Greatest American Dog Recap-Finale
This week was the season finale of the Greatest American Dog. We were left with three teams: JD and Galaxy, Laurie and Andrew, and Travis and Presley. Who would come out on top?
The night was split into two best in show competitions. After the first, one team would be eliminated allowing for the final best in show competition of the night to decide the season’s winning team.
The first challenge? An interview. Yup, just an interview with the owners and their dogs. The interview was focused on what have you and your dog learned during the competition, and is the dog ready to interface with the world at large if selected the winner. Andrew was given a play test with Judge Diamond’s dog and Presley was given a one on one lesson by Judge Stillwell on restraint. Both passed. I guess Galaxy didn’t need any special attention since she’s such a well trained sweetie.
So who got booted? JD and Galaxy.
This showed that this competition wasn’t just about the dog but also about the relationship between dog and owner. I like that concept, however, there can be a great divide between what someone says in an interview versus what someone does. So this ‘competition’ was all about saying the right thing to the judges.
Now I know many of you won’t be sad to see JD go, but ask yourself what answering a question has to do with the greatest dog in the world. The judges should have been allowed to view the training leading up to the competitions to get their answer. To me, this was an easy way for the show to get rid of someone they don’t like.
That left Andrew, Presley and their owners to compete in the second best of show, broken into two segments, of this eveining’s episode to bark it out for $250,000 and the title of Greatest American Dog.
The first segment consisted of an obstacle course beginning with a maze, a few teeter totters, a jumping section and finally retreiving a toy from under an elephant. Yeah, that same elephant they used a few shows ago. Apparently it looks great on TV, so it’s OK to terrorize our canine friends.
Presley ripped through course quickly until he got to the elephant. Travis crawled under the pachyderm with Presley to help him get the toy. Not bad. Andrew had a slow beginning but really picked it up in the end, showing, once again, that he had no fear of 9,000 pounds of gray matter standing over him. As far as I could tell, this challenge was filler because it wasn’t used in the judging for the eventual winner.
The second segment was another interview with one question, “Why should your dog be the Greatest American Dog?” In front of all the former house and dog mates, Laurie and Travis offered the reasons for their pup to win. Both handled it well, giving solid answers.
In the end the judges had to decide whether to give it to a young, growing couple or a seasoned team with strong ties.
…so, the winner is …
Travis and Presley
Congrats!!
As a team, they grew the most over the 10 week competition, and their enthusiasm and love for each other is what we should all hope to have in our relationships with our fuzzballs. I know they will be great ambassadors for the human-canine bond.
Taking a step back, I have to say there are a lot of things to love and hate about this first season. I think with a bit of tweaking, this could become a great show for all dog lovers. Look for a future posting talking about changes I’d like to see, if only to get some of your thoughts on the subject as well.
But tonight…Travis and Presley, we at Dogster salute you!!
Woof!! Woof!!
I believe that the way that they decided the winner wasn’t the best way to do it (because according to the writer of this recap, the obstacle course didn’t really count) so they based it off the answers that Laurie and Travis responded with. But other than that, I thought this was a good episode (even though I was pulling for Andrew).
And also, congratulations to Travis and Presley and Laurie and Andrew!
I loved this show. It’s great to see others who love their little guys as much as I love mine. Also, the show didn’t center on backstabbing as other reality shows do, which was refreshing. Presley and Andrew were both awesome dogs with great relationships with their parents.
I think Andrew got robbed! Who would have believed a Maltese would ever be able to do the agility competitions that Andrew not only attempted but easily completed. He is my hero. The other dogs were very good and I enjoyed watching them all. I would have liked to see Bill and Star stay longer.
JT and Galaxy are the ones that got robbed. Galaxy was the best trained.
Laurie and Andrew should have won. Andrew was the best trained and I believe they had the best relationship hands down. Laurie you are amazing.
I was thrilled to see Travis and Presley win! I enjoyed the show and can’t wait until next season! As the mom of a boxer and having also had 2 Maltese babies - I would have been happy either way! Congrats again to Travis & Presley and Laurie & Andrew!
I think each and every dog was great, however I was pulling for Travis and Presley. I have a brindle boxer of the same name and she is the absolute best dog I could ever ask for.. very similar to Travis’ Presley. Boxers have such a fun loving, playful nature and want to do nothing but please and play! Congratulations to them!
I think Andrew was amazing, and he probably would have won if he’d shown less dependency on Laurie. The judges were great, so charismatic and entertaining, each giving a unique and genuine point of view. Travis & Presley had a sincere bond and a good relationship. All could see that they had fun with the competitions. Great show!
Both amazing!!! Would have loved to see Andrew and Laurie win. What an amazing Maltese!! Andrew showed courage, loyalty, love and enthusiasm. I loved it so much I cried every episode. Can’t wait for it to come on again. There needs to be more shows and recognition to dogs. They ARE man’s best friend………….Maybe this way people will realize how much like humans they really are. This show had some really good points. We need to make people aware of what they do. i.e. - dressing their dogs up, using scare tactics to train and bullying them to do what the humans want them to do not what they want to do.
I love Presley — but Galaxy was the best-trained dog and should have won. I would have been happy with Galaxy in first place, Presley in second….and I don’t know why Andrew was even still in the competition….he was way too dependent on his owner. This was a great show, and I hope they bring it back for another season. More training tips and techniques would be wonderful — so I can train my labs to be as obedient and sweet as Galaxy!
BOXERS ROCK!!!! Congratulations to Travis for making such amazing progress with his pup. I just hope people who will now want to adopt a boxer realize that they take a tremendous amount of patience and are very energetic. I enjoyed the series and applaud all the participants.
CONGRATS!!!PRESLEY
Overall I enjoyed the show. The only bad part was the idiot judges. And I still think that Ron and Tillman were sent home way to soon.
It was a shame that there was only one winner. Other than several whiners the rest of the teams were all winners.
Oh my gosh, I had been thinking that Galaxy overall, with past out-comes during this season was the most outstanding dog. J.D. and Galaxy are a good pair. We were often reminded by the judges of how stern J.D. had been. I have no dought of the love and affection J.D. has for his four legged best friend. His approch happened to be different than what the judges thought it should be.
