Longtime fans of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” may recall that way back in 2012, the titular character’s sons Duane Lee and Leland Chapman both quit the show after their stepmother called the latter out for not performing at work. However, fret not: these days, that drama is long behind them.
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ICYMI, when the late Beth Chapman criticized Duane Lee in the early 2010s, he quit, with his younger brother Leland following suit in a show of support. Of course, everyone ultimately made nice fairly soon after that and Leland even featured on the original show’s spinoffs, “Dog and Beth: On the Hunt” and “Dog’s Most Wanted.” Having said that, when “Dog’s Most Wanted” came to an end and the other show the family had in the pipeline, “Dogs Unleashed” was cancelled, like the rest of the Chapman brood, Leland stopped spending as much time on our screens. That said, while we may not be seeing all their work, Leland and Dog continued working together on occasion — and even when they haven’t collabed, Dog has made it clear he’s exceptionally proud of his son. Case in point: speaking in a 2025 Facebook Q&A, Dog mused that while he didn’t believe anyone could quite match up to his own track record, Leland — who is still a bounty hunter today — was right up there. “They’re none as successful as me, except for maybe Leland,” he said.
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Outside of bounty hunting duties, Leland and Dog have also done publicity together. Leland was a special guest at Dog Fest 2024, and they also attended a meet and greet at the Juicy’s Bail Bonds Customer Appreciation Event in May 2024. And then, on a more personal level, they’ve also shared some very sweet social media posts in one another’s honor for birthdays and other special occasions.
Leland played a role in his dad becoming a bounty hunter
Like we said, Dog the Bounty Hunter and Leland Chapman have been pretty vocal about their admiration for one another even after their shows came to an end. One exceptionally sweet detail to have emerged since they went off the air, though, came in an interview Leland did with Lara Trump in 2024.
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Speaking on “The Right View with Lara Trump,” Leland shared that a court date over his and Duane Lee Chapman’s child support marked the moment their dad went into the line of work he’s known for today. “He claimed he had no money, so the judge looked at my father and said, ‘You know what, Mr. Chapman? I think you would be good at bounty hunting, and I have a couple defendants that failed to appear for the court dates today, and if you could bring them back by tomorrow before closing, I will pay this month’s child support payment for you,'” Leland recounted. Suffice it to say, Dog took the judge up on the offer. “Before the day was over, my dad went and grabbed [the defendants] and tied them up with his belt, ’cause he didn’t even have handcuffs, brought ’em back to court, and, you know, the rest is history,” he added. Leland also shared that he’d accompanied his dad on bounty hunts early on and even served as bait, posing as a newspaper boy to lure criminals into opening their doors.
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That said, it’s pretty easy to see why Leland and Dog have such a tight bond (and why Dog believes only Leland could give him a run for his money). Dog may have tension with some of his children, but Leland certainly isn’t one of them.
