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I had the opportunity to meet Texan Bill McFarlan and Star, contestants in CBS’s new summer reality series Greatest American Dog on Thursday.
In Greatest American Dog, the 12 teams of dogs and owners from across the nation consist of “pageant dogs” to those simply trained at home. In the series, the teams live together and compete against each other in challenges that put the owners’ ability to train their dogs to the test.
Each week, the judges eliminate one dog and their owner. The last remaining team will walk away with a $250,000 cash prize and the title of Greatest American Dog.
Star, an 8-year-old Brittany spaniel, is just about the cutest thing ever. Not only is she super sweet, but she seems to have her own unique personality that just makes her a special dog.
Doing a few dog tricks for us, Star really showed her stuff, but it was stories about her first few “tricks” that had those who had the opportunity to meet them in stitches.
It seems one of Star’s first tricks was learning how to push the buttons on the truck to get the windows to go down. Unfortunately, she then learned to lock Bill out of the truck as well. You’ve got to read Star’s story to the get the full scoop.
Of course, Star also is a hero. About a year and a half ago, she alerted Bill when his wife, Sherrie, went into diabetic shock from her blood sugar being too low.
As Bill learned about Star’s aptitude for learning over time, he describes it as “turning a light on and trying to figure out the switches.”
Filling out a 62-page application, going through several-hour-long interviews and psychological tests before he made it to the show, Bill said the show has been a good experience. They are the only duo from Texas.
“It’s great to be in the final 12 of all of the people who auditioned,” Bill said. “I consider myself a backyard trainer. Basically, see what you can do if you spend 10 to 15 minutes a day with your dog.”
The show’s appeal to families was one reason Bill decided to participate in the show.
“I didn’t want to go on the show to embarrass myself, or my kids, grandkids or people I know. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t a family show and I was very strict about that,” Bill said.
New episodes of Greatest American Dog are aired at 7 p.m. CST on Thursdays on CBS. The third episode aired Thursday night (July 24).
Want to know more about Bill and Star? Visit them online at Billandstar.com
Photo credit: Mary Rainwater/Palestine Herald-Press (Bill and Star visit BARC, The Humane Society in Palestine, Texas).
Tags: greatest american dog, bill mcfarlan, bill and star, billandstar.com, cbs, summer television, summer tv, reality shows, texas
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