As far as Laurie is concerned, I was surprised how many times she said that Henry always did what she expected of him, when we saw right before our eyes that was not true, even the other contestants had a look of suprise with her last statements. I was surprised she was asked by the judges what she thought of her competition and thought her answers were self serving. But like the judges said The Greatest American Dog does not have to be perfect.
If Galaxy and J.D. had not won I was hoping for Presley and Travis. Travis with a young dog who had made great strides, has a lot of potencial and not to mention we all could tell how bonded they are.
CONGRATULATIONS to PRESLEY and TRAVIS, three cheers for the both of you!!!
I think this show was bias, throughout the show the judges were prejudice against effective training methods that didn’t fit into their world. Clearly pack leaders in the wild don’t give treats to other dogs in their pack in the wild to get them to obey. So really who’s training styal is unnatural not JD that’s for sure!!!
I have cats, but love dogs too. I really enjoy this show; it’s the only “reality” show I will watch. I thought all the dogs were wonderful and send congratulations to Presley and Travis. I was also impressed with Team Laurie and Andrew. I know nothing about training dogs, but didn’t think that JD was overly stern with Galaxy. (Judges will be judges!) A special salute to Bill and Star as I was especially fond of them.
I love boxers & the relationship Travis & Presley have. I think they gave it them because of the way they improved & learned along the way. I loved how Travis seemed to learn both what to do & what not to do by the people around him. He was impressed by J.D. & Galaxy & watched them for training tips, but put his own touch to it being kinder & by doing that Presley responded. If Travis keeps up he will be an awesome dog! But the show is Greatest American Dog - not Most Improved Dog or Best Dog in Training. If it could have been given to just a dog & not necessarily their guardian, then Galaxy should have had it paws down in the abilities, tricks & obedience department & also the way she would obey the people when they worked with her. All the dogs were different breeds & different ages so it was really hard to judge them all on one level. Bill & Star were awesome & had Star been a few years younger, she would have been Top Dog. Andrew was certainly a tribute to his breed & to show that small dogs can be sporting dogs too. Laurie does have an awesome way with him & he does obey out of love, not fear. He is coddled a little too much & would have had a melt down if left with someone else & the judges recognized that. I hope they do a second season & fine tune the competitions some. Congrats to Travis & Presley - my kids & I loved watching you!
All dogs were great in this show and so were the camera men.
Presley, well done. Andrew, you were just as great but if being the Greatest American Dog would mean separation from your person, you would not have been happy. Fabulous work tonight, Presley and Andrew. (And, I learned a lot from all the dog persons.)
I think Laurie was treated unfairly with the “separation anxiety” thing. Toy dogs are bred as companion dogs and they need to be with their people. Andrew wasnt destructive or neurotic about it. He just likes mom best. JD has a strong personality and he gave commands in a masculine way- let the relationship speak for its self. I thought they were awesome. I got sick of Travis’ baby talk and asskissing the other contestants. Uggh! No wonder he cant stick out a relationship - who would want to live with that- he’s like a girl!!! Bleacccch!
JD and Galaxy should have won. I believe they did not win because Victoria did not like that JD had such control over his dog and did not need her advise. In fact JD could have given Victoria a few tips on how to treat dogs and people. She is a totally inappropriate judge with narrow vision. If it is a series I will not watch it.
I think Laurie and Andrew should have won. That little dog showed he could do anything (the elephant was really impressive). He loved his owner and he did anything she asked of him. Presley learned a lot over 10 weeks. I don’t think I could do what they did in 10 weeks for their dogs.
Thanks for the update, being from the UK we don’t get this show over so your post was much appreciated.
Bill & Star should have been the winners!!!
Congrats to Travis and Presley, However I think the judges were dead wrong. Andrew should be the Greatest American Dog. As for Victoria Stillwell and her pompous attitude, both should have been expelled from Canine Academy weeks ago. Personally there’s got to be better judges out there than her.
While we agree that Galaxy is a very well trained & lovely dog, JD isn’t a very likeable person & does not project his true love for Galaxy. Laurie & Andrew are a great team & work very well together. In the end though Presley & Travis showed a true love & bond throughout the whole show. Travis found a true joy in his dog & Presley really excelled in all the challanges - they both learned & grew on the fly.
It’s not always about what a dog can do but what the dog & owner can do together. In the end the judges made the right decision in our humble opinion
I think the show’s logo was a giveaway as to what breed the winner was going to be.
I’m was sadden when Andrew didn’t win due his the courage and the size of the baby.I am still happy that Travis & Presley won.Either way,the judges had their hands full.It was a very hard decision for them.Great job judges.Can’t wait for the next season of episodes.Love the show.
You need to rename the show The Great American Dog Owner. It was obvious that Galaxy is the greatest american dog and not the other two. Judges nowadays are all about politics and who is politically correct. Get real.
Greatest Improved American Dog - yes, that’s Presley during the course of the contest
Greatest American Dog - not Presley, who flunked the week before but still got a passing grade
It’s just seemed obviously rigged from the start for Presley. I think he’s a great dog and did improve alot, but he wasn’t the greatest. Travis plays politics well, he learned from all of them, but sided with who he needed to in order to be politically correct for Victoria. The others seemed to stick with their own values, which I respect much more than side-switching.
Bill and Star were my favorites, but with the 3 left standing for me it was between Galaxie and Andrew.
Galaxie got dismissed because JD didn’t bathe her often enough for Wendy’s liking? Because despite the obvious great relationship between JD & Galaxie, he wasn’t kowtowing enough to Victoria? Didn’t even get asked to perform in that last challange? Like JD’s personality or not, Galaxie is an all around great dog and they don’t come out of the box that way. Credit JD for that, and he didn’t intimidate her into being a sweet, great dog.
Andrew was dismissed because he loves Laurie too much. Perhaps the amount of time she’s spent creating the great trust between them so that Andrew feels confident about everything she asks of him speaks to that. If that’s all she’s got to work on with him, that’s pretty sparce compared to the work that Travis needs to put in with Presley. Ludicrous reason for Andrew not being chosen over Presley.
Next season, please change the title of the show, because it really wasn’t about picking the Greatest American Dog.
