For all the Bill & Star fans out there who have been wondering what they’ve been up to I’ve got the latest scoop.

They’ve been traveling around making people happy. Bill and Star travel the country visiting schools, civic groups, and retirement homes bringing smiles to all those who meet them.

Below Bill answers the questions that you, his fans, submitted to him. Dogster really appreciates him taking time from his busy schedule to answer them.

Rachel and the pack: How has your wife been doing?  Have you gained any fame after leaving the show?  Do people recognize you?

Bill: My wife is doing fine.  When I got back from California we bought an insulin pump that has made her diabetes so much easier to maintain.

People do recognize us, especially when I wear those orange shirts. It really thrills me to see kids when they realize that the dog they are petting is Star from TV, I get a bigger thrill than anyone.

Oh yes, we are now famous at our local Coffee Cafe in Flint. I get my coffee free there, now that’s famous.

Cynthia: Do you keep in touch with JD?

Bill: J D and I became good friends on the show, he taught me so much about Frisbee stunts. I talk to him several times a month. He has set up some practice sessions for me with some world champion Frisbee folks so that I can learn to teach Lucille my border collie. He is a really great nice guy. I hope that each of you have the chance to see what he does with 11 dogs at one time. He is amazing!!!!

Cody boxer: Who was the most fun to bunk with on the show?  Did you go back home to your same routine or has it changed since being on the show?

Bill: Most fun to bunk with was Ron and Tillman, funny funny funny!!!  Ron and I would talk over morning coffee about the show or just things, I talk or email with Ron often.

When I got home it was a Monday at 8 a.m., our plane was delayed in Los Angeles so we were really late getting home.  I slept most of the day while Star dug up most of the backyard and Tuesday I went back to work at my regular job.  My routine went back to the way it was before I left for California. In fact I did not get a day off for about 41 days.

Kenyon’s Mom: Being that Star is a dog, albeit a good dog, she has to be naughty sometimes. What has Star done that was naughty? And does she have any lovable little quirky habits that make you laugh?

Bill: Oh yes, Star has some goofiness that just makes me laugh right along with everyone else. When she knows it is dinner time Star brings her food bowl and stands there in front of me, I have to laugh at that.

And naughtiness, that’s easy, I like to go to Subway and eat lunch when I can.  If the pups are with me I get them a sugar cookie. I wrap it in a napkin and usually place on dash of my truck. If I am not watching Star will grab the cookie and eat it before I can get it back. If she eats the whole cookie I have to go back and purchase another cookie for the other two pups. The Subway folks need to have Star promoting their cookies.

Charli: The judges on the show seemed to be rather inconsistent with their expectations, at least to us viewers. On one show, you were criticized for pushing Star to keep competing in the challenge and the very next show, you were voted out after stopping when you knew Star had had enough. Did you or the other contestants feel that the judges were inconsistent?

What made you decide to try out for the competition and would you have done it if you’d known beforehand that you’d have to be away from home without contact for so long?

Bill: That is a question that I cannot answer fully due to contractual restrictions.  I thought it was based on the ‘bond’ between the handler and the dog, but what do I know?  I’m just a fat bald old guy that likes playing with dogs.

You bring up something that all dog trainers know, being consistent is the key to training.

A lady here in my area actually sent me an email about the show along with the application. Star and I had done Barney the purple Dino so I thought this would be fun to try out.  When we got our ticket to audition in California I took it as a vacation as I had not had a vacation in about 13-14 years. I thought this would be a great time I could spend with Star and relax.

I talked to my wife Sherrie about the time away. She was the one that really gave us the ‘push’ to go on a once in a lifetime adventure. We have been married 37 years and never been apart more than 4-5 days at most, so we knew it was going to be hard.

When I got back I had to reintroduce Star back into the pack. We spent about 30-45 minutes in the front yard letting the other two pups figure things out.  Star was excited to be home, I had no rules for her for several weeks, I let her be a dog and just play.

