up for helping out.

-Are you happy to help me do that?

-I'll give it a go.

-Yeah.

Firstly, we are going to brush his teeth.

So, I'm going to give you a toothbrush each.

Believe it or not, dogs' teeth need cleaning just like ours

to keep them free of plaque and gum disease.

We just, basically, brush away,

getting all that food debris out and about, straight off of it.

Now, remember how Ayan turned her nose up at honky hounds.

When they smile you can see all their gums and their teeth

and they've got bad breath.

Look, she's now getting stuck in no problem.

If I just hold his gum for you

and if you just, one at a time, in very gentle, circular motions.

Both are getting down to it right away,

scrubbing a greyhound's gnashers.

Vets recommend that owners regularly brush their dog's teeth.

But it's a job best left to grown-ups.

The toothpaste tastes quite nice. It's not like human toothpaste.

It's not minty. It's chicken flavour.

Mmm, meaty fresh. And Alistair's gums are disease-free.

Our duo's not finished yet. Jane needs a bit more hands-on help.

We need to collect a urine sample for him.

How do we do that? Are we going to have to like hold a cup under?

It's not a cup. It's a bit bigger than a cup.

It's something called a kidney dish.

-This is going to be interesting.

-Interesting, yeah.

Yeah, protective gloves on for this one, I reckon.

Alistair's been drinking more water than usual

and the urine test will reveal if this thirsty greyhound

has a condition called diabetes.

-Ayan's warming to this task.

-It's heating up.

Easy-PEE-sy.

As soon as I heard there would have to be one of us catching the pee,

I grabbed the lead and went, "Shotgun, I've got the lead."

Helping Alistair with his health check was really fun.

But catching the pee,

I never thought I'd do that in a million years.

Top effort and a real result.

Alistair passes his medical with flying colours

and is now up for re-homing. Get in!

And later, it's a race to the finish

as Ayan and Ryan turn into lightening dog trainers.

Go on, Lizzie!

Tommy, yes!

But first, it gets all prickly when we help hogs.

Here you are. Here you go. Din din's.

-Nothing even in there.

-Ah!

-What's the matter?

-I've done something horrid.

-Please forgive me.

-What is it?

I've been washing them for so long that they've all shrunk.

No, you see, these are baby hedgehogs.

They're only about four or five weeks old.

-How do you know that?

-It says it, right here.

It's amazing. When they're first born,

they're pink and their spikes are underneath their skin.

Then after a few hours, their spikes pop out.

They're good to pick up at this age as well

cos they don't curl up in a ball

like they do when they're adults as much.

Obviously, I wouldn't go around picking up wild, baby hedgehogs.

It's not a good idea.

-Why not?

-They poo themselves every eight minutes.

-Argh.

Back in Scarborough, Daniel and Reece are working behind the scenes

at one of the country's top marine sanctuaries.

So, you've been really close to some sea life so far.

-Have you enjoyed it?

-Yeah.

-Do you want to get closer to some more?

-Yeah.

-How do you think I'm going to be able to do that?

-I don't know.

Well, I'll tell you. You're going in there.

And in there means swimming with big, predator fish. Oh!

So, we're all in. What's in here with us?

Well, we've got a real mix of British species of fish

and, actually, shark in the tank.

-How do you feel about the sharks, Daniel?

-Quite scared.

I haven't been this close yet. I'm not sure if I will be OK

-but think I might be OK.

-What are we going to be doing with them?

What we're going to be doing,

is we're going to be removing the egg cases from our rays

that have been laid in the tank.

These little, brown pods or mermaid's purses as they're known

have got eggs in them.

They'll take between six and nine months to hatch

and when they do, out will pop a little, baby ray.

We need to move them to a safe place before that happens.

What are we going to do with these eggs?

We're going to take them out the tank

and we are going to pop them in one of our nursery tanks

so they can have their own space to grow and hatch.

This job is tricky. The egg pods are incredibly delicate.

We need to collect them very carefully.

So, Daniel, get that one.

Gently does it.

-That's it.

-Got one!

Well done.

It has to stay under the water or, otherwise, it won't be able to grow.

It's not your every-day-looking egg, is it?

