03x10 - Giving Pack

[bunniefuu]

CESAR MILLAN: When my journey
began as the Dog Whisperer,

I taught the world there is
no such a thing as a bad dog.

Today my message has evolved.

Shh.

But it's clear that people
and dogs still need help.

WOMAN: The problem is me.

CESAR: He needs rehab,
like, ASAP.

WOMAN: I just don't
want you to get bit.

CESAR: Do you know who I am?
WOMAN: Yes!

CESAR: Together with
my superhero pack,

our mission is to create
better humans and better dogs,

♪ ♪

NAILA: Hi. I'm Naila.

JOHANNA: And I'm Johanna,
her sister.

NAILA: We're best friends.

JOHANNA: We love each other.

(laughter)

And our dogs are Kokut...

NAILA: And Siggy.

JOHANNA: Kokut is
a Chihuahua mix,

and I got her about a year ago.

She loves people.

Like, if a robber
came to my house,

she would be so welcoming, like,
"Come on in," tail wagging.

I love her so much.

And then three months later,
Naila got Siggy.

NAILA: Siggy is a 10-month-old
Australian shepherd mix.

I love how playful he is
and how talkative he is.

(barking)

He's super sweet.

JOHANNA: So, it's been great,

except for when
they're together. (laughs)

NAILA: Right. Just that part.

(barking)

JOHANNA: We were really excited

to be able to introduce them
to each other.

Oh, yeah. You hear Kokut?

But it went badly the first time
that Siggy and Kokut met.

(growling)
Oh, you're scaring him.

Kokut was snapping at Siggy.

(bark)
Oh, oh, oh.

There's never a break
of Kokut not snapping.

(barking)

I worry that it could escalate
where Kokut actually bites Siggy

and then Siggy bites back.

(barking)

NAILA: Because our two pups
just don't get along,

Johanna and I can't really spend
the same kind of quality time

together that we once did.

JOHANNA: We're just too worried
to actually take our eyes

and our attention off of them.

I don't think we've had like
a one-on-one conversation...

NAILA: Truly.

JOHANNA: ...in person since...
NAILA: Yeah.

JOHANNA: ...before the dogs.
(barking)

Sorry, I can't even hear you.

I know. I can't hear you.

NAILA: Siggy!

JOHANNA:
Like I'm seeing your face

for the first time right now.

(laughter)

Okay. Okay.
NAILA: Maybe we...

JOHANNA: Okay. Yup.
You sit there.

NAILA: Sit.

JOHANNA: After Naila got Siggy,
we had all these plans

for just general hanging out
with the dogs

and going on walks together

and having them play
in Naila's backyard.

(bark)
NAILA: Oh!

JOHANNA: And so, if we lose
that quality time,

you know, then, um...

It'll suck. (laughs)
It'll suck!

(growling)
Uh! Uh!

I don't know
what else to do. Yeah.

I don't know how to
make them chill together.

Hey, Siggy!
NAILA: Siggy!

It has to end now.

♪ ♪

NARRATOR: Cesar asks
Johanna and Kokut

to meet him at a park.

Once he evaluates the pair,

he will invite
Naila and Siggy to join.

CESAR: There's Johanna.

Oh, my god, that's
a little, tiny one.

And that's Kokut.

It's not bad.

JOHANNA: Come on, Kokut.

Hi.
CESAR: Hi.

JOHANNA: That went pretty well.

CESAR: Okay.
I seen worse, for sure.

JOHANNA: Well, the thing
that actually gets her

the most stressed
is my sister's dog.

CESAR: Right.

JOHANNA: So, my sister's dog
is a puppy.

CESAR: Yeah.

JOHANNA: And the first time
they met, it was disaster.

Kokut is immediately
baring teeth, trying to snap.

CESAR: So, the first impression
was pretty bad?

JOHANNA: Yeah.

CESAR: Well, let's,
let's meet your sister

and your sister's dog.

♪ ♪

Hello.
NAILA: Hello!

Oh. Oh.

(growl)

JOHANNA: Oh. Well,
now we're growling.

(growl)

CESAR: Okay. Come over here.

JOHANNA: We're gonna
keep them apart.

They definitely do not
do well together.

CESAR: Oh, you're
already separating?

JOHANNA:
Well, because she growled.

CESAR: Yeah, but if
she growls...

NAILA: And she started pulling.

CESAR: ...and you move away,
you only encourage more of that.

But you protecting her tells her
you think Siggy is a threat.

JOHANNA: Got it.

CESAR: Siggy is a young dog
with a lot of excitement.

And Naila isn't calming him down
before they approach.

NAILA: Oh. Oh.

CESAR: As a result,
Kokut gets nervous and growls.

(growl)

JOHANNA: Oh. Well,
now we're growling.

(growling)

CESAR: Okay. But the real reason
Kokut is nervous

is because Johanna is nervous,

even pulling Kokut back
to keep them safe.

A lot of times I'll see dogs
become aggressive

because their pet parents
are nervous.

And so the dog tries
to protect him.

Here is Johanna that is
overprotecting Kokut from Siggy.

