Episode 4 Pet School

I'm Aaron Craze. This is Pet School.

Two unforgettable weeks...

ALL: Ohh!

Nine pet-crazy kids...

I'd like a dog.

I'd really like a scorpion or snake.

I would like a rabbit.

And 51 hungry mouths to feed.

But can Pet School give our nine Pet Heads the skills to become

responsible pet owners?

Sit, Kiki, sit!

And when term's out, will they

persuade their parents to get them a pet of their own?

Is he going to get a pet?

Previously on Pet School...

Come here!

..our Pet Heads met their pet buddies for the week

with mixed reactions.

Tej and Kiki couldn't get enough of each other.

Kiki!

Rachel was surprised at being fond of a reptile.

If someone had told me to bond with a bearded dragon,

I probably would have just laughed at them.

Liam really dug the dogs, but struggled with the poo.

She did a poo. I am not picking that up.

So will Liam persuade his mum he's ready for a dog?

Can Rachel's bond with Brett last the week?

And will Chris convince star guest, Daniel Roche,

that goats can make cool pets?

Day four at Pet School and the Pet Heads are raring to go.

We've got a humongous surprise in store for them.

Reena, bring on the guest.

-Liam's going to be excited.

-ALL: Aww.

-Hello!

-What's her name?

-Mya. She's come to hang with us for the day.

-She is a Labrador.

-She is. She is three months old.

ALL: Aww!

What can we expect from a Labrador?

Tell us a little about their characteristics.

They are wonderful dogs, so friendly.

Can be quite hard work, running around all over the place,

chewing things. Have to have loads of energy to keep up

-with these guys.

-Thanks for bringing her in.

-It is my pleasure.

We'll get on with the day. Pet Practice, first challenge.

I'm going to put you into groups, like I always do.

The first group is...

..and you are going to be with the rabbits.

Is that good? Looking forward to that? The second group...

-with the puppy.

-ALL: Yes.

-Amazing. You lucky people.

We have got...

-..you are with the amazing stick insects.

-Oh!

-Oh!

What's wrong with that? They're are loads of fun!

Make like trees and leaves!

Over in the doghouse, three month old puppy, Mya, is looking forward

to this morning's Pet Practice, a visit from Pet-Spert Reena

and the Pet Heads.

Right, you lot, that's 45 minutes to get Mya's chompers sparkling

and take her for a walk. What a great opportunity for Liam to shine

and convince his parents he's ready for a dog of his own.

These little finger brushes, the bristles are lovely and soft,

so they don't hurt her gums.

Hold her head in your hands nice and firmly and lift,

just like that and you need to brush the outside of the teeth.

With all kinds of puppy training, the most important thing is

when she does something correctly, positively reinforce it.

Someone had better stop Mya chewing that brush before she swallows it.

Loads of like, yes! Well done!

He's doing well with Mya, but things with Molly weren't great yesterday.

My gosh! She did a poo. I can't stand it!

Let's hope Liam copes better with Mya.

Rachel, Tej and Micah hop along to the stock room to get everything

they need for a bit of bunny business.

Full marks it's kept nice and tidy, even if it does whiff a bit.

RACHEL: It smells!

It's up to the team to clean out the enclosure and check their tails

for poo. It gets stuck sometimes, so they need a bit of human help.

They're Micah's pet buddies, so he should know what he's doing, right?

Let's start by finding the food!

I'll grab the rabbit treats.

Carrot and some leafy greens. Take that and that, thank you

and I will take the carrots.

We should actually take the poo out with this.

No, because that's used for putting food in.

There was a bit of argument between Tej and Rachel in the food room.

Tej, you're wasting an unbelievable amount of time.

How much food to take, what food to take,

so I just left them to their arguments

because I did not want to get involved.

Got the wheelbarrow.

-I am not looking forward to checking their bums.

-Neither am I.

I don't blame you, mate!

Giulia, Sam and Chris head over to the stick insects.

Chris is happy, what about Sam?

I am scared about going in with the stick insects.

I am a little cross with Aaron for putting me with them.

His decision is final, but I am a little cross with him.

Come on mate, this could be a good time to overcome your sticky fear.

They may be insects but they still need feeding and cleaning out.

And remember, insects poo too.

-I can't see anything.

-It is because they blend in the sticks.

-Down there, right down there.

-Where? I can't see it.

