-Hey! [giggling] -[barking]
That tickles. [chuckles] Hi.
[giggling]
Okay!
Thanks for letting Charles play with the shelter puppies.
The more human interaction they get, the happier we are.
[chuckles] You mean, the happier they are.
Eh, it goes both ways.
[chuckles] All right.
-Come on, Charles. We need to go. -[sighs] Okay.
[Carole] They like you. [chuckles]
[laughs] That was so fun.
-[dogs whining] -Don't worry. I'll come back next weekend.
Hopefully they'll have found forever homes by then.
Our puppies get adopted pretty quickly, 'cause, you know, maximum cuteness.
[both chuckle]
But dogs like sweet Molly here…
-[gasps] -[barks softly]
Oh, yeah. [exclaims]
They have a harder time.
-[whines] -Hi. Yeah. Oh.
-This one loves hugs. -[Lizzie laughs]
-But I think I love them more. -[chuckles]
-How long has she been here? -Aw.
Too long. [sighs]
How come no one's adopted her?
Rottweilers are naturally big and strong,
so they've gotten an unfair reputation for being mean.
Are they ever mean?
Rottweilers are like any other breed.
Treat them with love and respect, and they will do the same.
[clicks tongue] Oh, poor thing.
Don't worry, Molly.
Now that I'm volunteering here,
you're gonna have a lot of extra attention.
I think she needs more than just attention.
She needs…
A vacation?
Please? She's been at the shelter for so long.
[Betsy sighs]
Our official response is, "Of course."
Good, 'cause I already told her she could, and she licked my face.
[both laugh]
[barks]
Aw, looks like she found her bed.
Or, since she's on vacation, she can sleep wherever she wants.
-Maybe even up in my roo-- -Uh-uh.
-Okay, mudroom it is. [chuckles] -Uh-huh.
[barks]
It'll be like when we're at Grandma's house.
We're gonna spoil you.
Your mom and I will pick up a bag of food and extra-large treats this afternoon.
And, of course, a new toy.
Maybe some red licorice while you're at it?
Caretakers need love too.
-[Paul chuckles] -Okay.
[chuckles]
She's so big.
Big and sweet.
Yeah. I think she likes it here.
Hey, Charles. Can I get back my--
What's the matter, Remy?
Shh. I don't want it to notice me.
[scoffs] It's a she. And she's super friendly.
I think you mean super scary.
Rottweilers have a bite force stronger than a leopard.
Or was it a lion? Either way, it's very strong.
[sighs] Rotties aren't mean by nature, Remy.
-No dogs are. That's a misconception. -We're gonna have to agree to disagree.
Anyway, can I get back my copy of Majestic Dog Warrior?
Uh, sure. It's right over there.
Can you get it for me?
I-It's right over there.
I know, but I'm right here, and she's right there.
[panting, whimpers]
[Charles sighs]
You're overreacting, Remy.
Question, Charles.
Who is the meanest villain in the Majestic Dog Warrior universe?
Uh, Crouchingpaw Powershuki.
Correct. And what type of a dog is he?
A Rottweiler.
There's gotta be a good reason for that. Think about it.
He didn't even try to meet her.
I hope he didn't hurt your feelings, Molly. Here you go.
-[growling] -Whoa!
What's wrong?
-Um, nothing. -[growls]
[dogs barking]
-[sighs] -Hey, Meryl.
-Do you need some help with that? -Nope.
I tied three leashes together so I can walk three dogs at the same time.
Not to mention it complements any and all fur colors.
[chuckles] Well, your braid work is beautiful…
but we actually have a coupler for that.
You see, you just attach these to your main line,
and then you can safely walk as many dogs as you need.
Okay. Thanks.
[Cole] Hold still! That's a great shot.
[Anjum] Can you hurry up? My arms are getting tired.
-Whoa! -[stammers] I gotcha.
Thanks, Lizzie.
We're feeding the dogs in back. I wanted to save a trip.
But you could always use a cart.
Texturally, that doesn't have as much impact,
but it's definitely a better idea.
Thanks.
Thank you for helping out with the new volunteers.
-You really are a natural leader. -[chuckles]
I love being here, so whatever I can do.
[gasps] Oh! How's Miss Molly enjoying her vacation at chez Peterson?
She's loving it. But you were right about people being afraid of Rottweilers.
Charles's friend came over and completely freaked out.
Sadly, some of the most wonderful, loving dogs get overlooked for adoption.