I think the best boys won! It wasn’t only about training, it was most importantly about the bond between owner and dog! Though Andrew and Laurie had a very strong bond, I am not sure it was the healthiest kind to have! Presley is such a happy boy, and he represents everything a dog SHOULD be! Congrats to you all the dogs and owner, you all did an awesome job! Special congrats to Presley and Travis, for showing that The Greatest American Dog doesn’t have to be perfect! From one boxer owner to another… We love you guys, and had a lot of fun watching this season!!
I am happy for Travis and Presley! I really wanted Bill and Star to win though. Next season I hope they make some changes with the competitions though. I hated that last one and I am shocked they even expected a dog to run under the elephants big feet! That is so dangerous. So what if the elephant is trained. It is a wild animal and could turn in a second. I would never expect my dog to do that. I wouldn’t want to risk her getting killed thank you very much.
I Want to Congratulate Presley on His Win!! He IS a Great Dog!!! And Came Such a LONG way during the Show…He Learned So Much from Galaxy and JD…
However,I Want to POINT Out that PAWS DOWN,Galaxy and JD Should Have Won….Nothing against Presly….
But It Is Americas’ Greatest Dog…..
Galaxy is a Rescue,Mixed Breed
Galaxy Would Be and Is a Great Ambassador of ALL Dogs..
Galaxy Already Does Public Appearances,Shows,Visits and Entertains Children,and Works Promoting Adoption of Rsecue Dogs….Go to JDs’ WebSite to See All That They Do to Promote Adoption http://www.K9Kings.com
As For His Training,I Bet That Group of Judges Dislike Cesar Millan Also…JD Trains Through Fun Interaction With His Dogs…And the Fact that They Are Dogs,Not Accessory Items…
And For Wendy to Challenge JD on How Often he Bathes His Dog????? Pathetic!!!! Fru Dogs get Bathed Once a Month,They Have a Different Courseness of Hair….
Galaxy Has A Sleek,Shiny Coat that Showed EXCELLENT Care and Feeding….A Dogs’ Coat Grows From Within….It Comes w/Good Feeding,Exercise and Grooming…W/Does Not Necessarily Mean a Monthly Bath!!!
That Was Tasteless and Did Nothing but Showed Ignorance and Prejudice…..The Judges had Already Made up Their Mind that They Didn’t Like JD before he answered the First Question… VERY POOR!!!
I Also Challenge How Everyone Applauded Andrews’ No fear of Running Under an Elephant…That To Me Speaks Volumes…Andrew Would Run Through Traffic to Get to his Owner,He Has Lost ALL Ability to Sense Danger,and Protect His Own Hide!!!
I Liked that Presley Was Cautious…and Aware of His Surroundings,Travis Did a Great Job,Showing Presley His Expectation,That Is How They Learn!!…..If That Trainer had Not Lifted up Suzys’ Front Foot,I Wouldn’t let Any Dog Near Her…
I Also Agree w/an Earlier Comment that The Judges Made it Painfully Obvious that It was a Personality Contest…
I Enjoyed the Show,I Hope It Comes Back Next Season….
But I Feel that You Need to Interview for a New Panel of Judges…Or Give This Group More CLEAR PARAMETERS..
Clearly the judges did not take into consideration the breed traits when constantly mentioning Andrews’ ‘attachment’ to Laurie.
The Maltese is actually a Spaniel. They naturally are protective of their owners and when the owner is out of their sight it is a signal to them that something may be wrong. Even though Maltese are small and seem to be ‘frail’ they are sturdy, loving and would gladly give their lives for their owners in extreme situations.
Andrew exhibited everything that this breed exemplifies. Especially courage…remember the elephant? Too bad the judges could not see that.
Next time around I would hope that the shows producers would get some ‘professional’ advice from the AKC regarding breed standards. Why should a dog be penalized for being himself?
WAY TO GO PRESLEY!!!!!!!!! You are The Greatest American Dog. I think you & Travis showed how a owner & dog should be. Both loyal to each other and both trying hard to please and take care of each other. You made all us Boxer owners proud.!!!!! I think JD & Galaxy should have been second, they are certainly a well connected pair and very talented.
Can’t wait till next season, but this will always be my favorite.
THey should change the name to Greatest American Dog OWNER, becuase it was mainly judged on the owners, not the dogs. An only one mutt in the whole show? What was up with that? No pittbulls, GSDs, or Dobermans, either. Only common breeds that you see everday, I found that pretty dull.
Galaxy was a very good dog but JD grates on my nerves soooooo badly! He threw a fit when they told him to go, I mean at least have some dignity about it!
Andrew was WONDERFUL! I think he should have won, positive training really can work wonders and it shows through him.
I hope next season they have a change of judges and atleast one more bully breed/mutts.
I am thrilled to see so much support for JD and Galaxy! I, too, think they were robbed. Though I love Travis and Presley, this show wasn’t about the Greatest American Dog, it was about bias in regards to training techniques. The judges were all about the “positive reinforcement” and “treat training”. They were arrogant in their refusal to acknowledge that JD got better results with Galaxy using his own, more common-sense techniques. I got sick and tired of hearing that Galaxy was “threatened” by JD or that their relationship lacked something. They had the very best relationship of the final three, and I saw it with my own eyes. Galaxy adored JD, and she was the smartest, best-trained and most intelligent of those dogs. JD has displayed the good sense to not be taken in by all this “positive reinforcement” training stuff. I’m glad he stuck to his guns and didn’t apologize for the difference in his methods. Galaxy is a supremely happy, healthy dog who doesn’t need a treat every time to obey her master. His approval is reward enough. Way to go JD and Galaxy — we will not forget you, and we will not be deceived by foolish judges who can’t see past their own bias!
I thought it was pretty amusing to listen to Victoria Stillwell criticize certain owners for their use of dominance techniques, considering how Victoria spoke to the people on the show. She was at times extremely threatening and very authoritarian in the way she spoke, and even lost control completely when she got in that shouting match with Wendy. Wendy was right to call her out for thinking of herself as the “god of dog training”. It was Victoria who refused to learn from JD, that his training methods achieved better results than her sappy doggy-self-esteem nonsense. Of course Laurie ended up in the final two — she was only there because she fully embraces Victoria’s methods, even though there were a number of times Andrew didn’t listen to her at all.
