“Pup Academy” is a television series that premiered on Disney Channel in the United States and on TVOntario in Canada on August 26, 2019. It follows Charlie, a man who runs a secret academy for puppies in a parallel world where dogs are educated on how to become humans’ best friends. His grandson, Morgan, moves into the neighborhood and helps Charlie teach the puppies Spark, Corazon, and Whiz. The show’s central idea is simple: the bond between humans and dogs is fading, and the Dean of Graduates, known as D.O.G., must find a special stray puppy to save Pup Academy and restore that connection.
The premise is built around a prophecy involving a boy and a stray dog. D.O.G. has to find that stray, save Pup Academy, and restore the bond between humans and canines.
Trailer, via Air Bud TV.
The World of Pup Academy
The world of “Pup Academy” is a secret one. Dogs attend classes, learn manners, and are taught to understand human behavior. Charlie runs the school, and his ancestors helped found it. The show never fully explains why this world exists or how it functions alongside the human world, but it does not need to. The rules are consistent enough that the audience can follow along without constant exposition.
The show also introduces Izzy, a girl who becomes Morgan’s friend, and her dog Corazon, a goofy Golden Retriever owned by Izzy. Whiz, a nervous and clever sheepdog owned by James, rounds out the trio of puppies. The setup is simple: Morgan helps Charlie teach the dogs, and through that teaching, the two boys form a bond with their canine friends.
The show’s setting is a small, suburban neighborhood with a secret school hidden within it. The contrast between the mundane world of the humans and the magical world of the dogs is a running joke that the series returns to often. It is a clever way to keep the fantasy elements contained without disrupting the show’s relatable surface-level appeal.
The Voice Cast and the Characters
The voice cast is led by Chance Hurstfield as Corazon, Dylan Schombing as Whiz, and Travis Turner as Rotty. Riley O’Donnell voices Spark, a street-smart stray Boxer. Islie Hirvonen voices Pom-Pom, a small companion dog. The voice actors bring personality to their roles, and the show relies heavily on their performances to sell the humor.
Don Lake plays Charlie, the janitor of Pup Academy. Christian Convery plays Morgan, Charlie’s grandson, who moves into the neighborhood and becomes involved in the academy’s work. Aria Birch plays Izzy, the girl Morgan befriends, and Gabrielle Miller plays Molly, Morgan’s mother.
Brian George voices D.O.G., the Siberian Husky dean who leads the search for the stray puppy of the prophecy. The character is a bit of a mystery, and his role evolves over the course of the series.
Comedy and the Tone
“Pup Academy” is a comedy aimed at children, and it wears that label proudly. The jokes are silly, often centered around the dogs misunderstanding human customs or the humans misunderstanding dog behavior. There is a running gag about the dogs learning to sit, stay, and roll over, and the show leans into the absurdity of teaching a dog to be polite.
The show also touches on themes of friendship and teamwork. Morgan and Charlie work together to solve problems, and the dogs themselves learn to cooperate with each other. The series emphasizes the idea that humans and dogs are better together.
The tone is light, and the show rarely stays in one place for too long. Episodes move quickly, introducing new situations and resolving them. The pacing keeps the show accessible to its young audience, and the humor remains broad enough to appeal to both kids and adults watching alongside them.
What Works
- The voice acting is strong, especially from Chance Hurstfield and Dylan Schombing.
- The premise is clever and well-executed.
- The show balances comedy with a gentle message about friendship.
- The world-building is consistent, even if it is not explained in full detail.
What Falls Short
- Some episodes feel similar to each other, lacking distinctiveness.
- The mythology surrounding the prophecy is thin and underdeveloped.
- The show rarely pushes past its comfort zone of easy jokes.
Final Word
“Pup Academy” is a competent, enjoyable show that knows what it wants to be. It is a comedy for children that delivers on its promise of fun, and it does so without becoming too heavy-handed with its message. The voice cast brings energy to their roles, and the show’s premise is clever enough to sustain an entire series.
It is not a perfect show. Some episodes feel interchangeable, and the mythology behind the prophecy never gets the depth it deserves. But as a piece of entertainment for younger audiences, it succeeds.
“Pup Academy” earns a score of 7 of 10.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
