The BEST episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter season 1

Every episode of Dog the Bounty Hunter season 1, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter season 1!

Dog: The Bounty Hunter follows the exploits of real-life bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman, who runs Da Kine Bail Bonds in beautiful Honolulu, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Aided by his team of family coworkers - partner/wife, Beth Smith; son, Leland; "brother," Tim - Dog always gets his man. They first appeared in an episode of A&E's "Take This Job," a 2003 series in which people with unusual occupations were profiled, and now Dog and his team are back in their very own series.

Last Updated: 3/19/2024Network: A&EStatus: Ended
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Hide and Seek (2)
star
10.78
9 votes

#1 - Hide and Seek (2)

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/5/2004

As the search continues for Patty Estabilio, Dog and his team hit yet another dead end and find themselves dealing with Patty's friends, who get out of hand. Dog and Leland defend themselves with mace. Leland is taken down, but manages to escape without serious injury. As the scene escalates, the Chapmans have no choice but to make a hasty retreat as their cars are pounded with angry fists. The slew of near misses, bad tips, and long nights spent staking out "ice" dens is taking it's toll on Dog's team.

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Love's Labors Lost and Found
star
10.13
8 votes

#2 - Love's Labors Lost and Found

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/21/2004

While hunting an elusive deep sea fisherman, who turns out to spending a few days out on the ocean, Dog tries to plan a great Mother's Day for Beth, but he has trouble finding the kind of flowers she likes.

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A Family Feud
star
10.00
5 votes

#3 - A Family Feud

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/23/2004

The team's visit to Denver is almost over. Working with old friend and local bondswoman Mary Ellen, Dog and his group hunt down a young fugitive wanted on drug charges. His family also begins to make threatening phone calls to Dog and Mary. Later, Dog and the others attend the high school graduation of Tim's son.

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Sons and Daughters
star
9.17
6 votes

#4 - Sons and Daughters

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 12/7/2004

Dog and his team track Virginia Tello. An anonymous tip tells them that a pick-up truck will be going to Virginia's house, so the team tails the truck in true private-eye fashion.

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Stress Management
star
8.83
6 votes

#5 - Stress Management

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/4/2005

Dog is after a fugitive named Tracey. She lives at a homeless shelter, but the shelter's staff is hiding her. The two sides get into an angry confrontation, and Dog is forced to temporarily back off. Meanwhile, the team is lead to another fugitive, Daniel, thanks to an informant.

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Hide and Seek (1)
star
8.69
13 votes

#6 - Hide and Seek (1)

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/5/2004

Dog and his team are after Patty Estabilio, who has jumped a $15,000 bond and disappeared into Hawaii's underworld, a place populated by "night crawlers" and "ice" (crystal methamphetamine) addicts. Constantly on the move, she tests Dog's bounty hunting skills, as well as his patience.

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The Competition
star
8.58
12 votes

#7 - The Competition

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/7/2004

Two drug dealers have failed to appear in court, and Dog is on the hunt. He divides the group into two teams - the veterans (himself, Beth, and Tim) and the rookies (Leland and Justin) - and have them complete to see who can catch their guy first. While the veterans go after a potentially-dangerous man who's hiding out on the beach, the rookies must find a young Samoan woman who is on the run in her own community. Will Dog keep bragging rights as the best bounty hunter in the world, or will his young apprentices steal the mantle from him?

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It's Good To Be Home
star
8.30
10 votes

#8 - It's Good To Be Home

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 10/26/2004

Dog and his team return to Denver, Colorado, where they used to live. Dog and Tim appear on an early morning radio show, where a listener calls in with a tip on one of the fugitives they're hunting.

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You Can't Go Home Again
star
8.29
7 votes

#9 - You Can't Go Home Again

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 11/9/2004

Dog and Beth enjoy reminiscing about their early days bounty hunting in Denver. They return to the house where Dog raised Leland (built by Dog's grandfather), which moves Dog to tears. As they walk through the abandoned and rundown house, Dog is touched by the sublime and tearfully recalls the words his father said to him just before he died.