And how about Teresa and Leroy getting booted when Presley didn’t even stay in bounds during the “loyalty” competition? Victoria completely lost my respect when she manipulated things to try and make it seem like a dog who doesn’t listen to his owner is more “loyal” than a dog who does. Ridiculous.
Unless they change the judges or the criteria for this show, I will not watch it in the future. Bring on Cesar Millan!
Well, the judges did not pick the Greatest American Dog - Galaxy - she was the greatest from the first show and was consistently the greatest right up to the moment that they let her and JD go - and you know what - she still is. She’s beautiful and she loves JD - that was so obvious. Galaxy - you are the GREATEST AMERICAN DOG!
Well we finally made it through to the end. A little disappointed again with the judges comments, one week they praise you and the next week they dump all over you. JD and Galaxy certainly did not deserve the send off they got last night. Anyone who has a dog knows that no two people will agree 100% when it comes to training their dog. To accuse JD of being bullish or terrifying toward Galaxy was nonsense. How sad, after all these weeks with noting major to complain about you send him off the show with those remarks. Speaking of remarks Laurie should learn to keep her comments to herself, this isn’t the first time she has bad mouthed one of her fellow teammates to make herself look better. And shame on the judges for even taking her comments into consideration. Congratulations to Travis and Presley for their win, he took this experience and turned it into a learning experience and should not be faulted for that. Everyone who took part in this experience had the same chance he did and if they chose not to do so than that’s their loss. But lets face it, the sad part of this whole thing is that each and everyone of the dogs who took part are unique and special in their own right and to their owners and families they are truly the “Greatest American Dog.” To each and every one of you, thanks for having the courage to enter, for letting us get acquainted with your wonderful pets, and for putting up with the lousy judges. Please don’t let this experience keep you from trying it again and letting your wonderful dogs be all that they can be. Kudos to each and everyone of you.
If a seminar was given with either JD & Galaxy or Bill & Star, I would attend as those were the two teams that provided ME with inspiration. I’m not sure what I’d learn at a seminar given by Travis & Presley. I think that says A LOT about the final decision made in this show (shrug). Laurie & Andrew…..well, in the breeds I choose to live with behavior like Andrew’s would be called a behavior problem so I’m not sure what she could offer me. So, yeah….Bill & Star or JD & Galaxy really were the Greatest American Dog teams and many viewers know it.
I loved the show and hope there will be others to follow. Initially, I was rooting for Star, she was such a sweetie, but glad that Travis and Presley won. Andrew was great in every aspect except with his social skills with other dogs and people, which a must to be the Greatest American Dog. I think Presley will be a super star as he and Travis go forward with their continued training…the bonding between the two are very evident. Congrats to both of them!
I think JD and Galaxy were good but do agree that making a dog fearful and anxious about trying to impress you is the wrong technique. We all know what it is like for someone to point their finger at us and be that stern. This is not a nice, comforting and loving way to treat your best friend. It didn’t come natural for JD. He worked Galaxy way too hard. It was as if she was in Catholic School all day. You all remember what it was like trying to impress your parents your whole life. NOT A GOOD FEELING.
Hahahaha everybody sounds so bitter. Why don’t you just all take the finale for what it was and be good sports?! Congratulations Travis & Presley!!!
It’s important not to anthropomorphize and assume that a dog perceives a pointing finger the same way that a human does. I was shocked that V.S. used an analogy of monkey behavior to explain canine behavior/response. Pretty silly.
I don’t think we are being bitter if we feel the wrong team was chosen at the end. If you look at all the episodes and all the challenges and how the various teams performed, the end decision makes little sense. I think the viewing public KNOWS which teams provided the most inspiration and we are sitting here shaking our heads and wondering WHAT was going through the judges minds through this season.
Tank & I watched the finale. We were surprised that Travis & Pressley won, but they were a good team. I think the judging throughout the show left a lot to be desired. I enjoyed the “cat fight” among the judges more than some of the episodes. We were rooting for Ron & Tillman, but all the teams were good.
Even though I am partial to Andrew… I will admit that Presley is the best behaved boxer I have ever seen. He did good for being so young…but Andrew is still #1 for me.
I wonder what would have happened if Bill and Star was still there..
If the show comes back, Id say new judges.
Conrgats to Presley! That face is just sooo adorable!
I LOVED LAURIE AND ANDREW!! ANDREW WAS AMAZING, AND I THINK IT WAS SO GREAT HOW MUCH HE LOVED LAURIE AND SHE LOVED HIM. I THINK ANDREW SHOULD HAVE WON.
I do not think that Galaxy ever showed fear of JD and that says something. On the otherhand, this was not a show what your dog can do contest. That would have been an America’s Dogs Have Talent. That Galaxy would have won. The contest from the beginning placed dogs and owners in the same house. That meant that there should have been some learning and team work with each other. JD basically shot himself in the foot with saying that he really hadn’t learned anything at the camp or shared with others. To some extent Laurie had the same attitude of “I’m right and everyone else is wrong” that JD did, but was more inclined to soft-peddle it a little more and when people came to her she was willing to share ideas. On the other hand, it was telling that while the others were playing,
Andrew was getting a bath.
I have been told by vets that a dog should not be bathed too often as it takes the oil out of the coat. On the other hand, we were not close to Galaxy so we could not see the actual condition or cleanness of the coat. It may have been dirtier than it looked.
I appreciated the deliberation of the judges being shown as they tried to decide between Andrew and Presley. By the discussion, I think they made the right choice.
I think Laurie and Andrew Should have won, because that dig is adorable. Bill and Star should have been in the final 2.
While I liked Travis and Pressley, I disagree with the judges. I think Andrew should have won…this little dog had the disadvantage because of his size, yet, he endured all he was asked to do. He also showed the most courage regarding the elephant. Sure he may have been attached to Laurie but that was because she had had him a long time. I bet Pressley will be the same after years with Travis…Andrew was very cute. I just hope that Andrew picks up some endorsements to make up for his loss..
Andrew and Laurie should have been voted out first last night as that little dog is as dumb as nails. All Andrew knows is how to sit and stay when his owner is around.