Susan: Has Star learned any new tricks since being on GAD?  What have you learned from your  appearance on GAD? Have you applied this to life after the show?

Bill: Star has learned some new tricks.  JD has a trick that Galaxy jumps on his back,  now Star does that. I also had time to teach some tricks that I had in my head but just never had time to do at home. One that we showed in our audition at CBS Star learned the night before in about 5-10 minutes, I felt very confident about it so I showed it.  She will pick up a dime and place it in a cup, since the show I now have her placing the dime in a bottle. Cool trick, but it was difficult for me to figure how to start and to get her to place the dime into a container.

I learned something that my wife told me, “Enjoy the ride.”   I had been working so hard and trying like everyone to keep the boat afloat, I had forgotten to enjoy the ride.   Now when we do the performance with Star, Maggie, and Lucille I sometimes step back and just soak up what is happening and how much fun this is.

Nina: Did you think some of the challenges were dangerous? My mommy says she wouldn’t have let me anywhere near that elephant..what did you think,  were you worried for Star?

Bill: That elephant did not worry me at all.  I knew Star could out run it and I knew elephants don’t eat fat bald guys. Star has been around cows, and farm animals all her life, I just figured that she would think it was a goofy looking big ( no, huge) cow with a funny thing hanging out of its face. She did fine, she never barked at Susie, only walked around it using that bird dog nose to try to understand what it was.

On a positive note, I may get in trouble with CBS about this, but later that day we were allowed to go out and let our dogs meet the elephant. Star and I walked around Susie in circles till I saw Star was not interested in the elephant. I then walked up to Susie and Star lay down in the shade of her with no fear at all. So the fact is, if there is ever a pack of elephants that run down the road here in Flint, Texas I know that Star will just sit there and look at them.  She has been proofed on elephants!!!

Oreo:What was it like meeting so many dogs?

Bill: Star has never been social with other dogs.  She just leaves them alone, that is the bird dog in her. But living with so many and being able to play daily has made her more tolerant of dogs that run into her face, something most older dogs don’t like. Especially when puppies do that,  older dogs will set the pups in there place.

Jennifer: In the previews before GAD it showed Star going down the zip line but in the challenge it was made to look like she refused to go down. Can you explain what really happened with that challenge?

Bill: Sorry Jennifer, due to a contractual agreement with CBS I can’t answer that question at this time.

Jane:Other than being away from your home, what was the hardest part of being on the show?

Bill: My wife has been a diabetic for 30 years, we took this on together.  I have never missed an appointment with the diabetic doctor, not once. Over the years Sherrie has developed some eye problems.  During the week that I was so emotional was the time that Sherrie was having surgery on her eyes to keep her sight. I knew this and told no one,  when I received the phone call I asked her “how is sugar?”  This was a code that we had worked out, when she said “my sugar is fine” I knew that her sight and the surgery was successful.

Erika: Did you resent being kicked off the show because Star was tired? I thought she did an amazing job trying to impress you, but older dogs sometimes just don’t like pups. Is that how you feel?

Bill: No, I never resented being expelled from the show. What an amazing adventure we were on, and my orange dog and I had so much fun.  The friends we made in front and behind the cameras was more than we could have dreamed. What made me the proudest was that my orange dog made so many people smile, and she is still doing that.

Arwen and Amadeus: Was it harder for your wife Sherrie to monitor her blood sugar while Star was gone on the show? Do you have Star’s painting and professional photo from GAD somewhere in your house?

Bill: Sherrie monitors her sugar like all diabetics I assume, by a prick of the finger and testing the blood. Then giving a shot of insulin to bring the sugar into a normal range. Too many highs and lows are not good. The pump that we purchased after I came home has really helped Sherrie’s sugar to become more stable and changed her life.

The pump is what I would call a “drip U lator” meaning it dispenses insulin all the time, You can set it up for the desired amount of units you need per day. The pump is hooked to you 24 -7 and you have to change the injection site every three days. If you have a high at 3 am till 6 am every night you are able to set the pump to dispense more insulin during that time only. If you have a family member that has not looked into the pump have them check with a professional. Sherrie and I have been so pleased with this, I just wish I could hug that person that developed the pump. It has changed Sherrie’s life!!!!

