Episode 1 Me and My Dog: The Ultimate Contest

Hello, and welcome

to the Brathay Estate

on the banks of Lake Windermere

in the Lake District.

This beautiful part of the country

is about to play host

to a contest like no other -

a physical and mental competition

for humans...

Go!

'..and their dogs.'

Good boy! OK. Up, up!

We've scoured the country

and found eight people

who all believe they have

the ultimate relationship

with their canine companions.

We'd love to win it to prove

to the world how good Douglas is.

We understand each other.

We've been a team since

he was seven weeks old,

and he's now nine.

Flapjack's beauty and my brains,

we should make

quite a winning combination.

This way, this way, this way!

Flapjack!

Over the next four weeks,

guided by some of the country's

top dog trainers...

That is incredible.

..and canine scientists...

What it tells us is that

Betty is ambidextrous.

Same as me!

..we'll see them unlock the full

potential of their partnership.

You're ace, you are.

Go!

They'll compete in a series

of challenges...

Let's go, Douglas. Let's go, Doug.

..and the best duos will win

a place in our grand final...

Whoops!

..where one pair will be crowned

ultimate champions.

If you think you know what

your dogs are capable of,

think again.

If, like me,

you share your life with dogs,

you'll know there's

an undeniable connection there.

Most owners will tell you that

they have the perfect pet.

Now these eight pairs

are about to put their partnerships

to the ultimate test.

Hailing from across the nation,

our duos come in

all shapes and sizes.

I know I am competitive.

Betty, she loves competition.

I think, as a team, we're crazy.

Don't fall asleep.

From mongrels...

He's a rescue dog, so winning

something like this would emphasise

how well we have done together.

..and pampered pooches...

She's my fur baby.

She's a proper little princess.

..to working dogs.

We're going to be a good team

because we have a great

working relationship.

Technically,

we should be unbeatable.

To get to the grand final,

where one pair will be crowned

ultimate champions,

our duos will compete for points

in a series of challenges.

None have had specialist training,

and the contest is designed

to suit all our breeds,

so each week we'll see them

tested on a different aspect

of the human-dog dynamic -

starting with communication.

Obviously, communication is central

to any success in a team sport,

especially one that involves

a human and a dog.

How much of our communication

do they actually understand?

Well, it turns out,

more than you might think.

You see, humans and dogs

have lived side-by-side

for at least 15,000 years

and have developed one of the most

sophisticated cross-species dynamics

seen anywhere in the animal kingdom.

So, for this set of challenges,

we're going to use some new

and innovative ideas

so that we can better communicate

with our dogs

and improve our relationship.

But, of course, I'm not going

to be doing it on my own.

I'll be joined by clinical animal

behaviourist Sian Ryan

and her top team of trainers.

Good morning, everyone.

ALL:

Morning!

Welcome to the fine

Brathay sunshine here.

We have got a trial for you

that is incredibly difficult,

but nevertheless,

it's a starting point.

Their human-canine

communication skills

are about to be put to the test

by the Nature Slalom.

The pairs will be timed

as they compete over a course,

passing through gates as they go.

Sounds simple,

but at each gate

they can employ just one

of the three modes of communication

we use with dogs.

At the first gate,

they'll use verbal commands.

At the second, just body language.

And finally, at the toughest gate

of all, nothing but eye contact.

Quite an ask,

so before they get started,

Sian wants to give our pairs

some pointers.

Your dogs can't learn if

they're not paying attention to you.

Without saying anything,

wait and see if they will look

at you naturally.

Soon as they make eye contact,

give them a reward,

bearing in mind that

if we're giving them food rewards

you're going to cut down on

the amount of food

they're going to get in their bowls

for tea tonight.

Recent findings suggest that

non-verbal cues play a vital role

in communicating with our pets.

So, Mitch has looked

up at you, Colin.

That's great, so give him

the reward.

That'll do.

Zuri's just like, "I will lie here

like a princess

"and I will look at you and

you'll reward me," which is perfect.

We're not asking for anything

other than eye contact.

Although the average owner

rarely does it,

one can communicate with dogs

using eye contact alone,

and if mastered,

it can be highly effective

and can help strengthen

the relationship

between person and pet.

Good boy.

Sian has one more instruction

for our pairs.

These challenges are really,

really tough for our dogs.

They're way outside

their normal routines,

so we're splitting them

into small groups

so that they don't get overwhelmed

by what they're facing.

The eight duos have been divided

into the reds and the yellows.

I think this is bigger than me.

The two groups will face

different challenges,

but they'll all be testing

the same core skills.

Send him through here, but then

you're going to reward him here.

And it's the reds who will face

the Nature Slalom.

Flapjack! Flapjack! Go, go, go!

Good boy. Good boy.

None of our duos has ever attempted

anything like this before,

so before the challenge begins,

a chance for the reds

to check out the course.

Here, here, here, here.

Good lad. Good lad.

Good boy!

This is all a big learning curve.

This is, like, "Wow!"

He's doing all right.

We know it's a tough challenge.

If you get to gate three,

that's an amazing achievement.

We're going to go for this.

We're going to go for this big-time.

With points at stake

and their fellow competitors

watching on,

first up are Colin and Mitch.

Colin, are you ready?

I am.

Your time starts now.

Come on, Mitch! Good lad!

Good lad, Mitch! Good lad!

At the first gate,

they can use verbal commands.

