Inside The Dog House with hidden protocols and heartwarming gestures viewers don't see

Channel 4 is welcoming back the staff and volunteers of The Dog House, which is filmed at Woodgreen Pets Charity in Cambridgeshire. The hit series offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the dedicated staff working to match homeless dogs with their perfect owners.

The latest series, which launches on September 15, offers an intimate look at the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to find homeless pets their perfect match. Series six will run for five weeks at 8pm every Sunday.

There will even be a Christmas special this year, followed by a further six new episodes expected to air early next year. The new series provides insight into the training and rehabilitation for nervous and excitable dogs.

Alongside the tear-jerking matches the show has to offer, the new series offers a first-hand glimpse at current issues affecting both rescue centres and pet owners. It highlights the increase of stray dogs being handed into Woodgreen.

Sadly there has been a 45 per cent rise in stray pets coming through its doors in the past year. More and more people are unable to meet the needs of their pets and the series touches on how losing a canine companion impacts everyone.

Here's an inside look at what goes on away from the cameras.

The Dog House is filmed at Woodgreen’s 42-acre centre, which is also home to cats and small pets.

​A total of 527 homeless dogs at Woodgreen found their perfect match in the past year.

​What viewers do not see is the incredible veterinary work that goes on behind closed doors, as Woodgreen’s in-house veterinary team carried out 8,532 operations and procedures over the past year.

These ranged from routine neutering and dental operations to complete orthopaedic and joint surgeries.

The charity has seen more pets needing significant vet treatment potentially due to delays in seeing vets, which has been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

​Before filming starts on each new series, the film crew are trained on how to behave around dogs, led by canine behaviourists and stars of the show - Sue Ketland and Wendy Kruger.

Their insider tips include wearing green to blend in with staff and having a pocket full of treats to throw into kennels when needed.

​The Dog House has also transformed people’s lives off-screen with viewers regularly getting in touch to share how the show has changed their lives.

One avid fan overcame her nervousness around dogs when she saw the positive impact they have, while another viewer even offered to donate a kidney to a kidney patient on dialysis, who appeared in the first series.

​The cameras are constantly rolling and recording during filming, with 30 fixed rig cameras, four roaming cameras and six Go Pros located around the centre.

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The Dog House returns to Channel 4 on September 15