The 18th edition of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl airs this Sunday, so we took the opportunity to chat with the man who has the honor of corralling all the puppies. Officially dubbed the “Ruffaree”, Schachner has the greatest job in the world, objectively speaking, as he is responsible for regulating the play of the cutest, cuddliest puppies each and every year.
We talked to Schachner and his trusty pal, Yogi, via Zoom as they hung out in his New York apartment. Topics ranged from how they pick the puppies to some of the penalties he’s had to call to how important it is to represent puppies with special needs and those from breeds with bad reputations.
How to Watch Puppy Bowl XVIII:
Date: Sunday, February 13
Time: 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT
TV: Animal Planet
Streaming: discovery+
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.