Hey there, guys!

As you might have gathered from this journal , the launch of American Canine Alpha—the second season in the American Alpha franchise—is coming soon, and it’s time to get to know the contestants. Over the course of this week, we will be releasing mini-bios of all 46 canines who were pre-selected to participate in the selection process. This introduction gives you a chance to learn about the characters that'll undergo this grueling journey full of physical and mental challenges, and start picking out and rooting for your favorites.

The first episode will cover the selection process and will be divided into three parts, at the end of which you’ll get to know which of these 46 will become finalists and take part in the true American Canine Alpha experience.

Episode 1a, "I Oughta Go Mark My Territory", will be released on Monday, May 12th!

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American Canine Alpha, The Cast - Part 1/3

#01 Farid, Grey Wolf, Paramedic
Farid Alinejad, 34, is a paramedic from Long Beach, California. His father settled in Los Angeles from Shiraz, Iran, where he met his mother from the circle of local Iranian friends around the city. This gruff, determined lupine opted to go headfirst into the paramedic programs instead of a more formal medical career, possessing an attitude perfect for the stressful job at the vanguard of lifesaving. Alinejad’s free time is not at all less exciting than his job, enjoying adrenaline-rising activities like skydiving and quad-racing. This wolf believes his high-octane lifestyle is the key to victory in American Canine Alpha, and plans to use the prize money to support his family and kickstart his teaching career.

#02 Steve, Albino Dobermann, Physical Trainer for Gamers
Steve Haumesser, 23, is a streamer and physical trainer from Cleveland, Ohio. Born a stark platinum white, Haumesser felt like an outcast since pretty early on, becoming a shut-in and spending most of his middle school experience playing video games at home. Having reached a breaking point after realizing he tipped the scales at an unhealthy 250 pounds and having dangerously high cholesterol and blood sugar levels for his age, the Dobermann decided to turn his life around, balancing a new, fitness-based lifestyle with a streaming career under the moniker ‘WhiteHaund’. Establishing himself as the go-to “gamer fitness guru”, Haumesser believes he’s in peak form to take whatever challenge he’s dealt.

#03 Dionte, Rottweiler, Barbershop Owner
Dionte Howard, 30, is a barber from Atlanta, Georgia. A self-described fun-loving, muscle-toning, 100% real Rottweiler, Howard quickly developed notoriety for his image as the owner of Prestige Kings Cuts in midtown Atlanta. This large, buff canine prides himself on knowing the way around the salon and the gym, taking a penchant for boxing and weightlifting. Howard ensures he can give back to his community as much as he can, knowing how a tough background can affect one's upbringing. That's why this Rottweiler hopes to bring the ACA trophy to Atlanta: to show all the little puppies in his hood that it's not a matter of where you grow, but where you set your mind to be, and that everyone can excel.

#04 Duong, Phu Quoc Ridgeback, Aerodynamic Engineer
Duong Kieu, 25, is an aerodynamics engineer from Houston, Texas. The youngest son of a Vietnamese couple that emigrated to the United States in the eighties, Kieu is a self-proclaimed nerd who prides himself on keeping his body as sharp as his mind. A competitive powerlifter as well as a practitioner of Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art similar to traditional wrestling, this happy-go-lucky Vietnamese canine with a thick Texan accent believes that the prize money from ACA can help him settle down with his girlfriend, a fellow engineer he met in grad school, and help him lay ground to become a successful venture business.

#05 Benet, Cross Fox, Physiotherapy College Student
Benet Cerezo Marquez, 23, is a physiotherapy student from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The second oldest of six siblings, this vulpine has desired true independence and self-determination since he was little. While he feels a heavy devotion to his family, helping his parents and sacrificing things he desired to do on certain days to be by the side of his special needs younger sister, Cerezo Marquez yearned to be his own fox. The opportunity arose when he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, to further his studies, as well as hone his body in the university’s swim and track and field teams. Unbeknownst to his family, Cerezo Marquez froze one of his university trimesters and signed up to ACA, ready to show that the top canine should, indeed, be a fox.

#06 Stethan, Jackal, Line Cook
Stethan Swafford, 21, is a Waffle House line cook from Oak Hill, Tennessee. A young jackal whose parents left him to his luck at 18 after they determined he was "grown enough", Swafford believes he has much more life experience than his age may show. Barely getting through college as he deals with the underbelly of Tennessee every graveyard shift while cooking up waffles and eggs, Swafford manages to find enough time to train his body to be action-ready, even if that means breaking fights at his workplace from time to time. This jackal looks forward to turning a new chapter in life and transforming surviving into thriving.

#07 Ephraim, Black English Bulldog, Firefighter
Ephraim Christian, 26, is a firefighter from Ithaca, New York. Undergoing open-heart surgery after he got diagnosed with an atrial septal defect at age 13, this massive, stocky bulldog calls himself ‘the definition of unstoppable’, making a full recovery in less than a year and earning a FCAA Division I scholarship due to his talents on his high school football team. Right after the end of his athletic career, Christian decided to be at the service of his community and become a firefighter. He’s resolved to win the title and the $250,000 prize to gain financial stability, admitting the toughest challenge of the whole experience is leaving behind his wife Marissa and his two-year-old twins, Asa and Solomon.

