Episode 5 Sport Relief's Top Dog

72 dogs.

24 celebrity team captains.

And one big tournament to find Sport Relief's Top Dog.

On tonight's show, Team Jodie.

Team captain Jody Prenger, a West End actress and singer

and her Yorkshire Terrier, Hogan,

are joined by Ray,

an engineer from Kent, and German Shepherd Bailey,

a working therapy dog and Nicole, who is a dog walker

and agility teacher, with her pet Labrador Retriever, Maggie.

They're taking on Team Gemma.

Gemma Merna, an actress in Hollyoaks,

and her St Bernard, Paige,

are joined by Richard, a land surveyor from Nottingham,

and his Doberman, Hugo, working as a search and rescue dog,

and Kerena, a court worker from Surrey,

with her pet, working Cocker, Magic.

It's time for our two teams to go head-to-head.

It's Sport Relief's Top Dog.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Gaby Roslin.

APPLAUSE

Hello, good evening. Welcome to Sport Relief's Top Dog,

the show where we put our perfect pooches through their paces.

Our two celebrity captains have enlisted their dog,

a working dog and a family pet to compete for our canine championship.

Tonight, they'll be running, jumping, catching

and splashing their way through three rounds before coming together

for the final challenge, The Bark Off.

-So, let's meet Team Jodie.

-Hello.

-Team captain, as well, Jodie.

-That's a lot of pressure, isn't it?

-A lot of pressure.

-And this beast of a dog.

-He's vicious!

Hogan is four years old, and he's an absolute diamond,

and I always say, "He's just my world." I get dead soppy.

Why do you get soppy?

If you've never had a dog,

you never understand the true friendship, the true love.

And they're just something you can never do without in life.

They're brilliant.

We've all said we're here for such a brilliant cause,

-and it's great that the dogs can be part of that.

-Absolutely.

Let's hear it... Look... Jodie and Hogan.

APPLAUSE

Hello. We have Ray and Bailey. Tell us about this beautiful dog.

I know, you get very emotional, talking about your dog.

-Don't even start.

-I don't mind if you get soppy.

No, Bailey's four years old, is a therapy dog.

He works with Down's syndrome children.

There are several children that were afraid of dogs. They're not any more.

-Which is...why I do it.

-Oh, dear, you're welling up, as well!

I'm going to have everybody crying on this side!

-He means the world to you, doesn't he?

-Very much so.

You're making me start now! Ray and Bailey.

APPLAUSE

No, you're not going to cry, as well. Now, tell us who we have here.

-Maggie.

-Tell us about Maggie.

-She's three.

Everything that I've ever done with her, she has never said no,

-she's just gone, "All right, if it's a game, I'll do it."

-Anything?

-Yes.

-What sort of things?

-Like balancing slippers on her head.

Is that why I'm standing like this? Because there's a whole bunch...

-There's a slipper.

-Oh, a slipper.

Leave it. Leave it. Leave it.

AUDIENCE: Aww!

Let's hear it for Team Jodie!

APPLAUSE

Team Gemma. Now tell me about this very handsome brute in front of you.

Well, this is Paige, my St Bernard.

One of my St Bernards, because I have another one, as well.

She just loves cuddles, she just loves people.

How is there room for two dogs and you

-and your new husband in the house?

-There just isn't, really.

-My husband, he's kicked out, and it's just the dogs.

-You just got married?

-Yeah!

-What's it like to look after a St Bernard?

They're just very, very gentle dogs.

Everyone thinks, "Oh, they're too big." But they're just brilliant.

I'd never have a different breed, they're just fab.

Oh, wonderful to meet you. Thank you very much, team captain Gemma.

Hello to you. Now, Richard, look at this beautiful Doberman.

Tell us all about him.

Hugo is three, he is in training to be a missing persons' search dog.

When a child or a dementia patient goes missing,

the police will call in the search and rescue team.

-And it's actually a voluntary thing that you do.

-It is, yeah.

What is a Doberman like to have as a pet?

They're as soft as anything, really.

They have this image, the guard-dog image,

but I think as long as you bring them up all right, they're a soft dog.

