Fox Is Basically One Big Puppy Video on Thursday

When it's your job to play with puppies all day, can you really call it "work"? Ok, maybe there's more to dog training than just tossing balls to labradoodles and petting schnauzers, but there's still no denying it's probably the best job in the world. The Olate family must have had the same thought when they founded their own company of performing circus dogs. This Thanksgiving, Fox will air its Cause for Paws special, starring the Olate Dogs. These canine celebrities will join forces with human stars like Jane Lynch, Hilary Swank, Kathy Griffin, and more to raise money for good causes: the Petfinder Foundation, which provides resources to animal shelters nationwide; and the Hilaroo Foundation (founded by Swank), which pairs abused dogs with underprivileged youth.

The Olate Dogs, who won America's Got Talent in 2012, now tour in Las Vegas and throughout the country. Their troupe includes 10 dogs, and is run by Richard Olate, his son Nicholas, and Richard's wife, Rebecca. Before America's Got Talent, I didn't know that circus dogs were such a big deal. When I hear circus, I think lions and elephants, not poodles. But the Olate Dogs prove that their act is more than just a sideshow. Check out their audition below (warning: Sharon Osbourne gets a little too excited):

Now that the Olate troupe has made it big, it's time we learned who some of these dogs are. Get ready for a whole lot of cute.

Lili

Lili is a labradooble (that's part lab, part poodle). During performances, she's the dog who walks on her front feet for the "wheelbarrow" trick, and she jumps rope. According to the Olate website, Lili follows Richard wherever he goes, because she can never get enough cuddles.

Oso

In Spanish—Richard's first language—"oso" means bear. It's an appropriate name for this standard poodle, the biggest dog in the Olate family. Oso walks on his hind legs during shows, and sometimes even dances with his trainers.

Cholo

Cholo is a "schnozzle." The Olate website doesn't give an exact definition for what that is, but I think it's a schnauzer crossed with a poodle. If you caught the group's final AGT performance, you'll remember Cholo as the dog who drove the car across the stage. Is there anything he can't do?

Maggie

The dog on the right is Lili, and on her left is her sister Maggie, another labradoodle. According to the website, Maggie is a "lady of leisure" who would love to relax on the couch all day if the Olates let her. Come on, give this dog a break! Learning tricks is hard work.

Loca

This little girl is the smallest of the Olate Dogs. She's a yorkie/toy poodle mix, and her owners say's she very curious and loves getting into trouble. During performances, she's the back of the wheelbarrow, pushing Lili around. She's so cute, I'm sure Lili doesn't mind.

Fox's Cause for Paws airs Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET. To information on how to donate to the charity, click here.

Images: OlateDogs/Facebook