Wild Things

NARRATOR: Do not attempt the techniques your about to see without consulting a professional. On this episode of The Dog Whisperer... Steven Pack: If you get too close to him and he bites, he bites hard. He bit my lip. Got two stitches. Tom Pack: I don't think we should keep him. We could lose everything. Linda: Not many dogs are like lethargic on you. Here he is, ten months old, and he's ruling my life. Ugh! You're breaking my back! Denise Richards: They each have different things that set them off, but she's the one that I worry about. She's bit a couple of people, drawn blood once with someone. So, that's a problem. NARRATOR: When good dogs go bad, there's one man who's their best friend - Cesar Millan Cesar Millan: No dog is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate dogs. I train people. I am the Dog Whisperer. Lisa Pack: This is how Chip likes to sleep Tom Pack: I think I was in love with Chip the moment I saw him. I really wanted to get him. I wasn't sure she wanted him. Lisa Pack: I didn't at first. No Tom Pack: Oh, he was a beautiful little dog. Beautiful coloring. Lisa Pack: Yeah, beautiful markings, yeah. Tom Pack: Anyway, we took Chip home. We were ecstatic. Lisa Pack: So were the kids. Natalie Pack: When we first got Chip, he was really tiny and just this little black puppy. He was so cute. I just came home from school and my parents surprised me. NARRATOR: Chip then surprised the whole family. Lisa Pack: Uh, I think he just started with, maybe, barking at people. And, um, maybe he was closer to two when he started actually being a little more aggressive and nipping. That kind of thing. Tom Pack: Chip has problems with, really, anyone that he doesn't know. Uh, period. Service people, uh Lisa Pack: Mailman. Tom Pack: He doesn't-- mail-- You know, the usual. Natalie Pack: I'm always nervous around Chip. Chip's bit me a lot. Probably, like, fifty times he's bitten me. Just like, probably yesterday, he probably bit me. I just don't even remember. Steven Pack: If you get too close to him and he bites, he bites hard. Yeah, he's going to break the skin, make you bleed. Natalie: Yeah, he draws blood Steven Pack: I was just going to pick him up and his face got too close to mine. And he bit my lip. Got two stitches, right here and right here. Tom Pack: A lot of blood. A lot of blood. I couldn't believe it, that Chip would actually attack a family member. But he did. Natalie Pack: He's just-- He's so mean. You never know when he's going to bite you. So you always have to keep your distance. He's unpredictable. Steven: It's just our neighbor, Chip. Lisa Pack: There was an incident where a neighbor of ours had a baby in a stroller. And he acted like it was a Uh, uh, a kill. Or an animal. And he was looking at it, like, really weird! Wild. Like he wanted to go over there and get it. Tom Pack: There have been a number of occasions when I've actually said, Lisa, I don't think we should keep him. I'm worried about the liability here. We could lose everything. My wife has told me on a number of occasions that I go first. Lisa Pack: I do love the dog. I have no intention of giving him up. But, I do love him. NARRATOR: Although pit bulls and Rottweilers have a reputation for vicious behavior, dog behavior expert Cesar Millan often finds that small dogs are some of the most ferocious canines that he encounters. Cesar Millan: So, he also attack family member? Lisa Pack: He does attack family members. The kids, mostly. Tom: He has done that. Lisa:He won't attack us. Cesar: He won't attack you. Lisa: And especially not me. He likes me. Cesar: Especially not you. Lisa Pack: Yeah, he likes me. Cesar: He likes you. Lisa Pack: Yes. Tom Pack: He worships her. Cesar:So,what happen to him when he makes a mistake like that What is the consequence? Natalie Pack: If he does something bad, I'm like, Okay, mom, you need to punish him. Cesar: That's right. Consequence Natalie Pack: No, no, he's my sweetheart. I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to yell at him. Always. Cesar: When you guys make a mistake, it's...? Tom Pack: Groundings. Cesar: Groundings. Lisa Pack: Privileges taken away. Cesar: So, the dog doesn't get that? Tom Pack: No. Lisa Pack: No. Tom Pack: You know what she always says, my wife? I can hear it now. Chip is the only one in this house that gives me un Tom Pack & Lisa Pack: conditional love. Cesar: You really believe that? Lisa Pack: No. Cesar: But that's what you want to believe. Lisa Pack: Yeah, right. I think-- Yeah. Cesar: What would we call that? Lisa Pack: Uh, covering up, I guess. Cesar: In denial? Lisa Pack: Denial. Okay. Cesar: Unfortunately, you know, being in denial would not allow you to see the reality. One good thing is three family members knew that Lisa wasn't practicing the leadership part of it. Cesar: So when I went to therapy for the first time, I didn't realize that I was doing a lot of this macho behavior. You