Good lad, Mitch!

Dogs respond to both the words

we say and the pitch of our voices.

Good boy!

Colin and Mitch are off

to a good start.

Mitch, Mitch! Mitch, come on!

He says, "I'm just getting my

reward."

Good lad. Good lad, Mitch.

Good boy. Come on.

61-year-old Colin

and three-year-old

lurcher/Bedlington collie

cross Mitch...

Go on, up you get.

..come from Dartmoor in Devon.

Despite losing a leg after

a motorbike accident,

Colin has an active job,

with Mitch always at his side.

Mitch helps me with

my duties as gamekeeper,

which he's pretty good at.

Mitch means a real great deal to me.

He enriches my life

by being my companion.

It's a personal bond.

Colin has taken a traditional

approach to Mitch's training.

Got an old-fashioned attitude

to dogs.

Human, dog. Dog, human.

Just remember who's the master.

Good boy! Good boy! Good boy!

But at the body language gate,

will Mitch understand

his master's commands?

Even as puppies, dogs respond

to things like pointing,

and one study suggests that gestures

are at least three times more

effective than verbal commands.

Good lad, good lad!

Hey, well done!

Excellent.

And finally,

the toughest gate of all -

eye contact only.

'Eye contact releases

a hormone called oxytocin

'in the brains of both

owner and dog...'

Just the eyes.

'..triggering a positive response

in both,

'but will Mitch get the message?'

The eyes didn't do it.

Your eyes were turning into

a bit of a head swirl.

It was lack of understanding.

I wasn't giving him the right

signals.

Oh, well done, Colin!

We fell at the final hurdle.

We're not performing as a team.

I'm finding it really,

really frustrating

because I'm not getting the results

from him that I'm asking of him.

Good swaying going on.

It was that bit!

You were like a slightly demented

giraffe.

Andrew.

Yes?

On your marks, get set, go!

Using a verbal command

and a clear gesture,

Andrew and Border Terrier Betty

make short work of the first gate.

Using the same gesture,

this time without words,

Andrew gets Betty

straight through the second gate.

Well done!

But can they keep up the pace

at the eye-contact-only gate?

Good girl! No! Come back!

I think that might've been

pure momentum.

We're not going to the lake!

Come on!

Bit out of breath. I think she was

heading for the lake in celebration.

She was going to go for a swim!

But the last one,

the whole motivation was to stop

and just use your eyes...

OK.

..rather than chase you

through the gate.

Oh, OK.

So, we're going to dock you a point.

Got a great, quick time

but completely broke every rule!

We came unstuck a little bit,

so maybe we need to be

Team Little Less Crazy.

Next up, 21-year-old Ellie

from Greater Manchester

and her dog Benny,

who she rescued from the streets

when he was just a few months old.

When I first got him,

I couldn't even walk him on a lead.

Absolutely terrified.

He was hiding under the tables.

So, from then to where he is now,

he's come on amazingly.

Benny, come on!

Most owners build trust with

their dogs during puppyhood.

Benny was so neglected

and traumatised

that Ellie has had to work

extremely hard

to forge a bond with him.

Lie down.

Good boy!

I think that winning something

like this would just sort of

emphasise how well

we have done together.

Ellie, are you ready?

Just about.

On your marks, get set, go!

Come on. Benny, come on.

Come on. Come on.

Benny, come on! Through you go.

Benny, come on! Through you go.

Oh, nicely done!

Good boy!

Well done.

Good boy!

Ellie and Benny

are off to a strong start.

Sit.

Good choice,

just to set him up there.

BOTH:

Yes!

Good boy! Yes!

Well done!

Come here.

All good so far...

Sit.

..but can they be the first pair

to get through the fiendishly

difficult eye-contact gate?

Now he's getting very

little input from her.

He's got a little bit distracted.

Benny, come here.

Come here. Sit.

Dogs are one of the only species

to make eye contact with people.

Research has shown that

humans display emotion

on the right side

of their face first,

and that's where dogs look.

It's called gaze bias,

and it's one of the things

that gives human and dogs

their unique relationship.

Oh!

Don't believe it!

That is incredible!

Well done!

Benny, come here!

That is absolutely fantastic!

Absolutely superb.

He's done me proud.

Oh!

Little Benny Bear.

Bless him!

I think it's fantastic.

I couldn't have asked for him

to do any better, to be honest.

Not bad for a street dog.

He's come so far from what he was.

I mean, we've taught him

everything from scratch,

so to see him now

doing things like this,

he's done absolutely fantastic.

Well done, Ellie!

Yay!

Well done, Ellie! Well done, Benny!

It was almost like

you knew what you were doing.

Yeah! Almost!

She's set the bar quite high,

hasn't she, Flapjack?

The final pair to face

this challenge - Toni and Flapjack.

OK, now look, Jack,

there's more of this

if we get all the way to the bottom.

It's an understatement to say

that the pressure is on.

Oh, no, don't!

That's freaking me out!

Don't say that! Just count me down!

OK.

Flapjack's so loyal and kind

and funny and exasperating,

and...he's my friend.

Toni runs a clothes shop

on the King's Road in London

with the help of her

trusty assistant,

three-year-old Labrador Flapjack.

Flapjack is very beautiful,

but he's not the brightest.

He's very handsome

and slightly thick,

probably like a certain number

of ex-boyfriends I've had.