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Bounty Hunters Have Hearts Too
star
8.00
10 votes

#10 - Bounty Hunters Have Hearts Too

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/14/2004

Dog and his team search Honolulu's Chinatown for a young Samoan girl who's gone down the wrong path. The petty criminals and party animals of the underworld lionize Dog and lie to him, closing ranks to protect one of their own. After a frustrating day of hunting, Dog later has to keep his 3 and 5-year-old kids quiet during the 5th grade school play of his 11-year-old daughter. The next day, the search continues, and Dog enlists Ili Suka (his Samoan secret weapon) to help track down the fugitive.

Watch Now:Apple TV
The Godfather of Waikiki
star
7.88
8 votes

#11 - The Godfather of Waikiki

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/28/2004

Dog is hunting a man known as "The Godfather of Waikiki." Dog and Beth bailed him out as a courtesy, but how he is refusing to go to court. If Dog doesn't bring him in, it could cost him more than money and he may also lose his respect on the street.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Justin's Big Day
star
7.87
15 votes

#12 - Justin's Big Day

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/12/2004

Dog's nephew, Justin, wants to be a full-fledged member of the team, and Dog has a fugitive that will test his case. Solomon Fuller is a long-line fisherman who has failed to appear in court on assault charges. So the team heads to the marina, and Justin is told that he is to take the lead in the arrest.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Where There's Smoke...
star
7.75
4 votes

#13 - Where There's Smoke...

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/11/2005

Dog hunts down Robert, a low-level drug dealer who rips people off by selling them hedge clippings as marijuana. Meanwhile, Beth chews out Justin when she discovers his cigarette has burned a hole in the dash of her truck, and she and Dog confront him about his smoking.

A Walk on the Wild Side
star
7.67
12 votes

#14 - A Walk on the Wild Side

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/7/2004

Dog and his team hunt bail jumper Joseph Sampaio. The crew tirelessly searches under every rock in Waikaki's seedy underbelly, looking for some sign of the repeat offender and his girlfriend, or they'll lose the $20,000 bail. They hang on doors and pound the pavement at all the fugitive's local hangouts, but Dog has a secret mission that seems even harder to nail down... finding a clown to perform at a surprise birthday party for his brother, Tim.

Meet the Chapmans
star
7.35
46 votes

#15 - Meet the Chapmans

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/31/2004

In the premiere episode, Dog defends his family name as he chases down a "Chapman gone awry." Floyd Chapman is a bail jumper with the same last name as Dog (but no relation). Dog uses a phone ruse to get information from Floyd's mother, then rocks his team into a state of aggressive anticipation to make the bust at Floyd's family home.

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Father and Son
star
7.33
15 votes

#16 - Father and Son

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/31/2004

Beth stays with the kids while Dog, Tim, and Justin go to Kona to help Leland with one of his fugitives. After arriving, Dog and Leland first stop at the gym to warm up for their day of hunting with a quick sparring session, where Dog opens up about how he had to fight to win Leland's love after he got out of prison, and how he was worried he'd lose Leland to a gang. Later, at Leland's office, Dog arranges an "arrest by appointment," tricking a fugitive into coming to the office, then sets up his team to catch the runner when he arrives.

Watch Now:Apple TV
Second Chances
star
7.00
4 votes

#17 - Second Chances

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 1/25/2005

Dog captures Paul, an methamphetamine addict, but steers him to a rehab program instead of jail. Meanwhile, one of the family's puppies is taken to a vet, having been attacked by their other dogs, and its chances of recovery seem grim.

Watch Now:Apple TV
The Sweep
star
6.50
6 votes

#18 - The Sweep

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 12/21/2004

Dog decides to sweep Hawaii clean by picking up as many fugitives as he can in two days. Raymond is wanted on drug charges, Mauro is wanted for soliciations, and Siamau is tricked into flying back from Los Angeles.

Watch Now:Apple TV