Inside a secret location in midtown Manhattan, a pug-Pekingese mix named Bowser shakes his head and launches into a trot across a mini football field that's outfitted with water bowls and a tsunami of squeak toys. The 14-week-old pup sniffs the air as the movie camera zooms in for a close-up. Off camera, a bag crinkles. Bowser pauses - his eyes sparkling, his nose quivering. He seems to wonder, "Hey, who has the corn chips?"
Bowser dashes to the corner where the trainer holding the bag rewards him with a salty treat. She lifts the pup off the field and passes him to a handler, who delivers him to a holding area where more than 80 yipping, yapping or napping puppies wait. These star athletes are on break during filming of the paw-pounding, fur-flying sporting event known as the Puppy Bowl.
For the 11th year, Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl showcases the athletic talents of adorable puppies, including teacup-size Chihuahuas, Labrador retriever mixes and a multi-touchdown-scoring clumber spaniel. The event, which airs Sunday to coincide with the NFL's Super Bowl, includes football-playing rescue pups from 37 shelters in 20 states.
A New York actor named Dan Schachner serves as the referee.
"My job out there is to keep order," he says. He calls tackles, touchdowns and penalties such as illegal napping, illegal "FUR-mation" and illegal bathing. Last year he threw a flag on a puppy for "terrorising the ref."