I'd like to win, because that's the

whole point of doing a competition,

and in a way, it would be delightful

if I could find out

that actually,

I was completely wrong

and that he's not as thick

as we think.

Three, two, one - go!

Jackie, come on! Let's go!

Let's go, let's go!

OK, Flapjack, through! Good boy!

Hooray, hooray, hooray!

Let's go, let's go, let's go!

Come on, Jackie! Come on, Jackie!

Come on, Jackie.

Good boy!

Toni and Flapjack make short work

of the first two gates,

but success rests on

the final eye contact gate.

Dead still.

Just remember,

dead still.

Dead still, Toni.

Just the eyes.

I know.

I've just remembered.

You've lost your dog.

You can call him back to you.

Flapjack! Jackie, Jackie.

Bit of focus, friend.

Give him one last go...

OK.

..to help remember

what he's doing.

I don't think he knows

what he's doing, Sian.

I think he does.

Yeah, I think he does.

Jackie.

Oh.

Aw!

Well done, Flapjack!

What has happened today already is,

he's started looking at me

a lot more.

So, even at that last one,

he didn't understand

what he was meant to be doing,

but he did look at me.

He was looking at you.

He's got really...

And at one point,

he was looking at you,

looking at the gate.

Those caramel eyes

were staring at mine.

They were trying to understand.

Yay!

There was that tiny spark that

we saw in the challenge today,

and I want to grab that

and try and build on it

and maybe developing that

into something big.

Well done, Flapjack!

With the first challenge

complete for the reds,

Sian is already seeing a change

in our duos' dynamics.

Once we got them to drop that

verbal communication,

start using their body language,

the dogs are paying more attention

to them,

they've got more eye contact.

And the dogs were following

what they're being asked to do.

So the relationships are going

to be increasing on day one.

Yeah.

I think they're all feeling that

the nature of their relationship

is changing and improving.

But which red pair

performed the best?

Come on in, come on in.

'We're ranking them based on

how many gates they got through

'and their speed on the course.

'The pair that perform best will win

four points, the next best, three,

'then two, and the worst pair

will get just one point.'

Come on in, come on in.

OK. There we go, Jackie.

Sit down, my friend.

'Every challenge will be

a chance to win points,

'and the top-scoring duos

will go through to the final

'at the end of the contest.'

I have the scores.

In reverse order.

Toni, it won't come as a surprise.

Oh, Jackie, we're last.

Unfortunately, you were fourth,

so we're going to give you

one point for that.

There we are.

We've got one point, Jackie.

In third place, Colin and Mitch.

Two points.

Andrew and Betty, you got all clear

through the gates in 41 seconds,

which meant that you would've won

if we didn't dock that last one...

If we didn't cheat.

..where you used...

So you're second, with three points.

And of course, in first position,

that absolutely...

Oh, well done!

Yay!

..amazing first run.

Well done, Benny.

So, you're at the top here,

with four points...

Killed it. You killed it. Well done.

..in the lead.

Wow.

'Whilst the points on the board

are important,

'I want to show our owners that

when it comes to their dogs,

'there's always more to learn.'

We all like to think that we

understand our dogs, but in fact,

in terms of science,

we've just scratched the surface.

So now I want to use the latest

cutting-edge research

to explore just how the bond we have

with these animals works,

and how we can make it stronger.

Joining us in the Lake District

in our specially kitted-out

science yurt is Dr Emily Blackwell

and her team from the Bristol

School of Veterinary Sciences.

They'll be performing

a series of tests

to help us get inside the mind

of man's best friend.

Come on, Flapjack!

As we've seen in the Nature Slalom,

dogs are a dab hand at

reading our body language,

but communication works both ways,

and if we look closely enough,

we can learn to read

their body language, too.

Toni and Flapjack are here

to take part in an exercise

which should help us understand

what a dog's body

can tell us about its brain.

What we're going to do today

is try and find out

whether Flapjack has

a paw preference.

Oh, OK!

Whether he's right-pawed

or left-pawed.

And with people, we measure it

by looking at what hand

they hold the pen in or

what hand they'll use to eat.

Mm-hm.

But what we're doing today is

something called first stepping,

and that was developed

by Australian scientists.

And what we're going to do is ask

Flapjack to go down these steps,

and as he steps down that

first step,

we're going to record

which paw he uses.

In order to correct for things

like Flapjack being distracted,

they're going to repeat

this test 50 times.

It's all to do with what's going on

in the brain.

Right.

And dogs, just like us,

have two hemispheres.

When a dog is happy or excited,

the left hemisphere is the most

active part of its brain.

When it's unhappy or anxious,

it's the right side that dominates.

This dominance is reflected

in the opposite paw,

because just like us,

the right side of the brain controls

the left side of the body

and the left side of the brain

controls the right,

so a dog's paw preference

can indicate

which side of their brain

is most dominant

and give us clues

about their personality.

What we've found is that dogs

that are left-pawed

are more likely to show

certain behavioural problems

and they're more likely to show

separation-related behaviour.

So, I'm hoping

he's going to be right-pawed,

which means that he's having

a more positive time

when he experiences things.

So, all dogs that show

a left-paw preference

aren't necessarily unhappy.

Mm.

But what we've found is that

there is an association between dogs

that are right-pawed

with being calmer,

less aroused when they're

encountering something new.