The painting and pictures were property of CBS, we were not allowed to have any of that.

Roxy, Duke And Sheila: Like we told you when we became pals, our mommy has diabetes also. We were just wondering since you are famous now, if you would use your fame for diabetes awareness? We were thinking it would be wonderful if you walked one of the JDRF walks for a cure events, or maybe volunteered at a summer camp for kids with diabetes like Camp Conrad-Chinnock. It’s in southern California, and is great.

Bill: We do talk about the pump and about diabetes at civic groups and some in our performances. I would love to be involved with the work of the American Diabetes Association. No group has ever approached us about a camp but we would be more than happy to be there.

Jett: Now that you have left canine academy, are you more confident with Star?  Did this make you prove that your dog can do all of the challenges?

Bill: I have taught many agility classes at one of the local dog training clubs. I have worked with the obedience people there and we do the silly pet tricks for fun. After I was on the show I realized that I am a pretty good dog trainer. I have never charged a dime for any help that I have given anyone.

Star helped me so much, as she is so soft and I can not be harsh with her or she will shut down. In the classes that I have taught I always try to be upbeat and excited, this will cause the people to be excited about training.

Star, Maggie, and Lucille all have different things they are great at. I am lucky to understand that they hold the key and I just have to find the right door for that key. Meaning, Star loves people and tricks, Lucille loves agility and Frisbee, and Maggie loves to herd sheep and cows. In school some kids were good in sports, some in English, and some in math. It’s the same with dogs, some are better at different things just like kids, and finding that door is an amazing adventure.

Valerie: What were the first things you ever taught Star?  Did you come away learning anything from the other contestants?

Bill: The first trick that I ever taught Star was to hold a treat on her nose.  We all have done that, and at 10-12 weeks I thought that was so cool.  Since then Star has moved on to some really neat tricks.  JD, Teresa, and Laura all had a cool trick or two.  JD taught me the most with the Frisbee stuff and  I tried to soak it up,  Teresa showed us some cool stuff, and Laura taught us how great little dogs are.

Daisy and Cleopatra: What have been the biggest changes since the show? Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show?

Bill: The biggest change since the show is keeping up with the many emails we get on our website.

We do keep in touch with everyone by phone or email. I have said this before, everyone of those folks on the show are invited to my house for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and I mean that. I enjoyed my time with the other contestants, we all had something in common… the love for our dogs.

Barb: It seemed that the judges placed a lot of weight on the dog who showed the most growth throughout the competition. Naturally a younger dog would have the better chance of winning. Were you and the other contestants with older, more trained dogs ever told that this would be the determining factor before the competition started?

Bill: I would respond to this question with the same answer I gave Charli.  I thought it was based on the ‘bond’ between the handler and the dog.

Bill lives in Flint, TX with wife Sherri and Star’s two housemates, rescues Lucille and Maggie.  To learn more about Star and Bill, find out about their upcoming appearances, or ask a question you can stop by their site. Maybe you’ll be lucky and they’ll be coming to a town near you.

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For all you Bill and Star fans, you’ve probably been wondering what’s been going on with them since their departure from GAD.

Good news…I’m going to be doing an interview with them and catch you up on everything.

Since Dogsters loved being able to ask Laurie & Andrew, from GAD, questions when I did their interview I’m going to give you the same opportunity again.

Submit your questions today through Tuesday, November 25th and I’ll pick some to be answered in the interview.

Start thinking about what you want to ask,  this one’s for you.  Bark away!

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Laurie, from Greatest American Dog, has been kind enough to answer questions from her Dogster fans. Before I get into the questions I just wanted to fill in a little background about Laurie that you may not know.

Laurie owns and runs Pup ‘N Iron, a canine fitness and learning center located in Fredericksburg, Virgina. This 11,000 sq. ft. facility is the realization of a life long dream come true for her.