Hugo is such a magnificent dog. Thank you very much indeed.

Richard and Hugo.

-So, Karina and Magic.

-That's right. Magic.

-Yes, Magic. very beautiful.

Now, you've written books about the story of you

and your hearing dog for the deaf.

What sort of things did the dog do for you?

Magic isn't a hearing dog, but he works in a very similar way.

If the doorbell rings, he comes and gets us

and takes us to the door. Lots of different things.

What's Magic like as a pet?

Brilliant. He's very sensitive, he wants to know what we feel.

He's very clever, he can think for himself.

But the one problem is, if he's bored, he gives up,

-doesn't want to do it.

-I know the feeling. That's exactly how I get.

Thank you very much. Thank you for being here today.

And let's hear it for Team Gemma.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Now, to kick off tonight's show,

we have a game that displays our dogs' incredible flying skills.

Team Jodie decided to put forward Nicole and Maggie,

and Team Gemma decided to put forward Karina and Magic.

So, let's play Hoopla Splash.

-Hoopla Splash sees our contestants throwing hoops past the pool marker.

-MAGIC BARKS

And our little "David Hassell-woofs" leaping into the pool to retrieve them.

One point will be awarded for each hoop that is successfully placed on the hoopla pole.

-MAGIC BARKS

-So, Karina and Magic - I think Magic will be very pleased about this -

they're going first. Do you want to go and get ready? Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Now, as ever, we have canine water safety experts in the pool,

-So please give us a wave, Dave.

-APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

-And give it some welly, Ellie.

-APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Are you ready? On your barks, get set, go!

Ready, ready, ready? Go!

Wow! No hesitation there from Magic, who's a working Cocker Spaniel.

This breed are renowned for their love of fetching things,

so this should be a walk in the park.

Magic! Magic - go! AUDIENCE LAUGHS

OK, Magic choosing a more gentle approach this time,

making use of the ramp.

Magic, come on, Magic.

Go for it, go for it, go for it, go for it, go for it!

Go for it, Magic!

Good boy!

He's gone for the ramp again, but as long as get that hoop back, that's OK.

Quick, quick! Well done, well done, well done, well done.

Karina says that Magic has a strong chase instinct.

You can really see that determination there.

Come on! Go, go, go!

Can they get one more back before the time's up?

BEEPER SOUNDS

Yay! Well done!

A great first round from Karina and Magic,

who started off with a magnificent leap,

but have they done enough to win that first point?

-That was wonderful. Well done, Magic. Five points.

-Thank you. Wow!

-Five! Well done.

-Really good.

-Clever boy. APPLAUSE

Now, let's see if Maggie can beat that. On your barks, get set, go!

Go! Go on - go, go, go, go, go!

Wow! A really explosive start from Maggie, and a four metre jump.

She just effortlessly glides through the air - very impressive.

Come on! Come on!

Now, Maggie is a Lab Retriever, so like Magic

she has a natural instinct to chase and retrieve objects.

Go! Good dog.

Another brilliant jump from Maggie with a huge splash.

Someone is going to have to do a bit of mopping up later on.

Ready, steady, go!

Now, those long jumps mean a long swim back for Maggie,

but she is so comfortable in the water.

Come on! Quickly! Quickly, quickly, quickly.

Ready, steady, go!

She gets some really great height in those jumps,

using her back legs to push off into the water.

Ready? Go!

BEEPER SOUNDS

Come on! Good girlie.

Maggie's one of the best jumpers we've had this series.

She leaps in, lands with a big smile on her face.

Only right, then, that she rewards herself with a cheeky ring

to chew on later.

Well, congratulations, Nicole and Maggie.

Just so happens you also got five hoops, which means it's

a tie-break, so we're going to have a tie-break question.

Which of the following breeds is known as "the barkless dog?"

A - Afghan Hound, B - Bernese Mountain Dog, or C - Basenji?

Correct. You have the answer.

The answer is C - Basenji.

There we go. So, the first game goes to Team Gemma.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Now, on this show we don't want you to miss a single moment of the action,

and that includes what happens after the games.