It's early days in this area

of research,

and scientists don't yet

fully understand

why this correlation exists.

OK, Toni. The results are in.

In our 50 trials, he used

his left paw 16 times...

Right.

..and his right paw 34 times.

OK.

Flapjack has a right-paw

preference in this test.

Sure.

That fits with the dog that I know.

You can put him into

lots of different situations

and he will remain calm.

Interestingly, similar findings

have been made in humans,

where right-handers have been found

to exhibit less anxiety

and inhibition than

left-handed people.

Betty!

And the similarities

don't end there,

as Andrew and Betty

are about to find out.

OK, the results are in.

Left paw results then, 21.

OK.

And right paw...

29.

Yes!

I can do the maths!

29.

It tells us that Betty

is actually ambidextrous.

Same as me. Yay!

But these findings

are more than just trivia.

Interestingly,

dogs that are ambidextrous

have been found to have

noise sensitivities.

It's something to be aware of.

It's early days for

this field of study,

so scientists don't yet know

why this is.

I'm quite surprised

we are both ambidextrous.

We're on the same wavelength, Betty.

That's probably why we're both

just as crazy as each other.

This is a simple exercise

anyone can do with their dog,

and once you know

your dog's paw preference,

there are things you can do

to help keep them content.

If they are left-pawed,

being aware that strangers

or loud noises may make them anxious

is a good place to start.

While the reds already have

some points on the board,

now it's the yellows' turn

to put their communication skills

to the test.

For our next challenge,

we've come here to Rydal Beck.

Now, typically when we go out

walking with our dogs,

it's the dogs that get down into

the stream, snuffling around.

We never normally experience

the world that they do.

Today, that's all going to change.

Your task today is to scramble up

that stream.

So, it's wet,

it's relatively slippery.

There are some deep pools.

There are some waterfalls.

There are some narrow canyons that

you'll have to navigate through.

And frankly, folks,

this isn't the tropics,

so that water is not preheated

for you.

Funny, that.

Sorry about that.

Just like the Nature Slalom,

navigating this stream

will require our owners to use

all three methods of communication.

At the bottom of the course,

the water's calm,

and it's quiet enough for our

owners to use verbal commands.

As they reach the steeper sections,

that won't be enough.

Verbal communication here

is going to be very difficult.

The rushing water down there

is so noisy,

so you're going to have to rely upon

your body language, your eyes,

to communicate with your dogs.

The key to challenge success is

that teamwork and that communication

between you and your dogs.

You looking out for them

and them being aware of you.

OK. I can see you're all itching

to get into the ghyll.

Balls are placed along the course,

which the dogs will have to collect

as they go.

It's not about speed.

The pair with the most balls...

Roger!

..will get maximum points.

Fetch it!

Before the challenge begins,

the yellows get a chance

to check out the course.

And whilst most of our dogs

have no problem retrieving...

That's it. Good boy.

..persuading them to hand

the balls over...

He's off!

..is proving problematic.

Monty, give me the ball!

Doug, come here, please. Dougie!

Dougie!

Dougie!

Who's a good girl?

You are so clever. Come here.

First to tackle the course for real,

Daisy and her dog Zuri.

I'm quite excited,

but my heart just dropped

when they say it's my turn!

The 37-year-old finance controller

lives in Somerset

with her two-year-old Samoyed -

a reindeer herding breed

from Siberia.

Zuri and I are really close.

I work from home,

so we are together all the time.

She's quite stubborn.

I suppose she's a bit like me.

Come on! What's this?

I'm looking forward to the contest

and taking on these challenges

because, you know,

I'm quite competitive.

I like trying new things.

I want to do my best,

and I'm sure Zuri will, too.

OK. Off we go.

Thank you.

Good luck, Daisy!

Good luck!

Good luck! Good luck!

'Whilst the others watch on,

Daisy and Zuri head for the water.'

I would like to collect, like,

at least ten balls.

I think that would be nice.

'To keep our pairs safe,

they're equipped with buoyancy aids

'and flanked by our safety team.'

Zuri! Come on then, this way! Yay!

Zuri! What's this? What's this?

'So far, Daisy has failed to

persuade Zuri

'out of the starting blocks.'

Why would she want to get

into the water?

Just to mess up her hairstyle,

isn't it?

Zuri!

'Seeing that Daisy is

struggling, Sian steps in.'

So, don't force her

to come any further.

Can you see she was

a little bit more nervous?

'In unfamiliar situations...'

Come on then, Zuri!

'..understanding our dog's

body language

'is as important

as them reading ours.'

There are some key signals

to look out for.

When a dog licks its lips,

it can be a sign they're nervous,

whilst tucking its tail between

its legs or crouching can mean fear.

Keep an eye out for those lip licks,

nose licks, that reluctance.

If we try and put pressure on her,

she's going to dig her heels in.

We just need to keep showing Daisy

the best way to interact with Zuri

to get the best out of her.

Come on, then, Zuri!

Where's the ball? Zuri!

Remember, no pressure on her.

Zuri, what's this? Zuri!

Come on, then! Zuri, come on.

'Daisy gives Zuri plenty

of verbal encouragement...'

What's this? I've got a ball.

I think it's frustration.

Yes.

She wants to follow.

Yeah.

Do you want the ball? Come on, then!

'..and eventually, she dips her toe

in and snatches a ball.

'But then...'

Come on, then!

Bring it over here!

