If you have a dog who doesn't do what you say, you might want to tune in this morning to Asahi TV's Sunday talk show "Tokusuru TV (Beneficial TV)" (9:30 a.m.), where actors Masayuki Watanabe and Wakako Shinozaki play-act at being a couple who entertain guests with interesting tips for everyday life.
Today's guest is animal expert Masanori Hata, better known by his nickname Mutsugoro, who runs a kind of "animal kingdom" on his ranch in Hokkaido. For almost 30 years, Mutsugoro and his ranch were the subject of seasonal specials on Fuji TV, which some people claim were single-handedly responsible for the Japanese "pet boom." Last year, however, the scruffy naturalist retired from the series and has since turned to Internet kamishibai (picture-card plays) to promote his work with our four-legged friends.
Mutsugoro will advise Watanabe on how to communicate with his 9-year-old golden retriever, Gonta, whom Watanabe always talks about on other TV shows, usually describing the dog as being thick-headed. (Watanabe won Gonta as a puppy on a quiz show on a competing network.) Mutsugoro will use Gonta to demonstrate how anyone can communicate effectively with his or her pet, and thus prove that you can teach old dogs new tricks.