German dog's got talent

Germany, the land of Beethoven and Goethe, has voted for its most talented performer — and the winner is a dog.

More precisely, a Jack Russell terrier called Prima Donna, who satisfied millions of prime-time television viewers that she was the smartest creature in the country.


Prima Donna won the German equivalent of the television show Britain’s Got Talent by chasing her tail, walking on her hind legs and jumping through a hoop. When her owner Yvo Antoni performed some yoga-like moves the dog jumped on him. And that was it.

Prima Donna, who won just over half of the votes from nine million viewers, fought off human competition including a corpulent, balding bespectacled 41-year-old man who, with a tenor voice, was counting on the Paul Potts effect. Other competition included winsome ten-year-olds, a fireworks expert and acrobats.