Which is why I have a special project for you.
Come on!
[dogs panting, whining]
We call them "the Underdogs."
They're the ones who have the hardest time getting adopted.
Why?
Usually, they have some characteristic or special issue that requires extra care,
but sometimes it's just because of the way they look.
That's not cool.
Now, Cupcake is missing an eye,
but that doesn't stop her from being a great cuddler.
And little Bruno here just turned 18.
Whoa!
His legs don't work the way they used to, but his heart is as big as ever.
-[clicks tongue] Aw. -And let's not forget Sadie Lady.
[sniffs]
What a unique-looking dog.
Kinda reminds me of a space creature.
But she is the smartest dog I have ever known.
What I wouldn't give for brains over beauty.
[others chuckle]
I wish people could see how amazing these dogs are.
Well, I bet if you all put your heads together,
you can come up with a way to help them.
Lizzie, I'm gonna put you in charge of getting the job done.
[chuckles] Actually, I might have a kernel of an idea.
A testimonial-yearbook-visual-aid kinda thing
to show who these dogs really are.
There you go, Lizzie! Already off to a great start.
Let's meet here tomorrow to brainstorm. This is gonna be great.
And, of course, Lizzie's in charge.
[Meryl] She does know everything about everything.
[scoffs] Right?
-[sighs] Hey, Cupcake. -[whines]
-Molly, look what we got you! -[toy squeaks]
-[barks] -Whoa!
-Oh, you wanna play tug-of-- Whoa! -[growling]
-Whoa, you are strong. -[fabric tears]
[growling continues]
[breathes heavily] It's all yours.
-[barks] -[exhales sharply]
-[door closes] -[whines]
Hi, Molly. Come here.
[chuckles] Hi.
[chuckling] Oh! I missed you too.
Oh! Hey, Charles. Come here. I need your advice.
[Molly whines]
Why are you just standing there?
Oh, I-I'm m-making toast, and I wanna keep an eye on it.
[whines]
Right.
So… [sighs] …I'm doing this project for Caring Paws
to help out the… [whispering] …hard-to-adopt dogs.
Uh, y-yeah, that's a great idea.
-Thing is… -[barks]
…I've been put in charge.
And some of the kids think I'm a bit of a know-it-all.
-So, do you think I should… -[growling]
Charles?
Hello? Charles?
Earth to Charles?
[growls, roars]
[Lizzie] Charles? Hello?
-Were you even listening to me? -Y-Yes!
So, what should I do?
Um, my-- My toast is ready.
[chuckles]
[sighs] He definitely wasn't listening.
But you heard me, right?
-[whines] -[chuckles] I knew you did.
And I appreciate it.
Maybe that's it.
-I should be a better listener, like you. -[barks]
I love you.
Okay, so our goal is to figure out a way
to highlight the Underdogs' positive personality traits,
minimize their negative reputations, and get them adopted faster.
-So, what do you want us to do? -That test cookbook thing?
Testimonial yearbook. But that was just one idea.
I wanna listen to what you all have to say.
You're not just gonna tell us what to do?
No. I wanna hear your ideas.
And remember, there are no bad ones.
[chuckles] You don't have to raise your hand, Meryl.
What about a multimedia presentation showcasing the dogs by fur type?
Like white to beige to taupe to brown to…
[stammers] …a different brown.
-That's interesting. -[gasps] I have an idea.
-Great. -We do a photo shoot!
We take the dogs to cool places like a grocery store.
-A dog pushing a shopping cart. -[whines]
[Cole] I mean, come on, people.
Training dogs to do tricks like that can be very difficult.
But, again, no bad ideas.
-I know how to get people in the door. -That's exactly what we need.
Those inflatable dancing tube men, like at the car wash.
[whines]
You can't drive past one without saying, "Hey, it's one of those inflatable men!"
I always say that.
Awesome.
[whimpers]
Hope I can type that fast when I'm your age.
[sighs] I'm trying to do a million things at once.
Rent five inflatable tube men,
get dog crates that complement different colors of fur,
and contact a grocery store so I could have a doggy photo shoot.
If you need any help, you let me know.
Thanks, but I got it under control.
Charles, Molly's doing her antsy dance. Did you take her for a walk?
[stammers] I-- I was going to, but I c-- I couldn't find a leash.
Did you check the leash rack?
Oh. Right.
