Dancing With the Stars is officially done on the 2025 TV schedule, with America choosing Robert Irwin and Witney Carson as the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy recipients for Season 34. Among the finalists were Dylan Efron, who was given some brutal strategy ideas from pal and Survivor favorite Boston Rob. But the strategy wasn’t the only thing that was brutal about DWTS for Efron, as I just found out he had to give his dog to someone so he could focus.
Training for DWTS is pretty intense, and recent competitor Danielle Fishel had the bruises to prove it. Efron even broke his nose at one point closer to the end of the season, entirely because rehearsals were so tough. But that’s not even the full picture. While speaking to US Weekly, The Traitors winner shared how he’s been getting his life back to normal post-DWTS, and this even includes getting his dog back, which is as surprising as ever:
It’s been fun. I’m getting back to my older routine. I definitely miss it, but my body’s still beat up. I’m getting back to surfing and I got my dog back, so it’s nice to feel normal again.
I knew that Dancing With the Stars training was tough, but the fact that Efron had to literally hand his dog off to someone else, likely so he could focus, is pretty insane. Since he lives in Los Angeles, where DWTS is filmed, location was not an issue. It’s likely so he can put all his focus on the show and make sure that his dog had the proper love, attention, and care that he wouldn’t be able to give it since he’d have to eat, breathe, and sleep DWTS. It just really gives more perspective on how intense the show truly is.
During Dancing With the Stars, Efron gave fans a look at what the first day of learning a new dance is like, and partner Daniella Karagach was really putting him through the wringer. That being said, all that training eventually paid off since they made it to the finals and finished in fourth place. But knowing the extra mile that he went for it truly makes it all worth it.
Meanwhile, Andy Richter didn’t hold back on his own DWTS training experience. He previously shared how it “wasn’t just exercise, it was borderline abuse,” revealing that he would have to ice his knee and get injections just to be able to keep going. Of course, even amid the abuse, he was still able to film funny TikToks, but especially for someone his age, the training can certainly take a toll on the body.
Even though it’s always exciting when a new season of Dancing With the Stars rolls around, it must be nice for the pros and celebrities every year to be able to somewhat get back to a normal routine when it all ends. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Efron were to stay away from reality competitions for the time being, so he can be with his pup.