know? I tell my wife was not cooking or wasn't doing all this because she was lazy and she was this. So I was seeing nothing but the wrong things. Everything was wrong about her. You see what I mean? And then the therapist said, Well, you know, you're not wrong about that. But you can also see this. And that's when my light bulb popped in. You see? Okay.. Hey, I'm one of the people who was in denial. Who, it wasn't me who needed to change. You know? It was others who needed to change. I definitely share that side of me, because that gives a window to people to see that they're not by themself. So, in your case, you only see the good things, you don't see the bad things. Lisa Pack: You know, I do see the bad things and I am aware of them. It's just how to take care of the problem. Cesar: I'm going to show you how to discipline your dog. But you have to play the role. You're going to be the coach. And, really, the homework is going to be laid on your shoulders more, right now, than for the rest of the family. Tom: So, here I thought you were going to come and change Chip. But you're going to change us. Cesar: Yes! Lisa Pack: Well, Chip will be able to follow. Cesar: And then that is the source, right, of behavior. You are the role model, you are the source. Tom Pack: Okay. Well, I'm anxious to get started. Cesar: I like that word. NARRATOR: Will Cesar need extra help to tame Chip the barbarian? NARRATOR: The Pack family's miniature pinscher Chip has been biting and showing fearsome aggression for years. They call on Cesar to bring Chip back from the brink. Cesar: Just be as normal as you normally are with him, and all that stuff. NARRATOR: First, Cesar wants to see how Chip typically acts at home. Cesar: Chip is living in a very small bubble. You know? It's just his house and Lisa. The rest of the family is not even part of his life. So the only person that he doesn't attack is Lisa. But Lisa has created a monster out of Chip. Now, notice what I'm doing right now to block him so he can give me space. Shhh! This is a challenge, okay? Don't worry about this part. Just from the fact that he's moving away-- I'm not hurting him, as you see. I'm just challenging him in his own territory. Lisa Pack: Right, right. Cesar: This is a consequence. If he misbehaves, this is what's going to happens to... So this, me putting my hand right here, close to him, lets him know that I'm not afraid of him. Lisa Pack: Right, right. Cesar: And then he shows the teeth because this is how he normally make people back away. I'm actually, every time he shows teeth, I coming forward. Lisa Pack: Coming forward. Right Cesar: So we taking domination away, right away. NARRATOR: Next, Cesar wants to determine whether Chip can behave when walking next to Sonny, one of the calm submissive dogs from Cesar's pack. Cesar: He has to learn to walk with dogs next to each other in order for him to become pack oriented. Tom Pack: I wouldn't believe that Chip could have done this in a million years. Cesar: Just relax. That's all right. NARRATOR: Without warning, Chip bites Sonny. Cesar realizes that Chip will not be able to change in just one session. Cesar: After meeting with Lisa and Tom, I felt that Chip is lacking in social skills. So he definitely fit the profile of the dogs that have to come to the center to get rehabilitation. Natalie Pack: We all want him to be changed. None of us wants the old Chip, he was horrible. Lisa Pack: He was horrible. He was horrible, yeah. NARRATOR: Seven days later, the family brings Chip for his two-week stay at Cesar's dog psychology center near downtown Los Angeles. Lisa Pack: Hey. Cesar: Hey, guys. Welcome to my house. Lisa Pack: Thank you. Thank you. Cesar: Hopefully, your energy stays the same. You guys are very calm right now, so that's really good. That puts you in a good position. Now you're going to see how I do it. First, him and I, we're going to go inside. And then you guys come with me. Okay? 'Cause I want you to experience being around the pack. Lisa Pack: Okay. Cesar: Move! Because he doesn't have the social skills, it Hey! Shh! Shhh! Lisa: Submissive. Yeah. Cesar: Relax. Shh! So he gets the maximum consequence because he bit somebody. When he just showing teeth, I'm just giving mild consequence. Shh. Which is the tug. See? That's mild consequence. But it is a consequence. And now, because he really touch somebody, he gets the maximum consequence. Lisa Pack: And that's that one where you put the- Cesar: And that's when you pin him down. Alright See? Now a dog can get near and he's not lunging as much as he was earlier. Extremely insecure, and aggressive. So he goes from insecurity to total aggression. Lisa Pack: We saw him trying to jump up on you, yes. Cesar: Yes, yes, yes. As you see, they mean no harm. Even though he attack, nobody attack him back. And that was a pit bull that he bit. NARRATOR: The Pack's are ready for Chip to get some much needed