It’s like ‘American Ninja Warrior’ for dogs. Could a K-9 from NC be crowned ‘Top Dog’?
He’s a copper-colored herding hound from North Carolina with a nose for criminals — and he’s coming to a television set near you.
Bonito the Belgian Malinois, a K-9 officer with the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina, is one of 50 dogs competing on A&E’s new show “America’s Top Dog,” the sheriff’s office announced Thursday.
The episode will air Jan. 15.
‘Top Dog” is something akin to NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” save one notable difference: it’s designed for four-legged creatures.
The show pits five dogs and their handlers — four police K-9 teams and one “civilian” team — against each other in an hour-long episode. It runs for 10 weeks starting Jan. 8 at 9 p.m. EST, network spokesperson Ellen Wray told McClatchy News.
Bonito and his handler, Sgt. D. Jauernik, are one of those pairings.
Bonito is one of five police dogs in the Onslow County K-9 Unit as of 2018, according to the sheriff’s office. He is dual-certified through the International Police Working Dog Association — meaning he can do both narcotic and patrol work.
His daily duties include “tracking, finding narcotics, searching for evidence, apprehending suspects and providing officer protection,” the sheriff’s office said.
He even has his own Instagram account.
Bonito’s breed is one of the most common for police work.
Belgian Malinois — not to be confused with a German Shepherd — are part of the herding group and are known for being eager to please, according to the American Kennel Club.
“The smart, confident, and versatile Belgian Malinois is a world-class worker who forges an unbreakable bond with his human partner,” the AKC says of the breed. “To deny a Mal activity and the pleasure of your company is to deprive him of his very reasons for being.”
They also “excel at agility, tracking, herding, obedience and Schutzhund (protection) competitions” — making Bonito well-suited for “America’s Top Dog.”
The competition specifically tests pups on their “speed, agility, and teamwork” involving “expert tasks on a massive obstacle course,”the network said in a news release. Those tasks include navigating a maze with different scents and taking down a suspect in a bite suit.
Some of the police K-9 teams are from the series “Live PD,” according to A&E.
Weekly winners will receive $10,000 and an extra $5,000 donated to the animal charity of their choice, according to A&E. The top competitors will then return to compete for $25,000 during the season finale.
Curt Menfee, who appears on Fox NFL Sunday, will host alongside former U.S. Marine and animal trainer Nick White. They’re joined by Jamie Little, a NASCAR reporter who also covered the 2019 Westminster Kennel Club Show.
