Parents' Guide to

Greatest American Dog

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Competition shows off talented and pampered pups.

TV CBS Reality TV 2008
Greatest American Dog Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

RecessGymClass2
RecessGymClass2 Adult
November 25, 2016
age 17+

I remember this, it is no surprise it only lasted a couple of episodes.

I LOVE dogs, but this was just garbage. The tricks the dogs did were dumb, and did not make sense. It was just boring in general to watch. The hosts were annoying, and there was nothing good about it at ALL. Like I said, no surprise that it only lasted a couple of episodes.
The JP Show
The JP Show Adult
June 15, 2009
age 5+

Good Show

This should be like TV-Y instead of TV-PG.
See all 2 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (1 ):

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.

Talk to Your Kids 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?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: July 10, 2008
  • Cast: Jarod Miller
  • Network: CBS
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: TV-PG
  • Last updated: October 13, 2022

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