Laurie has lived in this community for over 20 years and is happy and proud to provide a safe place where people can connect with their wonderful canine companions.

She has devoted her life to the love of dogs and feels very fortunate to have enjoyed a long professional career in dog training, behavior modification and general pet care spanning over 25 years.

In addition to training and behavior counseling, Laurie has served as a professional pet groomer, veterinary technician, and has been training pet dogs, as well as breeding and showing dogs in obedience, rally and conformation for many years.

Most importantly, Laurie feels honored to have helped hundreds of people bond with and develop loving, mutually respectful and healthy relationships with their dogs for a quarter of a century.

Coco & Kim: How hard was it for you to be away from your family during the filming of Greatest American Dog? We love Andrew and you are a pawsome trainer Laurie.

Laurie: It was extremely difficult for me to be away from our family during filming. In fact, I’d say that I was likely the most homesick of all, even more so than Bill.

My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this year and he, our human son Bryan and our furkids are so very close. I was actually pretty depressed for the first few weeks and I’ll tell you, if it weren’t for having Andrew there with me I don’t know what I would have done.

Carol: What is the first thing you should teach a dog? Also can they be taught at any age?

Laurie: I think basic manners (not jumping up on people, sitting nicely for petting, not lunging and barking) is priceless and something every dog parent should teach his or her dog. You never want your dog to be a nuisance to anyone.

Secondly, every dog should come when called, should stay put when told, and should “leave it” when told to do so. These three behaviors can ultimately save a dog’s life.

And yes, you can teach old dogs new tricks, but it does take a little longer to break bad habits that have gone on a long time.

Dizzy & Harley: If you could change one thing about the competition, what would it be and why?

Laurie: If I could change one thing I would have wanted to know that they were ultimately looking for the relationship that grew the most and the most improved dog. I think most of us were led to believe that they were looking for relationships that were already deep and dogs that already were well trained.

I have a Dalmatian puppy named William who just turned 1 year old last month, and let me tell you, if I’d known they were looking for younger, less trained dogs, he would have been perfect! He is a pistol! I also would have liked to see more challenges in which the dog’s size were not a factor.

Arwen & Amadeus: In your Dogster bio it said Andrew started off with no hair and was the runt. He is one of many dogs you own. Why did you choose him to enter into the Greatest American Dog over your other fur babies?

Laurie: Again I was under the impression that they were seeking already well established and deep relationships. I’d worked the most with Andrew and my Dalmatian Tucker who recently crossed the rainbow bridge, so they were the two I considered to take to the competition.

Lisa & Lola: I was rooting for the both of you and let me tell you the outstanding job you both did. I admire the way you handle Andrew and his devotion to you was remarkable. How did you get to be on on America’s Greatest Dog? I have an amazing Sheltie and would love to be on the show any suggestions?

Laurie: I was one of the few contestants who actually just filled out and submitted the online application on cbs.com. As far as suggestions to be selected for any subsequent seasons, I’d say just be yourselves! That’s what we did!

Autumn: OMG! I was wondering, how old is Andrew? By the way, he`s adorable! How do you sign up for Greatest American dog?

Laurie: Thanks so much for your kind words! Andrew is now 6 years old. Keep watching the cbs website for any updates. We haven’t heard if they will be doing any more seasons, but if they do, I’m sure they’ll post it there.

Debbie: Laurie and Andrew, you were my favorites. How did you really feel about that challenge with the elephant and zip line?

Laurie: When you’re in a competition like this you really don’t have time to think about each challenge for too long. Actually Suzy the elephant was extremely docile, had been around dogs a lot, and to be honest, I really felt at least that challenge had a level playing field in that the dog’s size did not matter! So that was a huge plus for us!!

As far as the zip line goes, I knew Andrew wasn’t going to jump, so I was okay with it!

GSD Mom: First I’d like to say that it was a delight to see someone who was knowledgeable about dog training and using positive methods. You were very inspiring.

