With almost 8 million domestic dogs in Canada, a third of Canadian households are home to canine companions. A Dog’s Life dives deep into the history of breeds, how our relationship with dogs has evolved, and some of the unique things dogs do. Viewers are guaranteed to be surprised and heart warmed as people talk about how dogs change their lives, and puppies abound. This series aired in 2023 and 2024 and has been replaced by Creatures.
Produced with the support of:
Whalesong Studios
Andrew Younger
Andrew Younger & Kevin Gerrior
Andrew Younger
In 1995 the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever became Nova Scotia’s official dog. But it didn’t always have that name. Near Yarmouth one of the original breeders of the dog sees his legacy continue through his daughter, where new puppies have just been born.
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are an increasingly popular breed. As A Dog’s Life continues its journey learning about Nova Scotia’s connection to the breed, we find out about everything from postage stamps to beer.
As the popularity of the breed grows, Nova Scotia’s dog is now found all over the United States. In rural Texas a woman who visited Nova Scotia to learn about the breed ended up running a rescue that serves all of the United States.
On Nova Scotia’s south shore, Duck Tolling Retriever owners from all over the world are gathering to celebrate the breed. Tollermania was the idea of one man who lost his own dog, and that idea grew. And grew. And grew.
What makes a breed? When is a dog a purebred and when is it not? The answers and how those decisions are made may surprise you. Find out how a breed becomes a breed and why some purebred associations don’t always want to be recognized as officially purebred.
The concept of registering purebred dogs doesn’t go back that far, only a couple hundred years. But breeding dogs goes back much much further. The evolution of breeds is captured in art over the centuries housed at the Museum of the Dog.
Halifax plays host to one of a small number of elite Canadian urban search and rescue teams. They can respond to incidents anywhere in North America. And those teams include a canine component. A highly trained dog who you will want on your side in a disaster.
Border Collies are the classic herding breed. But what do working dog enthusiasts look for in a strong Border Collie? The Border Collie is only the right dog for certain people. At one home, the entire landscape has been turned into a playground for the breed.
Sheep herding is a practical, and the most well known, activity for Border Collies. But not everyone has a sheep farm. Join A Dogs Life has we head to a farm with training sheep and find out how people can train their dogs to herd, even when they don’t have a farm of their own.
What would happen if you could take the skills of a Border Collie and transfer that to another use. Golf courses, which haven’t always welcomed dogs, are now welcoming specially trained dogs to rid the greens of a huge problem – Canada Geese.
You’ve heard about the breeds this season, but have you ever considered what it actually takes for a breeder to ensure healthy puppies? A Dog’s Life gives viewers a rare opportunity to see and understand the birth of poodle puppies.
Once a puppy is born its time to train. But training should probably start much earlier than you would imagine. Breeders and a professional dog trainer talk about what it takes to train dogs, when it should start, and what the keys for success are.
A Dog’s Life ends season 1 with an exclusive invitation to a growing, and surprising, sport. Ratting. What started as a job for dogs, clearing rats from farms, has turned into a sport. A sport where the rats are pets and play a bit of hide and seek with dogs of all breeds.