'..calls it a day.'

'This pair might be

out of their depth,

'and they will need to work hard

to build their confidence,

'but they've made a start.'

The communication that

you were showing with Zuri then,

we talked about not putting

too much pressure on her,

and you were trying to make it fun,

trying to make it a game.

She wants to be with you,

and she didn't have the confidence

in that situation.

But, you know, we'll get there.

Well done.

Thank you.

Right, go and get warm.

Thank you very much.

I'm proud of her. I can see...

When I was calling her, I could see

that she's desperate to get to me.

I think she's done brilliantly.

She gave her best.

'Next up...'

Doug...

'..a chance for Josh and Douglas

'to get their

first points on the board.'

Come on! Get it, fetch it!

27-year-old Josh and Douglas,

his 19-month-old

Labrador/springer spaniel cross,

come from Honiton in Devon,

where the old saying

"man's best friend"

sums up their relationship

perfectly.

I try not be his master,

try and just be his mate.

I love playing with him.

I never see it as

exercising the dog.

I see it as going out with Douglas.

I wouldn't be happy

going into something

if I didn't think I could win it.

I would absolutely love to win it,

to prove to the world

how good Douglas is.

Find it! What's this? What's this?

Come on, then! Come on, then!

What's this?

'Using clear verbal commands,

Josh gets his dog straight in...'

Good boy, Doug. Good boy!

Good boy.

'..before Douglas gets

straight back out again.'

Doug!

He's like, "OK, so you're in

the water and I'm on the bank.

"This is how this picture is."

The wrong way round.

Yeah.

Completely the wrong way round.

Dougie! Come on, then!

What's this? Do you want to play?

'With just two tokens bagged...'

He's going to bring it over to us

or something crazy.

'..Douglas stops playing ball.'

Come on, then.

Douglas is telling us quite clearly

he doesn't want to go in there.

He is.

Dougie. Here you go.

That's what you wanted.

He's confused.

He is,

cos I'm normally up here.

'As close as they are,

Josh and Douglas have a lot to learn

'when it comes to communication.'

Really tough. And body language is

something you don't really look at.

You kind of look more to a treat

or telling them something,

so it's a new thing for both of us,

which is what we're after, really.

It's kind of why we're here.

So far, none of our duos has really

got off the starting line.

Can Jake and Monty do any better?

River, getting balls.

Running through the river,

getting balls.

This is, like... He's made for this.

I'm not!

Come on, then.

And he's spotted

the ball straight off.

Monty, get the ball!

But he's not

quite sure how he's going to get in.

Good boy, come on!

That's nice.

Jake's just giving him a little bit

of encouragement there.

Come on, in!

Whoa! That was brave!

In for the ball. In for the ball.

'Unlike our first two pairs,

'Jake has managed talk Monty

into taking the plunge.'

Woo! Come on in!

Come on! Come on, Monts!

'As they get into the noisier,

steeper section,

'Jake's non-verbal communication

will be more important

'to keep Monty on course.'

Give me the ball! There we go.

'Clear body language helps Monty

focus on the balls.'

Oh! Oh, it's fast.

Come on, up there, up there.

That's it. Good boy.

Just look at that really lovely

teamwork between the two of them.

Jake's there supporting him,

spotting him.

Come on. There we go. There we go.

Now they're onto

the first waterfall.

So, how's he going to cope

with this?

This is quite a hard-core challenge,

isn't it?

'As they start to climb,

'it becomes clear that after

almost a decade together,

'for this pair, communication

is a two-way street.'

Awesome!

He's doing brilliantly.

I'm so impressed.

There we go. All right.

They've taken their time,

they've done it together.

OK, up, up! Good boy. Get the ball!

Monty!

Where's the ball? Yes!

Come on, guys!

Slow down, Monty! Wait for me!

Good boy, Monty!

One, two, three.

Oh!

Go on!

Go, Monty!

Come on, Monty!

'Finally, at the top of the course,

'Monty - and eventually Jake -

cross the finish line...'

That was an awesome display.

Great teamwork throughout,

plenty of communication.

You just did such a good job.

'..collecting an impressive

20 tennis balls along the way.'

Monty! Mwah!

Can our final pair,

Badger and Bodger, do even better?

I'm feeling a bit nervous.

A bit nervous just about

finding my footing

and not letting Bodger down.

I think if we can both

get to the top together,

it'll be amazing and

it'll make our bond even stronger...

if that's even possible.

Rock and roll, hey.

Jenny, known as Badger,

and her collie/cocker cross Bodger

come from Skipton

in North Yorkshire.

I've always wanted a dog

from very young.

And I wanted it to love me and

then me to love it kind of thing.

I just wanted that connection.

Their close relationship provides

Badger with more than just company.

We like to go on walks

and real adventures.

One of the reasons

I'm such an active person

is because of the Tourette's.

When I'm engaged in a sporting

activity, I never tic at all.

So I could be on maybe a six-hour

bike ride and I wouldn't tic once.

It's quite relaxing.

Fetch it, Bodge.

When we're out running,

she's always pretty close by.

She keeps an eye out for where I am.

And I don't know if that's her

thinking she needs

to look after me...

..or whether she's just worried

about being left behind.

She's so clever. You are.

Bodger,

you've got to find the balls.

Good luck, Jenny.

Off she goes.

She's in, straightaway.

Bodger, what's this here?

