An Interview with Greatest American Dog’s Brandy and- Beacon

“She Basically Sat Down and Said, ‘I’m Done’” – by Kari Kennedy -- 08/08/2008 - RealityNewsOnline


Brandy took her knocks from the judges on Greatest American Dog a few times and she had a high-pitched squeal that could break eardrums. What did she have to say about those judges and the reactions they gave her about the little doggy socks on Beacon? And what the heck was going on with the odd triangle between Travis, Laura, and her? Read on for all the details!

I was struggling last night with what questions to ask Brandy, but once we the conversation started, she made it feel as if we've known each other for ages. What I got was a sweet girl who just downright loves her dog. She was just a doll. As you can imagine she was full of energy, and believe me, it was hard keeping up with her as she talked about both Beacon and her upcoming wedding.

RealityNewsOnline: Thanks for taking a few minutes to chat for the RNO readers, Brandy. Is Beacon glad to be home again?

Brandy: She's so glad to be home. We both missed my fiancé so much! She turned back into a normal little dog when she got home. She's a daddy's girl, so that was part of the problem.

RNO: Are you getting excited about your upcoming wedding? And are you really having Beacon in it?

Brandy: I got the dress and the colors picked out. I am looking to get Beacon fitted for her part. She'll be the little flower girl. We'll tie flowers on the back of her dress and that's where the rings will be tied. She'll sort of be combining the roles of flower girl and ring bearer. She's our everything and our little beacon of light! We're looking for fabric now and may have to have her dress done separately depending on how crazy busy we'll be in getting the wedding planned.

RNO: How did you girls get onto the show? Did you audition or were you contacted?

Brandy: [Beacon and I] were bumblebees for Halloween last year. I am on Dogster and got an e-mail from them saying that we should try out for the show. I sent in the picture and asked if I should fill out an application. Within minutes, they wrote back and told me to send one in. It took a while to get on with the audition process. I think they saw the picture; she was so cute it caught their attention. They probably thought I am a psycho dog dresser.

RNO: How did you prepare yourself and Beacon for the show?

Brandy: She really is still a puppy at only 18 months old [same as Presley the Boxer]. She did a basic training class for walking, heeling, and the basic tricks. Then coming closer to the show, I got her into a Mommy and Me agility class so she did the chutes, hurdles, tires, and stuff like that. There was a lot of training after I'd get home from work. I just wanted her to be the smartest dog around. I proved to them that she was smart when we got to the show. I knew she had it in her. I was kind of surprised to be on the show, but in my mind, she's the greatest American dog already.

RNO: How was it in the house with all those people? What is one of your favorite memories?

Brandy: Wow! It was when Travis and I won the Dog Bone Suite. I didn't think I'd win anything by myself with some of the others being trainers. When I paired up with Travis, he was like a long-lost brother. I knew we could win. Winning and seeing Beacon's pictures on the wall and her toys, you could see how excited I was! I was so proud of her and it was the best thing ever.

RNO: So, speaking of Travis, we'd love the scoop on Travis and Laura. What was going on with them during the taping? Were they just ignoring everyone as they were cooking together a few episodes ago?

Brandy: (laughing) Laura and I had a short lasting rift between us early on. Travis was my friend and he couldn't talk about her. We'd made a pact. It wasn't jealously, but she was someone who was our enemy. Then I'd see him talking to her. Travis and I had fun hanging out together in a brother-sister sort of way. We have the same Midwest/Southern beliefs and grew up the same way. We had a good connection instantly. He just wasn't supposed to get caught up with a girl from LA! We're all fine now, though, and laughing about it.

RNO: How hard were these obstacle courses? Beacon seemed to do well with the first one a few episodes ago, but this week the balance beam looked particularly difficult for the dogs.

Brandy: The part with the obstacle course was fun, but it was timed. If your team lost, one of us was going home for sure, but we didn't know how that would be judged in the end. The only problem that day was that it was really hot outside. Production did a great job of keeping the dogs cool, but heat and timing was an issue. It was fun and exciting, and we enjoyed working as teams. [This week] was the first truly individual competition when we danced with the dogs, so the teams were broken apart.

RNO: What do you think happened that Beacon was so unresponsive to you this week?

Brandy: Beacon wanted to go home. I was so worried each competition. I had a mother's joy but she wasn't happy. She could tell I was stressed by not being close to family and my fiancé. She sensed that. [This week] was the end for us. I knew it and that's why I was crying. I wasn't ready to go home, but she obviously was. She didn't know there was money involved, either (laughing). She basically sat down and said, ‘I'm done.’ I didn't want to push her more and we got sent packing.

RNO: In the second episode, the judges chastise Beth Joy for dressing up her dog for dinner. Last night, most of the dogs were dressed up for the dance competition. You went as far as putting shoes on Beacon. Did you think they might say something about that?

Brandy: What they didn't show is that Beacon had an infection on three of her feet and had to wear little booties to protect them. She actually had a tutu on as well but Beacon wouldn't move in the costume so I took it off. The judges actually wanted them to wear costumes this week. I was excited when she did move during the dance. Her foot probably was a factor in her not wanting to move much.

RNO: Did you think that Judge Wendy's dismissal of you was a little harsh?

Brandy: I just don't care what the judges say. Allen was sort of nice, but the other two… jeez!

RNO: Did you get any good advice from the judges?

Brandy: Not really. They totally went off on me. I'm not an animal abuser like the one judge was saying I was back in the beginning. My trainer told me to tap her butt to help her sit. They said it was inhumane, blah, blah! Whatever! The judges are there for some reason, though I'm not sure if it's for the drama or if they're educated.

RNO: Who were you closest to in the house?

Brandy: Definitely Travis. JD is a really cool guy, too. He's really funny. He likes to rap a lot. He's kind of like me where they take a nice guy and give them a bad rap.

RNO: How did you think your edit went on the show? Were you surprised with anything you saw in yourself?

Brandy: People think I'm crazy and I laughed at myself on the show. They made me look like a snobby brat, but that's how I really am. It's hilarious. I never know I could be seen that way. It's weird, but the show is all about the dogs and Beacon. To see her perform and do what she was supposed to was what made it all good.

I think that they made the good guys look bad and the bad guys look good. (RNO pressed to ask who was bad she answered.) Laurie is definitely one of the bad guys. And there are others coming up. They have good editing the whole way.

RNO: What's next for you and Beacon?

Brandy: Tomorrow Beacon has an interview with an agent to see if she's movie-worthy. I think it'll be short times on the sets so she'll do better than being sequestered with a bunch of people she doesn't know. I want to get Beacon out there like a mother with a movie-star child. She has a long life ahead of her since she's so young.

We also have the wedding coming up in nine months so we have all that to look forward to as well. I'll still be designing new clothes and create a clothing line on my website www.brandyyant.com.

RNO: Anything else you want to tell the viewers of Greatest American Dog about your experience?

Brandy: It was a very eye-opening experience and TV is not all it's cracked up to be. You work hard and it's not all glitz and glamour. It's not as pretty as it seems. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it's good to have a regular job again with insurance and benefits. It takes a lot out of you, but overall it was a good experience.

RNO: Good luck with your upcoming wedding and your business. We'll be looking for you in the future!

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