Yes - it's that time, it's time to soak up the wet dog shaggy shake.

# Shake your groove thing Shake your groove thing, yeah yeah

# Show 'em how we do it now

# Shake your groove thing Shake your groove thing, yeah yeah

# Show 'em how we do it. #

APPLAUSE

Of course, the happiness of our dogs is of paramount importance,

so we have five brilliant experts to look after them.

Reena Patel is our resident vet

and senior clinician at her local practice.

Roy Dyer is our canine consultant.

He's been training dogs for over 50 years.

Kristina Glover is a veterinary approved pet behaviour counsellor.

David Pugh trains dogs to swim and save lives.

And alongside him is his apprentice, Ellie Bedford.

It's time now for our team captains to battle it out in our second game.

All I can say is that I hope they're feeling fit.

Gemma has Paige and Jodie has Hogan.

The rules are simple:

We fix a pedometer to both the celebrity and the dog,

and all they have to do is move around as much

as they possibly can, and rack up as many steps as possible.

When the music stops, they grab their dog and run

and sit on this chair.

Jodie and Hogan are up first as we play...

-SHE CHUCKLES

-I can't wait for this! Mutt Mayhem.

-OK. Jodie, Hogan.

-Are you ready?

-On your barks, get set, go!

MUSIC STARTS Are you ready? Come on, Hogan!

OK, so this looks as if it might be a game that comes more

naturally to Jodie than Hogan.

I'm not sure Yorkshire Terriers are renowned for their dancing skills.

Oh, shake it! He's tweaking! He's twerking, sorry!

Hogan, you're supposed to move!

Hogan's tiny little legs do rack up a lot of steps, though,

so they could do quite well, here.

-Steps! Go on, Hogan!

-Hang on - Jodie's just showing off, now.

He just doesn't look that impressed, does he? She needs to get him moving.

OK, I'm not sure that taking two legs off the ground

-is going to be the best tactic here, Jodie.

-MUSIC STOPS

-There we go.

-Some great moves from Jodie and Hogan in that round.

The highlight for me was Hogan, definitely,

with this attempt at the moonwalk.

-Well done, you two.

-Thank you.

-Between you, you managed 119 steps.

-Well done!

-Oh, sweetheart!

OK, so, Gemma and Paige, you know what you have to beat.

On your barks, get set, go!

-MUSIC STARTS

-OK, time for these two to have a go.

Now, Paige is about 50 times the size of Hogan,

so she's going to have to really move fast if they're going to win.

-Look at Paige go!

-Paige, come on!

St Bernards can weigh up to 180lbs,

but I have to say Paige looks pretty light on her feet.

Come on, come on. Paige, come on.

-Paige! Paige!

-Hang on, she's off!

-GABY LAUGHS

It looks like Paige wants to hang out with the camera crew instead.

She's having a good look round the cameras.

Let's get back on.

-MUSIC STOPS

-There we go!

An interesting step pattern here from our St Bernard.

I think we'll call that the reverse turn box step.

Well done to you two.

So, Jodie and Hogan, remember you managed to score 119,

and Gemma and Paige, you managed 104.

-So you guys are the winners!

-APPLAUSE

So, that means it's one game all

so far, so well done.

Now, all of tonight's contestants are here to support Sport Relief,

which aims to get as many of us as possible up on our feet

and raising money for people who really need it,

both here in the UK and across the world's poorest communities.

The first ever Sport Relief Games take place

from Friday the 21st to Sunday the 23rd of March.

There are hundreds of running, swimming and cycling events

right across the UK.

And with plenty of different distances,

there's something for everyone.

We ran the Sport Relief mile! Whoo!

What's more, lots of Mile events are officially dog-friendly,

so you and your pooch can get sponsored to take part.

To enter an event and join the fun and games, visit:

So go on, please get involved this Sport Relief

and join in the fun and games.

Have fun and change lives at the same time - it's that simple.

Now it's time for our next game.

We have our last two to play, for Team Jodie we have Ray and Bailey

and for team Gemma, we have Richard and Hugo.

This game is all about speed and retrieval.