rehabilitation. Tom: You have our blessings. Lisa:Yeah.You have our blessings Cesar: Thank you. Tom Pack: Is he allowed one phone call? Cesar: Uh, yes sir. All right, ready? All right, guys. Lisa Pack: Okay. Thanks, Cesar. Cesar: See you later. Lisa Pack: I had no hesitation at all, leaving Chip with Cesar. I knew he was in good hands. You could just see, instantly, that Cesar just knows what he's doing with dogs. And he's a natural. He's a natural. Cesar: We're going to see how he does with a few dogs. When you are bringing new dog into your environment, you can't keep your eyes away from him until he totally surrender. He has not surrender yet. He's still anxious. Because he has severe anxiety, the treadmill is going to give me, today, access to remove some of that anxiety, some of that tension, some of that frustration. I'm not saying the treadmill is going to cure the problem, I'm just saying it gives you access to remove some of that toxic energy that he's been living with. If we remove some of that energy, he's going to be able to relax. Come on! Come on! NARRATOR: After the treadmill session, Cesar wants to see if Chip's behavior has improved. Cesar: Shh. There we go. That's what I want. That's all I want. Right now, he is pretty much lost. Which is good. This is part of it. It's a whole new world for him. He's moving on. Slowly. NARRATOR: For Chip, Cesar's boot camp will mean daily exercise and learning how to get along as a member of the pack. Cesar: He's, he's becoming a normal dog. You know? See here? He's moving around the pack, he's not tense around the pack. He's in it. He's in the pack. You know? When before he wanted nothing to do with any dog in his life. As you can see now, he's doing absolutely great. C'mon Chip. C'mon. There we go. Now I can give affection, now I can celebrate, you know, the way miniature pinschers celebrate, which is a lot of ***-de-*** de-***-de-***-di- ***. Jumping thing. Which, you know, now he's comfortable. Now he's a dog. He's not an issue now. Come on, Chip! That's right. That's my boy. That's my boy, Chip. NARRATOR: Will Lisa be able to pass the Chip challenge? NARRATOR: Chip an aggressive miniature pinscher has been undergoing intensive rehabilitation at Cesar's dog psychology center. After two weeks, the Pack family is anxious to see how Chip is doing. Cesar: Let's welcome the family. Hey, family. Lisa Pack: Hello. Hi. Cesar: And how are you? Cesar: You remember the rules, right? Lisa Pack: Yes, we do. Cesar: What is the rules? Lisa Pack: No looking, no touching, no-- Cesar: Eye contact. Good, good, good. Lisa Pack: No eye contact. Cesar: So, I'm going to bring your mom first. Lisa Pack: Hey, buddy Cesar: I got it. No! You made first mistake. This is Lisa's test. She can't acknowledge Chip when Chip is jumping in front of her. Most of the time, everybody wants to hug the dog and tell the dog how much they miss him. But not in boot camp rules. No touch, no talk, no eye contact is going to give access to Lisa to be seen as someone who is a leader. This energy can actually be attack. Lisa Pack: Oh, okay. Cesar: So, if these dogs were not under the control the way they are... Lisa Pack: He bit my shirt! Cesar: Yeah, there we go. Just don't acknowledge. He's now biting you because he's trying to manipulate, you know.... Lisa Pack: My attention? Cesar: --his old self. The way he's being right now is an unstable state of mind. Before you came into the picture, he was just like the rest of the pack. OkayWhat is best for Chip is a leader who loves him very much, not a lover that doesn't lead him. So now we gonna bring in the next... the rest of the family, 'cause it makes sense for him to get the family together. Come on. Just do exactly what your mom did. Just ignore. Shh! Hey! There we go. Now the whole family's here. Shhh! Hey! Right, so, the next time, I want you to practice that- Lisa: Okay Cesar: Just imitate me. Do not think, just react. Lisa Pack: Okay. Got it. Cesar: So it's- Lisa: Shh. That's right. That's good. Lisa Pack: Shh. There. Cesar: That's right. She wants to do it for you guys. See it? If you guys don't do it, they gonna do it. Lisa: Oh, isn't that something. Cesar: No, she's ready to go after him. Lisa: Oh, really? Yeah, look, look, look. Cesar: I want you guys to experience how dogs do it. They don't agree with instability. Shh. Lisa Pack: Shh. Get off Cesar: Hey. No. Lisa: Okay. Oh, submissive. Cesar: Not just submissive, because he's rolling over in front of all the dogs. So that makes him less tense by practicing such a vulnerable position. NARRATOR: Next, Lisa has to start acting like Chip's pack leader. Lisa: Oh, you're doing so good, Chip. Cesar: That's really good. He's already pulling! Bring it back, that's right. That-- Stay right there a little longer-- That's what I'm talking about. That's what I was talking about! Ilusion: Good job! Cesar: Very good. That's good. Natalie Pack: It was weird seeing