-[growling, barking] -[Charles] Uh…
-[Betsy sighs] -[growling continues]
Honey, I don't think she can wait much longer.
-[barking softly] -Uh…
-Uh-- [sighs] I can take her. -[exhales deeply]
I need to clear my head anyway.
We're having spaghetti tonight.
I could really use an extra set of hands for the meatballs.
[sighs] Great!
Mind if I come along?
-Could use the exercise. -Sure.
Dad, I know you don't need the exercise.
-You ran six miles this morning. -[chuckles]
Is there something you wanna talk about?
It looks like you have a lot going on with the Caring Paws project.
Just wanna make sure you're okay.
[sighs] Honestly, I'm so overwhelmed with everything.
I'm trying to use everyone's ideas, but it's just turning into a big mess.
This is like the time you were captain of the soccer team, remember?
You had five sweepers and no midfield.
-I just wanted everyone to be happy. -[laughs]
But it was a terrible season.
Hey, being a leader is tough.
When we have a problem at the firehouse,
everybody has their own idea of how to handle it.
But in the end, Captain Carter has to put her foot down and make a decision.
Do people ever get annoyed with her?
No, because here's what she does so well.
Captain always looks for the value in our ideas.
That makes us feel valued, so we trust her.
[Molly barks, pants]
-[Paul chuckles] -Uh, she's friendly!
[whines]
Come on.
Thanks for helping.
No problem.
-[groans] -[both laugh]
Why don't you make a big one for Molly?
Uh, okay. You can give it to her.
How's she doing? Having a good vacation?
I think so.
I noticed you didn't wanna walk her earlier.
Yeah, I didn't feel like it.
Sure. I get that.
It's good that Molly's out for a walk,
'cause Remy's coming over, and he's scared of her.
Really? How about you?
I-- I guess I'm a little scared too.
And I feel bad, 'cause I don't even wanna be around her.
And that's the whole reason she's here with us.
Did something happen?
No.
[stammers] Not-- Not really.
Charles?
Did she growl or show aggressive behavior?
No. She was just chewing on her bone.
But she has really big teeth.
She certainly does.
And she ripped up a toy.
I mean, really shredded it.
But now that I think about it, I've seen a lot of other dogs do the same thing.
It's-- She's just bigger, that's all.
Well, you feel this way about Molly for a reason.
-So, we'll figure it out together. -[door opens]
-Mmm, that sauce smells good. -Thanks. How was the walk?
-Um, where's Molly? -In the backyard.
Oh.
[panting]
-[Charles] Oh, no! -What? What?
Molly has something in her mouth!
I-I think it's an animal.
-Oh. [exhales sharply] -What?
[meows]
It's a kitten.
-M-Molly, drop it! -[Paul chuckles]
Dad!
-It's okay. Come look. -[kittens meowing]
-Kittens? -[Paul chuckles]
She's just protecting them.
-Aw. -I wonder where their mom is.
[Molly whines]
-We should get them some food. -And some blankets.
I was wrong about Molly.
Yeah, but I'm proud of you for talking to me about it.
I'm really sorry I was afraid of you, Molly.
For even one second.
Hey, Charles. I just got the new issue--
Oh.
She's still here.
It's okay, Remy. Molly's not gonna bother you.
She's too busy taking care of kittens.
I've never seen a dog be so gentle with kittens before.
-She's a real sweetheart. -And a hero.
-She deserves that giant meatball! -I'll go get it.
-As long as I get to give it to her. -You got it.
And I thought all Rottweilers were mean.
-I was misled. -We both were.
I blame the otherwise genius minds behind Majestic Dog Warrior.
So, does that mean you're finally ready to say hi to her?
[Molly whines]
Let her sniff your hand.
-[chuckles] -I think she likes you.
Wow, her fur is so soft.
[chuckles]
The whole point is to do something different and exciting.
Your way doesn't make a lot of sense.
-[bickering continues] -[whines]
I know, Molly. You don't wanna be here anymore.
But it won't be for much longer. I promise.
[Anjum] It's the only thing that can catch people's eye.
I dunno about inflatable men. We're trying to get people to adopt dogs,
not announcing the opening of a doughnut shop.
Well, good luck getting 15 dogs in a supermarket without service vests.
Do you think we should line up the dogs light to dark or dark to light?
I honestly don't think arranging dogs by fur type matters.
[scoffs] Maybe not to you, but to me, it's very, very--
Okay! Everybody, listen up.
