‘Dogs Are Great’ without ‘Dog President’ Kang Hyung-wook has returned with a new ‘expert team’.
On the afternoon of the 1st, an online production presentation for KBS2's new entertainment program ‘Dogs Are Great’ (hereinafter ‘Dog Great’) was held, attended by Lee Kyung-kyu, Young-tak, veterinarian Kim Hyun-joo, trainers Lee Woong-jong, Kwon Hyuk-pil, Yang Eun-joo, and Choi Min-hyuk.
PD Lee Tae-heon stated, “Started in 2019, ‘Dog Great’ has gone through a break of one year and six months. We have tried many simulations, but ultimately, our goal was to surpass the ‘Dog Great’ we have done for the past five years, more than any other format.”
He continued, “While it is natural to solve the concerns of various pet dogs, this time we also considered more entertainment aspects. We aimed to establish a more competitive system,” and added, “I apologize to the trainers participating, but we have made it so that trainers can compete, allowing for diversification and various customized training.”
The program, which first aired in November 2019, has been at the forefront of improving mature pet culture by providing solutions to troubled dogs with trainer Kang Hyung-wook and Lee Kyung-kyu. It has established itself as a popular program, sweeping awards such as the KBS Entertainment Awards Hot Issue Entertainment Program Award in 2020, the Producer Special Award (Kang Hyung-wook) in 2021, the Best Entertainer Award (Jang Do-yeon) in the Show/Variety category, and the Entertainer of the Year Award (Lee Kyung-kyu) and Popularity Award (Jang Do-yeon) in 2022.
Lee Kyung-kyu said, “Since I am taking on the role of principal this time, I have become a bit more solemn. I have a dignified appearance,” and added, “I ask for a lot of viewership.”
He continued, “‘Dog Great Academy’ is our viewers’ school,” and encouraged active participation by saying, “If you discover any problems while raising your pet dog at home, you can immediately enroll in our school, and we will fix it neatly.”
He further explained, “The differentiation starts from the establishment of the puppy academy,” stating, “We have applied the school system with many homeroom teachers and a head of the academic affairs department. Therefore, whether you graduate or not is the most important. You may not be able to graduate.”
Additionally, he expressed confidence, saying, “Enrollment is very difficult. We only allow enrollment when there is a real problem. Once you enter our school, you will be well cared for with love and the spirit of service from the teachers,” and emphasized, “There is absolutely no violence or abuse in our school.”
In this revamped ‘Dog Great’, a troubled dog academy has been established, starting various 1:1 customized training with homeroom teachers who are trainers. Principal Lee Kyung-kyu, head of academic affairs Young-tak, health teacher veterinarian Kim Hyun-joo, legendary trainer Lee Woong-jong, MacGyver trainer Kwon Hyuk-pil, national representative trainer Yang Eun-soo, and desire trainer Choi Min-hyuk have come together.
Newly joined trainer Lee Woong-jong declared, “I will return to the past and reveal clearer and more certain training methods.”
This trainer shared, “There are various training methods. I thought it was a really good show to see how they delicately care for the difficult parts in ‘Dog Great’,” and confessed, “When I received the request to appear on the program, I thought, ‘Really? Is it okay for a trainer who has passed his prime?’ but they praised me saying, ‘No, it’s not true.’ So I decided to do it.”
Trainer Kwon Hyuk-pil stated, “I think I have a long way to go compared to the original Lee Woong-jong, but I have experience compared to trendy trainers. I will play the role of a mediator,” while agility trainer Yang Eun-soo said, “I have 10 years of behavior correction and 10 years of agility training,” and added, “Agility is also a collection of rules. I will train with rules with the dog and combine that with behavior correction know-how to strive for a happy life with pet dogs.”
Choi Min-hyuk will showcase ‘trendy’ training methods. He emphasized, “I specialize in home visit behavior correction. Although I am with my seniors, I may have insufficient skills. I will show a young training method.”
Veterinarian Kim Hyun-joo stated, “I have done various things in the education field for about 10 years. Here, I want to explore whether the problematic behavior of pets is solely a behavioral issue or if it is due to physical or mental pain from various angles.”
Singer Young-tak has also joined as a new MC. Lee Kyung-kyu remarked, “I tried it for the first time this time, and he does very well. What I like the most is that he notices when I feel a bit uncomfortable,” and added, “Today, when I said it was cold, he asked, ‘Shall I bring you a blanket?’ and brought me a blanket.”
When asked if Young-tak has joined the ‘Kyoo Line’, he replied, “Of course.” He added, “Currently, there is only Lee Yoon-seok left in the Kyoo Line. Now that Young-tak is coming in, there will be two of us, and I plan to do my best at the ‘Dog Great’ academy with Young-tak.”
The first broadcast is scheduled for the evening of the 9th.
