Dogs truly are a man’s best friend. They are the only sentient being that actually seems to love people unconditionally. Those who currently own dogs know that life is never the same after getting a family pet, almost forgetting what life was even like beforehand and struggling to imagine what it will be like once they have passed on. No one recognizes this more than the staff over at Wood Green animal charity. Based in England in an area known as Cambridgeshire, Wood Green is the charity of which the Channel 4 television series The Dog House is based on.
The Dog House could be best described as a mix between being a docuseries and a reality TV show. The people are real, as are the dogs, and the staff are not actors.
The Dog House could be best described as a mix between being a docuseries and a reality TV show. The people are real, as are the dogs, and the staff are not actors. Simply put, The Dog House observes Wood Green and their team as they match the dogs with potential owners. As human beings have individual personality traits, so do dogs. This being the case, the team tries their best to pair the dogs with owners who are best suited to tolerate them. The entire process is an amusing one, taking place in an otherwise heartfelt and authentically structured format.
If this show were any simpler than it already is, it may not even be worth the time it takes to recommend it. As it features real situations with potential pet owners and real dogs, every moment that is captured happened in real time. Dog lovers are going to gush over the entire thing, and even the average person lacking in pet ownership may shed a tear here or there too. The way the show is produced is nothing special, but this is only in regards to how it’s shot and edited. There’s no need to do anything over the top because the concept of The Dog House is so straight forward that almost any charity could probably do something similar if a production company took enough interest. The experience viewers will have with The Dog House is all designed to be real, and reality is not always cheerful. As explained by Wood Green, every dog they have on hand is due to previous owners not being able to care for them anymore or because they were abandoned. Being that this already sad and unfortunate, the stage is already set for each episode, making each animal’s situation almost always the same: they need a home.
This series obviously draws in a specific market of viewers, mainly pet owners or people who presently wish they were pet owners. It’s still worth noting that anyone with a preference for happy endings or uplifting experiences may find joy in watching The Dog House. Not everyone has a desire to be a dog owner, or a pet owner of any kind, but The Dog House does enough to provide viewers a touching escape from everyday life. Channel 4 currently features The Dog House, as does HBO Max, with new episodes on the way.