Our handlers have to send their dogs hurtling into a shallow duck pond

to retrieve as many ducks as possible.

They will receive one point for each duck - but watch out for the pig!

Bringing home THIS bacon will be worth nothing at all.

Richard and Hugo, if you would like to go and get yourselves ready,

let's play Duck Pond Derby!

APPLAUSE

OK, our dog and handler are in position.

on your barks, get set, go.

So, Hugo is a three-year-old Doberman

training as a search and rescue dog.

I think he normally looks for people not ducks,

let's see how he gets on with this one.

Good boy!

So far so good for Hugo.

Bailey just looks like he can't wait for his go.

APPLAUSE

It's the noise! I love that noise with that duck!

Ah, now Hugo's fallen for the decoy there and picked up the pig.

-That pig sounds like a duck.

-You won't score a point for that one.

No wonder he was confused.

Good lad. Come here.

Good lad!

BEEPER SOUNDS

Great round for Hugo and Richard there, but after all that duck,

he just couldn't resist hamming it up.

Well done. You managed to bring back six, but one was a pig,

so we give you five ducks!

Well done.

OK, Ray and Bailey, are you ready?

on your barks, get set, go.

Finally, Bailey gets his go.

Bailey is a Pets As Therapy dog and has a wonderful temperament.

Oh!

You just see how gentle he is.

You have to bring it all the way here to the end of the carpet.

He's a good boy.

OK, not so gentle right now, though!

Not quite getting the hang of this so far,

looks like the pig has escaped, though.

Come on, Bailey, good boy. Show me!

Ah, he's got another one!

Oh, no. He prefers the first one, apparently.

Go on, Bailey, you have to give it to Ray!

BEEPER SOUNDS

Too late.

So not the greatest round for Team Jodie

as Bailey really didn't want to share his toys.

Now, Ray and Bailey, you had five to beat - you did really well,

you got none. But we won't talk about that, we won't mention it!

Well done, though, and you got the duck.

There. You can keep the duck as a present.

That means that Team Gemma are the winners, well done!

APPLAUSE

They now lead by two games to one.

And that 2-1 lead of theirs will earn them a handy time advantage

in the final deciding game.

Yes, it's time for the Bark Off.

Now, in front of our teams are some classic British landmarks.

Each team must make their way from Land's End to John O'Groats

via many famous places, including this tunnel in:

APPLAUSE

There we go. They have to go through that with their dogs.

Now, this is a relay race.

The course will be completed one dog at a time.

If an obstacle is refused or incorrectly cleared,

they'll hear this sound.

BUZZER

They will only get two attempts at each obstacle

and they cannot move on until they hear this sound.

BELL RINGS

The team that completes the course in the fastest time will take overall victory

and be in with a chance of going through to the grand final.

Team Gemma are in the lead, which means that Team Jodie have the pressure of going first.

Because they're lagging behind, 2-1, they will be starting their run

with 15 seconds already added to the clock.

It's now time to play the Bark Off.

OK, ready to go? on your barks, get set, go.

A lightning start there from Maggie, racing over Tower Bridge, no delay,

speeds through Barking tube onto the Magic Roundabout.

Sit. Sit. Wait.

Lovely disciplined hold there from Maggie. A leap over Sherwood Forest.

Go through the tunnel together.

An easy hike over Mount Snowdon and she's onto the weave.

Wow, look at Maggie!

Maggie does complete in agility trials,

you can see how well-trained she is at this discipline.

# So ferry cross the Mersey... #

APPLAUSE

BELL RINGS

OK, it's Bailey's turn now.

Not so experienced in this type of thing but he's a clever dog

and he has a great bond with Ray.

Sit.

Wait.

BELL RINGS Come on.

APPLAUSE

Great jump from Bailey.

Cleared that no problem at all. He's doing a great job.

Wait.

# So ferry cross the Mersey... #

Here we go, next jump.

Two pretty fast rounds so far, let's see how Jodie and Hogan get on.

Hogan, this way, come on! Come on!

We'll be here all night, bring your sleeping bags, come on.

Yeah!

Hogan managing to clear a jump that most of our other dogs just step over.

I am so proud of him!

