Laura London knows fans of her new TV show “Rescue Dog to Super Dog” are going to stop her on the street and ask questions about training their own pups. And she’s totally cool with that.
“I don’t mind. Honestly, I really don’t mind,” she told TheWrap. “My purpose in training dogs is to save lives. I want every dog that has a home to stay in that home … and die of old age, surrounded by the people who have loved it.”
“I’m here to help whoever needs the help, and I’ll talk to anybody,” she added.
London says her Animal Planet series should stand out from others in the genre because she and Nate Schoemer are exclusively training rescue dogs to become working companions for people with disabilities.
“Rescue Dog to Super Dog” is more about the relationship with a pooch’s new owner, she said, who is there from the start — another distinction. On the show, viewers will see what London called “really awesome service-related tricks,” such as one that fetches a laundry basket.
Teach that canine to fold and we’re in.
Here’s the full freshman series description, per Animal Planet:
In each episode, dog trainers Schoemer and London meet a potential owner in need of a companion dog to help them in their daily lives. Nate and Laura then head to a shelter in search of dogs with the right attitude and aptitude to provide the specific service for the disability. Then the real work begins. The trainers work with each canine to ready them for their new role and give them time to bond with their new owners at home. The basic training for the dog begins with techniques specifically geared to each person’s disability and for the human, they must master obedience commands. The dog’s training ranges from opening and closing doors to turning on lights to applying the necessary pressure during panic attacks to assisting with walking. After two weeks, the dog is placed back into their new home in their new role and Nate and Laura work hand-in-paw to fine tune the relationship and training of the dogs and person they serve.
Awful pun aside, all of that is “really similar” to what London does on a daily basis, she said in our conversation, though her day job also includes training dogs for more typical situations. Oh, there’s one other key difference.
“I probably wear less makeup when I do it normally, and I probably don’t dress as cute — but it’s what I do,” London said.
“Rescue Dog to Super Dog” premieres , Aug. 12 at 10/9c.