my mom walking through a pack of dogs, like, in control of them all. And in control of Chip. Looks like she's like a new, like, different person, 'cause she has so much more dominance over all the dogs. Lisa Pack: I think the number one thing I'm going to work on is being more consistent. Just being consistent with the disciplining. Um, to continue with these good behaviors. Cesar: I am absolutely proud of her. I am delighted that she is showing women that they can change relationship with dog and still be in love with their dog. Right now is what I call complete. Lisa Pack: Oh. Okay. Lisa Pack: I never thought I'd have a second chance with him. Yeah, I am much happier with Chip. And it's going to be more of an incentive to exercise him. We like to walk, and it'll be more exciting now to take him. And be proud of it, of him too. Thank you very much. Cesar: Thank you. I know you will handle it. Lisa Pack: Yeah, thank you. Natalie Pack: Yeah, my mom is the new pack leader. She's not the submissive one, now. She's now the dominant one. Cesar: Keep it up. Lisa Pack: Okay, all right. Natalie: We will. Lisa: Thank you. Natalie Pack: She looked like a pack leader out there. And I'm very proud of my mom for doing this. Cesar: It's a new Chip. He's totally different. Lisa Pack: Chip feels like he's just so much more in control. And he's just going to make our lives that much easier and happier. And he seems happier. Looks like a little content dog. NARRATOR: Actress Denise Richards has appeared in more than twenty movies playing everything from a starship trooper to a James Bond girl opposite Pierce Brosnan, and even a femme-fatale in Wild Things. But at home, Denise finds herself battling daily with a different group of wild things. Denise: I have Lucy. She's six years old; she's a Boston terrier. And then there's Hank, who's a French bulldog. And then Betty is our pug. She's bit a couple people coming to my house, and she's drawn blood once with someone. So, that's a problem. All three of them could use some training, but she's the one that I worry about with people. NARRATOR: Hank tends to get aggressive with other dogs. Denise: What are you barking at? I've tried bringing, you know, different puppies in and he attacks them and is very territorial. Betty, I say she's definitely the instigator and gets everyone going. And I'm trying; I want to learn how to get them to listen to me. And when Betty and Lucy get into a fight, I can't break them up. How do I get Betty to not bark? They don't listen at all. NARRATOR: With more than forty canines living at his dog psychology center, Cesar Millan is well versed in the intricacies of pack behavior. Cesar: How are you? Denise: Good. How are you? Cesar: I'm doing great. How are you, mister? Denise: Basically the dogs run the house, they don't listen, and um, it was my fault, I treated them like kids, they're always on the furniture, they go where they want to go and that kind of thing. So it's very chaotic, and I would just like to get them to listen. Cesar: Well, all... everything that you mentioned you have to do with territorial or dominance, right. Right.So the only way we can get rid of that, is if we act dominant or territorial towards them. Denise: I have a dog walker Monday through Friday. When she comes it's pure chaos getting them all leashed up. Cesar: So even the dog walker can't have control of them, they can't...? No, she can get them leashed up and they're fine once they're on their walk. But it's getting them ready for it. The beginning of it. Yeah.Do they misbehave worse when you're around or the same? Denise: Oh, worse when I'm around. Because workers will say when I'm not there, they're fine. Betty especially, they say, Oh once you got home, she's now starting to bark at me and be a little aggressive. Cesar: The root to the problem was that she treat them like a baby, but even baby needs rules, boundaries, and limitations. I know they're little, but they understand. Is it hard for you to be firm? Denise: You know, I'm firm with her when she's going after people because I, obviously I don't want them to get bit, but she doesn't listen to me. Cesar: Yeah, you're firm when they're already doing a bad thing Right.not before. Right? Right.So a pack leader doesn't discipline, you know, once they do a bad thing, Right.he disciplines before it happens. So it's like the prevention part of things versus just reacting when things, when bad things are happening. You know. So when they are in that state, it's hard for you to block, it's like a bulldozer. Denise: Right. Cesar: My suggestion is to really ask your dogs to be more polite about things. Right. So polite to me in my world... Shh! Shh! See how she put the ears back and the brain goes into a different state. Right.I wasn't harsh when I was touching her, I was firm. Right.You know, a lot of people, they do what you do. Denise: Right. Cesar: Even though the dog was