As for JD’s training techniques, we didn’t see any because his dog was well trained already. Once a dog knows what is expected from it, then when you tell the dog to do something it should do it, not be coaxed with a piece of food. Andrew only did most of the final test by following the piece of food inches from his face. Maybe he is just short-sighted and that is why he had no fear of the elephant, or he is not smart enough to realize the threat the elephant posed.
And just stir things up a bit, all the other dogs would have lost if a golden or lab had been in the competition. Tee hee
Disappointing Show. Disappointing Judges.
Where did they find those judges? And why were they allowd to change the entire premise of the show at the finale to The Most Improved Dog?
All the judges seemed surprised when the border collie Leroy) won the herding competition. Must be that the two judges who are magazine editors don’t even read their own magazines.
And a “professional” trainer who doesn’t know that a border collie is a herding breed shouldn’t even qualify as a judge. Part of being a good trainer is knowing what a dog has been bred to do. And when she lost her temper with another judge, it made for good TV, but it clearly demonstrated how she lacks the qualities of a good dog trainer — patience, calmness, and an even temper.
And what a hypocrit! Week after week, the “professional” trainer judge voted to expel dogs who did not perform the challenges (whether it was lack of obedience or lack of “loyalty”). Yet at the end of the series, she proclaims that dogs “don’t have to be perfectly obedient. Dogs aren’t
perfect.”
If there’s another season, get some better qualified judges.
This show seemed very politically correct. I enjoyed watching it, but the title was a misnomer…it should have been called something like “Greatest Relationship Between a Dog and Guardian” since that is what the show was mainly about (although in that case maybe Bill and Star would’ve won). The best American dog there was obviously Galaxy as far as being able to do all kinds of things and being all around well-adjusted. All the dogs are beautiful, though; and it would be nice if Laurie, Andrew, J.D. and Galaxy at least get something akin to a silver and bronze medal since they were in the round of the final three (six). Congratulations to Presley and Travis for winning the title and the $$!
Congrats to Travis and Presley, they did come a long way since the start of the show; however, we think JD and Galaxy should have won. The judges (Victoria) had it out for JD since the beginning and the show was supposed to be about the dogs. We also think Bill and Star should have been in the finals.
We will watch next season, however, just a piece of advise to the judges, be consistent.
I watched the show from beginning to end, and i enjoyed it so much! I loved all of the dogs everyone of them were the greatest american dog in my book, they were all very smart.Although there were a couple of them who were a little disobedient, and could use some more training.I congradulate Travis, and Presley on their win. galaxy, presley, and andrew are all wonderful everyone of them, and even though presley won, i think galaxy, and andrew should have received an award also, especially little andrew. He is the cutest, smartest, and bravest little doggie i have ever seen. Andrew was my favorite! I adored him. I am so proud of him! I am as proud of him as his mommy is! She has got be bursting with pride. I love you Andrew!!!
Theon
all of them were talented, but I think Galaxy and Andrew should have gotten an award also. It was so good to see Tilman again, I missed him.
I was not happy with the comments that were made about Andrew being too attached to Laurie. That is the sign of a TRUE connection between a pet and its owner. I have a Rat Terrier and she is as attached to me as Andrew is to Laurie and I wouldn’t have it any other way. What that means for a small dog can be life saving, when I take her to the off-leash park she never gets out of sight of me, even if I crouch behind a part of the landscape not more than a few seconds go by before she is up over that rise and making sure I’m there. It’s not separation anxiety as the judges opined (after all, I didn’t see the letters DVM after any of their names, so I lessen the value of those opinions).
I agree with almost everyone. I was happy that Travis and Presley won the competition. They’re fun to watch and both have very high energy. I loved JD and Galaxy and Bill and Star. Maybe all six of them could become a team of ambassadors for all the dogs in the world! They probably (as a group) could sell a lot of dog food and other canine products. Is anyone thinking TV commercials?
The only problem with the show was the caliber of judges. All three of these people appeared to be small-minded and petty. I recall the gentleman complaining about a dog appearing to be robotic and then last night, Presley was criticized for not maintaining enough focus. For crying out loud, what did these three want?
Bottom line - would like to see a second season of this program but would like the challenges to be thought out better and would like a new crew of judges.
I am glad Pressley won!! Andrew is very very talented and oh so cute, but I haven’t liked Laurie since she made friends with Elvis’ dad and then stabbed him in the back (the on/off leash debate).
YEAH,
The girls and I screamed with delight. We howled,sang,cried and so happy that Presley is the Greatest American Dog. It was so wonderful to see Travis take the time and thank everyone and give them credit where credit is due. So, from all of us Dog Lovers in Earbob Oklahoma we love ya.
I think the judges liked Travis because he’s young and somewhat attractive. If JD was a good looking guy w/charisma then he would’ve won since Galaxy was the best trained dog on the show. My point, it wasn’t about the dogs. It was about who made the female judges blush.
I was glad to see Travis & Presley win, but I am a small dog owner and I was so impressed by Andrew. If there could have been to winners I would have cheered for both. I think Andrew & owner should have gotten more recognition for their performance. It’s amazing what the love from a dog can accomplish. I hope there will be some follow up on all the dogs and maybe another Greatest American Dog show.
I know the wrong pups won. It should of been Andrew. He was the best behaved and best trained out of the whole bunch. Come on he was the smallest too. Laurie we LOVE you and ANdrew so sorry you didn’t win the big bucks but your a winner in our heart furever.paws up to you both and a pleasure to know of you…………..hugs
All of the dogs were very talented. I was pulling for Bill and Star and was very sad when they left. The judges were horrible. If anyone has ever watched “It’s me or the dog” Victoria Stillwell is a hypocrite. All she talks about is how you should have control of your dog and the human is the boss. What is all of this AHH AHH!! crap? And the way she talks to those dogs on the show. Everyone has their own way of training. And whatever works. She is not the God of training. What a crock! I will never watch her show again. ANYWHO!! ….Congratulations to Travis and Presley.
If I were the judge:
1. JD & Galaxy
2. Bill & Star
3. Teresa & Leroy
Most Improved: Travis & Presely
The right team won!! lol I am a boxer owner.
