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'Greatest American Dog' becomes 'America's Next Top Dog Model'
First of all, I apologize for the tardiness of this recap! I didn't realize that Greatest American Dog had aired one night early until I was headed out the door for work this morning. So for just this week, let's pretend it's still airing on Thursday nights. Cool? Cool. Tonight's all about personality, and we begin with some owners showing their personalities as Travis and Laura flirt adorably and Brandy makes an ass out of her jealous self. Sigh. (Spoilers ahead...)
Dog Bone Challenge: "Take it or Leave it," a sort of Newlywed Game in which owners must guess whether their dogs will take or leave several different objects. Preston and Galaxy are the final two dogs, and J.D. takes the day by guessing that Galaxy will take the tofu (yum!). He sends Travis to the Dog House, which still doesn't look that bad to me.
You guys, this show totally makes me want a bulldog. Watching Tillman paddle around in the pool with his little life jacket on was magical. And watching him drink and throw up water and fart in the pool was surprisingly hysterical (apparently I'm eight years old). And we already know he can rock a skateboard. What can't he do?
Best in Show Challenge: Photo shoot! Man, my experience recapping America's Next Top Model is going to come in totally handy here. Smile with your eyes, dogs! Be fierce! They'll be trying to match a randomly drawn personality trait in the photo.
J.D./Galaxy: "Sneaky." J.D. gets some props ready in advance to set up an outdoor-like area for Galaxy to sneak through, and it's perfect. The photo has the body language down, and the judges love it.
Bill/Star: "Stubborn." It's a tough word, and Bill doesn't feel like he's creative enough to pull it off. Poor Star senses his nerves and has trouble performing, and his idea of her holding a leash just isn't that interesting. As their comfort level increases, the shoot goes more smoothly and Bill really enjoys himself. Aww. The picture of her refusing to budge as a leash pulls on her turns out great, the judges love it, and Bill's joy is palpable.
Beth Joy/Bella Starlet: "Mischievous." Okay, I'm no Beth Joy fan, but this shoot is so cute it makes me want to dognap Bella Starlet. She's next to a spilled jar of dog treats, doing a very convincing "Who, me?" These girls are definitely in their element. The final photo, of Bella licking around her mouth, is outstanding and the judges love it.
Teresa/Leroy: "Angry." Teresa is worried, because Leroy always looks happy. Thus, she goes about doing things to make him angry. When she goes to stick a hose blowing air in his face, he's had enough and nips her on the hand (rightfully so). Laura, the generous soul that she is (too generous, if you ask me), shows Teresa how to use "snarl bands" to make him look mad. Ooh, Laura, I'm not sure I'm down with that.
At the shoot, Leroy gets scared by the camera and the water/grapefruit juice Teresa's spraying at him, but she pushes him off her and makes him continue, using the snarl bands, which he clearly hates. BOOOOOOOOOO. The photographer doesn't look happy. Though the final photo is very effective, the judges hate that she used snarl bands. Teresa lies and says he doesn't mind them, but the judges are pissed. Laura looks visibly guilty, but Teresa doesn't sell her out.
Laurie/Andrew: "Curious." Laurie uses a telescope and a book as props, and it seems a little too gimmicky to me. The judges love it, though. Sigh.
Travis/Presley: "Joyous." Travis has Presley jump up in the air a lot, and gets some great shots. Presley really does look happy in the picture, but the judges are mixed on the photo, with some feeling it's too generic.
Brandy/Beacon: "Loving." Beacon isn't feeling the love and won't cooperate, and Brandy starts crying. The photo is just a picture of Beacon looking up in front of a white background, and the judges are split 2-1. I'm with the haters, personally--I'd have no idea what it was trying to portray if you didn't tell me first.
Laura/Preston: "Regal." Laura gives Preston a haircut so that only his feet and tail and head are poofy, and he looks super cute. And regal. Like the tiny, poofy king of Cutesylvania. The final photo looks a bit more quizzical than regal because his head is tilted, unfortunately, and the judges aren't digging it.
