Greatest American Dog

Review

Common Sense Media says

Competition shows off talented and pampered pups.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

AGE
5
QUALITY
 

Kids say

AGE
12
QUALITY
 

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this dog competition has none of the usual catty reality show behavior, making it age-appropriate viewing for younger audiences. But there's still a lot of excess on display: The competition takes place at a mansion, and one of the rewards is a lavish suite filled with dog toys and other items. Also, the line between spoiling a dog (as in treating it like a human being) and appropriately rewarding good behavior gets mighty fuzzy at times.

  • Positive messages3
    Clearly advocates the love of dogs and responsible pet ownership, including discipline.
  • Violence & scariness0
    One of the dogs swipes another's skateboard, but there's no biting of people or other aggressive behavior.
  • Sexy stuff0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism3
    A few brand names, including Corona beer. Plus so many dog toys and accessories that younger viewers with dogs might get the "gimmies" on the next trip to the pet store.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking3
    The competitors toast the beginning of the competition with champagne, and there's beer and wine drinking (the glasses and bottles are visible, but actual drinking isn't often seen).
CloseExpand to see more details

What's the story?

GREATEST AMERICAN DOG is basically Survivor with dogs. OK, instead of a buggy beach, everyone is camped out in a luxury mansion -- except for one unlucky pair that will get stuck in the Dog House each week (a nice but small cabin that only a New Yorker would call roughing it). But it's still your standard competition show with folks trying to prove something -- in this case that they've got great dogs -- while vying for money by engaging in a variety of stunts that should show off their dogs' skills but mostly just look silly.

Is it any good?

 

As these kinds of shows go, this ain't bad. The competing dogs make up for a lot -- especially the skateboarding bull dog, Tillman. Even the foo-foo doggies have more to show for themselves than mere cuteness. But the owners will probably make you nuts -- seriously, matching shoes for a dog?! A Bark-Mitzvah?! In fact, the dogs that generally do the best are the ones whose owners remember that these are dogs. And certainly the dogs are the best reason to watch the show. Actually, they're the only reason to watch the show.

Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about why competition shows seem to follow the same format: competitors living together, elimination, three judges, big cash prizes. Ask kids why they think people go on these kinds of shows and what they think the producers are doing to make the competition seem more intense than it is. Also, who's your favorite dog? Do you think he or she will win?

This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
Kid, 13 years old
September 13, 2010
AGE
7
 
i LoVE ThiS shoW
I LOVE THIS SHOW,i hope they make Greatest American Dog 2.And i miss it so much.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (4) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
May 25, 2010
AGE
16
 
Admits all ages
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
May 25, 2010
AGE
16
 
Admits all ages
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
May 25, 2010
AGE
16
 
Admits all ages
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (3)
Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
I hope they don't pull this show
Thursday nights on CBS are now home for a wholesome reality show all about dogs. There's nothing highly objectionable in the show, except for drinking. Watch out for commercials for CBS shows which may not be suitable for children. This may be the cause of the TV-PG L rating. I personally didn't see any language in the show itself. I would've rated the show TV-PG for the brief drinking scenes and objectionable commercials for CBS shows.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
June 15, 2009
AGE
5
 
Good Show
This should be like TV-Y instead of TV-PG.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (3) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (1)
Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
Change the channel
I was really looking forward to this show, but it's just another abysmal reality show. The "tricks" were stupid; the owners, for the most part, vapid; and the judges awful. The pets were cute, though I think pet clothing and hair dying are silly. I'd rather see dogs doing things they enjoy, things like chasing Frisbees, fetching, swimming, and even skateboarding. Similar dogs should compete against one another. This show is a complete waste of time and will hopefully disappear after this season, if not before. Too bad.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (3) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
May 20, 2010
AGE
9
 
Rated TV-Y7-FV for fantasy violence
CHILDREN UNDER 11 MAY NOT SEE THIS SHOW THE WORD (B*TT) IS USED.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
May 20, 2010
AGE
9
 
Rated TV-Y7-FV for fantasy violence
CHILDREN UNDER 11 MAY NOT SEE THIS SHOW THE WORD (B*TT) IS USED.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
May 20, 2010
AGE
9
 
Rated TV-Y7-FV for fantasy violence
CHILDREN UNDER 11 MAY NOT SEE THIS SHOW THE WORD (B*TT) IS USED.
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide (2) | Had useful details (2) | Read my mind (2)
Flag as inappropriate 
See all user reviews
This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
TV rating:TV-PG
Network:CBS
Cast:Jarod Miller
Genre:Reality TV
This review was written by Anne Louise Bannon
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

For kids who love
Browse more TV
 

vote now

Will you see Greatest American Dog?

Won't miss it
We'll try
Change it

Already seen it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 
More from Common Sense Media
Age-appropriate reviews
Top advice and articles

Been There? Tell us about it