Laurie and Andrew were good, but Presley really showed
how fast boxers can learn and respond to their humans!
I thought the judges were pathetic. They clearly didn’t know anything as they praise one dog for hurding when that is what it is bread to do and critisized another for being attached to it’s owner when that’s what andrew’s was bread to be. I thought these were experts? I will not watch this show if they have the same judges. And all I have to say to Victoria in the spirit of Senor Milan ” pissssst”.
I just wanted to say Congratulations to all of the lovable doggies that made this show so rewarding. I have cried during every eposide, and have enjoyed each one. Presley and Andrew I applaude both of these babies.
Thanks for the joy each of you have given me.
Sandra B.
Congrats to Travis and Presley…..they are the BEST. I loved this show and I knew the Boxer would win. He was so smart and beautiful. Travis did a great job of training Presley.
I think Andrew was the clear winner. Loyalty to your owner should never be punished. Presley is a puppy and did very well for his age, but they were supposed to be picking the Greatest American Dog, not the Greatest American Puppy.
OMG - I still cannot believe it!
Watched every single episode of Greatest American Dog & J.D. & Galaxy were robbed!
Galaxy was the best dog overall, Leroy was the 2nd best dog, Presley 3rd best, Star 4th best & little Andrew should have placed 5th.
Congratulations to all the owners & their dogs; but clearly J.D. & Galaxy should have taken top honors, the trophy, the cash & most of all the “Title of Greatest American Dog!”
Aww,
it was kinda sad to see tillman go and star i really wish one of them won but presley is cool too i liked all of them good luck presley
WOOF!!!!!
Didn’t see the whole episode, but did anyone else think it was funny that they told Travis that him squeaking the toy was making the elephant nervous?!?!?!?!? Oh, so now they are supposed to know what to do/not do around an elephant as well?????? Please. And did it occur to any of them at that point how ridiculous and potentially dangerous the whole elephant thing was??? Complete garbage. Thank goodness it’s over! Hopefully it won’t get a second season, but if it does I will not be watching.
Galaxy and J.D. should have won overall. But if I have been the judge it would have been like this:
1. Bill and Star
2. J.D. and Galaxy
3.Travis and Presley
4.Teresa and Leroy
5.Laurie and Andrew
I enjoyed the show so much and hope for the next one. CONGRATULATION TRAVIS AND PRESLEY.
GALAXY AND J.D GOT ROBBED THEY SHOULD HAVE WON OVERALL!!!! GALAXY YOU ARE THE GREATEST AMERICAN DOG!!!
I still think Bill and Star should have won!
CONGRATULATIONS TRAVIS & PRESLEY. At least the judges finally got something halfway right. The other final team should have been JD and Galaxy. Again, the judges barked at JD about his training. Perhaps the only way they train is with food reward, Victoria used food with Presley for leave it. It works, but would have worked just as well with play reward. There are lots of cases where food reward is not appropriate; police K-9’s for one(bad guys would carry a food pouch with them) Just because Galaxy is a mixed breed doesn’t disqualify her for this competition. The show was Greatest American Dog, not Greatest American Purebred. My 2 boys are mixed breeds who are smart, loving and devoted companions. And they certainly don’t get bathed once a month; their coats are short, they do not have doggy odor and they don’t have itchy skin from overwashing. They are also independent and I am able to leave the room without them following me every step I take. And, what was the licking Laurie’s arm about. My guys give kisses but they are not obssessive with it. As well as mixed breeds, I’ve had Pugs(I lost my 17 and a half year old in May) Belgian Malinois, Labs, GSD’s. I grew up with a Fox Terrier and I’ve never seen any of them exhibit the kind of behavior Andrew does. Laurie’s attitude seems to be one of she’s right and everyone else is wrong. I never once saw her smile when she talked about Andrew. In fact, I can’t recall her laughing at any time. All I have to do is think about my 2 boys and it makes me smile. I don’t doubt that she loves Andrew but she doesn’t show it the way Travis, Bill, JD or the others do. Your dogs should bring out the child in you; make you laugh and enjoy them. And, NEVER, under any circumstances would I expect my dogs to go anywhere near an elephant. They’d think Mom had lost her mind.!
Presley was the right choice. And, the judges did nothing but criticize him as well. He’s a young dog with lots of energy and a healthy bond with Travis. They were really way out of their league as far as training when they first started the show, but look at them now!
As for watching possible future shows…it just depends.
CONGRATULATIONS TRAVIS & PRESLEY!! We are THRILLED for you. At least the judges finally got something halfway right. The other final team should have been JD and Galaxy. Again, the judges barked at JD about his training. Perhaps the only way they train is with food reward, Victoria used food with Presley for leave it. It works, but would have worked just as well with play reward. There are lots of cases where food reward is not appropriate; police K-9’s for one(bad guys would carry a food pouch with them) Just because Galaxy is a mixed breed doesn’t disqualify her for this competition. The show was Greatest American Dog, not Greatest American Purebred. My 2 boys are mixed breeds who are smart, loving and devoted companions. And they certainly don’t get bathed once a month; their coats are short, they do not have doggy odor and they don’t have itchy skin from overwashing. They are also independent and I am able to leave the room without them following me every step I take. And, what was the licking Laurie’s arm about. My guys give kisses but they are not obssessive with it. As well as mixed breeds, I’ve had Pugs(I lost my 17 and a half year old in May) Belgian Malinois, Labs, GSD’s. I grew up with a Fox Terrier and I’ve never seen any of them exhibit the kind of behavior Andrew does. Laurie’s attitude seems to be one of she’s right and everyone else is wrong. I never once saw her smile when she talked about Andrew. In fact, I can’t recall her laughing at any time. All I have to do is think about my 2 boys and it makes me smile. I don’t doubt that she loves Andrew but she doesn’t show it the way Travis, Bill, JD or the others do. Your dogs should bring out the child in you; make you laugh and enjoy them. And, NEVER, under any circumstances would I expect my dogs to go anywhere near an elephant. They’d think Mom had lost her mind.!
Presley was the right choice. And, the judges did nothing but criticize him as well. He’s a young dog with lots of energy, personality plus, great athletic ability, and loves to please. They were really way out of their league as far as training when they first started the show, but look at them now!