-Thanks for showing up early-- -This whole thing is falling apart.
No one likes anyone else's ideas.
First, everyone's ideas are good. And we're using them all.
They're not good, Lizzie. Let's be honest.
I'm not saying they're perfect,
but I see something great in each one of them.
[sighs]
Anjum, we're gonna use your inflatable men. Kind of.
Cole, we're gonna need your biggest ideas and your camera.
And, Meryl, your energy and creative eye are the last piece of the puzzle.
Don't worry, Molly. We got this.
These are perfect.
I put a lot of thought into the color palette.
Up the inflatables order from 10 to 15.
Make sure they really pop. Not literally.
-They'll be here in an hour. -Excellent. Show us what you got, Cole.
Just because Cupcake has one eye
doesn't mean she can't do everything other dogs can.
Great. We'll highlight her resilience and sense of adventure.
Exactly. And show her cuddly side.
[chuckles]
[Lizzie] Aw. Hey, little guy.
Bruno may be ancient,
but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot of love to give.
Ancient. Like ancient Greece.
-I have an idea for that. -[Lizzie] Can't wait to hear it.
What about Sadie?
[Lizzie chuckles]
I guess we'll just have to own that smile.
Let's do this.
["Win Win" playing]
Stay. Sit.
[both] Stay. Sit.
[Lizzie] Come on, please.
[both] Come on, Cupcake.
-Cupcake, sit. Sit. -[barks]
-No! [groans] -[groans]
[laughing] Don't lick me.
[shutter clicking]
All right. Bring Bruno in.
Let's have him, uh…
Ooh, face that way. Yeah, yeah.
All right, give me some more snout.
Nice.
-Okay. Bring Sadie in. -[barks]
-[Lizzie] Stay.
[Cupcake barks]
Good! Stay.
[whines]
Aw! Hey, bud. Come on.
-[barks] -[Lizzie, Anjum laugh]
-Sadie! -[dogs barking]
-Now you wanna come over here? -Look at me!
Okay.
Keep 'em like that. That looks perfect.
Awesome. We got it.
That's a wrap.
-Should we do one for Molly? -Already got it covered.
This is gonna be fantastic. I'm gonna go type the testimonials.
I was thinking, maybe we could do them by hand?
For more of a personal touch.
Absolutely. Great idea, Meryl.
-[door opens] -What are you guys doing here?
Uh, I wanted to see if maybe I could write Molly's testimonial.
To make sure no one ever thinks she's mean like we did.
Sure.
And I came to apologize since I put that scary idea in Charles's head.
Molly, I'm sorry.
And this is for you.
[growling]
Good girl.
[Molly whines]
-[chuckles] -[barks]
["Make It Yes" playing]
Welcome to Doggypalooza, where every dog is not what they seem.
I-In a really good way.
We also have incredible cats and kittens!
[meowing]
[barks, whines]
Those photo testimonials were a really good idea.
-Let's hope they work. -[Meryl] They worked for Bruno.
-[dog adopter] Hi, beautiful. -[barks]
My favorite smile ever. You guys are gonna love her.
See that family? They're adopting the last one of Molly's kittens.
That's incredible. This adoption is going so well.
We're a great team. And we have a great leader.
Good thing you know everything about everything.
[Cole] Totally.
It was a team effort for sure.
But, to be honest, I think I'm gonna miss the Underdogs.
Only one more to go.
I'm not exaggerating when I tell you Molly is the sweetest, most gentle dog
you're ever going to meet.
She loves hugs and kittens and meatballs.
-[all laugh] -[Remy] Excuse me. Coming through.
Uh, sorry. This dog is off the market.
[sighs] You can't be serious.
Charles, look at this face. I'm dead serious.
Molly is perfect.
She's an ideal mix of sweetness and strength,
kinda like yours truly.
But you always find a reason not to adopt.
I already did the paperwork.
Looks good.
But you're gonna have to check with Molly first.
Okay. [sighs]
Molly, are you ready to come home with me?
[barking]
[chuckles] She said yes!
[adults] Aw!
Thanks for letting me write Molly's testimonial.
-Even though we didn't need it. -[chuckles]
That's what a good leader does. She listens to other people's ideas.
Well, then I have an idea.
How about breakfast in bed tomorrow?
Oh, sounds good.
I'll have an egg white omelet, OJ and some sliced strawberries. Thanks!
Uh-- [groans]