Teacher’s Pet is a 2004 American animated musical comedy film directed by Timothy Björklund and written by series creators Bill Steinkellner and Cheri Steinkellner, based on the Disney Channel/ABC animated series created by artist Gary Baseman. The film serves as a feature-length finale to the TV series and was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, distributed theatrically by Buena Vista Pictures.
Note: this film is sometimes mislabeled online as a “2024” release — that’s a database error. The voice cast, songs, and plot below all match the original 2004 Disney film.
In the film, Spot (voiced by Nathan Lane) — a dog who is secretly able to talk, walk upright, and pass as human — wants to become a real boy after watching Pinocchio. He travels to Florida with his owner Leonard Helperman (Shaun Fleming) and Leonard’s mother Mary Lou (Debra Jo Rupp) to find Dr. Ivan Krank (Kelsey Grammer), a scientist who claims he can transform animals into humans — with predictably chaotic results.
Quick Facts
| Title | Teacher’s Pet (2004) |
| Director | Timothy Björklund |
| Created By | Gary Baseman |
| Composer | Stephen James Taylor |
| Release Date | January 16, 2004 (theatrical) |
| Genre | Animated Musical Comedy |
| Studio | Walt Disney Television Animation / Buena Vista Pictures |
| Where to Stream | Disney+ |
Who Composed the Teacher’s Pet Soundtrack?
Stephen James Taylor composed the underscore for Teacher’s Pet, and also wrote the songs “Hot Diggety Dog” and “Mambo del Perro.” Taylor is a veteran film and TV composer whose work on the franchise (including the original TV series) earned two Annie Award nominations and a DVD-X Award for Best Original Score.
Teacher’s Pet Soundtrack List
Here is the complete soundtrack listing, released on the Disney’s Teacher’s Pet album. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
| Song | Performer(s) |
|---|---|
| Teacher’s Pet | Christy Carlson Romano |
| I Wanna Be a Boy | Nathan Lane, Shaun Fleming, Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers |
| A Boy Needs a Dog | Shaun Fleming |
| A Whole Bunch of World | Shaun Fleming, Nathan Lane, Debra Jo Rupp |
| Small But Mighty | Jerry Stiller, David Ogden Stiers |
| I, Ivan Krank | Kelsey Grammer |
| Take the Money and Run | Jack Sheldon |
| I’m Moving On | Nathan Lane, Debra Jo Rupp, Shaun Fleming, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Paul Reubens, David Ogden Stiers, Jerry Stiller |
| A Boy Needs a Dog (Reprise) | Nathan Lane, Shaun Fleming |
| Proud to Be a Dog | Nathan Lane, Shaun Fleming, Rob Paulsen, Megan Mullally, Paul Reubens |
| Hot Diggety Dog | The Disney Chorus |
| Mambo Del Perro | The Disney Chorus |
| Wacko (The Barry Anger Theme) | The Disney Chorus |
| Top of the World Blues | Carmen Twillie |
Cast
The film stars Nathan Lane (Spot/Scott Leadready II), Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Ivan Krank), Debra Jo Rupp (Mary Lou Helperman), Shaun Fleming (Leonard Helperman), Jerry Stiller (Pretty Boy), David Ogden Stiers (Doris the Cow), Megan Mullally, Paul Reubens, and Rob Paulsen.
Where to Stream
Teacher’s Pet is available to stream on Disney+. The soundtrack album is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. For more Disney animated musicals, visit our Disney+ streaming guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the Teacher’s Pet (2004) soundtrack?
Stephen James Taylor composed the score and co-wrote several of the film’s songs.
Is Teacher’s Pet a 2004 or 2024 film?
It’s a 2004 Disney film. Some databases list it incorrectly as “2024” — the voice cast (Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Debra Jo Rupp, Shaun Fleming, Jerry Stiller) confirms it’s the original 2004 release.
Is Teacher’s Pet connected to a TV series?
Yes. It’s a feature-length finale to the Disney Channel/ABC animated series of the same name, created by Gary Baseman.
Who voices Spot in Teacher’s Pet?
Nathan Lane voices Spot, the dog who wants to become a real boy.
Where can I watch Teacher’s Pet?
The film streams on Disney+.
Related Reading
For more Disney soundtracks and where to stream them, see our Disney+ streaming guide and our TV soundtrack hub.
