Four of Michael Vick’s dogs are set to make their television premiere this weekend, while their former owner continues to sit in a Virginia prison.

As the Washington Post reports, four of Vick’s former fighting pit bulls will be featured in a two-hour premiere of a show on the National Geographic Channel.

The staff at a Utah animal sanctuary received about half of Vick’s 47 dogs, and they’ve been working to reprogram them. It’s tough work, but it is possible.

There’s a great article on the Humane Society’s website detailing what it’s like to teach owners how to care for their pit bulls. (Disclaimer: OK, the person who wrote it is my girlfriend. Nevertheless, it’s a really insightful article.) I went to that pit bull workshop once a few months ago, and these guys are amazing at what they do

You may remember a post from August 8, when some people tried to tear my head off after I commented that the Berwyn Heights mayor’s dogs weren’t exactly “pit bulls, foaming at the mouth ready to bite off the officers’ legs” when they were shot. That observation was taken from some of my experiences at the dog training workshop in Chicago. The head trainer, Jeff Jenkins, explains that pit bulls aren’t really like any other dogs. They can either be the most affectionate animals or the most vicious ones. Really, it all comes down to how they’re raised. That’s where knowledgeable owners is important.

The fact that Vick and his underlings raised the dogs to be vicious figters doesn’t mean that they have to stay that way for life. With new training and a bit of re-programming, the dogs can learn to be friendly and safe again.

If you looking for some insight into the fascinating world of dog training — and especially training pit bulls and their owners — check out “Dogtown.” It airs Friday at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel.

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