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Chris Packham hosts as owners and their dogs compete. This episode's challenges are all designed to test the owners' ability to immerse themselves in their dog's world.

This physical and mental competition plays out in the Lake District where eight owners and their dogs compete together in a series of challenges - all in a bid to make it to the grand final. Only one pair can win but experts are on hand to help them all unlock the full potential of their partnerships. Chris Packham hosts and unveils the science behind the incredible bond between human and dog.

Owners hail from all over the UK and the canine competitors come in all shapes and sizes, from an energetic border terrier called Betty to a stoic labrador named Flapjack. This episode's challenges are all designed to test the owners' ability to immerse themselves in their dog's world.

The eight pairs are split into two groups, the reds and the yellows, and it's the yellows who have the first chance to score points in scent-based orienteering. Owners must use their navigation skills, allowing their dogs to sniff out buried cheese. For Josh, it's a great opportunity to see what labrador springer cross Doug is capable of, but there's no cheese for one dog when its owner gets thoroughly lost. The reds take on a woodland obstacle course where owners test the theory that dogs can learn just by looking.

The final challenge is an open water swim, and one pair blows the rest of the competition out the water. There are tears for others when they realise just how much their dogs mean to them.

Final scores reveal that while some are contenders for the final, others have too few points to stay in the contest.

58 minutes

Music Played

Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes

  • 00:01

    Nathaniel Rateliff

    S.O.B.

  • 00:03

    Mike Posner

    Jade

  • 00:03

    Izzy Bizu

    Adam & Eve

  • 00:03

    Kongos

    I Don't Mind

  • 00:04

    Bastille

    Good Grief

  • 00:05

    Izzy Bizu

    Adam & Eve

  • 00:05

    Rizzle Kicks

    Happy That You're Here

  • 00:05

    Jagwar Ma

    Batter Up

  • 00:08

    Formation

    Young Ones

  • 00:09

    Youth Lagoon

    Daydream

  • 00:12

    Clean Cut Kid

    Pick Me Up

  • 00:14

    Clean Cut Kid

    Pick Me Up

  • 00:15

    KT Tunstall

    Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

  • 00:16

    CHVRCHES

    Empty Threat

  • 00:17

    CHVRCHES

    Empty Threat

  • 00:20

    Beth Orton

    Shopping Trolley

  • 00:20

    I Am Kloot

    Fingerprints

  • 00:21

    I Am Kloot

    Fingerprints

  • 00:21

    Kwabs

    Wrong Or Right

  • 00:22

    Kwabs

    Wrong Or Right

  • 00:24

    Bastille

    Blame

  • 00:26

    Clean Cut Kid

    Vitamin C

  • 00:26

    Tiggs da Author

    Run (feat. Lady Leshurr)

  • 00:31

    Seinabo Sey

    Hard Time

  • 00:31

    Seinabo Sey

    Hard Time

  • 00:33

    Eugene McGuinness

    I Drink Your Milkshake

  • 00:33

    Seinabo Sey

    Hard Time

  • 00:35

    The Lumineers

    Classy Girls

  • 00:37

    Kygo

    Not Alone

  • 00:38

    Passenger

    Everything

  • 00:38

    Foals

    My Number

  • 00:39

    Skye and Ross

    Light of Gold

  • 00:40

    Foals

    My Number

  • 00:41

    JosΓ© GonzΓ΅lez

    Cycling Trivialities

  • 00:42

    Kimberly Anne

    Liar

  • 00:44

    Alice Jemima

    Liquorice (Radio 1's Big Weekend 2016)

  • 00:44

    Grimes

    Easily

  • 00:44

    Ed Sheeran

    Bloodstream

  • 00:46

    Ed Sheeran & Rudimental

    Bloodstream

  • 00:47

    Tiggs da Author

    Georgia

  • 00:47

    Feeder

    Eskimo

  • 00:50

    Midlake

    Chasing After Deer

  • 00:51

    Jungle

    Busy Earnin'

  • 00:53

    James Vincent McMorrow

    Cavalier

  • 00:52

    Mystery Jets

    On My Feet

  • 00:54

    Lykke Li

    Heart Of Steel

  • 00:54

    James Arthur

    Can I Be Him

  • 00:56

    James Arthur

    Can I Be Him

  • 00:57

    Sia

    Alive

  • 00:59

    Lissie

    Together Or Apart

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Chris Packham
Dog Trainer and Behaviourist Sian Ryan
Consultant Emily Blackwell
Participant Andrew Paterson
Participant Antonia Pugh-Thomas
Participant Colin Edwards
Participant Daisy Cheng
Participant Ellie Sheedy
Participant Jake Binnington
Participant Jennie Routley
Participant Joshua Rice
Executive Producer Cate Hall
Series Producer Jeremy Daldry
Director Barny Revill
Production Company Wall to Wall Media
Production Company Ten66 Television

Broadcasts

Competitors

Meet the four-legged contestants and their humans competing in this ultimate contest.