Ron/Tillman: "Lazy." Because Tillman already does a pretty good "lazy," Ron chooses to keep it natural and not to prepare. At first, Tillman's a little antsy, but he quickly manages to capture the mood while lying on couches and chairs. The final photo is pretty basic (and not nearly as lazy as Tillman can be), and the judges think it's boring AND a bad photo.
In the green room, Brandy is talking about things she would have done differently with her photo when Travis tries to reply with something he would have done with his. Brandy snaps back, "Can we focus on me?" Wow. To his credit, Travis immediately comes back with "Yeah, let's do. It might be the last time you're here." Snap!
I kind of wish they would show some of the judges' deliberations so that we had a better understanding of what they think is important behind the scenes. I also thought they should have used the photographer as a special guest judge, since she really saw how the dogs and trainers interacted. Ah, well. "Best in Show" goes deservedly to J.D. and Galaxy, whose photo will appear in Dog Fancy. The bottom three are Ron/Tillman, Teresa/Leroy, and Brandy/Beacon.
Ron and Tillman are out, which totally sucks. I mean, they obviously aren't the best, but Teresa abused her dog to the point of his biting her this week, and then just kept on going. Forget the snarl bands and the air hose--she sprayed him in the face with acidic water and then shoved him away when he got scared. AWFUL. Fare thee well, Tillman. I hope to see your skateboarding and farting antics on a CBS sitcom sometime soon, perhaps as a lead in to Two and a Half Men. I'd totally watch it.
What did you think of Teresa's behavior, and Laura's use of snarl bands? Do you think Tillman was the right choice to go home?
Tillman never should have gone home...he is the greatest american dog to me....I love the pom too but tillman is perfect for what they are looking for...they seem to be looking for some dog you would find trained and in the dog show...big mistake for kicking him off...
Debbie | Jul 31, 2008 6:18:59 PM | #I think Laura should have been kicked off. It was her idea to "help" Teresa by telling her about snarl bands. What person carries around snarl bands in their bag?????? Being an independant film producer of straight to dvd B-movies does not make her an animal expert. She should have told the judges it was her idea, I guess we should be happy she gets kicked off soon...
Karen | Jul 31, 2008 6:38:17 PM | #Why is it that reality show producers think we want to see nasty people on these shows? I'm tuning in for the dogs, and as much as I like border collies (which is a bunch), now that Tillman is gone, I'm not sure that I can hack the rest of this show.
By leaving nasty Teresa on the show, they have said to her, "We don't like what you did" but then rewarded her nefarious means for getting an angry picture by leaving her on the show. So the end justifies the means? NOT when it comes to animals.
Couldn't spray acidic juice in my pet's face to win a bunch of money.
Nor can I support a program that's not interested in animal welfare as much as it's interested in boosting ratings by showing conflict and encouraging animal abuse.
Bye bye, Greatest American Dog. I hope the rest of the dogs are safe - I'm sure at least Star is (Bill's a great owner!).
Phil | Jul 31, 2008 8:27:48 PM | #The telescope was gimmicky? Oh give me a break - like you would have ever thought of it. It was a brilliant idea and the most creative. But obviously over your head.
Betty | Jul 31, 2008 8:50:56 PM | #I liked the show's concept (not the execution) but mostly the dogs so much I created a song especially for all the great American dogs out there. http://www.musicforanimals.org It's a free download, it's fun and it's for all the dogs that mean so much to all of us dog lovers. Great American Dogs Rule – even if Hollywood doesn’t!
Skip Haynes | Jul 31, 2008 9:25:32 PM | #I LOVE WATCHING THE SHOW, BUT MAYBE NOT ANYMORE. FIRST ELVIS, THEN THE FUNNIEST AND CUTEST TILLMAN. I DISAGREED, I THINK TILLMAN IS CUTE DOING ANYTHING. THE POOR BORDER COLLIE SHOULD HAVE GONE
DOG MOM | Aug 1, 2008 5:49:59 AM | #I LOVE WATCHING THE SHOW, BUT MAYBE NOT ANYMORE. FIRST ELVIS, THEN THE FUNNIEST AND CUTEST TILLMAN. I DISAGREED, I THINK TILLMAN IS CUTE DOING ANYTHING. THE POOR BORDER COLLIE SHOULD HAVE GONE
DOG MOM | Aug 1, 2008 5:50:32 AM | #Poor Tillman, you should've stayed. Even though it's the Greatest American Dog, it's the owner's behavior that gets the pooch booted. So if it's the owner's behavior, I cannot see why Teresa/Leroy stayed - acidic water in the face and bands on the teeth. The judges' finger-wagging and reprimand was all an empty gesture then, since they basically awarded that type of bad behavior by allowing her to stay. Bad judges.
Cynic | Aug 1, 2008 7:27:38 AM | #I thought Tillman expressed his opinion of the judges very well when "he farted in their general direction". Maybe the English Bulldog has a little French blood.
harry | Aug 1, 2008 8:17:15 AM | #AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhh. I will miss Tillman, and I can't stand the look of bulldogs - but he was totally cool. The people who wrote here obviously think that the owners should be judged, not the dogs. I'm not sure I disagree, but with Brandy screaming at her dog and being so egocentric that every single other person there looked at her like she was from another planet - and it doesn't even faze her. Wonder what her boyfriend's like. Anyhow, I think that the judges should pay as much attention to the how the owners interact with their dogs as they do in choosing the dogs themselves. Might not make for as much conflict on the show, but I think we all prize the owners who have that great chemistry with their dogs and treat them the way they deserve. Maybe they'll learn something from this experience for next time.
cynx | Aug 1, 2008 8:39:47 AM | #Snarl bands are the slang term used by studio trainers in the film industry, commonly (and humanely) used under American Humane guidelines. The actual moniker is "snarl device" and it's merely an ouchless elastic hair tie, something most girls with long hair would have on them for braids and ponytails. Rite Aids, etc carry the hair ties, made by Goody, Scunci, etc... They are no more annoying than brushing a dog's teeth or putting on a gentle leader harness. And certainly much less aggravating than "anasthesia free teeth cleaning" being advertised on every dog corner. Studio trainers much prefer a "snarl band" to raise a working dog's lips over encouraging a dog to become angry. CBS should not have aired this on last night's episode, as it is not the something for untrained owners to attempt at home. But working dogs and professional trainers have been using this technique on set for decades. Why don't you google the head trainer, Kirstin McMillan, and read about her background? www.hollywoodanimals.com is Kirstin's family- if this was inhumane, why did she allow it? And how does Victoria Stillwell market herself as a canine "expert" if she is ignorant about anything more than house pets? Laura is known and respected by many studio trainers in Hollywood... and she would know the most humane method of how trainers work on set with trained canine actors. Responsibly, she recommended the safest and fastest method for achieving the look that whichever producer at GAD wanted. Teresa should have never been given the word ANGRY to begin with... the average dog owner in American does not have a dog with the GAD's temperment. It's unfortunate Teresa ended up with that word... I don't think the others could have done much better. ANd in the end, she did get a very good shot, if you wanted a nice picture of a mad Border Collie. I'm sure Leroy has forgiven her, and didn't mind a few minutes of annoyance for the 40 days of fun with nothing but Teresa and a mansion full of dogs to play with. For everyone who likes throwing around the word inhumane, why don't you call the American Humane yourself at (818) 501-0123. Ask them why they weren't on set 24/7, violating the standard expectations that animals should be monitored at all times while being filmed. Maybe if the AHA and Kirstin McMillan had done their job, the owners would not have been put in that awful position in the first place! The real question is, how did Brandy make it through last night for a photo that did not communicate the easiest emotion for a dog to express? Love. This show is a joke, I feel bad for the legitimate loving owners- Bill, Laura, Ron, Teresa, Laurie, David, Michael, JD... I hope to see them on another network soon.
| Aug 1, 2008 2:01:29 PM | #Excellent post! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Like the poster above said, if you feel the treatment of any of the dogs was inhumane how about directing your anger toward the experts on the show who sat back, allowed it to happen and filmed it for your pleasure and "entertainment."
Sylvia | Aug 1, 2008 7:42:49 PM | #To the anonymous poster who posted the looong post about snarl devices and their use, you forgot one thing - Teresa never had heard of them and never used them before. Did she apply them right? We don't know. You can defend their use but acknowledged that they've been used by "professional trainers... for decades," which doesn't exactly define Teresa, does it?
Cynic | Aug 2, 2008 5:50:46 AM | #Actually Teresa is a professional trainer and Laura who is a film producer and has used them before showed her how to use them. The point is, the snarl bands should really have not been the issue.
Sylvia | Aug 2, 2008 9:47:39 AM | #The REAL cruelty was a production team / judges who would even ASK that someone pose and photograph their dog as "angry". INSANE!
ABC Exec | Aug 2, 2008 8:42:48 PM | #Oh dear. This is getting absurd. If you could even call what happened abuse, it would be a matter of intention. If you intend to abuse your dog, and do something like tie a string around his mouth, then you may well be abusive. But to use a soft hairband around a dog's muzzle for a minute or two because you don't want to stress him more by trying to get "anger" through agitiation, that's not abuse. That's kindness. The issue of having to get "anger" from the dog is something else. The producers were absolutely ignorant of what they were asking for, no educated dog person would suggest you get your dog angry for a photo. At least without guidance from a professional Schutzhund trainer (I exaggerate, but someone who has done bite work knew what was coming from the start). And if Teresa had more time to work with Leroy, he would have tolerated the band just fine. Remember, it was a soft hair scrunchy, not even a rubber band.
I object to the fact that there were trainers on set who let this go on knowing that Teresa was struggling to find a way to fulfill the exercise under great stress. It bothers me that two of them have worked with 'snarl' bands, and actually showed Laura in the first place how to use them. I don't begrudge them their knowledge but why are they hanging everyone out to dry instead of stepping up? This act, putting a band on a dog's upper jaw, is not abuse. Just take out the word "snarl."
Now. Let's talk about something else that goes around a dog's face. A head halter. How many dogs freak out when a head halter is first put on them? Plenty. It puts pressure on the back of the neck and feels restrictive around the muzzle. Is it abuse to use a halti? Or to put one on knowing the dog may not like it at first? Do you intend harm?
When you trivialize words like "abuse" then there is no way to talk reasonably about when a trainer makes a choice he or she may learn was not something s/he wants to do again. We all make mistakes. And dogs are forgiving. If we intend to do the right thing, and don't succeed, we are human. If we are intentionally mean, hurtful, close minded, unforgiving and judgemental, we are also human, but closer to inhumane.
Dogs Matter | Aug 2, 2008 8:55:00 PM | #1 more week and bye bye Preston
Karen | Aug 8, 2008 2:10:58 PM | #I can't stomach the judges. I really can't. I used to buy Dog fancy on occasion. After watching the snooty old queen of an editor be a judge on the show, (I refuse to remember any names of the judges) I no longer will be picking up that rag of a mag at the pet store. My grandparents almost insisted I try to enter the show. After watching a few episodes...no thanks. Dog dancing, dog painting...give me a break! there are better ways to show how great a dog can be in your life than that crap.
Sean J Lawton | Aug 13, 2008 6:10:16 PM | #I LOVE TRAVIS AND PRESLEY! THIS IS A GRRRREAT SHOW! We all watch it every week :)
GO TRAVIS AND PRESLEY!!!!! We are behind your 100%!
This was GREAT!!!! A really good family show. Congratulations Travis and Preston. Judges picked the right winner this time! YEAH!
S. Galli | Sep 11, 2008 5:44:59 AM | #Hi,
The Greatest American Dog was a show I was rather skeptical at first but it is actually pretty good. I’m a dog lover but the show just seemed a bit annoying to me with all the commercials and such. As the contestants began it was obvious that the combination of dog and man will cause some drama in the house. One contestant mentioned she can’t stand others touching her dog which should lead to some good fights!
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