There's one right here.

-Oh yeah, funny looking fella.

-Oooh!

-I ain't touching one.

-Go on, get the food.

Come on, just go and get the food!

Sam didn't stick around for long. He really wants an exotic pet,

so will have to overcome his fear of insects.

Uurgh!

-Don't worry. It's a stick...

-Insect!

When I was in Cyprus, I was next to this wooded area.

I looked at my hand and there was a stick insect right about here,

all the way up here and it just freaked me out.

I have been scared of them since.

This is a chance to overcome that fear, mate.

Over at the rabbit hutch, Tinkerbell and Daisy are having a good munch

on the grub that Rachel, Tej and Micah have provided.

They are so cute.

When I first heard I was going to be doing the task with the rabbits,

I actually got a bit excited

because I could bond with my rabbits more.

Yeah? Yesterday didn't go too well, did it, Micah?

Come on!

OK, let's see.

Micah does seem a bit reluctant to get hands on with them.

How are you doing? Oh!

I think he's doing really well

because he's not that keen on the bunnies.

It is really difficult to be enthusiastic and to work hard

-at something you're not really enjoying.

-Don't poo in there!

Let's hope he doesn't!

'Luckily, Tej has found the poo and is cleaning it out.'

It seems like you are just throwing all the sand into...

I am getting the pieces of poop.

But you are not doing the sieving action, man.

Micah, they need the hay or the straw in there,

so they can sleep well tonight.

And don't forget you have to wipe their bums, yeah?

Very important part, otherwise they'll be uncomfortable,

know what I mean?

Micah doesn't seem too happy about that.

How are the puppy posse getting on with Mya, then?

Mya!

With the help of some tasty treats, it's time for some puppy training.

-Well done. Straight away, give her the reward.

-Well done.

Immediately and loads of cuddles. Well done.

So shall we try progressing? Try her down?

-Ask her to sit first in front of you.

-Mya, sit.

-Lie down. Good girl.

-Well done.

It's important the minute she did the action, you rewarded her.

Getting a dog is a big commitment,

especially when they're pups like Mya.

If she does a wee or a poo out here, what are we going to do?

-Congratulate her.

-Exactly.

We make a massive deal of how well she's done.

-Shall we take her for a little walk around the green?

-Yeah.

I got to say, Liam's doing a good job keeping Mya under control.

Are you watching, Mum and Dad?

Over at the rabbits,

Tej is thinking how he can persuade his parents to give him a dog.

-You've got a dog, right?

-Yup.

So what do you get out of having a dog?

You get more than just a pet, you get a companion. You know, a friend.

And they will try to bond with you

because they are just really, really sociable creatures.

Rachel's got a dog already, so why is she at Pet School?

Here she is with mum, dad and brother Adam.

Rachel likes playing football,

reading books, lots of them

and eating tomato sauce sandwiches. Mmm.

Being at pet school is going to be good for me because I can

learn how to take care of my pet properly.

Properly? What do you mean, Rachel?

-I have a dog called Bertie.

-Hello, Bertie.

Problem is, I don't actually look after my dog, my mum does.

Rachel really did like Bertie when he was a puppy,

but she did seemed to lose interest quite quickly,

once the novelty wore off.

It was OK when we first got Bertie. I played with him,

I trained him, I walked him. But then things went a bit wrong.

Recently we seem to have just lost that bond and grown apart.

Just gradually, at first, I found I really had to ask her

to feed Bertie or take him outside or whatever.

Whereas before she would have been really eager to do it.

Yeah, sadly getting bored with a pet after just a few weeks

is quite a common problem.

I know I may not look after Bertie as well as I should,

but I would still really like another pet, like a rabbit.

The chances of Rachel getting a rabbit after Pet School -

very slim, I would say.

So Rachel, how are you going to convince your parents

that you'll be able to look after another pet?

If you do it right, pets can be really rewarding things.

And I am hoping that when I go to Pet School,

I can learn how to get that same bond back that I had with Bertie.

Were your parents keen on the idea of getting a dog?

-Did you have to persuade them?

-My mum, yeah, she was, actually.

-My dad was never so keen on it.

-What did you do to make him come round?

Lots of research, the three of us, me and my brother and my mum.

The problem is, Tej's dad is a little scared of dogs.

There was an incident where a friend's dog called Coco,

about this big, ran inside and I didn't know what it was.