Oh, I am so proud of you, it's going to make me cry. Come on, you.

This little dog is just taking everything in his stride.

-Right, now he has to sit.

-Sit.

Sit. Sit.

Sit. Sit.

BELL RINGS

Move on!

Come on!

One of the first big jumps for Hogan coming up, over Sherwood Forest.

No, he's going to take a detour.

Come on, Hogan.

Oh, he's having a wee! Sorry!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

I'm sorry!

-It's all right.

-That was bound to happen sooner or later.

Come on. Yeah!

Come on, through the tunnel. Oh, my God.

Come on, Hogan.

Now that is a very big climb for a very little dog and he has done it.

Well done, Hogan.

And it's a miniature walk across Giant's Causeway for little Hogan.

And there's going to be plenty of room on board

for a trip across the Mersey.

Quick.

# So ferry cross the Mersey... #

APPLAUSE

Can he manage these final jumps?

There's one! He barely gets over the Hogan-sized jumps.

-Come to mother. Come to mother.

-Go on, Hogan!

APPLAUSE

So Hogan valiantly made it round the course

but not before stopping for a bit of a comfort break

and even the best athletes get caught short sometimes.

Oh, well done!

I could tell you were a very proud mum.

When he went over that thing, I actually got a tear in my eyes,

-I was so proud.

-Would you like to know your time?

-No.

LAUGHTER

I thought you might say that. It was five minutes and 57 seconds.

-Ah!

-So well done!

OK, so team Gemma, it's your turn. On your barks, get set, go.

So Magic, first to go for Team Jemma.

He's a trained agility dog so this should be a quick round.

And as expected, Magic makes short work of Tower Bridge.

Time for the sit and stay. Now there is a lighting system

and an interpreter so she knows she can move on.

-Then through the tunnel.

-Off to Wales we go!

Tell you what, Magic's tail hasn't stopped wagging,

he's really enjoying himself.

Oh, wow, look at the speed of Magic!

Now that is a truly magical weave from a magic dog,

just spellbinding to watch.

Magic!

Great start for Team Gemma, let's see how Hugo gets on.

Look at that dog go, wow.

BUZZER

Now the buzzer, reminding Richard that Hugo has missed a section there.

Remember they have to sit.

And they are off again.

Hugo really is an effortless jumper.

Over the stepping stones now into the ferry.

Now I wonder how Hugo is going to take to this ferry ride.

# So ferry cross the Mersey... #

That is a big smile, he's clearly a Liverpool fan.

Great finish, well done, Hugo!

Come on, Paige.

Now this is all very new to both Gemma and Paige.

-They're doing well, though.

-Good girl. Good girl.

At nearly two feet tall, Paige just fits under that bridge!

-It is a tight squeeze but they are getting through.

-Come on.

-Good dog!

Now this isn't a mountain rescue mission but if it were,

this St Bernard would be the dog for the job.

Stay. Stay.

# So ferry cross the Mersey... #

Stay. Stay.

-Stay.

-Stay...

Stay... Stay...

Stay... Excellent!

Yes!

Now, she could barely fit through most of her obstacles

but for a first timer, I think Paige did a great job.

Well done, you guys. Now, if you remember,

the time to beat was five minutes 57 seconds.

And you did it in four minutes 20 seconds. Well done!

APPLAUSE

So huge congratulations to Team Gemma for winning tonight's show,

but was it fast enough to qualify for the semifinals?

Only the top four winning times of the series will make it through

and your time of four minutes 20 puts you

in fifth place, I'm afraid.

But it was a really good time, you should be really proud of yourself.

Well done again. Well done!

APPLAUSE

Now remember, you and your dog can support Sport Relief in many ways.

You can sign up to the Sport Relief Mile,

which you can walk with your dog at many locations all across the UK,

and the details can be found on the website.

You can also do your bit by buying the special Sport Relief dog toy

which is available online or in store with all profits

going to Sport Relief. Just go to:

..to find out how, and for details of how to get involved

with the fun and games.

Thanks to all our dogs and their owners for taking part

and thank you so much for watching. Until next time, goodnight.