doing a thing that is dominance, they giving affection because the dog is cute, the dog looks beautiful. So they just go into this superficial way of being, which they're not paying attention to the internal part of things. The personality is the breed. They're strong breeds. That's why it's so important to give them something to do. Right? So you do give them something to do, which is a dog walker. Right.But they don't know you're paying for it, so they don't relate that. So your not part of it. Okay.Right? So if you can't walk the dog, at least you have to practice some kind of discipline with them, Okay.which that's the part that I want to help you with. Like when I came into your house, I just walk in Right.and ignore. But that is something that you have to practice very day. It's like... Denise: Walking in and ignoring them? Cesar: Yes, yes. Denise: Really? Cesar: That makes you a leader. Denise: Really? Cesar: The other one makes you a follower. Denise: I can't get down and say Hi, Cesar: No. After. Denise: I'm home! Cesar: They already know you're home by the time they hear the gate and all that stuff, they know who's coming. So if you walk in and ignore, the pack will sense a different energy, so you can't treat them as their name, you have to treat them as the pack. So you have to go back into a primal way of being versus dog lover way of being. They need a pack leader; the pack leader is the force of the pack. Okay Without the pack leader, there's nobody, they're lost. It doesn't matter what you did in the past, you know, even if you did everything wrong with them, you can always start fresh. Denise: So even at their age, they're trainable. Cesar: You're not dealing with human. Any animal have the capability to move on faster than human. So that's the good news. The bad news is you have a lot of work to do. NARRATOR: Can Cesar show Denise Richards how to regain control of her wild bunch? Denise: Uh, oh. This is going to go bad, quickly. NARRATOR: Betty the pug, Hank the French bulldog, and Lucy the Boston terrier all have one thing in common. They do whatever they want. Actress Denise Richards hopes Cesar can help her regain control of her headstrong dogs. Denise: When I got Betty, Hank attacked her every single day and every time she would eat; he's just really aggressive. Cesar: So we have to be focused on him more, Yeah.more than the rest. Yeah NARRATOR: Cesar believes that to fix any problem within a pack, you first need to zero in on the pack member that's creating the issue. Cesar: Once you live with a pack of dogs, you know what triggers the dog. What she needed to learn is not to address everybody, just to address the stronger source. That is the key to control a pack. You don't talk to all of them; you talk to the pack leader. NARRATOR: To help Cesar assess the severity of Denise's situation, he brings in Sonny, a golden retriever, and normally one of the calm, submissive members of his pack. Denise: Hank! Sonny's here. Hank, look who's here, Sonny's here. Cesar: Now it's important that the new dog shows the highest level of respect to the pack. Denise: And is Sonny a girl or a boy? Cesar: It's a boy. Denise: A boy. Cesar: So the girls already agree with him, as you see. But see it's important that the new dog... there you go, look how he is coming. Now the reason why I'm blocking him is because the way he's approaching. He came in a charging mode, there we go, this is better. Denise: Even though his hair is standing up? Cesar: He's unsure. Shh! He's ready to strike, hold on. Hey! Hey! He's ready to strike. This is typical. I wanted to see how Sonny behave without the leash. Shh! Denise: Hi, Sonny! Cesar: Hey! Sonny! Denise: Uh-oh. See, this is going to go bad quickly. Cesar: So the girls went after them. Denise: Want me to grab one of them? Cesar: No. Sonny, relax. Hey! So Sonny created an attack mode, because he became excited. In my other hand I kept Hank, because Hank was in a tense, dominant state. And tension and dominance equals a fight. Shh! Relax! He was ready to strike; he was right next to Sonny, waiting for him to make a move. So he send the signal to the rest of them Okay.What are we gonna do to this dog? So when this dog move, the girls were, were ready. See, they don't say, Look, I'm going to attack him, okay? They're not... It's all silence. So a lot of people don't see this, they see the aftermath; they see the That's what they see. Let me just put a leash on this guy. One of the things that I needed for Denise to observe is the... becoming panicked or frantic about controlling the situation is not the key. So if you become, you know, chaotic about what is happening, you're not going to stop the problem. Okay So we went after who was creating the problem, it was Sonny. See, because we're controlling his energy, they're stopping. That's how the ripple effect worked, because I control the source. This is actually an activity for