I said, "Ahh" and I went upstairs

and the dog tried to come upstairs and I shut my door

and said "You keep the dog downstairs".

If you manage to sway your dad who was not keen on getting a dog,

-then maybe I might be able to.

-Get the parent who is keen on dogs,

-on your side first.

-I've got my mum, yup.

-Then, just try and show them

that you can care for a dog. It is a big commitment.

but it's so worth it if you follow it through.

Thanks. I think after speaking with Rachel,

there is hope of me getting a dog because I can show my dad

I am responsible with dogs and work with them well.

ALL: Come on, Mya!

What's not to like about dogs, especially one as cute as Mya,

but she is working the Pet Heads hard.

She did a wee!

Mya's done a tinkle, so she needs to be told how well she's done

for going outside.

THEY PRAISE MYA

Just like Tej and Liam, Sophie would love her own dog.

I really enjoyed being with Mya.

I would love a puppy but we need to think about the costs and vet bills,

but me and my mum both really want a dog.

Talking about puppies and growing into adult dogs,

how are things going with Molly?

-I don't really like her.

-Why?

-Because she doesn't do a lot of sports.

Doesn't she? Because when I was with her she was doing

some really good sits and stays and she looks like she'd enjoy a run.

If you want to run with a dog, Molly is the one to do it with.

In there, she does nothing.

MOLLY SNORES

Gosh, she has fallen asleep!

Don't forget, cute as Mya is,

one day she is going to be a grown-up dog, just like Molly.

-Yeah, but because she's a Labrador, she won't be relaxed.

-You don't know.

They have their own personalities. She could turn into anything.

If I had a dog that was really lazy, I'd get a bit frustrated

because it would be kind of boring.

The task may be complete, but not good pet practice from Liam.

He's got to learn to put up with the bad things about pets, too.

In the reptile house, Sam found himself in a sticky situation

by having to look after his least favourite insect.

Do you want to put that in?

It's not stopping him from getting the job done, though.

A nice bit of ivy leaf for them to nibble on.

We could give them a little bit more sticks. Make it look like home.

These guys like their home a bit moist, so a quick spray.

Stick that in.

Chris is feeling confident.

-Yay!

-Put it on your hand.

-CHRIS:

-That is a stick insect.

-Wow!

-It's fine.

Oh, my goodness me. look at that.

Touch it.

Wow! Has everyone had a little touch? Sam, how are you getting on?

-I ain't touched it yet.

-What is it that freaks you out?

The way they look.

-Yeah, do they bite?

-No.

-Isn't that amazing?

Do you reckon you might want to have a little hold of this?

-I don't know.

-Do it slowly, slowly.

maybe a little one of these, because they don't jump, look. It's a stick!

'This is a big moment for Sam.

'Get in!

'This is brilliant. Maybe he could get one as a pet...

'They could become his favourite insect!'

-Can we get out of here?

-'Maybe not!'

-'That's task complete, though.'

-Well done, big guys.

In the rabbit enclosure, Rachel, Tej and Micah

have still neglected one job.

Reena's here to get to the 'bottom' of it!

Right, Mr Buddy, your turn.

Time to check those bunny bums.

Use your right hand to hold the front legs and the left-hand

comes slide down the back and flips up across your body. That's it.

So where?

Come on, Micah, you can do it, mate.

Where are the front legs?

When it came to my turn, I was a bit nervous. I held it a bit

and then I lifted it up, but I thought the ribcage was a bit fragile

so I didn't hold it that much because I didn't want to break any bones.

I can't help feeling Micah isn't entirely confident

handling the bunnies.

You're in the right position now, just roll it against your body.

I kind of don't want to do it because I can feel the thing,

but they are quite thin, the bones.

Time's up. Task incomplete.

That's Pet Practice done for today.

Micah's got a long way to go with the bunnies,

as has Liam with the dogs.

But Sam's managed to conquer his fear of insects. Sort of.

Coming up...our celebrity guest gets giddy with the goats...

Never been charged by a goat before.

Brett gets the cold shoulder from Rachel...

It's not the kind of animal I really want as a pet.

And Liam's got some explaining to do to his mum.

-I would want you to pick it up.

-But I won't be there all the time.

All week, our Pet Heads have been spending some quality time

caring for their pet buddies.

Sit, Kiki, sit.