How different was your experience from what aired on TV? I know there is a ton of editing involved. Was what we saw as viewers representative of the actual experience?

Laurie: When watching a reality show people should always keep in mind that they take footage for almost 24 hours a day and then have to condense it down to 40 minutes an episode. That means A LOT of stuff is cut out and altered to fit a “story.”

It has to be entertaining. I guess watching people behave normally and be nice and respectful of each other is not very exciting, because that is what we were most of the time.

Valerie & Jax: We so admire your connection with Andrew. How long per day do you work with Andrew and your other dogs? Who was the toughest judge?   What suggestions would you give to multi dog owners about keeping peace within the pack? How did you come to love dogs so much?  We love you, Laurie and Andrew. You rock!

Laurie: I barely work with Andrew at all on a regular basis unless we are preparing for an obedience or rally trial. I work with my younger dogs more, maybe 20 minutes or so a day.

I wouldn’t categorize any of the judges as “tough,” per se, but confusing is a better word. I pretty much knew where Wendy Diamond was coming from at the beginning. She really was a big joker more than anything else and she was supposed to be the comic relief. As for Allan, he was the man in the middle, literally. But Victoria Stillwell was the most confusing. She made a lot of statements that for me, were in stark contrast to what is conducive to positive training.

In positive, dog-friendly methods, the whole idea of “challenging” and “pushing” a dog without being given the proper modifications and/or acclimation time is completely contraindicated. I found it very unsettling that Victoria not only expected but encouraged this from us.

In a multi-dog family, I feel there needs to be order and limits set to help the pack exist harmoniously. Humans need to always monitor interactions and know when it’s time to step in. I also think it’s important to give each dog individual time and attention so that he or she bonds with the humans as well as with his furblings.

I have loved dogs for as long as I can remember. My mother tells me that even as a toddler when riding in my stroller I would stare at every dog that came my way.

Carrie: I have been wondering if only the first place winner got a prize or if maybe the top six were given prizes or maybe the top 2 or 3. I also thought possibly all of the contestants that made it to the television show might get a prize according to how long they were on the show.

Laurie: Unfortunately there was only a prize for the ultimate winner.

A big thanks to Laurie and Andrew for taking time out of their busy schedule to answer all our questions. We also extend our deepest condolences over the loss of her beloved Dalmatian, Tucker.

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I’m happy to announce I will be doing an interview with Laurie and Andrew of Greatest American Dog fame.

I know they had a lot of  Dogster fans, so I thought it would be fun to do something a little different than the standard interview.

Rather than me coming up with questions for the 2nd place duo, I’m asking you to submit questions, then I’ll pick some to be included.

Ask anything you want, about the show or Laurie’s dog training business. Find out what Andrew really thought about sleeping in the Dog Bone suite. This is your chance to get the real scoop on the behind the scenes goings on at Greatest American Dog.

Leave your question in the comment section by Monday, October 13th if you would like a chance at being included in the interview. Bark away!

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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!!

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This week we had the four remaining teams continue on their quest to become the Greatest American Dog. The week’s theme was loyalty.

You’ll remember that at the end of last week, Galaxy had hurt herself.  The good news is that Galaxy’s injury turned out to be nothing. The following morning she woke up and stopped limping. JD took her to the vet and they gave her a clean bill of health. Awesome news!

This week’s dog bone challenge was a competition where the dog was placed on a small tree stump and told to sit or stand while their owner stood on a tree stump about 20 feet away.  The first dog to sit down or jump off was eliminated.

Teresa and Leroy won when Travis called Presley off the stump after sitting there for over 18 minutes. In the interview afterwards, Travis explained why he conceded by saying  that the challenge was about loyalty. He knew Presley wasn’t comfortable but was being loyal by staying on the stump the whole time. So to show his loyalty to Presley he called him off the stump. Kudos to Travis for doing this.

The best in show challenge was simple. Each dog was placed in a circle with their owner 10 feet away. Each of the other dog owners then had a chance to entice the dog out of the circle.

