Checking in with
When it comes to animals, Curt Menefee certainly walks the walk.
Not only is he host of two-animal centric shows, “America’s Top Dog” and “An Animal Saved My Life,” both airing Tuesdays on A&E Network, he’s a lifelong dog owner. Currently, he and his wife Viollette have two rescues – a 10-year-old Labrador retriever/German shepherd mix named Abby and a six-year-old French bulldog/Corgi mix named Toby.
“We love it,” Menefee, also a commentator for Fox Sports, says, “and that’s all I’ve ever done and all I will ever do.”
And as any dog owner knows, dogs don’t exactly do what their owners or trainers want them to do. Be it not performing a trick before party guests after doing it hundreds of times in private or just not coming when called, the canine memory can be unpredictable.
Menefee has seen it in a few times on “America’s Top Dog,” especially on the obstacle course. Dogs will run it perfectly on the practice run but when the cameras are on and the clock is running, not so much.
“You get to that one moment,” Menefee explains, “and all of a sudden for whatever reason, the dog decides, ‘Eh, I’m not doing this tonight’ or ‘I don’t want to do it’ or ‘You’ve really got to coax me.’ ... And I think sometimes we take it for granted with our own dogs ... (when) we say, ‘Hey, sit.’ Really, we’re speaking two different languages. And there’s a non-verbal communication that goes on (between the dog and their human handler) that you really see on display when they’re running a course and a clock is going and there’s time and there’s pressure.”
Name: Curt Menefee
Birth date: July 22, 1965
Birthplace: Atlanta
Family ties: He and wife Viollette reside in Los Angeles
Education: Has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Coe College in Iowa; currently pursuing a master’s in public policy and administration at Northwestern University in Chicago
TV credits include: “NFL on Fox,” “Fox NFL Sunday,” “UFC on Fox,” “Hello Goodbye”
Author credit: “Losing Isn’t Everything: The Untold Stories and Hidden Lessons Behind the Toughest Losses in Sports History,” published in 2016
Favorite book: “One of my favorite books is a book I wrote called ‘Losing Isn’t Everything.’ So (laughs) that came out in 2016 and so I would say that would be my favorite one overall.”
Favorite movie: “My two favorite movies are ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles.’ ”
Favorite musical artists: “All-time favorite is Stevie Ray Vaughan . ... I think he was the greatest guitarist of my lifetime . ... But I listen to everything. I’m a big Hendrix fan because of the same reason. I’m into the Foo Fighters right now. I love Sturgill Simpson. He’s a big country music guy right now who’s really at the top of my list. I’ve always been a Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls fan. Prince . ... I’ve been to 2324 Springsteen shows.”