A&E plans to get ‘Dog’ back in saddle

The bounty hunter's show is preparing to start back up

"Dog the Bounty Hunter" is on its way back.

The A&E Network show will be going back into production, an A&E official told the Web site TMZ.com.

The network suspended production of the show indefinitely Oct. 31 after it was learned the show's star, Duane "Dog" Chapman, repeatedly used a racial slur referring to his son Tucker's black girlfriend in a telephone conversation that his son recorded and sold to the National Enquirer.

Mona Wood, publicist for Duane "Dog" Chapman and his wife, Beth, confirmed that although she has not had official word from A&E Network, preparations are being made to begin shooting the show.

"There's a lot going on to begin production," she said. "Our crew has already come down, and they've already made rent payments on things.

"We are still awaiting an official word from A&E on the start date and the premiere date when the new season will begin," she said.

Wood said they are hiring makeup people and technical crews and renting houses for them.

Some cosmetic changes to the outside of the office of Chapman's business, Honolulu Da Kine Bail Bonds, have also begun, Wood said.

Wood said she had expected A&E to make an official announcement yesterday.

She said the Chapmans have been advised not to comment, at least until the official word is out.

The National Enquirer first posted the recording of the conversation, in which Chapman repeatedly used the N-word, on its Web Site Oct. 31.

During the conversation with his son, Chapman tells him to dump his girlfriend, who apparently tried to record him using the N-word.

"It's not because she's black. It's because we use the word 'n----' sometimes here," Chapman says on the recording. "I'm not going to take a chance ever in life of losing everything I've worked for for 30 years because some f---- n---- heard us say 'n----' and turned us in to the Enquirer magazine."

Despite the use of the racial slur, some fans and neighbors sympathized with Chapman, who had been filming the fifth season of the series when the show was suspended.

He later apologized and sought forgiveness from his fans and vowed to work with black leaders to make things right.

CORRECTION Friday, February 22, 2008 » Duane "Dog" Chapman used the "N-word" and complained about his son Tucker's girlfriend in a taped conversation. Originally, this article incorrectly said he was talking about his son Leland's girlfriend.