Laurie and Andrew were first. Let me tell you, Andrew is one loyal dog! With Laurie peering at him, he just sat there as the other three owners jumped around.

Next were Teresa and Leroy. Leroy wanted to chase the ‘toys’ in a bad way. That boy loves to play! It took all of Teresa’s finger pointing, tilting of the head and the constant “ahh, ahh” to keep him in the circle, but she did.

Next up were JD and Galaxy. Galaxy, being the best trained dog on the show, handled the challenge without a problem.

Finally Travis and Presley were up to try their hand. Being the most excitable of all the contestants left,this challenge was clearly the most difficult for them. After staving off the advances of Teresa and Laurie, Presley just couldn’t help bolting towards JD when called. He failed the challenge. Or did he?

The judges had to decide who to let go. The rules would make this simple, no? If the dog leaves the circle, he failed and should therefore be expelled.  Since only one dog failed to stay in the defined area, he’s the one to go. Well, not so fast my friends. The team expelled was Teresa and Leroy. Why? Because, according to the judges, when telling Leroy to stay, she did it in a most threatening way.

So the problem that has plagued the show throughout, reared it’s ugly head again tonight.  Inconsistent judging.

But is it the judges fault? I don’t think so because nobody seems to know what is being judged. Not me, not you and not the judges.

Here’s what I mean. This week’s show was supposed to be about loyalty. Frankly, it was a just a big sit/stay challenge. That’s it. What’s loyal about forcing your dog to sit or stand uncomfortably on a stump? What’s loyal about forcing your dog to stay as he/she is enticed by food, toys and/or encouragement by others? Does it show discipline? Yes. Loyalty? Maybe.

So how do you show loyalty? Personally, I’d say if my dog Bo hangs loose by my grave for more than a week after my passing, that’s loyalty. Any less time than that, and I suspect that will be the case, then I’ll know he was just in it for the treats : )

As always, I enjoy reading all of your thoughts.  Let her rip…

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You may all remember David and Elvis, the first contestants expelled from Canine Academy on CBS’ Greatest American Dog.

Well, it looks like they’re making news in the Big Apple where David threw Elvis a Bark Mitzvah party.

NEW YORK- A New York man says he is so proud of his dog that he decided to throw him a “Bark Mitzvah.”

The party resembled a birthday party or Bar Mitzvah and cost about $10,000 to throw.

The dog’s owner, David Best, describes Elvis as ” extremely handsome, he has a great personality and everyone loves him.”

Asked whether he thought the $10,000 price was too much, Best says that “you have to have a pet, a dog, to know what it is all about.”

Hey, if you got the cash I’m all for showering your pet with special things.  Of course that $10K could have helped a few rescue organizations make ends meet, but from what I saw of David on GAD, I’m sure he’s been donating to worthy causes too.

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This week’s Greatest American Dog was a study in courage, not only for the dogs but for the owners.

We started out with the dog bone challenge. The simple task for the owners was to keep their pup in a small circle as an elephant came at them. Yeah that’s right, an elephant. I got a kick out of watching little Andrew as 9,000 pounds of pachyderm decscended on him.  He never flinched, not even when the elephant picked up the banana placed in the circle. Presley was the only other dog to pass the challenge by never moving out of the circle of trust.

This lead to a showdown between Andrew and Presley. They were both put in their respective circles while their owners were forced to stand with their backs to the elephant.  The elephant was then told to charge at the group. First dog to stand up…lost.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d be too keen on having an elephant charge me from behind. Heck, I wouldn’t want one charging me from the front, either. But Laurie and Travis showed their courage. In the end the little guy Andrew, the Maltese, turned out to be the toughest of the bunch. Who’d a thunk it?

Once in the dog-bone suite, we got to see pictures of Laurie’s family and to share an emotional moment with her as she read the loving letter her husband had written her. Ahh, I love seeing the real America on TV!!

The best in show challenge this week consisted of getting the dogs, and owners, through a bit of an obstacle course. It was situated 20 feet off the ground consisting of three parts: Walking up a very steep ramp, a walk over a thin balance beam and then jumping off the platform while attached to a zip line.