Some buddyships have been a massive hit,

whilst others have missed by a mile.

Following this morning's Pet Practice with puppy Mya,

Liam decides to give Molly one last chance,

although I think it should be Molly giving Liam one last chance.

Molly, she has become more active now. I didn't know

she would run around loads and loads.

It's like I didn't see

that side of her. I would still like Molly to be more like the puppy,

that would be great.

Of course, Molly was once a puppy too and she was lucky enough to be

loved and cared for by the Lee family.

When we went to see Molly, she was with four other puppies

and it was clear from the start that she was a leader.

She was quite a bossy little dog, so we found that quite attractive.

In the first week of her life, we almost lost her.

She got a serious infection in her tummy and it was touch-and-go

at some stage whether she'd pull through, but luckily for us she did,

and she's all the more special for that.

She is bright, bubbly, very energetic, she's quite assertive

with other dogs, she is excitable, as spaniels are.

She will do certain tricks, shake her paw, she will roll over

if you ask to roll over. She likes a tickle on the tummy,

so you see her go on her back and I think my advice to the children

would be give her a belly rub because she loves that a great deal.

Luckily, Molly's come to Pet School

to help the Pet Heads learn pet care.

Molly! I can't get her attention.

Liam's just not getting on with Molly

and to be honest, that's his fault, not Molly's.

Oh, my gosh! Molly, sit.

He really needs to put more effort in, to bring out her best.

So is Rachel doing any better with Brett the bearded dragon?

I am really dreading going to see my bearded dragon,

because I really don't like him and he's so boring.

I don't want to go and see him.

It's kind of, the low point of my day now, going to see him.

Come on now, Rachel, Brett can't be boring all the time.

It can be quite funny giving him locusts,

but you only do that once a week.

And it doesn't really measure up to

how boring it is, having him kind of sitting there all the time

not really doing anything and not really trying to do anything.

Good boy, Brett.

You can stroke him and hold him and that is pretty much it.

I do have to clean up after him and again, that's another piece

of work that isn't worth doing it for the amount you get back from him.

Is Rachel falling out of love with another pet?

She did seem to lose interest quite quickly once the novelty wore off.

Recently we seem to have just kind of lost that bond and grown apart.

Getting the right pet in the first place is really important.

That's not the kind of animal that I really want as a pet,

because, you know,

interesting as it is, it's just as interesting to read about him

or look at a photo. Really actually, there isn't that much difference

between putting a photo of him in the cage and having him in the cage.

Brett, my friend, I'm feeling for ya.

Molly's a fantastic dog and Liam just isn't interested.

I don't get it. He loves Mya but I think that's because she's a puppy.

Mya did loads of tricks. She learnt pretty fast. She is a fun dog.

She doesn't always want to just sit down.

Up, up.

Sit. Sit, Molly, sit!

Molly, Molly!

MOLLY GROANS

Oh, my gosh!

I don't think Liam realises that

this won't help him persuade his parents to get him a dog.

Over in the ferret enclosure, our furry friends Einstein and Kitts,

are doing what they do best - sleeping!

Sophie's here to give them some brekkie and they're waking up

just in time.

There we go.

This is the first time I've managed to feed them. It's really cool.

When he's finished eating, I hope he stays awake for a bit,

so I can play with him.

It's not likely, but hopefully!

He IS hungry!

Einstein's asleep and it looks like Kitts is off to join him soon.

Oh! He's gone back to bed.

Oh dear!

They're very fast at getting to sleep.

Ahh! Sleep well, you two.

As our Pet Heads are learning,

owning an animal is a big responsibility. It's when pet owners

don't take this responsibility seriously that bad things happen,

both for humans and animals. We call this Petty Crimes.

Sadly, like Brett, many animals are abandoned.

This bearded dragon was dumped in a box with four others outside

a vets'. They were in a terrible state when they came in.

Each year, around 260,000 cats and dogs are taken into the care

of UK animal rescue organisations.

Remember, abandoning a pet is against the law.

So, it's important to do your research before you even think about

getting a pet. Can you afford this pet?

We need to think about the costs and how much, like, vet bills...

Are you capable of looking after an animal?

I don't want to hurt you.

Almost a quarter of pet owners said

looking after a pet was harder than they expected.

Are you going to get bored of the pet?

At Pet School, we're hoping our kids will learn what pet is right

for them so they can make the right decision.