What's that? Good girl.

In here. You can do it.

To this side. Oh!

I think Jenny's just realised

how cold it is.

Bodge, you got a ball?

There it is. That's it. Good girl.

Fetch it here.

Good girl. Good girl!

Bodger is dashing around,

bouncing off the rocks.

Good girl! Go on, Bodger!

You can do it!

I tell you what,

she's like a mountain goat,

the way she's climbing over there.

Bodger...

Where the course gets really noisy

and steep, the pair are split up.

Where's the dog?

'Here, their ability to communicate

using eye contact alone

'comes into its own,

'and it's helping them keep each

other on track.'

They're always, like, checking back.

Good girl, Bodger! Thank you.

Good girl! I'm coming. I'm coming.

Fetch it here. Fetch it here.

'After a strong run, the pair make

it back onto dry land.'

Jenny, that's gone remarkably well.

You can't keep her out the water.

Bodger or otter?

Definitely otter.

Look at all those balls, Bodger!

Wow.

What a haul!

What a haul!

Look at all these balls

that you've got.

'Challenge over, our pairs

will be ranked and allocated points

'based on how many balls

they picked up.

'With two clear frontrunners,

the question is,

'will Badger and Bodger or

Jake and Monty come out on top?'

So, Daisy and Zuri, really gave it

your best, which was great to see.

Really nice to see that change in

understanding her a bit better.

I actually think

you've already learned quite a lot

in terms of how

to communicate with Zuri

to get the best out of her.

Josh and Douglas again

had difficulties.

It was a bit of role reversal there,

with you in the water.

Jake and Monty, great teamwork.

Carrying the dog through,

constantly communicating.

Collecting a bag full of balls,

which totalled up to 20,

which of course are then left us

with Badger and Bodger.

You were collecting balls

the whole way you were going,

and I can tell you

that you collected 21.

Did you hear that, Bodger?

Well done, Bodge.

My bag was getting really heavy,

I had so many balls in it.

So, in summary,

we've got some very wet people

who have scored some points.

Badger and Bodger,

you come top with four points.

Jake and Monty, here with three.

Daisy, you score today's one point,

and Josh and Douglas here have two.

So, there you go.

Wow, check it out!

Well done!

'While Josh and Daisy both have

some catching up to do,

'Jake and Badger take the two

top spots on the leaderboard.'

She did really well. She kept coming

back to check that I was there

and she knew there was

a job in hand.

I think, as a team,

we did really well.

Oh, I love that boy! He's so cool!

I'm just...yeah, amazed.

Amazed.

Now, we've looked at how

we communicate with our dogs,

but can we also learn about them

by understanding how

they communicate with each other?

Hello.

Hello.

Come on in.

After a lacklustre performance

at the Ghyll Scramble,

Dr Emily Blackwell

wants to teach Josh

how to get to know Doug better

with the help of Andrew and Betty.

What we're going to do now

is have a look at how

your dogs interact with each other.

We're going to watch them

for a while,

and then I'm going to ask you

to tell me what you think's gone on.

Apart from chaos!

It is going to be chaos!

The dogs quickly begin

to engage in rough-and-tumble.

When I'm out with Betty

and she's off lead,

she quite often gets involved

in this type of scenario.

And people think it's fighting,

but is it fighting, or...?

No, absolutely not. This is play.

After they do that lovely bow

that we see Doug doing,

is in play and the other dog

understands that.

It's not something that

we teach them.

It's something that

they learn from each other.

Doug needs to learn that

some dogs walking in the park

are arthritic and stiff

and in pain,

and don't want any of this.

By giving each other permission

to play,

they get to engage in the sort

of wrestling that, as predators,

their ancestors may well have used

as training for the hunt.

From puppyhood through to adulthood,

these subtle bits of communication

between dogs

help them navigate

the world around them.

So, they signal

with their whole body.

They signal with their facial

muscles, their eyes, their tails.

They signal with their ears.

In fact, their ears can reveal

a lot about how your dog is feeling.

For example, forward and pricked

means they're alert and confident.

Ears fully flattened means fearful.

And if their ears keep changing

position, it means they're unsure.

For Doug and Betty, time to take

the play fight up a notch.

Now we've put a rope

into the equation,

let's see how they get on

and how they play.

That's lovely.

Oh, Doug,

you've got a big weight advantage.

He has, but he's not using it.

Dogs actually do something that

we call self-handicapping,

and that is that bigger dogs

don't use all of their strength

because they want

the play to carry on.

Douglas could just pull that

out of Betty's mouth,

but he's enjoying the tug-of-war.

They're both wagging their tails.

Is that...?

Wagging tail... Wagging tail doesn't

necessarily mean a dog's happy.

You have to look at the rest

of its body language.

Tail wagging is actually

quite complex.

We know positive emotion activates

the left side of a dog's brain,

whilst negative emotion

activates the right.

One study has shown that when faced

with an unfamiliar dog,

their tail will wag more

to the left,

reflecting a right brain

or more negative response.

Whereas the positive sight

of their owner

will set a dog's tail wagging

more to the right.

These playful interactions help dogs

define social dynamics

without aggressively fighting.

They absolutely have a great

relationship with each other,

and we want to see, you know,

both of them having these kind of

interactions as often as possible.

And because it clearly serves

a purpose for them,

dogs, unlike most other animals,

continue to play in this way

well into adulthood.

