I
thought faking it was really good Mary and Kay done well to train Bob and bobby in that short
time. I felt sorry for Rob when he had to leave the dog at the end,. That put a lump to my
throat. I have it on video and will watch it again and again. I think Rob now realises that
there is more to life than work, work, work.
(18/02/04)
Jo Chalmers
Absolutely brilliant. Well done to all involved - a fantastic
portrayal of dog handling & training.
(18/02/04)
Nick Jones (DDAC)
I
would be delighted to show Rob few steps of dance? Bob is welcome too. Rob came across as a
very genuine person (and good-looking, I must admit) on Faking it. I know that this sounds very
dumb but my gut feeling tells me that I would get on very well with him (It's not right for him
to be single!)...I cannot believe I'm actually doing this! I'm 31, single, good looking, (and
French, which could explain my spelling mistakes). Sorry, I don't want you to waste too much
time with me so I'm leaving it here.
(18/02/04)
Sophie
FANTASTIC! What a great dog , great handler and great trainers.
Enjoyed every minute
Jackie Kenny
If Rob is still single, I'll have him!! I have four dogs and find
it very difficult to find a man who loves dogs as much as me, and Rob did very well to do
everything he did with 'his' Bobster.
(18/02/04)
Michelle Ainsworth
Lovely
guy, lovely dog, lovely trainers! I much enjoyed the programme but agree I would like to have
seen more of the training. Was really uplifting at the end when you discovered he was going to
spend weekends with the Bobster!
My mum would never have a dog, and I wanted one from when I was
five. When next door got a pup I visited and it chewed a lump out of my new skirt, so I was
forbidden to go there after that. Then I ended up with a career, hours like Rob and loads of
travelling, so no dog until I went self-employed after redundancy, and my very first dog came
to live with me on Boxing Day 1997; that was a 43-year wait! So I really identified with this
guy and hope he won't wait that long to have his very own beastie! So all you juniors out
there, please realise just how lucky you are!
(18/02/04)
Jane Tatam
I thought Rob and the Bobster deserved a huge round of applause
for their outstanding achievement in such a short time. Rob showed a huge amount of commitment
to Bobby and certainly listened to what Kay and Mary were teaching him. It must have been a
very intensive training period, and they did really well in the final of the HTM. Rob and Bobby
also bonded very well together. I don't know how he managed to give her up at the end. I know I
couldn't have done it. I had tears in my eyes for him when he had to say goodbye, but then I am
just a softie.
Huge
congratulations must also go to Kay and Mary for their hard work in training Rob and Bobby and
getting them through the four weeks. I know they only had an hour to show everything, but it
would have been nice to see how Rob learned some of the moves for HTM and how he trained Bobby
before seeing the final performance. On the plus side, it was nice to see an hour of television
time devoted to a dog-related sport - so good on Channel Four and Faking It for coming up with
the idea. (18/02/04)
Sarah Robertson, Bonnie & Caley
I was extremely impressed with the amount of work that was put
into training Bobby - what a brilliant dog she is, too - and Rob. To take a very obviously
non-doggy person (Rob) who hadn't a clue about dogs, and train him to train an untrained dog
(Bobby) was just brilliant. I was very very impressed.
I'm sure others would have had a tear in their eye at the closing
part when we all heard that Rob just couldn't bear to never see Bobby again and they now spend
weekends together. Just goes to show how a dog can creep into your heart. Ahhhhhhh.
(18/02/04)
Margot Hollingsworth
Enjoyed
it lots even the bit with alky Deena with her bottle of wine!
(18/02/04)
Linda Hutchinson
I think the best
thing that came out of the programme - and the bit that I hope that people watching picked up
on - is how much work goes in to bringing a rescue dog round.
Rob and Bobby
spent four weeks together, seemingly 24hrs a day getting to know each other and bonding
closely. Most of that time they were working or playing together.
I hope that put
into perspective the time it takes to get to know a rescue dog and that prospective new owners
realise that taking on rescue dog requires lots of time, dedication and commitment - not
preaching to the converted here, but hoping it registered with the people in TV land. Hopefully
Joe Public now realise that rescue dogs take more than a day to settle in a home.
I
thought Rob was brilliant, and a real credit to Bobby, and visa versa. I cried at the point
when they said Bobby wasn't going to make it, and they would be bringing in the reserve dog.
Rob was committed to Bobby and said no! Bobby stays. That just shows the respect he had
developed for Bobby over that short period of time. You would think that someone who has the
sort of high powered job he has, and is probably used to cutting free the dead wood, would have
gone for the option were he would win. But no, he stuck with Bobby and they both got there. I
think that speaks for itself.
As Rob himself
said, Bobby is cool! I think Rob was pretty amazing too. For someone who wasn't a dog person to
start with - he definately is now! I loved the bit at the end when they said Rob and Bobby meet
up at the weekends. Long may that continue.
Well done to Kay,
Mary and Co, absolutely brilliant. Well done Bobby's Mum for letting Rob share in Bobby's life.
(18/02/04)
Sarah at Wiccaweys
I
watched the programme with great interest as 'Bobby' had almost become a member of the 'ISON'
household. Kay Raven is a member of my obedience club and had brought Bobby along to club for
several weeks prior to rehoming her. She was very keen for me to have her. I was almost on the
point of taking her home when I heard about Woody being born.
Bobby is an endearing dog and very willing so she was the ideal
dog for Rob to train. When I looked at her in the programme and saw how sweet she was and I
ended up with the hooligan from hell I wonder now if I made the right choice?! Of course I did,
really.
I think the programme was extremely well done and showed dog
training in a good light.