As for watching possible future shows…it just depends.
Congrats to Travis and Presley! What a cute pair!
Not the Greatest American Dog though. That honor should have gone to JD and Galaxy. Unfortunatly this became a popularity contest and JD didn’t make the cut.
Congrats Presley and Travis! Kudos Andrew and Laurie. Scratchies and goodies for EveryPup,You All Rock!. The judges have Got to go!! Bathing requirements?SA?Elephants? Enjoy your time away from the show puppers just being a loved dog.
Galaxy got robbed. Maybe it was the way they edited the show, because Galaxy and JD were not even tested. It appeared the judge, Victoria, decided to eliminate him without a trial. This show went from being the best show on TV, albeit, there is nothing on during the late summer, to being the worst. I am confused as to why the other judges did not speak up for fear Victoria would yell at them. Great show, ending in a disaster of corruption and an unfair process. They should have let the public vote.
If you tally the number of times a team was placed in the bottom 3, Travis/Presley had the highest number. If you tally the number of times a team won the Best in Show Challenge wins, JD & Galaxy had the highest number. You do the math.
I have been a boxer owner for the past 3 years….I Congratulate Travis and Presley and applaud their hard work. They deserved to win!!!!
Boxers have the most wonderful personality, great temperment and loving personalities. They can also be a little stubborn but that is what makes them so much fun to me.
After having my son, I was so scared of bringing him home to my 50 pound boxer…It took about all of 3 sconds for the dog to realize the baby was here to stay and she respected him immediately…She always let me know when my son was crying by running up to me and nudging my foot with her nose. She even loves to sleep in his room with him. Never has she shown any anger towards my son and she has always been gentle towards him.
Boxers are such wonderful pets for children and adults! My boxer definitely brings out kid in me!! Can’t wait for next season!!!!
Judges and you “YUPPY PET PEOPLE” just make me want to hurl….
JD “EXCELLENT HANDLING!” Your #1 period.
SO glad JD and Galaxy got the boot… should have happened a long time ago. How nauseating it was, the way he left, rude and arrogant. He never learned a thing the whole time he was there. He openly admitted to thinking he didn’t have anything to learn from anyone. What an ego. He is a creep of the first degree. I feel sorry for Galaxy, as she is a really sweet dog. If JD was passing her off as “the love of his life”, then what are his other 10 dogs to him? He has a ton of dogs, and performs with them. Their relationship was clearly more a working relationship than one of deep friendship and love. That honor belonged to Laurie and Andrew, who really did have a wonderful relationship. I’m pretty glad Travis and Presley won, although I was really pulling for Andrew.
Good riddance to JD. Galaxy was a really good dog, but her owner was pretty awful. He turned a lot of people off, and it is sad that his dog had to go because he was obnoxious. I liked him at first, but after a while, he really grated on my nerves. His dog was very well trained, but she did seem a bit robotic like the male judge once pointed out. It was odd, though, the way the judges sometimes praised him and other times nailed him. Not very consistent. I speculate that at some point they realized his training techniques were outdated, and they judged accordingly. We never saw him actually train Galaxy on the show, but she did have the look of a dog who was trained with “you’ll do it because I said so” kind of methods. And then, of course, he pretty much admitted to using less-than-savory methods of training (scruff shake? Yikes!), so maybe the judges caught wind of that.
This contest wasn’t about the best trained dog, but the best American dog. What does that mean exactly? I think next time, they should outline some criteria so that the judges, and the viewers, know exactly what is being judged. Sometimes it seemed it was an obedience contest, other times a personality contest for the owners. Admittedly, some of those owners really burned any chance of winning by being weird (Bella-starlet’s Mom), or too full of themselves (JD), or just too darn excited (Brandy). A lot of the time, the focus of the competition was on the relationship between the dog and owner. Nothing wrong with that. I just think they should spell it out next time so that the judging will be more consistent.
I thought this show was okay. It had some weird challenges that did not make much sense (painting?). My biggest complaint is that the owners could never guess how they would be judged. It must have been frustrating.
I do like that the judges made one criteria clear: you have to be nice to your dog. Those who were not so nice were eliminated because of it: Elan with Kenji and all that AHH! AHH! sound; Brandy with all the shrieking and making her dog shut down; Leroy’s Mom (forgot her name) with the snarl bands and always being frustrated with him; and of course, JD, with his do-it-or-else training mentality. At least the judges were aware of humane training methods (and I don’t only mean treats — My dogs start a new behavior with treats, but once they know the behavior, they do it whether I have a cookie or not… and I don’t have to be overly “stern” or “commanding” to get them to obey, either), and recognized the value of the relationship between the dog and owner.
If the contest was only about whose dog was best trained, and if the ends always justified the means in dog training, then JD and Galaxy should have won. Thankfully, the show chose not to reward those who cannot train their dogs without being overly harsh or aggressive (if you have to FORCE your dog to do something, you must not be a very good trainer — the dog should cooperate willingly, not because he’s afraid not to). Travis and Presley won, I think, because they were nice, they learned something from the experience, and although they are great now, they have tremendous potential to be even better. I am very happy for them.
And to those who did not win? Good game! Nobody is perfect, and hopefully everyone was able to learn something from the experience (even JD, if he can open himself to learning from others rather than just thinking he already knows everything). I enjoyed the show, hope they make some improvements next time, and I’ll be looking out for next season!
Glad to see this farce is over. Sure hope they don’t try this again!
Overall I was happy that Travis and Presley won but I would have loved to see Bill and Star or JD and Galaxy win! Those teams were the ones who really exemplify what the greatest american dog is. I think that victoria stillwell (i didnt capitalize her name cause i dont have respect for her) was way too hard on JD about his method of training. the only reason he got sent home was because of her that was BS!!!!!
As for Andrew I DONT think he deserved to win because he couldnt even socialize with another dog ( how crazy is that!?!!?!?!?) So IN YOUR FACE ANDREW AND LAURIE!!!!!!!
