Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal

Good Dog University dog trainer Julie Cuccia teaches William Beller, 10, the proper way to walk a dog by practicing with a Rottweiler named Hercules. Cuccia is a big fan of "The Greatest American Dog": "I enjoy the different dynamics between the people and their dogs."

"The Greatest American Dog" has used a series of tasks both noble and outrageous (here, miniature Schnauzer Beacon and owner Brandy compete in the first showcase challenge) to winnow a dozen animals and their owners down to three finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday.Monty Brinton/CBS

Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal

Dogs of all breeds and sizes and their owners practice leash walking during a Good Dog University beginner obedience class at Little John's AniMall in Cordova.

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Dogs were the first animals that human beings domesticated.

The evolution of that 15,000-year record of canine loyalty and hard work, intelligence and intuition somehow has led to the competitive reality show, "The Greatest American Dog," which made its debut July 10 on CBS.

"The Greatest American Dog" joins elements of "American Idol" -- a talent contest with outspoken judges -- to "Big Brother" -- the dogs and owners live together in a large house and develop relationships that are interesting, unpredictable and sometimes contentious, at least for the people.

The last episode with canine contestants Galaxy, Presley and Andrew will be broadcast 7p.m. Wednesday.

"I love the show," said local dog trainer Julie Cuccia, of Good Dog University. "I enjoy the different dynamics between the people and their dogs. I like to see the different breeds and their learning levels, the techniques the people use and how they adapt."

"The Greatest American Dog," which began with 12 dog-and-owner couples, is down to three

pairs vying, through feats both noble and outrageous, to stay the course through next week's broadcast, to be the last dog and person standing and win $250,000. (All episodes of the show are available at cbs.com/primetime/ greatest_american_dog/).

On its debut night, "The Greatest American Dog" pulled in 9.5 million viewers, according to Nielsens ratings. On Aug. 27, viewership was 5.7 million. It's a dog-eat-dog world.

While domestic dogs are outnumbered by cats -- 82 million to 72 million, according to a census of pets issued in January by the American Veterinary Medical Association -- dogs occupy a special place in the cultural spotlight.

Recent DNA research revealed that all domestic dogs can be traced back to a common mother in East Asia about 15,000 years ago. Living in proximity to human beings for countless generations seems to have given dogs an uncanny ability to read body language, to anticipate what humans beings desire, even to empathize with their feelings, though the relationship can be fragile and frustrating.

The almost intimate connection between the dogs and owners on "The Greatest American Dog" and the expectations induced by the show's demands reflect a contemporary tendency to erase the traditional separation of humans and domestic animals into "us" and "them."

"Dogs assume a different role now than they did 50 years ago," said Dr. Nicholas Dodman, professor of animal behavior at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of a series of popular books about the relationship between dogs and humans.

"We have brought them into the house and made them part of the family, like surrogate children. Dogs apparently absorb a lot of people's attention, their concerns and worries, because they're not judgmental. People seem to think that dogs can pick up on their moods, though they may not understand every word."

Each dog selected to participate in "The Greatest American Dog" underwent a series of aptitude, social and intelligence tests, said Kirstin McMillan, official animal trainer for the show.

"We couldn't possibly predict what each dog is going to do faced with each task," she said, "but because of the testing, we felt that each dog had the intelligence and drive to complete the task, though it's up to the owners to help the dogs through them."

Some dogs will fail, of course, "but we really wanted to set up the animals for success, especially working with the bond between the dogs and the owners," said McMillan.

The tensions that may exist between owner and dog or the bad behavior that dogs indulge in can usually be traced not to the dog but to the owner. Occasionally on "The Greatest American Dog," owners have emotional meltdowns in front of the judging panel when their dogs don't perform. Who can forget, in Episode 8, Beth Joy tearfully promising Bella Starlet a ride in the car if the little dog could just find her way through the maze?

"The majority of dog problems are people problems," said Dodman. "Some problems may originate inside the dog because of inbreeding or the abnormal specimens of small dogs, and some dogs are noted for aggression or anxiety, but these are only about 5 percent. In most cases, people have absolutely no idea of how to operate a dog."

Besides agility and intelligence tests, the dogs and owners on "The Greatest American Dog" collaborate on such tasks as creating a work of art that reflects the nature of their relationship or performing a dance together in a particular style, in costume, of course.

"Dancing and making art, those are tests for the owners," said Cuccia. "They have nothing to do with the dog's skills and everything with the people getting a dog to do something, like making little paint brushes for the dog's feet. They have nothing to do with a dog's intelligence."

The high sense of expectation that people sometimes focus on their dogs, a factor emphasized by the competitive nature of "The Greatest American Dog," can be confusing to their pets.

"Expectations can be fine if they enhance the dog and person relationship," said Dr. Gerald Blackburn, owner of Gentle Care Animal Hospital in Raleigh, "but in the extreme they can be detrimental. Dogs have to be allowed to be dogs. They have to be allowed to do what they're bred to do. For example, for a working dog not be to allowed to exercise every day can be mentally and physically unhealthy, and that can lead to behavior problems."

When Teresa, on Episode 5, clearly displayed her anxiety and displeasure when she was dancing with Leroy, the reaction of the judges was clear: This was all about the owner.

But what about Leroy, a cute black and white border collie?

"Dogs actually do have feelings and emotions," said Dodman, "even secondary emotions like guilt and jealousy. There are things that dogs do better than we do, and one is to pick up on nuances of behavior. Do they feel humiliation? I'd say no, it's more like guilt and confusion.

"Anthropomorphically, we could say that if a dog could feel humiliation, he would."

Or, as Blackburn said, "Dogs are dogs, and humans, unfortunately, are human."

-- Fredric Koeppel: 529-2376

GREAT DOGS

We know that many dogs in the Greater Memphis area are at least as agile, as intelligent, as talented as the competitors on "The Greatest American Dog."

Sign up at focus.commercialappeal.com and share your videos and photos of your pet's best tricks. Be sure to put your photo or video in the Pets channel so we can find it.