(18/02/04)
Rosie Ison
One of the most enjoyable programs I have watched in a long time!
Well done to you both and well done to the trainers with their fantastic input!
Have spoken to several people today and all have said the same.
The program was brilliant! Maybe Channel 4 could make another series Faking it Uncut and
show more from the 60 hours that was filmed. I know I would be glued to the screen.
To
the owner of Bobby - well done for being able to 'give' her up for four weeks. You must be so
proud of her.
(18/02/04)
Hege Hurdwell
I thought it was wonderful. Bobster was a star! I was in tears at
the end, too. Well actually, I started at the first mention of them having to part! Well done
to everyone involved.
(18/02/04)
Rachel Innes
Everyone involved is to be congratulated on their
achievements. Taking an untrained rescue dog, pairing her up with a City high flyer who didn't
know the first thing about dogs, giving them just four weeks, it seemed to be asking the
impossible.
Credit must go to Rob for his willingness to learn and his loyalty
to 'Tthe bobster' when it seemed like things were not going well. Not only did the dog
come on in leaps and bounds but Rob really came out of his shell as well. The whole
'experiment' obviously had a profound effect on them both. I was willing them on every step of
the way when they came to the actual performance. Mary and Kay should be very proud of the
really positive image they helped to create of dog training.
And yes... I cried too! Rob was just so genuinely gutted
when he had to say goodbye to his companion. I wonder how long it will be before he
changes either his job or bachelor pad (or both) so that he can become a full time dog owner?
(18/02/04)
Rosie Pearson
That
choreographer can teach me dance steps any time!
(18/02/04)
Paul Oldfield
Great program for us doggy people but I think many non-doggy
people would have enjoyed it as well. I wonder if rescue centres will be busier than usual this
weekend? I wonder if dog training groups will find the beginners classes full to overflowing?
I think the balance between cute fluffy dog and hard work and
patience was good responsible program making. I just hope that Ch4 and other program makers
realise that there are a lot of us out here wanting more. (18/02/04)
John Statton
My 11 year old son Thomas, watched the program after a difficult
agility training session on Tuesday night. He was so impressed by the relationship that
developed between man and dog in such a short period of time that he has been doing extra
training with Lily, trying to get her to weave through his legs, offered to feed her without
being asked AND took her out for a walk on his own! So we thought it was brilliant. I
particularly liked the part where he refused to give up with Bobby.
(18/02/04)
Vicky
Brennan
Well, it's good to know that I was not the only one that cried! I
had put it down to hormones having just had a baby, but I feel better now knowing I was not
alone! What a lovely bloke and what a lovely dog, the whole programme was a pleasure to watch
and I think Rob and Bobbi were amazing to have done so much in so little time. I'm sure it
would have been great viewing even for non-doggy people, too. As a fan of the programme anyway
I think it was one of the best ones yet. And as for Rob, if I wasn't happily married with a
brand new daughter... well, need I say more!
(19/02/04)
Lottie Bell
Like
all before it was brilliant. I made a load of non-doggy friends watch it and they all loved
it. Mary and Kay were brilliant - so natural swearing and all! Rob and Bobstar were true
stars and now my six year old takes her Sheltie out for a walk twice a day! Taped and will be
watched again and again. Long live Dave's Red shorts!
(19/02/04)
Vanessa Hardin
Fantastic. There wasn't a dry eye in our house when he gave the
dog back. Glad to see he's keeping in touch with Bobby
(19/02/04)
Neil Morris
Thought it was really good entertainment. A good insight into the
dog world. However, it did not show how he actually trained the dog he just suddenly seemed to
get better. To the untrained eye it just look like he gave it a few sausages and a ball and got
the results. I did have a tear in my eye though what came across was how strongly the pair
bonded and how a non-dog owner became a dog lover!
(19/02/04)
Anya Westland
I thoroughly enjoyed faking it and there were tears when he had to
say goodbye at the end. (19/02/04)
Renée
We
thoroughly enjoyed the programme. Considering the handler had never worked a dog before in any
canine discipline, and also a very reluctant dancer, we thought they did very well in the
Heelwork To Music show. Needless to say having such experienced trainers made all the
difference, and they even managed to convince some of the judges of their experience! But the
bit we like best was seeing the bond between handler and the 'Bobster' growing - just don't
know how he could have waved farewell to her at the end of the four weeks as it brought a lump
to our throats! (19/02/04)
Paula & Alexandra Triggs
WOW absolutely fantastic. I was really uplifted by this,
shame there is not more TV like it. So wonderful to see someone, find out what the love of a
dog can do! I thought Rob and the Bobster were great. I cried out the end, such happy tears,
when I found out Rob sees the Bobster at weekends. Good for him. Mary Ray was her usual
charming self, and so supportive of Rob. It really made my day watching this. Thanks everyone!
(19/02/04)
Shelley Jerrom
It was brilliant, it just goes to prove what can be done with the
right attitude and training. It was also wonderful to watch the two of them bonding so well
that Rob has now discovered something other than work in his life.
(20/02/04)
Janet Evans
I
thought that the programme was really great! Let's hope we get some good exposure from it for
the world of dog training and doggie hobbies.
The Bobster was terrific - what a lovely little dog! And Rob
Archer did extremely well, too. I'm glad he still sees his canine partner some weekends. They
didn't disgrace themselves at the Richmond competition. In fact, I would have placed them
second! Mary Ray, Mike Gadsby and Kay Martin as well as Rob and The Bobster had an enormous
task ahead of them but they all came up trumps. Well done to them all for fooling two out of
the three eminent judges!
(20/02/04)
Heather Chaplin