In the Lake District,

our contenders are waking up

to a new day

and their big

communication challenge.

Good boy, Monty.

But one of our duos

will be sitting it out.

Come on, then.

Stand up for a second.

Monty has a small cut

following the Ghyll Scramble,

so Jake, on the vet's advice,

has decided to give him a break.

He's absolutely fine.

He just needs to rest up.

Hopefully we'll be back tomorrow.

The rest of the pairs

face one more challenge

on the theme of communication,

and another chance to get

vital points on the board.

After two challenges,

Badger and Bodger

and Ellie and Benny

are at the head of the pack.

I think a lot of people look at us

and think, "Oh, the stereotypical

blonde, the fluffy dog.

"They're not up for the challenge."

And we're more than up

for the challenge!

Bringing up the rear

are Daisy and Zuri

and Toni and Flapjack.

We will give it everything we can,

and so I feel that now

is his moment.

Second from bottom,

Colin and Mitch also have

a point to prove.

I am proper down in the dumps.

I'm a competitive person,

and the reason I'm here is

to be completing these tasks

and doing well.

Welcome, everyone,

to Grizedale Forest.

It's the perfect place for us

to introduce you

to our final challenge

on the theme of communication.

Take a look at this.

This challenge

is inspired by bikejor -

a sport which sees humans

cycling in harmony with their pets.

It's the ultimate test

of communication.

Amazing!

Oh!

Woo!

Amazing!

Dogs love to run.

Every single breed of dog that

we've got has evolved from the wolf,

a pursuit predator.

In this challenge,

our pairs will have to race

against the clock

on a 1km fast forest track

with their dogs leading the way.

The objective here is for you

to match the pace of your dog,

so if your dog is running fast,

you need to cycle fast.

If your dog slows up,

you must slow down.

No strain must be put

on the animal whatsoever.

What do you reckon, Mitch? Eh?

Are you going to do a bit of that?

It looked scary.

It looked proper scary.

Exciting, though.

'This kind of activity

must only ever be attempted

'with the proper coaching

and equipment

'and in a safe,

supervised environment.'

Make sure that the collars

are outside of the harness.

'Expert Cushla Lamen

will oversee training.

'If any of the pairs fail

to get the hang of it,

'she won't let them compete

on the course,

'and that will cost them

valuable points.'

Make sure that you try and keep

the lead as tight as possible.

You're working equally hard

as your dog.

We're trying to teach them

to work away from you.

Go on, then, Doug! Go on, then,

Doug! Good boy!

The first stage is to train the dogs

to run in front of their owners,

wearing a flexible harness.

Go, go, go!

It allows the pair to accelerate

and decelerate smoothly.

She is faster than me.

The owners on the bikes must then

match their dogs' changes in speed.

Sounds easy, but it's not.

Going forwards is fine.

It's the, "What if she stops?"

I'm just pretty worried.

Go, go! Go, go, go, Betty! Go, go!

Good girl!

Good girl! Oh!

Oh, my God!

Really exciting!

This challenge will test the pairs

on everything

they've learned so far.

To succeed, the dogs need to follow

their owners' instructions,

and the humans need

to carefully read

their dogs' body language

and set their pace accordingly.

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

Good boy.

Whoa, Dougie. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Good boy. Good boy.

Your voice praise was fantastic.

This is a great way

to exercise with your dog

whilst letting them set the pace -

something many dogs never get to do.

His tail is up,

his ears are right up,

his whole body posture is elongated.

That's how I can tell he's happy.

Pure ecstasy.

Pure ecstasy for him.

Go on! Go, go, go, go!

As current leaders of the yellows,

expectation is high

for Badger and Bodger,

but the novelty of running out in

front means nerves are kicking in.

She was a bit unsure at first.

She was like,

"I don't want to leave you.

"What are you doing on there?"

Get on, Mitch! Get on! Get on!

Despite Colin's determination

to claw back points,

for working dog Mitch, running ahead

goes against his training.

Two-and-a-half years of teaching him

to heel on penalty of death,

and all of a sudden on penalty

of death he's got to pull.

Exactly. And we're confusing them.

Come on, then!

Although they've started gaining

confidence in each other,

bottom placed in the yellows Daisy

and Zuri are struggling once again.

As soon as the elastic goes tight,

you can see her look round and

going, "Yeah, she's stopped."

Stay. Stay there. What's this?

What have I got? What have I got?

So too are current red group

leaders Ellie and Benny.

He's really nervous about anything.

I think this might be

the one where, like,

the rescue side lets him down

a little bit.

Training complete, and it's time

for Cushla to announce

who is ready to race and who will

have to watch from the sidelines.

We are going to have Bodger,

we're going to have Flapjack,

we're going to have Douglas

and we're going to have Betty.

They were pulling out in front.

They really got the idea

of working in a harness,

and that was what we wanted to do.

Zuri, Benny and Mitch

will all have to sit this one out.

I'm very, very disappointed,

because he's got the capability to

pull, it's just getting that link.

He needs to be in front,

he was at the side.

But you've trained him to be

behind you

when you're out working with him?

All the time.

So, I mean, this was a big ask...

Yeah, yeah.

..to swap over.

It's a complete different approach.

Go on!

But they can still pick up points

if they carry on practising,

and some are already showing signs

of improvement.

Good boy, Benny! Good boy, Benny!

