The b!tches of Canine Academy tell…
Reality show dogs pay visit to Stafford
 Laurie Williams, holding her dog, Andrew, talks with Micheal Faulk during the benefit event yesterday in Stafford. |
Stars from CBS reality show “Greatest American Dog” shine in Stafford
Date published: 8/25/2008
By PAMELA GOULD
DOZENS of paw-parazzi descended on Stafford County yesterday, eager to capture three of this season’s stars of what some local viewers called a doggone good family show.
Andrew reveled in the high-pitched screams.
Leroy twisted off his necktie to bask in the spotlight.
And Preston paraded through the crowd, charming onlookers as only a true Casanova can.
Their handlers–or moms, as some referred to themselves–required little coaxing to give up the scoop on life inside CBS’ “Greatest American Dog.”
And the crowd, numbering more than 100 and having traveled from as far away as Richmond, lapped it up like a dog at a water bowl after a long, summer run.
Three dog-person teams from the reality show, “Greatest American Dog,” traveled to Pup ‘N Iron yesterday for a benefit for Friends Fur Life Pet Sanctuary. Owner Laurie Williams and her Maltese, Andrew, Teresa Hanula of Fairfax and her border collie, Leroy, and Laura Nativo of Los Angeles and her Pomeranian, Preston Casanova, provided insights from their time on the show. Episode 8 airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. Nativo and Preston were eliminated in episode 6. If you don’t know Travis from Brandy and Beth Joy from Bella Starlet, you can catch all the episodes on cbs.com
Prep time for each contest?
Laurie: A day or two tops. “It was exhausting.”What doesn’t air?
Laura: “What you don’t see is how good of friends Laurie and Teresa and I were because we were so boring.” Teresa: “They didn’t show all the advice Laurie gave. It’s a contest for a quarter-million dollars. She didn’t have to do that.”What the show’s producers sought?
Laura: “I think they all wanted ‘Big Brother’ on a leash.”
Romances with Travis?
Laurie: I warned Brandy against getting chummy with Travis on national TV when she had a fiance at home.
Laura: “Travis and I? They made it like this romance, but I barely talked to him [during the show]. Now we’re real close, which is funny.”
On Bill, the Texan who wept because he missed his wife?
Laura: “Every night, he would write his wife a love letter. I would tell him: ‘Hey, Bill, I need to find a guy like you, only 30 years younger.’” Teresa: “I lost my grandfather about a week before the program started. He reminded me of my grandfather. I want to adopt him.”On getting eliminated?
Laura: “We were happy to be gone. We were about to drop out of the ‘Canine Academy.’”
The contestant they were happiest to see eliminated?
Teresa: “It had to be Beth Joy and Bella Starlet, paws down, really because she respected people in the house least.” Laura: “Beth Joy. I don’t even think she should have been in the competition.” Laurie: “I would say my goal was to outlast Brandy and Beacon and Beth Joy. That was our goal, just on principle. Once that was done, I said, ‘Ahhhh.’”(Beth Joy cried in nearly every episode and was chastised for dressing Bella Starlet in outfits.)
On the judges–Wendy Diamond, a dog rescue advocate, Victoria Stilwell, who stars in “It’s me or the dog,” and Allan Reznik, editor-at-large of Dog Fancy and Dog World magazines.
Teresa: “Unbelievable is the best word I can use. My mother taught me, ‘If you can’t say something nice…’” Laura: “I would love Wendy and Victoria to take their best dogs against Leroy and Andrew and Preston. [Allan] was probably the only judge I have respect for and would stay in contact with.”
August 28th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
It was so much fun getting to meet you! I didn’t think it could happen, but you are even cuter in person than you are on TV!! You are so well behaved and we could not believe that you were off leash the entire time! Thank you for spending the afternoon with some of your biggest fans and for supporting such a great doggie cause
We miss watching you and your mama on Greatest American Dog, but in our eyes you will always be the greatest!! You and your mama are such a great team with such a special bond 
Take good care & best of luck!
September 1st, 2008 at 4:55 am
Laura, I just came to here to say hello ^-^ I’m ur big fan from China. It is so amazing to watch you and Preston on “The greatest American dog”every week, though it is hard for me as my English is poor. T-T You really don’t know there are so many people in China who support and love u2 and it hurts when you were sent home~! Preston,the little white lion king deserves the greatest American dog since he has been well trained and has a real bond with his gorgeous mommy.We miss you and Wish you good luck everyday~!
March 8th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Cool!!! Good point of view, loved it. Great site, congratulations.