them; it's a psychological activity, you know, where the human is making things happen, just because he wants to. Right.I'm bringing a dog home. Why? Because I want to, simple as that. So that makes you the dominant one. Right? Right.When you do things your way, you dominated a situation. Okay.See this is normal, this is ideal. She was attacking him earlier, and now she's smelling him. They don't keep anything like... Denise: They don't hold a grudge? Cesar: Yeah, they don't hold a grudge, yeah, they don't. NARRATOR: Since Betty tries to bite people when they leave, Cesar and several crew members help put Betty and Denise to the test. Cesar: All right, I'm going to walk back and I want to see you addressing yourself to her. There we go, right there. Denise: Hey! Cesar: Nice. One thing you can do is you can grab here, and sit the butt down. Right, so that is another option you have. Okay. Which, it only accelerates or creates a higher level of surrendering. Like the emperor, remember how everybody goes like that, that's just showing how powerful the emperor is, and how submissive the people were. Well in the dog world, when they come to pack leader, they do that to him, or to her. They never say good girl. Denise: Really? Cesar: Okay, in the dog training world, they use good girl for everything. Denise: Everything. And treats. Cesar: Yes, but that's not dog psychology, that's human psychology Okay.applied on a dog. How does it feel? Denise: It feels good, this is a lot of information, I'm glad we're taping it. NARRATOR: Just one hour earlier, Denise had no control over the rowdy behavior of her three dogs. Cesar: That's right. That... exactly... Denise: Cause she's stalking her, but she's not barking yet. Cesar: Exactly, Exactly there you go. That is dog psychology. Rojo! Oh. Can you do it again? Something about Rojo and her... Denise: He looks like our pool guy. Cesar: There we go, go. You got it. Let's do some weight watchers. You have to press. Denise: Oh look at Hank on the treadmill, I can't believe it! I am so impressed. They don't even know him, and he was right away able to take charge and, and have them listen to him. Cesar: Even though we're dealing with an actress. I didn't ask her to act, I asked her to be. Cause it was not about acting, it was really about being somebody, being that energy that your dog's need you to be. Nicely done. Denise: I'm so excited and I learned a lot from our session. I'm so affectionate with them and very loving and, you know, just shifting my thinking is going to be, uh, a bit tricky for me. It's very chaotic in my house, so it'll be nice to have some control over them. Thank you so much. Cesar: So if you use what you learned today, you are going to see a whole different reaction because you saw it today. Nice right here, you have a pack. Linda Raffle: I had a basset hound by the name of Luke who I had for 13 years, who I loved. He was like, honestly, a person in our home. Actually Leo is pretty much a clone of Luke. Luke became the king of the house, but when he was young like this, my kids were around. So the time spent wasn't catering to a puppy. It was catering to my children and making them very independent and very responsible, which I haven't seemed to be able to do with a puppy. So in 10 months, I've created this monster. Not many dogs are like lethargic on you. Come on Leo NARRATOR: When Leo doesn't want to do something, he makes Linda's life a real drag. Linda: Leo never listens to me, unless it's regarding going to see Pete. NARRATOR: Just the sound of the word 'Pete' and lethargic Leo turns all too perky, overanxious for a romp with the labrador down the street. Linda: Come on. Oh Leo, where's Pete. Woman: Oh yeah Pete. Hi Leo. Linda: When we work, we switch off and have play dates with each other's dogs so that we don't have to be guilt ridden while we're away for the day. I have started to use Pete as my trigger, so that if I need him to come or to go into another room. I will say let's go find Pete and he will normally jump up. But then I get the guilt trip of, if I don't pick him up and take him out to see Pete, then I feel like oh my gosh, I don't want him to think I'm lying to him. Once we turn the corner to come down to our house, he's rebelling. He's not through playing. He doesn't want to come home. He knows it's probably time for me to shower and get ready. Come on. Here he is 10 months old and he's ruling my life. Oh you're breaking my back. I am so committed to having a dog that lives in my house versus me living in his house. NARRATOR: Can Cesar help Linda transform a dog that has become a complete drag? NARRATOR: When Leo the basset hound refuses to walk, Linda Raffle literally has to drag him home. To help out with this unusual case, dog behavior expert Cesar Millan brings along Coco, a Chihuahua, and Luigi, a Lhasa apso... Linda: I've always spoiled my dogs rotten. Cesar: Okay. Linda: I mean so rotten, most