WILLIAMS: What makes a great dog?

Some of you may have gotten the opportunity to watch the CBS reality show this summer, “Greatest American Dog,” which I had the pleasure of participating in with my dog Andrew.

It was a reality show where twelve pairs of owners and their dogs competed in weekly challenges that eliminated pairs and ultimately chose a winner. The challenges ranged from agility-type obstacles courses, to dogs dancing, painting and even running under elephants! But do any of those tests really show what a “great dog” is? Is there any one test that can determine something as objective as that? Is greatness even definable or measurable? I’m not so sure.

What’s great to one person may not be to another, and vice versa. For some, a great dog is one that can do a gazillion different tricks like ride a skateboard, play a tiny piano, fetch a beer from the fridge, or bark in different languages! For others a great dog is one that is truly a good canine citizen, obedient with good manners, can be taken out in public virtually anywhere and not be a nuisance, is friendly and polite toward other dogs and strangers, even the mailman. Many consider a dog that has achieved competitive sports titles, scales walls, climbs ladders, retrieves dumbbells and flies through weave poles as great. And let’s not forget about the dogs that actually have “jobs” and assist mankind by performing duties such as police dogs, service dogs, therapy dogs, and search and rescue. There are dogs trained to detect cancer cells and alert their owners of impending seizures. Those are inarguably incredible feats. But even still, what about the dog that happily greets his owner at the door after a really bad day at work? Sure the dog may be obnoxiously jumping on the owner while doing so, but he is also giving that unconditional love and approval when it’s needed the most. Just try and tell that owner he doesn’t have the greatest dog in the world! Right now as you’re reading this, is there a dog curled up by your feet? If so, come on, that’s a great dog, right?

Well I happen to think that most dogs start out with the potential for greatness on different levels. After all, they were bred to be our great companions, assistants and friends. Unfortunately we, the humans, often get in the way of a dog’s greatness by not fostering that potential. We often do this inadvertently by assuming a dog will just fall into greatness without any help and guidance on our part. As a dog trainer one of the things I often hear sentiments from many new dog owners such as “I don’t know what’s wrong with Cody. Our first dog Rex was just perfect. He did everything right and never needed any training.” Sometimes I believe them, there is that one in a thousand dog (like that rare child prodigy) that just is nearly perfect without any intervention. But most times I figure the new owners are likely suffering from selective memory, especially if many years passed. They’ve forgotten about the potty accidents, the chewed up carpeting and the creative landscaping Rex decided to do with their vegetable garden! My job is to convince them that just like human children, dogs are all different and each has a unique capacity to learn.

So for me, no, the greatness of a dog cannot be measured by anyone else but his own human(s), and for an outsider to attempt to do so (or a panel of judges) is pretty ludicrous. That said, the responsibility lies with each and every one of us to lead our dog to greatness. And the best part is the process can be well worth it. Yes, educating Cody could (and should) indeed be one of the most rewarding, bonding and fun experiences you could ever have.

Laurie Williams is the owner of Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center in Stafford. The facility offers activities, training, daycare and fitness for dogs. Readers with questions for Laurie may send them to info@staffordcountysun.com. You may see them published in a future column. Please consult your pet’s veterinarian for medical pet-related questions.