For years, people have been saying that TV is going to the dogs. This month, it really is.

For no discernible reason — this is, after all, the Chinese Year of the Pig — there's a pack of new programs on dogs (and wolves) airing throughout April. Two notable examples will air on Animal Planet and PBS.

The idea behind a new series on Animal Planet — "Divine Canine: With the Monks of New Skete" (series premieres at 8 p.m. Monday) — made Brother Christopher laugh out loud.

"The idea of monks on television seemed preposterous," he said. But the monks of New Skete have been working with dogs for years, and the community of nine monks came to see how they could fit the project into their lives and demonstrate their holistic approach to dog training, he said.

The order of Eastern Orthodox monks, located near Cambridge in upstate New York, started breeding German shepherds and training all breeds to support themselves financially. They also have written several books, including "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" (Little, Brown and Co., 2002).

The TV series is an extension of their work, said Brother Christopher, who is in charge of the dog-training program.

The entire series was shot in October, and each episode focuses on one dog with a particular behavioral problem. The monks worked with the dogs at the 500-acre monastery for about four weeks, then reunited the dogs with their owners and explained how training should be reinforced.

The monks also use their German shepherd puppies to illustrate how daily training rituals can create a positive environment for dogs.

"We are saying, 'Try this at home,' though it's difficult in a half-hour show to cram in months' worth of training," Brother Christopher said. "Part of the purpose is to be inspiring, entertaining and amusing."

Providing a dog with a healthy dose of training, companionship, socialization and love at an early age will help head off bad habits, Brother Christopher said, "and when owners do this, not only does the relationship become something wonderful and enriching, it actually becomes wonderful for the dog."

"Dogs That Changed the World" (April 22 and 29 at 7 p.m. on PBS) offers a broad look at dogs and the human-dog relationship.

The documentary "is an epic story about one animal that helped change the world for us by doing things we couldn't do ourselves," said executive producer Fred Kaufman.

From the jungles to the Arctic, dogs have helped people with tasks as varied as herding, hunting, guarding, pulling loads, healing and guiding. The program, which was shot on location around the world, takes a historical and scientific look at man's best friend over 15,000 years.

The documentary includes interviews with several experts on dogs, including evolutionary biologist Susan Crockford, who discusses her theory on how dogs evolved from wolves.

The show also looks at research on whether dogs can be trained to smell cancer in humans, and at how a German shepherd has helped a boy with diabetes.