Are You Ready For Some Puppy Bowl?!?

One of the coolest events on television happens this Sunday, and no, it isn't the Super Bowl. Booooooring. Who needs Peyton Manning when you can watch Jake the Pug/Chihuahua mix play some pigskin? Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl has become a pop culture phenomenon, and its sixth edition premieres this weekend. Since my Pomeranian is a bit rusty, we chatted in English with the only human in the show, referee Andrew Schechter.

TV.com: How did you get this amazing job?
Andrew Schechter: I like to think I was born into it and it was a calling. But the real answer is I'm an associate producer at Animal Planet. During Puppy Bowl IV, when it came down to discuss who was going to be the ref, I told the executive producer, "I'll be the ref!" And three years later, I'm proud to say I'm the seasoned veteran ref, and it's a job I love doing.

Obviously it's a blast to ref this game. But there's got to be some drawback to the job, right?
There are tons of perks, hanging out with puppies the best. If there's one part I can do without, it's calling personal fouls. That's when a puppy, being a puppy, has a "foul" on the field. I can attest that puppies have the smelliest fouls of all animals. But someone has to clean it up. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

We've seen the show add high-definition broadcast and the National Anthem performed by a parrot. What new features will be part of this year's event?
This year, we're proud to announce we have the world famous bunny rabbit cheerleaders on the sidelines. We also have hamsters flying the world famous Twizzler blimp over Animal Planet stadium. But we also have fan favorites returning, like the water bowl cam, my personal favorite. And the Kitten halftime show is back, and most valuable puppy voting is back, there's some classic fixtures but we try and keep it fresh and exciting each year.

Have you noticed a trend in puppies that win the MVP?
Go with cute. Even if a puppy is sleeping on the field, which is normal puppy behavior, if they do it cute enough, they're in the running. There are also big plays made, keep an eye out for those this year.

What is the best way to throw a Puppy Bowl party?
Well you have to call it a "Tail Gate Party." I think it's fun for everyone to pick their favorite puppy and follow them, see who scores the most touchdowns, who falls asleep the most, and who poops on the field the most. Have your family, friends, and favorite snacks, and just enjoy it.

Harry Kalas, the voice of Puppy Bowl, passed away last year. Explain his importance to the Puppy Bowl.
Harry Kalas was a big part of the Puppy Bowl. His voice was so recognizable, admired, and appreciated by all that had the privilege to listen to him. Even people who didn't know his name knew his voice through his work on NFL Films and with the Philadelphia Phillies. Harry Kalas is obviously not someone who can be replaced, but we're very happy with the talent we have this year, who is not replacing Harry, but just a new way to narrate the show.

What's your all-time favorite moment on the show?
I'd have to say it came on a cold day, Puppy Bowl V. We had an unexpected moment, when a streaker came running onto the field, it was a Chinese Crested who obviously got past security. As the referee, I got things under control pretty quickly, and the game continued once things were taken care of. I guarantee this year will be full of more unforgettable moments.

The Puppy Bowl is fun to watch, but just so no one thinks this is cruelty to animals or anything, tell us the real purpose of Puppy Bowl.
It's the thing we're the most proud of, myself and all of Animal Planet. We do have a message behind Puppy Bowl, and that is that there are shelter dogs out there that need to be adopted. We're really proud to say that all the puppies featured, there are 43 this year, are all from no-kill shelters and all adoptable at the time of filming. Most of the shelters represented are from the Washington D.C. area, where we film, but people brought their adoptable puppies from as far as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Georgia this year. We want to send the message that there is a puppy out there for everyone, but not just puppies need to be adopted. Big dogs, little dogs, there is the right dog or cat out there for everyone, and it's at a shelter near you.

Puppy Bowl IV airs February 7 at 3pm on Animal Planet, and will be rerun over the following days.