Chasing 'Aww'-lympic Gold

Never mind the marathon, high dive or shot put: The fuzzy, tail-wagging athletes in the inaugural "Puppy Games" are busy with their own version of Olympic events, including a parade of nations to kick off the festivities.

Rob Burk, Discovery Studios executive producer, said 15 nationalities represented are represented, including the pug and Shih Tzu for China, the dachshund for Germany, the Dalmatian for Croatia and the English bulldog.

Like the network's popular "Puppy Bowl," the games feature both privately owned and animal-shelter pups (all of which have been adopted) at play in a setting resembling a stadium. The games were taped in April at a production studio in the District, with staging for puppy gymnastics, boxing, swimming and soccer.

Using five cameras simultaneously to capture multiple angles, the production team recorded 75 hours of tape, edited to three hours. The broadcast airs opposite NBC's Summer Olympics opening ceremonies and will be rebroadcast Aug. 23, the night of the closing ceremonies.

The program "looks deceptively simple, but it is one of the most challenging productions to do," said Animal Planet Media executive producer Melinda Toporoff. "Puppy Games" has "a cuteness factor that is relatable to most people," she said.

And Toporoff had a reminder for cat lovers: The games are not limited to canine performers. "The kitties are in the opening and closing ceremonies with all their dance routines," she said.

"Puppy Games 2008," Friday at 6 p.m. on Animal Planet