people tell me that when they come back in their next life, they want to be one of my dogs. Cesar: Okay. Linda: I used to run a warehouse with 130 employees and now I have a 10 month old basset hound who basically is doing that to me because I can't come home and tell him what to do. Cesar: Right, right, so you've already seen that part. Linda: Yes. Cesar: So what do you want to accomplish besides him listening to you? In what areas he doesn't listen to you? Linda: Totally, he never listens to me. It's insane, 'cause now I don't know how to break what I've been doing in order to make him second and me first. So that when I want to go out, I don't have to run around the neighborhood, looking for play dates for him so that I know he's not sitting and moping in the kitchen. Even during the morning when I start blowing my hair dry to go out for the day, he will actually lay on my bed sulking, with his eyes just watching me. He won't move his body or his face. It breaks my heart and then I've gotta scoop him up, carry him down the stairs and carry him to his bed and lay him down and it's getting tough because I'm sure he weighs over 50 pounds. Cesar: And he's going to get heavier and heavier. Linda: Yes. He has no idea how a real dog lives. I've often threatened him to take him over to the animal shelter and let him spend the night so that he'll get a taste of how real dogs live and then he could come back and behave himself. Cesar: You know that's a beautiful thing to have conversations with dogs. But they don't get it. Linda: I do! Cesar: Yeah but it's all going in your mind and you, and you talk to him and you answer to yourself. Linda: Oh I do. Cesar: So he's manipulating you and... Of course, right? Linda: Completely. Cesar: Right. And those eyes are following you back and forth and your interpretation is, is uh. Mommy's leaving and all that stuff. But it's created only in the human mind. That's the part that you have to understand. You have to see 2 worlds, the animal world and the human world. Linda: Right. Cesar: There's an agreement that you have to do with yourself that it's okay to see Leo as animal, dog, breed, name, not just name, basset hound, human. Linda: Right. Cesar: Right? Linda: Child. Cesar: Child. My clients don't see animal in their dogs. They see human. And this is why they can't make their animal do things for them, even though they spoil them. So you see spoiling a dog, it doesn't equal control or it doesn't equal human in control. So they don't know that you're suffering from, oh my God, I feel bad. They don't know. Otherwise he would've changed his state of mind a long time ago by being emotional towards your feelings. But he's not being emotional towards your feelings. So it's not that you're not familiar being the pack leader. It's just in your now life, the kids are gone, by yourself. So he's like the perfect solution to fulfill that side of you. Linda: Right. Cesar: You fulfill that empty space. Linda: Correct. Cesar: That's right. Linda: He does. Cesar: So the psychology that you followed before with your employees and with your children and with your past life, it's what you have to bring back. Linda: And just be more of the animal, have that instinct to get more direct with him in telling him what I want him to do. Cesar: Let's practice since you're in the zone right now. Linda: Alright. NARRATOR: First, Linda shows Cesar how her life has become a daily drag. Linda: Normally at this point, I'm going to come in uh, huhand I'm going to pick him up and carry him into the kitchen, lay him in his bed, put the gate up with, of course, the chair, then I can leave. NARRATOR: Next, it's Cesar's turn to demonstrate how to get Leo to move. Cesar: So stop him, turn him around, just lead into it, this is what we want, see, tail is straight. Linda: I'm only laughing 'cause you make it look so simple. Cesar: It's the power of the intention. Linda: Right. Cesar: It's what intention is in you that is telling them what you want. The other way is you're doing their whole thing. Linda: Okay. Cesar: But if we keep carrying him and carrying him and carrying him, we are conditioning him that that's the only way he comes in the kitchen and because he's coming against his will, it becomes a negative place to be. Linda: Come on, in your bed. Good boy. Wow! Cesar: Does it feel bad? Linda: No, it feels great. I didn't have to carry him number one, and number two that he's listening to me. NARRATOR: Now that he's shown Linda how to perk Leo up, Cesar instructs her on the crucial basics of mastering the walk. Cesar: But one thing that I can't allow is when I go through that door that he's in front of me first. Linda: Oh. Cesar: That's how you become the leader of that activity. So if you're holding the leash but you're coming out of that door last, you are following him. Linda: I see. Cesar: Human first, dog next to the human. NARRATOR: Next, Cesar introduces