-Fellas, do you want to feel it?

-Yeah.

-Have a little stroke then.

-What's it feel like?

-Weird.

And in no time at all, every ray egg is collected.

They'll now be kept safe and sound in this nursery tank

and, eventually, they'll grow up to look a lot like this.

When Daniel and Reece arrived here today

they weren't big fans of anything with fins.

But there's been a bit of a sea change here.

-Argh!

-Ha-ha-ha-ha.

Look at this, they're stood in a tank full of sharks and rays,

feeding them and loving it.

Go wilding at its best, chaps.

When you got here, Daniel, you didn't like sharks or crabs,

-how you feeling about it now?

-It's much better now.

-You actually like crabs and sharks now?

-Yeah.

Perfect. Reece, what's been your best bit?

My best bit's been being with the lumpsucker

and having a look at that.

Lovely. That was a cool fish.

Have you got a new-found love for sea creatures?

-Yes.

-Not really love, kind of like a like.

Well, a like will do for me. Nice one, lads.

Ayan and Ryan have been at a greyhound rescue centre,

bonding with homeless hounds.

-And wee sampling.

-It's heating up.

Now, it's tea time.

-They're very noisy.

-They're hungry.

They're waiting for their dinner. They're telling us to feed them.

So, our chefs rustle up a gourmet greyhound offering of biscuits

-with pilchards in tomato sauce.

-Revolting.

-Down.

-Down.

-Down.

Woah. They were hungry.

I did it beautifully for you guys, it's a delicacy.

Here you go, Sethy.

Dogs' dinner is done.

Now, there's one, very special, final, job to get going on.

Our pair are only going to have a go at being racing dog trainers.

-So, who are these guys?

-This is Lizzie.

-Lizzie.

-And this is Tommy.

Hello, Tommy. Greyhounds are amazing at running.

-Have you seen them run yet?

-No.

-No.

Slightly wet conditions. Will this make them slower?

It certainly will slow them down because the grass is wet.

We'll give it a go and,

hopefully, their instinct will kick in and they'll run.

Any particular way?

They'll normally go off anti-clockwise around the field,

-cos that's the way they're usually trained.

-Of course.

-Like a race track.

-Yeah.

'Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the big race live.'

ALL: One, two, three, go.

'And they're off.'

-Ha-ha-ha.

-Look at them.

'It's Tommy and Lizzie neck and neck.'

That's not anti-clockwise? Where are they going?

They have just legged it.

-They've gone down to the gate.

-They've pegged it.

Oh, they're coming.

This isn't just about having fun though.

These runs give these dashing dogs exactly the kind of exercise

greyhounds really need.

-Look at them go!

-Go, Lizzie.

-Go on, Tommy.

Go, Lizzie!

Tommy, yeah!

-Here we go.

-Here they come.

'And they're coming down the home straight.'

Run, Tommy!

'Nothing between them. Final push for the line, sniff in a bush.'

Come here, Lizzie!

'And they're off again.'

-Go on , go on.

-Go, Lizzie!

Well, if you can't beat them, join them.

So, you enjoy your day, team?

I've had the best day ever.

It was so much better than I'd even imagined.

I got to spend so much time with animals that I never really loved

and now I just think they're the best thing in the world.

I'm so glad I've conquered my fear of dogs

because before it was hard to go round my friends' houses

cos they have dogs and I get a bit freaked out

and like walking down the street, I get freaked out

but now it's just all going to be so much more easy.

Well, that didn't quite go as we expected.

They started off running like greyhounds

and there's little, old me, running puffed out and bushed.

-Have you two enjoyed your day? Clearly you have, yeah?

-Yeah.

Good. A remarkable transformation.

You arrived here, genuinely,

and I mean genuinely terrified of dogs, now look at you!

You've become professional greyhound trainers.

-Would you come back here?

-Definitely.

-I'd like to come and work here.

-You've got your first recruit, Jane.

-Second recruit.

-And your second. You can't say better than that.

You've got two dog converts. Job well done.

-Right.

-What?

-You distract the guard, I'll set them free.

Free at last. Free at last. Freedom!

Free at last!

I'm going to free myself while I've still got the chance.

Save yourself!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd