Expect variety in bark and breed in TV's 'American Dog'

So far, reality shows might have tested every vital skill.

We've seen people sing, dance, act, fight and cook. We've seen them design clothes and hair and rooms. We've seen them model clothes, eat bugs, lose weight, merely survive.

Is there anything left• Definitely. Until now, most of this has been confined to humans.

Welcome to CBS' new "Greatest American Dog," with challenges for dogs and their people. "It becomes more driven, intense and funny than you can imagine," insists R.J. Cutler, the producer.

Like many people, his relationship with dogs is at a distance. He fondly recalls a cocker spaniel from his boyhood.

Jarod Miller, the show's host, recalls his golden retriever. "He was as wiry as I was. That dog was crazy."

For Miller, that dog was part of the crowd. There were always animals around him. "When I was 3 or 4 years out, I was able to stand there and deer would feed out of my hand," he says. "What I wanted to do was have a zoo."

At 25, he ran the Binghamton Zoo in New York. He didn't have time for that, though; now he's too busy with projects like "Greatest American Dog," which assembles a dozen dogs and their owners.

The people vary sharply. There's a doctor, a bartender, a construction manager, a fashion designer and more. Their dogs vary in:

= Size. "There's a giant schnauzer and there's a Pomeranian and a Maltese," Miller says.

= Breeding. Some are pure bred; Bella Starlet mixes Chihuahua, Shih-Tzu, Labrador retriever, Pomeranian and more.

= Age: Bella Starlet is 10 and Galaxy is 9; some are only 1. "You can see their excitement and puppy-ness," Miller says.

= Beauty. There are cuddly lap dogs; there's also a boxer and a bulldog. These mismatched dogs and people are thrown into one house, then given challenges. "In some cases, they don't have any time to prepare," Cutler says. "They just do it."

This clicked with him instantly, he says. "CBS had the idea to do a reality show with dogs. I thought it was an awesome idea."

Many of his shows have been far more serious. They've included "The War Room," "American High," "Black, White" and the current "30 Days." Now comes a detour.

For Miller, however, "Greatest American Dog" fits neatly.

He grew up in western New York State, including Boston, N.Y. (Yes, the name creates confusion during baseball season.) Mostly, he studied animals. "I lived in the library, and I lived in the woods."

He raised ducks, chickens, dogs and more. When asked in second grade to name his favorite animal, he submitted a three-page list of 200-species.

"I drove my parents nuts," Miller recalls. "I'd talk about the difference between an Asian elephant and an African elephant."

By 14 or so, he was doing local TV. Soon, that went national. He's had more than 100 appearances on other shows -- Leno, Kimmel, Conan, Regis, etc. -- and has his own, syndicated "Animal Exploration With Jarod Miller."

Most animal shows are in fringe time, but "Greatest American Dog" borrows the "Survivor" slot. "We're on one of the best time slots, on one of the best networks," Miller says.

On "Survivor," the animals don't have a chance. Now they get the spotlight. "People just love dogs," Miller says; "This is going to be a big success."

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'Greatest American Dog'

Premiere: 8 p.m. Thursday, CBS