GSD Mom, I respect your opinion but I dont think in any way was JD stuck-up OR self-absorbed. I dont think that it is bad to use that method on your dog and it wasnt fair that just because VS didnt like his training methods he got sent home!!!!! Do you think your method is effective? Well JD thinks his is and kudos to him to standing up to VS about it!!!!! Everybody trains there dog a different way so just be open to different methods. JD and Galaxy would have won if they actually had GOOD judges!!!!!!!
Hi Lindsey,
Thank you for your reply. I think everyone can and should have their own ways of doing things, so long as no one is harmed. Dogs are harmed in that sort of training, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. My German Shepherd’s breeders were heavy into that kind of training, and my GSD’s mother was just like Galaxy, fabulously obedient, but also very tense and sure to do every single thing her owners said because she was very very motivated to avoid a “correction”. She, like Galaxy, almost never relaxed and just “acted like a dog”. The official term for that behavior is Global Inhibition. The dog basically shuts down most if not all spontaneous dog behavior and mostly just responds to commands.
I am not trying to be mean to JD. I know about this kind of training because I did it too. I started with a choke collar, moved to a pinch collar. I made my Shepherd do things “because I said so” and then told him “good dog” when he was done. Like most people who don’t use actual reinforcements, I thought the dog was obeying me because I praised him. Really, he was only obeying me to avoid getting corrected.
I never truly harmed my dog in training back then, and I know not everyone does. That said, some of the things I saw done in the name of training turn my stomach. “Hanging” dogs, which is just like it sounds — on a choke/pinch collar, lift the dog up and hang him, literally. It was horrible. Worse was “helicoptering”, which had to be done by a man, because the dog was hung and then spun like a helicopter blade. I can’t tell you how horrified I was that these people would do things like this — animal abuse — and call it training. They also gave such strong leash corrections that the dogs would shriek. When I used a pinch collar, I only gave a moderate correction, enough so that he would respond reliably to the stimulus, but not ever as hard as I could. These trainers thought harder corrections were better because then the dog would take you seriously, and “respect” you. That is not respect, that’s fear. Dogs would get these monster corrections not for terrible behaviors like trying to attack someone or another dog, but because they didn’t sit fast enough, or they weren’t walking close enough at heel. Also, I saw dogs “alpha rolled”, and these dogs were terrified. Huge men slamming dogs to the ground, yelling, pinning them. Poor dogs.
My GSD’s breeders and the trainers I knew called it “putting a lot of obedience” on the dog. You ended up with a dog just like Galaxy — these dogs could do ANYTHING, and they were completely reliable and amazing to watch. The owner/trainer would put them through their paces and then say “good dog!” and you’d think WOW what a great dog and trainer, look at how connected they are! But if you saw what went on behind the scenes, you didn’t have the same view on their relationship.
My own GSD did very well in that kind of training. My breeders even tried to buy him back after getting so many compliments on him — the reason for the compliments? This working dog group that we were training with saw me working my dog, pinch collar on, nothing but “good dog” for a reward. And my dog was GOOD at it. He was tested for Shutzhund and scored off the charts. They wanted him, the breeders wanted him. Back then I did what they told me, forced my dog to do everything I said, corrected for every misstep or mistake, cuffed him under the chin or alpha rolled him when he misbehaved. I got two distinct results:
1) He was very good at obedience
2) He HATED working with me, would avoid me at training time, and was borderline afraid of me even just around the house.
I thought these things were normal parts of having a dog — all of my friends’ dogs were like this because we all trained the same.
Things changed when we were in an obedience class with a new trainer at a different facility. She introduced clicker training. I tried it, skeptically. I really could not believe the difference in my dog’s behavior over the course of that class! He shot to the top of his class, did everything off-leash, and was — and this was the most amazing part to me — so HAPPY to work with me! Training became the highlight of his day. We did not only use treats. We used the clicker and treats to train a new behavior, and then moved to toys once he knew the behavior. Suddenly I had a dog who loved training, who loved working with me, who was even BETTER at obedience than before, and who was more reliable and connected to me than I’d known was possible. Moving from punishment training to training with fun and toys and, yes, treats, changed my relationship with my dog from one of wary subservience to one filled with love and joy.
So, of course, I was a convert. I threw away my pinch collar, and my books that told me to cuff him, roll him, stare him down, etc.
All of this said, I have never actually seen JD train Galaxy, but I know his type. His rhetoric is the same as the people I used to train with, and his dog is just like those dogs. Maybe I am wrong and in private he is sweet and loving and trains with compassion and patience, but I doubt it. The “scruff shake” was a staple in my old days of dog training, and I learned it from people just like JD.
And I’m sorry you disagree that he was arrogant. It was just my opinion, and I based it on two facts — one, that he felt he knew everything already and could learn nothing from anyone there, and two, he always looked so incredulous when he did not win. That competition was about more than blind obedience, and I don’t think he understood that at all. I don’t hate the guy, and I loved his dog. Watching him just brought me back to a time when I was just like him in his training methods. Those are not my fondest memories.
As time goes on, I hope that more and more people turn away from harsh training techniques and are more like Travis and Presley, who have a fabulous relationship, work hard together, and enjoy the learning process. Presley was clearly happy to work with Travis, and that is how it should be. You can have an amazingly well trained dog, like Galaxy, by using those harsher methods, but do the ends justify the means? The fact that you can have a very well trained dog who is working for a game of tug instead of working to avoid being hurt makes it a lot harder to justify using the punishment. Unless you just like to punish dogs, and there are people who find that rewarding. Happily, I am not one of them.
It doesn’t seem to me that Galaxy was/is an abused dog from what was aired on television…this is in response to GSD Mom’s post that Galaxy was exhibiting signs of abuse.
That is a serious charge to make about JD and his training methods.
Also, what exactly is “global inhibition”? I looked it up on Wikipedia and didn’t find anything. The only thing I could make out about it from a web search is: ” Global inhibition of protein synthesis is a common response to stress conditions.” — some sort of medical term, I guess, from that description.
I still think that Galaxy should have won the title of Greatest American Dog. But I was very sorry to see Bill and Star leave in the middle as they were my favorite team…guess he and his dog couldn’t have won, though, because of ageism that exists so prevalently in American society, today.
“Glad to see this farce is over. Sure hope they don’t try this again!”
Ditto!!