Many abandoned animals' stories end well. So if you want a pet,

why not think about rescuing one so they can have a happy ending too?

Celebs are always dropping into Pet School

and our next visitor is Daniel Roche and dog, Peaches.

All right?

13-year-old Daniel shot to fame in the brilliant sitcom Outnumbered.

He then went on to play the starring role in Just William.

Dog-loving Daniel got Peaches as birthday present when he was four.

Welcome to Pet School.

Daniel takes a tour to meet some animals that he may not be used to.

Are you feeling nervous, Dan?

Not really, just never been charged by a goat before.

This one's calmer, but you've got to give that one lots of attention.

Don't be scared.

Which one do you want to walk? That one or that one.

-I'll walk the shy one, please!

-Shy one, right here.

-Don't worry.

GOAT BLEATS

-Easy, easy!

-I could use a bit of help here, you know!

Chris gets on well with the goats, but what pet does he want at home?

Here he is with Mum, Dad and brother Michael.

Chris likes bouncing on his trampoline, footy - top skills -

and rock music. So, what's the score on pets, Chris?

I used to have a hamster but sadly it died a couple of years ago.

Since my hamster died, I have been looking for another pet.

I don't know what, though.

Ah, but what do Mum and Dad think about having another pet?

I am a bit concerned in terms of the way he treats his possessions,

so he's not great at looking after things.

I would love a sausage dog. Dogs are really cool,

because when I talk to them, it's as if they know what I am about to say

and can understand me.

I think when Chris goes to Pet School he will have to learn

how hard it actually is to care for a pet. It's a full-time commitment.

I have got something to prove, not just to my mum and dad,

but everyone who says I wasn't responsible enough.

-This one's fast.

-You got Pickles, that is good. We ready?

Remember Pickles likes being walked, but using two leads makes it easier

for the boys because goats are strong.

-It's basically like walking a larger dog with horns.

-That head-butts you.

-How does it feel actually walking?

-Tougher than walking a dog.

-Because it's stronger?

-Actually, no, I just think it's like

walking a Great Dane. They pull a bit.

Especially this one, he thinks he's the boss.

Primrose is not happy you have taken Pickles out, I tell ya.

Come on, Pickles.

That's the boy. There you go. Go!

-So what was that experience with the goats?

-Kind of scary,

but it was actually kind of good.

'Thanks for coming in to Pet School, Daniel.'

Molly, down.

It's the end of the day and Liam's progress with Molly has been slow,

to say the least.

Molly! If she does a poo I am definitely not picking it up.

Really hate it.

-Oh, not again!

-Spoke too soon, Liam!

Oh my gosh. Not...

I am not picking that up. I would ask my mum to pick it up.

Our lad Liam has flatly refused to pick up poo since day one.

This is serious so I'm going to get on the blower

and get Mum in for a chinwag.

Did you pick it up? You know you need to pick it up.

That's what happens when you get a dog, Liam.

I know, I would want you to pick it up.

I know, but I won't be there all the time to pick it up.

It will be your dog, your responsibility.

It is one of the big things about being a pet owner. That is what

we are talking about, trying to teach you it is your responsibility.

At the moment,

where does he stand with his chances of getting his own pet at home?

At the moment, I think it's a big issue, the fact that he is

feeling he is not up to clean after the dog.

Liam needs to think long and hard

about whether he's actually ready for his own dog.

He really should get more hands-on with Molly,

if he stands any chance of persuading his mum.

Micah's had a bad day too, his problem with touching animals

seems to be getting worse.

That won't convince Mum and Dad he's ready for a pet.

But Sophie's proved she can bond with her buddies the ferrets.

But which of our Pet Heads will be ready for a pet of their own

in just seven days?

Wow! Cannot believe it's the end of another day here at Pet School.

It's been absolutely crazy, but I can tell you this,

next time, it is going to get even more exciting!

Coming up...is Liam changing his mind about Molly?

Tej has got a very special request.

Can I please have Kiki as my pet for the next week?

'And I drop a massive surprise on our Pet Heads.'

This is tough. Here is your pet buddies for the next week.

'Not all our kids will be pleased, but some are going to love it.'

Get in!

If you've got a pet at home, are you and your family

looking after it responsibly? Check out our Pet School website

for all the essential advice you need on pet care.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd