PetSugar

What Do You Know About Boxers?

PetSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:30:13 -0700

It wasn't a huge surprise when Travis's darling Boxer, Presley, was crowned the Greatest American Dog this week, especially because the two were one of my favorite teams from the get-go. Travis describes Presley as "hyper, intelligent, affectionate, ultrafriendly, and playful," which fits right in line with the Boxer breed. What else do you know about Boxers? Take my quiz and find out!

Photo courtesy of CBS

Take the quiz

Should Presley and Travis Have Won Greatest American Dog?

PetSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:45:54 -0700

Yesterday 56 percent of PetSugar readers predicted Presley and Travis would be crowned the champions of Greatest American Dog and they were spot on! Travis, the lovable 29-year-old bartender, and Presley, his one-and-a-half year old Boxer, took their triumphant victory lap together after beating out the 11 other teams of dogs and owners from across the US. Travis accepted the honor with complete humility, saying:

"The greatest American dog doesn't have to be perfect...It's about the love for your animals."

Photo courtesy of CBS

Greatest American Dog Recap: "And the Winner Is. . ."

PetSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:15:14 -0700

First off, I can't believe this show is over already! It feels like just yesterday we were getting to know these super pooches and their (sometimes dramatic) owners. But last night it was all about the final three. Within the first 30 minutes of the show we were eliminating one of the finalists after a round of interviews, and said goodbye to JD and Galaxy who took their final lap in the show. I thought Galaxy was an amazing dog and only wish North could catch his Frisbees like her!

For the second Best in Show challenge the final two – Travis and Presley, Laurie and Andrew – were sent through a tough K9 course, and caught up with an old pal – Suzy the elephant! Yup, Suzy was back to help out in this challenge again, but this time the finalists would have to get closer to her than ever before. To see my rundown on the challenge, and find out who took the top prize as Greatest American Dog, just read more.

Presley and Andrew had to run the K9 course and fetch their favorite toy from underneath Suzy as the last challenge of the day. The contestants were judged on delivery of commands, proximity to their dog, and progress. With Travis and Presley up first, I knew that he would probably fly through the course – which he did – and get held up on fetching his toy from under Suzy. I was right, but I have to give the guy some credit – I keep forgetting he's only 16-months-old! That elephant would scare any puppy.

Laurie and Andrew were less impressive on the K9 course, with Laurie seeming to hover over Andrew, not letting him show his stuff. The little Maltese totally blew me away when he had to come face to face with Suzy. Andrew ran right underneath the 9,000 pound elephant and got his toy! Fearless, that one.

The final round of judging came in the Best in Show arena where the finalists were welcomed by all the past contestants – it was nice to see all my favorites in one room again! After a round of questioning ("Why is your dog the Greatest American Dog"), the winner was crowned. It was Travis and Presley! The youngster took the crown for his athleticism, enthusiasm, and for his improvement over the course of the show, all the while proving you don't have to be perfect to be a winner. It seems there wasn't a dry eye in the house as they made their way around the ring – not only was Brandy wiping her eyes, but so was Michael, one of my early faves. Although I'm sad to see it go, I can't wait to see if this show gets picked up for another season – it's definitely on my short list of shows I must watch! Now that the show has taken its final lap, what are your thoughts on the show? Will you tune in again?

Greatest American Dog: Brandy Tells All to PetSugar!

PetSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:15:47 -0700

Last week's episode of the Greatest American Dog saw Brandy and her Miniature Schnauzer, Beacon, leave the house. I had the chance to speak with Brandy about her time on the show, plus her plans now that she's home again, and I can't wait to share it all with you! Was Beacon really sad in the end? How about any drama behind-the-scenes? Read on and see!

PetSugar: So, I'll assume you're watching, how is Beacon's personality different on camera?
Brandy: Oh yeah, it's insane. My poor dog looks like the dumbest dog on the show. She's so smart, she's so cute, she did almost everything I asked her to but the editing doesn't really look like it at all. I definitely realized how much eye contact she makes with me and hadn't ever noticed it until I looked back. She looks up at me, waits for my command, and I just think she's the most precious thing ever. If anything, this is a really good home video of me and my dog that I can watch forever.

PetSugar: Did she have any special friends?
Brandy: She loved Elvis and she loved Presley. Those were her favorites. I don't know if it was because she had a crush on them, but she loved to play with those two.

PetSugar: And you?
Brandy: Travis and J.D. were definitely my favorites – they were fun. J.D. has a bad rap but he's really a good guy – he's just a little too experienced for the show. Those two guys were cool, country guys and it was fun hanging out with both of them.

PetSugar: Is there anything you hoped to see make it on air that hasn't?
Brandy: I was hoping to see more of Beacon doing things and the dogs interacting with each other because that's the whole reason we went on the show – I'd like to see more of her and less of me.

