Parents' Guide to

Barking Mad

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Help for UK pet problems; watch out for wounds.

TV Animal Planet Educational 1999
Barking Mad Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

Lightflow
Lightflow Parent
June 14, 2013
age 2+

Wonderful show to teach kids how to treat animals

This television series focused on science based methods to rehabilitate problem pets. The methods shown on the program were safe for all ages to try, and focused on positive reinforcement and helping the animals without harming the animal. Unlike other programming that may encourage aggressive behavior that can lead to bites (like physically forcing a dog on the ground), this focused on teaching to think and then work to fix the pet. Asking first "what does this animal need" and "why is it doing this behavior" then "what can we do to gently teach it not to do that, while filling it's needs?" Overall a wonderful show for any child who is interested in animals. When going to the zoo, you can walk around and point out animal enrichment there. This program helps show some of the ways to improve animal enrichment at home.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Filmed in the UK by the BBC, BARKING MAD gives a taste of the challenges faced by everyday pet owners. Hosts Philippa Forrester and veterinarian Mark Evans introduce viewers to different pet owners across Britain, their animals, and the problems they're facing. For example, there's Ralph the iguana, who's grown grouchy in his too-small quarters; Oliver, a Persian cat with an aversion for grooming; George, a Labrador who can't help but jump up to branches and hang on until they break; and a bored penguin at the Edinburgh Zoo.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Barking Mad is a pretty benign show for young kids -- just watch out for footage of bloody bites and scratches (though what's shown here is nothing in comparison to the real-life surgeries on Emergency Vets). All in all, the hosts' interactions with the owners show great humor and warmth, but they sometimes can't resist casting some snide jokes to viewers about the owners' situations.

For kids who are already wary of animals and/or get upset when observing pet-related injuries, Barking Mad isn't a great choice. But kids who already have animals may get helpful tips on ways to care for their pets (and prevent some of the problem behaviors on display). And for everyone else, if you can stomach the injuries, the information about the animals -- combined with the dry wit of the hosts and owners -- makes the show well worth watching.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the challenges of pet ownership and the specific responsibilities it entails: feeding, grooming, healthcare, exercise, playtime, training, etc. How can you tell if you're a good pet owner? What signs should you watch out for to indicate that your pet is having problems? Kids interested in specific animals that appear in the show can visit their local library to learn more. Also, if their kids are aspiring to work with animals, parents can discuss the careers depicted in the program -- veterinarian, technician, and behaviorist.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate