Photos
Video
RSS'Greatest American Dog': I'm gonna stop pretending that people aren't psychotic
Sadly, I can't take credit for the quote in the subject line of this post. "I'm gonna stop pretending that people aren't psychotic" can be attributed to Laurie, and it's my new motto while watching Greatest American Dog. Because seriously? At least a few of these folks really are at least a little psychotic.
Dog Bone Challenge: "Tangled Leash," a teamwork challenge. Teams of two trainers have to guide their dogs through an obstacle course that their leashes are tangled around. I feel that it is incumbent upon me to point out that this is not at all suspenseful, no matter how much Amazing Race-style "Currently in 1st Place" editing they use.
JD isn't pleased to be paired with David, since he knows Elvis isn't the best at following commands. And yeah, while David and Elvis may be BFF according to David, Elvis is pretty sucky at this kind of stuff. Beth Joy, it seems, doesn't possess the ability to untangle knots. Sucks to be her partner. (Sorry, Teresa.) Travis and Brandy are doing really well, and though Brandy buckles under the pressure and starts freaking out and shrieking, they're still able to win the challenge.
They throw Laurie into the Dog House, with a vague explanation concerning "altercations" in the house. Laurie suspects that it's Travis's doing, but I interpreted it as Brandy standing up for Beth Joy in the great "A Top-Knot is Not a Dress" fight of '08. Oh, and a little Canine Academy gossip: Brandy is totally in love with Travis. Travis can't stand Brandy's crazed shrieks and high-pitched squeals. It's hilarious, especially when he and Laura (and Laura and Presley, and Travis and Preston) start spending a little more quality time together. Only on this show: "Travis and I have completely fallen in love [pause] with each other's dogs."
Best in Show Challenge: "The Fast and the Furriest," a relay race/obstacle course with hoops, tubes, see-saws, etc. The team with the fastest score is safe from elimination. Travis and Brandy are the team captains, and Brandy is visibly (and audibly) bummed that they're not on the same team. Travis chooses Laura, JD, Bill, and Beth Joy.
Bill is confident, since he and Star are experienced with agility tasks, and he helps Laura train Preston to run through the tubes. JD and Galaxy falter a little on the Frisbee, as do Beth Joy and Bella Starlet with the hoops, but Travis and Presley rock the cart-pushing. Star does a great job with the see-saws and maze, and Preston races through the tubes. The whole team does a surprisingly good job pulling Presley on a cart. Their final time is 2:52.
Brandy picks Teresa, Ron, David, and Laurie. Leroy gets the Frisbee on the first try. Andrew does a pretty good job with the hoops, though Laurie helps him out by increasing the size of the hole he needs to jump through in a hoop. Tillman isn't quite as strong with the cart, and Elvis has serious trouble with the see-saws, even on the leash. Beacon does a surprisingly good job with the tubes, though Brandy's squealing is KILLING me. They also successfully pull the cart. Their final time is 3:01.
The judges criticize Brandy for helping Beacon out of the sock, but praise Teresa's and Leroy's partnership. They think that Ron and Tillman weren't very well-prepared, and don't like that Laurie gave Andrew an advantage with the hoops. They have a problem with the fact that Elvis was on a leash in the see-saw, and criticize the entire team for that decision. Laurie throws David way, waaay under the bus, even mentioning Elvis's biting incidents. I didn't know she had it in her!
The weakest pairs are David/Elvis, Ron/Tillman, and Laurie/Andrew, and the judges choose to "expel" David and Elvis. No surprise there, though it's pretty sad. They clearly weren't at the same level as the other pairs in terms of training, though they're both super cute. David seems like an honestly sweet guy who's open to advice and criticism, which is pretty rare, and Elvis has a certain rakish charm about him.
Most Adorable Human/Most Adorable Dog: Travis and Laura/Presley and Preston. Their dog names even match!
Most Psychotic Human: Though Beth Joy and Brandy are strong contenders, Laurie's back-stabbing speech won it for her in the home stretch. Which is ironic, since she was the one calling people psychotic at the beginning of the episode.
Most Psychotic Dog: Elvis, aka "The Hannibal Lecter of the House" (-David). At first, the other dogs' owners are so afraid he'll go on a tiny, adorable murder spree that he drives all the other dogs out of the yard when he's off his leash. It's a tale of redemption, though, as he winds up seeing the light and playing with Tillman without going for the kill. Aww, I miss him already!
What did you think of the results? Did Laurie's behavior surprise you?
Post a comment
Zap2it Twitter Talk 
We decided David looks remarkably like Norman Fell (Mr. Roeper).
We decided David looks remarkably like Norman Fell (Mr. Roeper).
It seems like the judges pulled that stick that were stuck up their a**. They actually cracked a smile during the compitions.
Even though Elvis and David are off the show, you can still see great videos of them on www.thedoctorschannel.com
There is even a video of Elvis's "Bark Mitzvah" !
Check it out by searching "Elvis" on www.thedoctorschannel.com
I think David looks like the actor who used to play Barnabus on the vampire soap opera years ago and then ended up as the butler on Fran Drescher's show.
I LOVED little Elvis--there's something about terriers that make them adorable even though they're hard to train. I was sad to see him/them go. I like the dogs better than the humans--Brandy and Beth Joy are insane!
ITA with everything Barb said. Thanks; I was trying to figure out why David looked familiar.
I was VERY surprised by Laurie's behavior; I half expected her to be the one eliminated, because the judges didn't appreciate her making that comment.
I have a soft spot for English bulldogs, so I LOVE Tillman, but all the dogs are swell. I especially love Travis and Presley's relationship.
Brandy and Beth Joy make me want to screech like ... well, like Brandy!
and Laurie should have gone instead of Elvis because of her comments. After all it was supposed to be a completion about team work. You don't stab your teaammate in the back.
Laurie should have gone... I'm really disappointed in her stabbing her partner in the back. Teamwork? I won't like her now, no matter what she does.
You were surprised at Laurie's behavior because it didn't happen that way. I was there. Watch and see if anyone mentions her "throwing David under the bus" to her in the next episode. They won't because that's not what happened. The whole conversation was taken out of context. Yep, I was there.
I expected that type of behavior from Laurie. It's called TNB. I love the way the show started with her complaining about being called out, then ends with her pretty much doing the same thing she was *****in about. TNB TNB TNB TNB