PetSugar: Were there any cute moments that pop into your head?
Brandy: I think Beacon hanging out with other dogs in general, especially Presley. If Travis would throw the Frisbee, Beacon and Presley would catch the Frisbee together. They never showed that and it was the cutest thing ever. Of course, Elvis did bite a few dogs or whatever, but Elvis and Beacon got along so well. Hmm, all the dogs swimming . . . that was adorable. Because we're all dog lovers, even though we're in a competition, watching all our dogs interact with each other was like watching toddlers who didn't know each other and that was so much fun. Our dogs brought us here and now our dogs are friends – it's awesome and that's the main thing I miss.

PetSugar: Have your training methods changed since participating on the show?
Brandy: When we're doing training at home, I always talk to her like a little baby. That's how I've always talked to her. Here, the very first competition was musical chairs and I knew it was a competition, so I was like 'Beacon, go' and she freaked out because I don't talk to her in a demanding voice like that ever. So I think I learned to keep the same mellow tone with training or talking and she'll respond more; I can't get too hyper, excited, angry, it has to have a tone that dogs can listen to without getting nervous. She doesn't respond to that other voice like 'You're going to talk to me like that, well then forget you.'"

PetSugar: I know! She was being so naughty, ignoring you on the last episode!
Brandy: She yawned! It was like 'are you kidding me, I'm your mother. Don't yawn at me when I'm trying to talk to you!' She was being so bad, I don't know why she did that. She wanted to go home, that's all I can say. She was done and wanted to leave.

I'd have to say that the editing of the episode did imply that Beacon wanted to go home . . . and what's happening now that they are home? See the rest of the interview and learn about Beacon's wardrobe and Brandy's wedding when you read more.

PetSugar: Have your opinions on dogs in clothes changed?
Brandy: Well my fiancé says she has more clothes than me. I think that when I have a child, I'm going to go broke. I don't know why I just love her wearing clothes. Believe it or not, I actually stopped buying her clothes after I went on the show. I feel really bad about a lot of the things the judges said to me or other people about dressing dogs and so, for now, I'm gonna stop buying clothes – she's totally being dressed at my wedding – but maybe I'll let her be a dog for a little while instead of a little model.

PetSugar: Was it hard to find clothes that fit her?
Brandy: Oh no, I find clothes for her everywhere. She's 20 pounds but we actually have the right size for her so my fiancé's mom and I could start making clothes to fit just her. There's actually a good selection if you go to Wal-Mart, (I love Wal-Mart cause I'm from the South) – they have a dog line, Lulu Pink, and tons of pet stuff. I know people like shopping at Target, but I think Wal-Mart has a better selection actually.

PetSugar: Are you still planning on involving animals in your wedding ceremony?
Brandy: Oh, of course. We're focusing on her outfit to match the bridesmaids' dresses and what she's going to do. She's walking down the aisle with flowers on the back of her dress. She's going to be the ring bearer of course as well, so on top of the flowers she's going to have the ring. We're also thinking about having a 'bone appetit' for the dogs that come at their table. We're actually doing a little set up for each little dog, we're going to have a photo shoot, and have bone appetit for them to eat, it's going to be so awesome.

PetSugar: So now that it's done, are you happy you participated?
Brandy: In the end, Beacon, who is a daddy's girl, for the show we had to bond more. Instead of just being the nurturing mother I became the fun mother, too, which she never had because my fiancé would always play with her and do all the fun stuff. So we walked away with a greater bond. And, after 45 days apart, I came back and I actually got a ring, and got engaged. He missed me so much, he was like 'let's stop talking about it, let's really get the ring' so I think that alone was enough to go on the entire show. Because we missed each other that much and he knew that he always wanted Beacon and me in his life . . . the knowing that we never wanted to be apart.

Awww, well even though Brandy and Beacon didn't win big (but did keep some swag like a Chrome Bones bed, Natural Balance dog food, and enough Nature's Specialties shampoo and conditioners to last forever), I'm glad that their full family is reunited once again! Don't forget to tune in tonight at 8 p.m. to the latest episode of Greatest American Dog on CBS!

"Photos courtesy of CBS

Greatest American Dog Recap: My Dog Can Fly!

PetSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0700

First puppies and now an elephant?! For last night's episode of Greatest American Dog, the remaining humans (Travis, J.D., Bill, Laurie, and Teresa) had to get their pets (Presley, Galaxy, Star, Andrew, and Leroy) to sit in a circle as an elephant approached them, made tons of noise and flapped its ears, and eventually got close enough to pick up a banana placed nearby. It came down to a faceoff between Presley and Andrew, and the smallest pooch there (Laurie's Maltese) didn't move a muscle – wow! Next, it was a course finishing in a doggie zipline – that J.D. and Galaxy made look like a piece of cake – but, unfortunately, two dogs (Star and Andrew) wouldn't take that leap. In the end, the judges chose to send Bill and Star packing which made me sad 'cause I was totally pulling for them, but happy since I got to chat with him this morning. . . . and, yes, he's just as sweet on the phone as he looks on TV:

On meeting an elephant for the first time: You remember, we've got our back towards that elephant? I'm watching Star and saying "sit, stay, sit, stay" and her eyes are getting bigger and bigger and it's like one of us has got to move, I hope she tells me when I'm supposed to move! That was thrilling to me, just thrilling.

Learn what happens when Star meets the elephant for the second and third (?) time when you read more.

On meeting an elephant for the second time: Although she didn't win the challenge, later we were able to go over and visit with the elephant. Star actually ended up sitting on one of the elephant's feet and it was a positive atmosphere. They didn't want dogs to be afraid of big things running at them anymore. The elephant actually took its nose and smelled all over Star and she just sat and looked at it – I asked the guy what it was doing and he said the elephant's never seen a dog like Star so he's smelling and remembering so that, the next time he sees one, he'll know what that is.

On meeting an elephant for the third time: I feel comfortable now that if there's an elephant charging down the street here in Flint, TX, Star will sit right there and watch it go by.

On preparing for the zipline challenge: I got up there and worked with her during practice time. I shook the platform and the guys up there at the top said "don't shake this," but I banged and clanged up there for Star's benefit. I knew the wind might be blowing and it might shake so I wanted her to understand that everything's good and it's fine for your feet to move underneath you.

On doing the challenge: When she got to the edge in what you saw last night, there was one point where I actually thought she was going to jump. Then she said "nah, dogs ain't supposed to fly, my boy" and I read that. She was like "I'll sit right here and you figure it out, Bubba." I saw that expression but I spent a good 10 to 15 minutes trying to get her to jump off that.

On not jumping off: I appreciate her not jumping off that ledge. She was smarter than I thought because we work in some areas where it's high-rise parking garages and, maybe she then thinks it's OK to jump off something chasing a bird? I feel comfortable knowing she did the wise thing, she was wiser than me.

Source

Who Do You Want to Win Greatest American Dog?

PetSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:00:27 -0700

Check out the last three pups standing for the title of Greatest American Dog! The show's finale is tonight and I know I'm tuning in to watch Galaxy (J.D.'s Border Collie/Pointer mix), Presley (Travis' Boxer), and Andrew (Laurie's Maltese) battle it out for a cool $250,000. No doubt there'll be more crazy competitions – before seeing who performs the best, who'd get your vote now?

CBS.com

Do You Let Pets Jump Up?

PetSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:30:23 -0700

One of my favorite comments from last night's episode of Greatest American Dog came from Laurie's interaction with the other contestants' dogs. While her Maltese, Andrew, is tiny, he's also super mellow and well-behaved. When Presley (Travis's big Boxer) jumped up on her, she seemed shocked and said that wasn't OK with "Auntie Laurie" . . . ha! How do you feel about your pets jumping up on strangers?

Source

Greatest American Dog Recap: "The Big Dig"

PetSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:15:28 -0700

I think the latest episode of Greatest American Dog should have been called puppies! It's like TV gold, just mix it up by adding over a dozen adorable Golden Retriever pups. I caught up with Beth Joy, who was eliminated this week, and she opened up about the last episode and her cute pooch, Bella Starlet Dog. Once again, I got some great behind-the-scenes clues and views – check out her answers below!

On the digging challenge:

Before every dog-bone challenge, we actually get a practice. All dogs dig differently – she actually digs with her nose – and she did so good that I thought she was gonna dig, find Mommy, and it would be awesome.
I'm completely claustrophobic but I said to myself "I'm going to do this, Bella did great on the dig and she's gonna find me . . . I'll sit for five minutes and have a panic attack for her to find me." But you have to understand when you watch the show, there's reasons why we choose things and I had a feeling but instead she said 'I'm going to be like Lassie and I'm going to bark for someone to come rescue my mom."
The thing with the dig is every time she did the practice, one of the trainers kept pulling the treats away from her after she found it and I think that upset her; she knew she wasn't going to get the treat again. That was all part of it – what you see is what you get on these shows, not the real experience.

On meeting the puppies:

Actually with this challenge, we did it the day before and Bella did great in the maze, she came out and went through it a few times but, when you film, there's hours and hours in between. So when Bella came out and greeted the puppies, she was excited but then it was three hours until we did the challenge. It was 105 degrees out that day. Bella overheated, Star overheated, and Presley overheated.

Where is Bella trying to go in that picture up top? Learn the surprising answer when you read more.

On her stopping to dig under the maze:

When she went into that hole that you see, that was where one of the cameras were. And they didn't cover it up, they should have covered it up, and she wasn't supposed to go in there. But they never restarted our clock. She saw somebody in there (there are little forts with cameras so that they can get those angles of the dogs running) and so she had gone in there thinking "hey, maybe Mommy's with this guy hanging out." And I couldn't see over the hedge so I was trying to go low to the ground to call her.

On pushing her dog:

By that time of the day, she was so overheated, it was like "whatever you want to do Bella, that's fine don't worry." Like "come on you want a biscuit, just come through, come to Mommy and we'll go jump in the pool." I would never push my dog the way that Bill pushed his dog, we were all scared at what he was doing to Star, it made me worry about Star. I would never push my dog to a limit like that, it was really insane and unfortunate. I really don't think we should have gone home. It was about citizenship, maybe she didn't lead the puppies out, but at least she didn't try to eat the puppies.

Source