Wonder Project remakes Aussie canine competition format Muster Dogs in US

Wonder Dogs follows the training of puppies to becoming working ranch dogs

Austin- and LA-based studio Wonder Project has picked up the rights to remake Australian canine competition format Muster Dogs in the US.

Wonder Project is adapting the format under the name Wonder Dogs alongside transatlantic prodco Hellcat. It will premiere on the Prime Video subscription channel launched last year by Wonder Project.

Created by Ambience Entertainment, the original iteration of the format is commissioned by ABC in Australia and follows farmers as they attempt to transform Australian Kelpie puppies into champion herding dogs in record time. In Australia, it has become one of ABC’s top-rated shows, averaging around two million viewers per episode, according to data provided by Wonder Project.

The adaptation will follow ranchers as they train puppies to herd and manage livestock over the course of one year, with their progress measured through real-world challenges and culminating in a competition to crown the Wonder Dog champion. It will be filmed partly in Faith, South Dakota.

The production team behind the original, including creator and executive producer Michael Boughen and exec producer Matthew Street, will also be involved in the US version, in addition to producer/director Monica O’Brien, producer Keaton Stewart and coproducers Sally Browning, John Unwin and Lauren Rudd.

Wonder Project said the project is being produced under a format licensing agreement, with Australian partners and ABC Commercial also providing international distribution support.