Leo to his two calm, submissive dogs, Luigi and Coco. Cesar: See how they're checking out each other. They smelling. See how the Chihuahua's already sensing that he's way too excited in front of him. That's why he's staying away. So he's already keeping distance because he doesn't like the energy of Leo. Linda: Oh really? Cesar: Too excited. So me as the handler. I have to make sure Leo calms down before he meets the Chihuahua. Linda: I see. NARRATOR: For the short walk to the park, Cesar lets Luigi and Coco off leash to show Linda how to handle potential distractions. Cesar: So it can be 100 dogs, 300 elephants, 500 camels and you have to be able to ask Leo not to get into it yet - on your terms. Cesar: So right now we're not allowing him to go and smell the Chihuahua even though that's what he wants to do. And the whole point is for you to learn to control when the brain gets excited. Everybody is going to stay. Shh! Hey! The moment they pass the line. Shh! That's right. You stop the brain from moving forward. Linda: And is it shh just what you've chosen to use? Cesar: It's the sound that I chose to use because my mom, that's what she did when I was little. Eh, Shh! Linda: Oh. Cesar; So I'm with a familiar... I'm using a familiar sound that make me calm, submissive to my mom. Linda: I see. Cesar: If I would've used the sound that my dad used. Hey! See? That's way too loud. Linda: Aggressive. Cesar: Aggressive. Cesar: What kind of sound do you use with your kids? Linda: My whistle. Cesar: Okay Cesar: Here we have a woman who has a lot of wisdom about being the dominate one, or being the boss. She was a great pack leader to her kids. She can actually whistle really loud. Linda: Leo! Cesar: That's how powerful she is. She has good skills. All those are skills of leader. Okay so try; try to do the whistle from here. Linda: Okay. Cesar: We're much closer. Linda: Leo... Come here, come here. Cesar: Okay. So once he looks at you, then we're going to move in assertive manner. See I want this, I want him to see me coming. Then I'm going to guide him. I'm just holding the skin. I'm not hurting him. We're using what we have. If we don't have a leash, this is how we're going to. Linda: Come on Leo. Cesar: Come on. Leo. Alright. So the reason why I'm whistling right now is because he's moving forward, so I want him to realize that moving forward means whistle. Linda: Okay. Cesar: Right, so you use the whistle, nothing happen, don't use it anymore. You have to go make it happen. NARRATOR: As part of Cesar's prescription for success, Linda must have consistent rules when at the park. Cesar: He have to learn to do this activity. After he practice this, 5, 10, 15 minutes, whatever you choose. You give him the freedom. Then you give him 10, 15 minutes of that, then you bring him back to this position. This is where you create an on and off switch. Otherwise, this represents on switch, no off. Linda: Right Cesar: He already practiced calm submission. So it's good time for him to practice this kind of activity. It's nothing wrong with it. We're just going to time it. We're going to do the same amount we did over there. We're going to do this amount over here. So it's 50-50. You have to also do that work at home. Parenting begins at home, not in the outside world. Linda: I went from being a full time mom to home alone. So I have taken that and put it on Leo as my new baby. But Leo's a dog. They're adults. This is like incredible. Cesar: It's flowing. It's flowing with you, cause you're not giving an inch for him to control. Cesar Milan: This case was actually a very easy case for me. Linda's a bright person. It didn't take a lot for her to understand that the energy that she was projecting internally was the message that she was sending to Leo. You can't hide your feelings in front of animals. They know exactly how you feel inside. Linda: What he did with me for the day was put me back in the situation as though my kids were young. And it's really exactly how I raised and took care of them. I am the person in control. Leo's not in control. Cesar Milan: What I became it was just the voice to reassure her that what she did before. It was the right thing. She just have to make sure she do... she do it in the year 2005 with, with Leo. Linda: Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to me you. Cesar: Thank you. Thank you , my friend Bye-bye now. I am happy to report that Lisa, Denise, and Linda have made great progress with their dogs. aren't you happy too Nelly Chip's behavior is much better. But more importantly, Lisa is not letting him get away with bad behavior anymore. Good for you, Lisa! Denise says that Lucy, Hank, and Betty are more calm, submissive now because she's been more consistent with rules, boundaries, and limitations. Best of all, Leo is no longer being dragged on his walks because Linda is now the boss. Until next time, remember to be your dog's pack leader.