#dogcage

The caretakers at Wood Green, an animal charity headquartered in Godmanchester, England, and the subject of “The Dog House: UK,” have certain criteria by which they judge the compatibility of dogs and their prospective new life partners. “Are they a little old dog looking for a retirement home?” would be one. “Are they nuts?” is another. Presumably, the latter question refers to the dogs and not the people, especially since the dogs are out of earshot at the time, and everyone at Wood Green is consistently polite.

Either way, all the humans in “The Dog House: UK” are nice, and kind, and concerned about the health and welfare of Wood Green’s animal guests, or else they wouldn’t be there. There are easy comparisons to be made between a human dating service and this so-called “rehoming” center for unhoused pets—some of which have been abandoned, or given up for health reasons, or are simply foundlings. The thought that will occur to many homo sapiens watching this eight-part reality show from Channel 4 is the amount of care going into its cross-species matchups. Every marriage should be so well-considered.

Shamelessly sentimental at times, “The Dog House: UK” is the kind of show that will make a lot of viewers want to adopt a dog, or another dog, of their own. That seems especially difficult right now, and it would be hoped that prospective caregivers will continue to be inspired by the show when adoption facilities re-open. But interspecies matchmaking is not a simple procedure, and when “The Dog House” was being filmed, a variety of people presented themselves and their histories (which are explored at length) along with a variety of problems and circumstances to be pondered. The temperament of both human and dog are considered. So are age, mobility, the home, etc. Sometimes it all works out. Sometimes it doesn’t.

A young couple named Heather and Eliot, for instance, arrive looking for something to complete their relationship. They don’t want children. “No babies!” they say. (To her credit, the Wood Green interviewer, named Karen, smiles at them very indulgently). They’re eager, and the Wood Green people—who monitor by close-circuit camera all initial encounters between dog and would-be adoptive parent—try to accommodate their wishes.