#08 Douglas, Arctic Wolf, Bodybuilding Trainer
Douglas Planell, 31, is a bodybuilding trainer from Pasadena, California. At his height and musculature, this lupine cuts an imposing figure, one that he is sure to maintain to keep his understudies inspired. Planell, a transplant from Juneau, Alaska, at a young age, has learned to condition his body the natural way after seeing many friends fall into the slippery slope of anabolic steroids. As a result, the lupine is an avid spokesperson against PEDs, down to the point of permanently blackballing anyone in his classes who is busted taking any. Planell hopes to win ACA to boost his business and produce more award-winning natural strongmen under his tutelage.

#09 Kyle, German Shepherd, U.S. Army First Sergeant
Kyle Bialkowski, 40, is a First Sergeant of the United States Army from Cicero, Illinois. Growing up a veritable prodigy and a decorated high school athlete, Bialkowski joined the Army at age 20 and got deployed to the Middle East at the height of the Iraq War. During operations in the town of Haqlaniyah, his Humvee ran on an anti-tank mine, which led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Throughout his recovery, he dedicated himself to fitness and parasports, returning to active duty within two years of the accident. Now, a father of four and a loyal husband to his wife Emily, the German Shepherd enters ACA as a way to both test himself and advocate for easier access to prosthetics and veteran care.

#10 Lex, Irish Setter, Shooting Range Owner
Alexander “Lex” Babin, 33, is a gun shop and shooting range owner from Madison, Wisconsin. After a messy divorce left him alone with full custody of his three-year-old son Jamie, Babin is determined to rebound and give his kid the life he deserves. This Irish Setter spends his time doing CrossFit and working as an advocate for gun safety in schools, as well as ensuring his aim is always at 100% capacity on the range. Babin believes he offers a unique skillset that’s incomparable to other canines in the competition, and that he knows that there are challenges in ACA only someone like him can succeed in.

#11 Greg, Red Wolf, Plumber
Gregory “Greg” Wessel, 30, is a plumber from Overland Park, Kansas. Born and grown in America’s heartland, Wessel describes himself as a no-nonsense redneck who spends most of his free time competing in Spartan races all across the Midwest, honing his fitness skills and practicing a specific set of exercises that he believes go hand-in-hand to what ACA could deal him. A self-described ladies’ wolf and an inveterate bachelor, Wessel doesn’t shy away from boasting an incredibly high number of female conquests – one of whom gave him a five-year-old cub, Barbara, which he hopes to help start a college fund with the competition’s prize money.

#12 Bryan, Wolf/Jackal Hybrid, Bricklayer
Bryan Mathis, 28, is a bricklayer and construction worker from Lexington, Kentucky. The son of a female jackal and a wolf father that he never had the pleasure, or displeasure, to know, Mathis comes into ACA bringing the steely will and the rock-hard demeanor that he developed in nearly a decade of working in the construction industry. This blue-collar canine is also a fierce activist of hybrids’ rights, and comes on the show with the mission to showcase the prowess someone from his descent can do. With the strength of a wolf and the wits of a jackal, Mathis thinks there’s very little ACA can do to faze him.

#13 Tyler, Arctic Wolf, Fitness Instructor
Tyler Powell, 33, is a fitness instructor from Homestead, Florida. This dad of two girls comes from a line of active, wellness-minded lupines. His father opened a gym during the fitness craze of the eighties, and Powell quickly picked up the same enthusiasm for the field, taking over the facility when the senior wolf died of a stroke in 2010. Now a renowned licensed trainer at the local CrossFit box, an amateur runner and avid triathlete, this wolf enters ACA hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous season’s success stories, with the hopes of winning the title to display as a crown jewel in his fitness facilities, and help support the future of his daughters.

#14 Jace, Dingo, Park Ranger
Jace Taylor, 36, is a Yosemite National Park ranger from Modesto, California. Taylor is someone who knew what he wanted in life from early on, determined to shape his own perfect future. This dingo scored a dream job in his area of passion: the environment. His passion for the outdoors ended up forging a canine extremely fit for his age; hiking and mountain climbing became second nature to him with ease. Taylor quickly became a star employee for the park, recognized by the state for his efforts in environmentalism. Now, married with two pups, Taylor is ready for any challenge that ACA has to offer, especially any exotic trips that may be in the cards.

#15 Jaxton, Bull Terrier, Camera Operator/Mountaineer
Jaxton Cole, 26, is a cameraman and mountaineer from Fishers, Indiana. This bull terrier had a nose for adrenaline ever since he could remember. What started as a little handheld camera to film any sort of tomfoolery he and his skater friends could come up with eventually became a career on several networks doing the work others wouldn't dare: severe weather reporting, extreme nature documentaries, concerts, high-pressure events and much more. Cole spends his free time hiking, mountaineering, and fooling around with creative video concepts. This bull terrier is one with adrenaline and is ready to tackle any challenge head-on. If he wins ACA, Cole hopes to open his own studio or film venture.