JD and Galaxy were first up and knocked it out of the park. No problems at all, and in fact, watching Galaxy’s tail wagging as she was cruising down the zip line was hilarious.

Teresa and Leroy had no issues with the first two parts of the challenge, but when it was time to jump off the platform, Leroy had second thoughts. After a lot of coaxing, Leroy finally jumped.

Bill and Star were next. Bill chose the easier of the two ramps and managed to get through the first two phases without much issue. However, when it was time for Star to jump she failed to do it. I know Meatloaf says two out of three ain’t bad, but ain’t bad may not get it done tonight.

Travis and Presley were next and they managed to get through all three sections of the challenge. They did have issues with the initial sit/stay, but they performed the challenge completely.

Laurie and Andrew were the last to compete. Recipients of the leg up, training with a movie dog trainer, they tackled the challenge . I have to tell you, seeing Andrew going up that ramp was just hilarious. He was like Thomas the Train…I think I can, I think I can…as his feet just pitter pattered along. He made it up the ramp and over the narrow section of the platform without issue. When it came time to jump, our hero just wouldn’t do it.  Seeing this, Laurie cut it short and said they were done.

So who to send home. All the weak players are off the show, and I suspect this is going to get harder to do for the judges each week.

The judging came down to Bill and Star, Laurie and Andrew, and Travis and Presley. Based solely on this week’s challenge, Bill and Star were expelled. I know I was rooting for them so this is a big disappointment, but if I look at it objectively they were the poorest performers of the night.

One are of concern, Galaxy did hurt herself this week. She may have pulled or strained a muscle, but we’re not sure. Let’s all keep our paws crossed and hope she’s all better now.

I know there are a lot of disappointed Bill and Star supporters out there.  Bark away!!

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For all the  “Greatest American Dog” fans out there,  if you’ve ever wondered what Victoria Stilwell is thinking take a look at this this great interview by Christine Keith.

August 18, 2008

I spoke with trainer Victoria Stilwell about her experiences as a judge on CBS’ reality competition program, “Greatest American Dog.” My article based on this and other interviews is here.

Christie Keith: … I really like things I’ve seen you say in your writing and in your other interviews about the concept of “thinking dog.” Can you tell our readers a little bit of what that’s about?

Victoria Stilwell: Well, as a trainer I always like to get my clients, before they start training, to try and think what the world is like from a dog’s point of view.

I find so many people don’t even think about that. How is the environment that you have created around your dog affecting your dog both psychologically and physically?

I think when people take time to start thinking what must this be like from the point of view of the dog, I think they begin to understand their dogs. That’s the first key to understanding why your dog does things, why it responds to certain stimuli in certain way and what it’s thinking. We know so much more about our dogs now than we used to, from study and scientific research.

That’s why I always say it’s important to think dog. I think it makes you a better dog owner.

To read the full scoop on her thoughts on the photography competition, doggie dancing, the “infamous” snarl bands, and more hop on over to Pet Connection.

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The anticipation for this week’s Greatest American Dog ran high amongst the Hoefinger clan. I don’t know if our dogs were more excited or Lisa and I.

Why the anticipation? It was puppy week!  Let me just say, if you like to see puppies frolicking about, this week did not disappoint. If you like to see two judges go at it, then you were in luck there too.

But first, to the dog bone challenge. Two teams, randomly selected, worked together to free one of the owners in a box. Basically one dog needed to ring a bell and the other dog had to climb into a pit and dig for a release lever.

Star (and Bill) and Presley (and Travis) managed to beat Andrew (and Lori) and Galaxy (and JD) by 12 seconds, doing it in a minute and a half. The last team Leroy (and Teresa) and Bella Starlet (and Beth Joy) failed to complete the competition. Unfortunately, they still released Beth Joy from the box to continue on to the next event.  Hold the mail, I’m just kidding! Read the rest of this entry »

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