America’s Top Dog will showcase police dogs in a new competition TV series.
A&E will have a new competition show coming this fall called America’s Top Dog, which will feature teams of police dogs and their handlers as their seek to conquer an obstacle course each week and win $10,000.
Additionally, each winning team will receive $5,000 for a charity of their choice.
Four teams of K9 units, some from the A&E series Live PD, and one team of civilian dogs will compete in each three-round competition, with the winners advancing to face each other with $25,000 on the line.
From the premise, it sounds very similar to a canine version of American Ninja Warrior, which we are very excited for. Most breeds will probably be German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
The teams will be tested on the speed, agility and teamwork, with some of the challenges and obstacles faced including a maze and apprehending a suspect (who will be wearing a bite suit for safety).
The show will be hosted by Fox Sports broadcaster Curt Menefee, who was worked on NFL highlight shows Fox NFL Sunday and The OT since 2006, and Nick White, a former Marine and Secret Service agent. This blend seems like it will work well, with Menefee likely doing play-by-play and White providing insider info on training methods for viewers at home who might be curious about the differences between police dogs and civilian dogs.
The sideline reporter will be Jamie Little, who has worked in broadcasting for ESPN and Fox since 1998, specializing in motorsports and extreme sports coverage, including pit reporting for IndyCar and NASCAR.
In addition to her familiarity with the fast lane, Little is also an animal advocate and dog lover, with experience in covering the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, so she sounds like an amazing fit for the role.
America’s Top Dog will premiere on A&E sometime this winter, which is part of the Discovery Channel network, which also includes Animal Planet, HGTV, the History, and the Food Network.
For more information about police dogs and military dogs, see our interview with trainer Jeff Franklin and our review of a memoir about him.