Channel A

Kang Hyung-wook identified the owner as the wolf who wrecked ‘Dogtopia’.

In episode 5 of Channel A companion-dog rehabilitation reality ‘Time of Dog and Wolf 2’, aired on the 4th, the daily life of the Daegu ‘Dogtopia family’ was unveiled. Dogtopia, a 398-pyeong space where four large dogs—a Standard Poodle, a Dalmatian, a Labrador Retriever, and a Doberman—live together. The order of this place, which looked like heaven, was quietly crumbling beneath a hierarchy.

The owner repeatedly said, “Selfish,” to the poodle that readily nipped at the owner. Adding, “It feels like it will never be my dog,” the poodle was treated as if already distant. The owner asserted that over 4 years and 2 months, “The number of times I have been bitten by the poodle exceeds 50,” and was convinced the poodle was a wolf.

By contrast, a different standard was applied to the aggression and threatening behavior of the Dalmatian. The Dalmatian that best followed the owner and stayed close was accepted as a ‘loyal dog,’ and that behavior was naturally given legitimacy. In that process, the poodle was repeatedly attacked by the Dalmatian, and red stains from injuries remained all over the body.

Kang Hyung-wook did not miss this point. What the owner wanted was not a coexisting companion dog but a being that obeys a hierarchy created by the owner. When loyalty to the owner became the yardstick that separated dogs from wolves, the behavior of the Dalmatian was tolerated, while the responses of the poodle were branded as problems. The ‘wolf’ Kang identified was not a dog. It was the owner who had designed and maintained this relationship.

The owner said, “There are bad dogs in the world,” and concluded that the poodle had unfixable problem behaviors. But once the in-home solution began, the scene flowed in a completely different direction. With the poodle separated from the other dogs so that only the poodle and the owner remained, when the owner called the name in a steady tone instead of scolding and commands, the poodle approached without hesitation. Even when the owner simply extended a hand, the poodle stayed quietly at the side.

The poodle wanted to connect with the owner more than anyone. Having had to endure competition and defense, the poodle responded immediately when even the tone of the voice from the owner changed. The poodle feared the owner yet liked the owner, and cautiously closed the distance as if waiting for a moment without scolding. In Neverland, where there was only hierarchy and no rules, the poodle was not a wolf but the most anxious dog.

As the owner changed attitude, transformation appeared quickly. The poodle began to let go of needless tension, and the nipping directed at the owner disappeared. The Dalmatian also calmed down under immediate control. Once the Doberman had its own spot indoors, even coprophagia showed a possibility of gradual change.

The space and the dogs were the same, but what changed was the rules. When rules operated instead of hierarchy, the direction of the relationships changed completely, and only then did Neverland regain peace and begin to become a place worthy of its name.

‘Time of Dog and Wolf 2’ is a program that looks beyond simple behavior correction to examine deeply the attitude and environment of the owner, the fundamental causes of problem behaviors. It provides a three-step solution: initial feedback in the studio, close care within daily life, and continuation into the owner’s actual residence.

The Channel A program ‘Time of Dog and Wolf 2’, featuring Kim Sung-joo, Kang Hyung-wook, and special MC Hwang Bo-ra, airs every Wednesday at 10 p.m.