I'm not sure that he was as worried

as Ellie thought he was going to be.

Good boy! He's getting it.

Look at him, he can't stop.

That was really, really good.

I'm really happy.

I'm really happy for him.

It is a race -

I'm going to time you -

but it's also all about

communication.

Absolutely. So remember - nice,

clear verbal cues to your dogs.

Work as a team,

get back safely and enjoy it.

So, the question is,

who's going to go first?

And the very simple answer

to that question is Andrew.

Oh, good luck.

Good luck.

Good luck, mate.

Good luck.

Are you ready?

Yeah.

Steady. Go.

Betty! Go, go, go, go!

Go, go, Betty! Good girl!

Go, Betty! Good girl. Good girl.

He got off well, didn't he?

'It's a race against the clock.

'The fastest will get

maximum points.'

Go, go, go! Good girl!

If the dog falls behind,

they'll have to spend valuable time

coaxing them back into action.

Andrew has three points

on the board.

This is his chance to get

into pole position.

Betty was pretty focused,

wasn't she?

Yes.

Andrew is uber-focused.

Come on, Betty!

But Betty's focus

seems to have slipped.

About to poo, are you, Boo?

Betty! Betty, are you ready?

Go, go! Good girl!

Betty! Right, Right, right!

Come on! Betty, right, right!

Right, right, right! Good girl!

Come on, Andrew!

Come on, Betty!

Here he comes.

And she's still out in front.

Come on! Go, go, Betty! Good girl!

Good girl, Boo.

Ah!

How was that?

It was good.

Slowed down a few times,

quite a distance for her.

She was out in front the whole time,

was she?

Yeah, yeah.

She did come alongside

when she needed a...

To powder her nose, shall we say?

Oh, really?

But, no, she was fine.

No, it's great.

Up next, Badger and Bodger.

They're currently top

of the yellow leaderboard,

but they'll have to fight hard

to hang on to that lead.

You ready?

I'm ready.

Steady.

I think Bodger's ready.

And go!

Go. Go on, Bodger! Go, go, go.

Go on.

Go, go! Go, go, go! Good girl.

Go, go, go. Good girl. Come on.

Bodger, go on.

They're off the starting line,

but Bodger's body language

clearly shows

she wants to check in with

her owner...

Hang on. That's it.

Go on.

..and it's causing

the pair problems.

Run, run, run! Go on! Go on!

Bodger, go. Go, go, go, go!

Nicely done.

And she handled that so well.

Waited for the dog to be ready.

Talk about communication,

that was lovely.

That was good.

That's what we're after.

You can do it. Up the hill.

Go on, go on!

But it is costing them

valuable time.

They'll need to pedal hard

to catch up with Andrew's pace.

Steady now. That's it.

This way, this way, this way.

And as they turn for home,

Bodger's checking in

with Badger once again.

Come on, Bodger.

Run, run. Run, run!

Come here. Because you're tangled.

Go on!

You've got it, go on!

Here they come.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Oh!

Hey, good girl.

Well,

everyone's very excited to see you.

It was... It was interesting!

We... Well, once we got through

the initial setting off

with her barking at me,

when she's in action,

she is absolutely fantastic.

I mean, we saw you go around

that first corner,

and by the time you got there,

she was way out in front

and she was doing brilliantly.

Well done.

Well done.

That's good.

Let's get you and her a drink.

Yeah.

You're ace, you are.

Next, Toni and Flapjack.

Look, he's drooling.

I have a real anxiety

he's going to look over his shoulder

as we leave, because there's tons

of packed lunches behind us!

They only have one point so far,

so this is their chance to fight

their way back up the leaderboard.

Go.

Go, go, go! Go, go, go!

Go, go, go!

Good boy! Go, go, go! Go on, Jackie,

off you go!

Go on, Jackie! Go, go, go!

Flapjack, Flapjack, Flapjack,

Flapjack! Go, go, go, go!

He's gone a bit off-piste there.

Good boy. Go, go, go!

Come on! Oh, my God.

I'm not as fit as you, friend.

Jackie. Jackie. This way!

This way. This way.

Toni keeps up a constant stream

of communication.

Here we go.

Go, go, go, go!

Oh, good girl!

Sausages, sausages!

Yay! And slow down.

Straight to the packed lunch!

Oh, my God, I'm so not fit enough

for my dog!

Got halfway along,

he was just cantering along.

I was like, "I'm not fit enough,

Jack. Just hang on, hang on!"

Well done, my boy. Good boy!

'Last to tackle the mountain course,

Doug and owner Josh.

'Now, after scoring just two points

in their first challenge,

'he's determined to use

what he's learned

'about reading Doug's body language

to tackle the course at pace.'

As long as I get the kind of wind

in his sails,

I'm sure he's going to be all right.

But I said that on the last

challenge,

and it didn't quite work out,

so...let's just fingers crossed.

OK, Josh, you ready?

I think so.

Steady. Go!

Go on, then, Doug!

Go, Doug! Go, go, go, go!

Dougie, go go, go, go! Go on, go on,

go on! Go, go, go, go! Good boy!

Go on, Doug, keep going. Keep going.

Keep going, Doug, keep going.

Keep going. Good boy.

See, here you've got a fast dog

and you've also got Josh,

who can actually cycle quite fast!

Let's go. Come on, Dougie.

Powerful dog, powerful cyclist.