The first time I ever met my dog - Belinda

Posted by Belinda - Social Media Manager 

My dog is cute, he's fluffy and very smart.  He loves all food, especially seafood;  I like to joke he is half Bichon, half cat, due to his deep love of fish.

My dog came to me via RSPCA VIC.  I had for a while been interested in getting my first ever dog, a small quiet one, and I thought a small adult hyperallergenic dog would suit my household.

I didn't have any expectations of breed or appearance, I just wanted a calm dog who wasn't fazed by much going on.

At the RSPCA in the last pen I saw a small white dog, with no collar and not even a sign on his pen.  It was sitting quietly on the bed in the back of the pen.  I looked at it and it looked back at me, not reacting much to me at all.  The dog was a bit on the scrawny side, coat roughly clipped and very short, with nothing remarkable to distinguish it from any other generic white dog.  

I did a circuit of all the glass pens and found myself back at the untitled pen.  This time the little dog was standing behind the glass door of its pen.  There was a slit in the door that was just wide enough to squeeze my hand through, and I just felt the urge to pat the little white dog.

As soon as my hand reached the dog's head it started licking me.  I was too shocked to even pull it away, or be disgusted.

Elmo, also known as YHTV's Social Media Hound

What's more, after a while the dog even rested its paw on my hand while still licking it!  So I knew there was something special about this dog...

He's not a shy, scared little dog anymore, but Elmo has his moments.  Like any dog he hates baths but he's also scared of random things like wheelie bins and running water.  I don't where he lived before he came to the RSPCA -  he had no name, no collar, and no history.  All I know about him now is that he's about 4 years old and he is a mix breed male Bichon Frise.

The RSPCA called him Elmo, and I kept that name because it reminds me of where I got him from. 

Everyone tells me what a friendly cute obedient dog he is, but honestly, he only became that way because now he has someone to love him, and to take care of him.

BELINDA CHONG

Alexia Writes About Being A Pup Reporter

Posted by Alexia - Pup Reporter

Hi my name's Alexia and I'm a Pup Reporter for Yappy Hour TV.  For me going around and interviewing people about dogs is a big chance for me.

Pup Reporter Alexia, on location at Brighton Dog Beach

I grew up with dogs.  I love dogs.  A couple of years ago, my favourite dog in the world died.  We named him Flash.  It was really rough when that happened.

I remember when I woke up and Flash was sitting on the end of the bed and when I sat up he jumped on me and started licking me.

I started dancing when I was 3 years of age.  I think I have about 40 medals and 15 trophies at home.  But now I'm a cheerleader for KLD Allstars and I LOVE it.

I like working with Yappy Hour TV because I learn a lot of stuff about different dogs when I interview people.  Being on camera is pretty cool.  Because it's something I always like doing.  I've always wanted to work with my Dad who is a cameraman because if I get stuck he will help me with another question.  

Thanks for listening

ALEXIA  xox

How Yappy Hour TV Started

Posted by Liza - Executive Producer 

Always hard to write about “how it all started” from the beginning, mmm…where to begin….

I guess actually I had a plan a long time ago to do a TV show, but my original concept was conceived when I was living in the US with my three pooches, and like many other TV viewers was becoming so dis-interested in the content being shown on TV.  

I returned to Sydney for a while and was managing a pub in in trendy Balmain.  Across the road was a dog park, and I would sit there in the morning sun, talking to the Sydney pooch owners, missing the three I left behind in LA.  So the idea to make the Sunday Happy Hour at the pub into a Yappy Hour seemed like a logical idea - have the dog owners come into the pub for a get together around 2pm after a play in the park, have a glass of wine, cheese and biscuits, and of course some doggie treats for our furry friends.  It was an instant success!

Yappy Hour TV is fuelled by our love for DOGS….how much they bring to people’s lives, how much JOY they bring to everyone, especially at this time on the planet, we need this in fact MORE than ever.

In May we received an email from Channel 31 to say they liked our concept in writing and would like to see a pilot, so it was all systems go.  Having very few industry contacts in Melbourne, I resorted to good ole trusty Gumtree and BINGO I found the right guy straight away, it’s just amazing how the universe works.  Roger Quraitem (cameraman) had a lot of experience, was freelance and LOVED the idea.

Liza Robinson (Executive Producer), Roger Quraitem (Camera) and Libby Petrella (Rover Reporter).  Also pictured is Liza's chihuahua, Taco.

In June we launched our Facebook page and this was even before we had received confirmation from Channel 31 that our pilot was accepted, in fact before we had even produced the pilot.  I knew I was taking a risk but I had a gut instinct and I have very rarely been wrong!!

The response from Facebook was amazing - people started to contact us, what a great idea, how can we be involved, we want to be on the show etc etc….and so it evolved.  Through Facebook I met a lovely lady by the name of Libby Petrella, as soon as we met we connected.  I thought perhaps she could assist as a Rover Reporter, as she has her own three adopted furbabies.

Channel 31 in Melbourne confirmed they loved the show concept and advised a launch date of Friday November 7th at 6pm, so it was all systems go, assembling sponsors, a production team etc etc.

We needed social media assistance and a photographer, and again the universe answered and found us Belinda Chong and Andy Dyson, again both big dog lovers, and who were very excited about being part of the team.  The team continued to grow even more with Pup Reporter Alexia, daughter of cameraman Roger, our animation person Kathy Constantin. Santiago Castano our sound engineer, as well as Lorinska Anderson and Tony Bolton, as Rover Reporters.  Not to mention Vas Patel and Peter Spowart as Yappy the mascot!

Enough for now...

Gotta run…time to go smooch my pooch…or should I say pooches!

Yappy Hour TV on location at Brighton Dog Beach, with Claude the Cavoodle in foreground.  Credit: Emily Butler

LIZA ROBINSON