That teaches the dog
to be anxious around Siggy,

which causes aggression.

To stop her anxiety
and aggression,

you need to show Kokut
she doesn't need protection.

JOHANNA: So, I need to just...

CESAR: Well, you need
to just make clear

there is nothing to fear.

In this case,
you have a little dog.

Just put them on the waist
and let them relax.

NAILA: Oh.

CESAR: So then the,
then the energy calms down.

So, it's better
to neutralize the energy,

than walk away
with the fear energy.

JOHANNA: Huh.

It was miraculous to see how
both dogs were instantly

just so quiet and calm
next to each other.

I'm just like seeing behaviors
in the two of them

that I've never seen.

CESAR: Why do you think
she needs protection?

JOHANNA: When I first got her,
maybe two days after I got her,

she had a seizure.

And so I've just been waiting
for her to have another seizure.

And so that's been my...

CESAR: Okay.
JOHANNA: ...been my fear.

When I first got Kokut about
a year ago, we went for a walk.

And on that walk, she just
completely went stiff.

It looked like she was dying.

And I picked her up,
ran her back to my car,

took her to the vet, and put her
on seizure medication.

She hasn't had another seizure
since, but I think about Kokut

possibly having a seizure
all the time.

I never want to overstress her.

CESAR: At the same time,
there shouldn't be allowed

just by having a health problem

to be free to practice
aggression or fear or anxiety

or whatever is that thing;
that has to do with the mind.

JOHANNA: Right.

CESAR: Here's what's happening.

After Kokut's seizure last year,
Johanna is nervous about

overstressing her and
causing another seizure.

Now whenever they're
with Naila and Siggy,

Johanna gets nervous
and overprotects Kokut

out of fear that her dog
will get stressed.

JOHANNA: We're gonna
keep them apart.

CESAR: But what Johanna
doesn't realize

is that her overprotection is
what's causing Kokut's stress.

The dog picks up on
Johanna's nervous energy

and senses she needs her
pet mom's protection from Siggy.

That makes a dog scared
and aggressive.

(bark)
JOHANNA: Hey!

CESAR: Instead, Johanna
must teach Kokut

how not to be anxious
around Siggy.

Only then will her aggression

around her young pack mate
disappear.

And the sisters will
be able to once again

have the close relationship
that they want.

We're gonna go to the ranch,
because it's easier at the ranch

to safely work with
both dogs together.

JOHANNA: So, they can learn
with each other?

CESAR: Yeah, that's what
I'm gonna teach you.

JOHANNA: Good! I like sighed
with relief! (laughs)

CESAR: Yes.

JOHANNA: This is exactly
why I need Cesar.

And I'm excited about
the personal growth

that will happen
in this process.

But there's an inner gremlin
that says I don't have power.

Um...

(laughs)

NAILA: My sweet sister.

JOHANNA: (crying)
Look at me being ridiculous.

NAILA: It's okay.

(laughs)

CESAR: Alright, ladies.
Let's go to my ranch.

It's not too far.
I'll take Siggy.

♪ ♪

NAILA: Oh, my gosh. There it is.
(laughs) Wow.

JOHANNA:
The Dog Psychology Center.

Hello!
CESAR: Welcome to the ranch!

NAILA: Thank you.
It's beautiful.

CESAR: I know. Bring it out.
JOHANNA: It's awesome here!

NAILA: Hold on, Sig.

CESAR: So, we're gonna do
Siggy first,

and then we bring Kokut and...
Is that okay? Come on up.

Siggy's a young dog
with a lot of energy.

But he's not the problem here.

(barking)

So, first I'm gonna have
Naila and Siggy

go in and meet my pack.

Then we'll bring in
Johanna and Kokut.

There you go. Get in.

Yeah.

Alright, Johanna.

Now I want you
to bring in Kokut.

Just come on in with your, with
your dog in your hands. Yeah.

JOHANNA: Like that?
CESAR: Yes.

The goal here is for Johanna
to stop overprotecting Kokut

out of fear she'll have
another seizure

and instead give her
calm confident leadership

that takes away her stress
and aggression.

Come on in, queen-like.

So that, that means
calm and confident.

NAILA: Queen.

CESAR: I want Johanna
to introduce Kokut

in a controlled way that signals

there is nothing
to worry about,

instead of pulling her away
like she did at the park.

Johanna needs to hold
Kokut by her side

where my pack can sniff her.

She'll be putting her
in what feels like

a vulnerable position, which
will create a little stress,

but the ultimate goal is Kokut
learns how to stay calm.

You take the leash off.

Come all the way in the middle.

Bring it, bring it down.

That's right.

Don't look at the dogs,
just lower your arm.

JOHANNA: Hmm.

Queen.
CESAR: Queen-like.

(growl)
Tsch.

Here, here. Let me have him.
Tsch.

So that's what I said,
queen-like. Tsch.

That's nervousness.

Right, yeah. Calm, queen-like.

Tsch. Hey. Tsch.

My pack is just saying hi.
She shouldn't be anxious.

This is just nervousness,
so that's not aggression.

(snarl)
Tsch. Tsch.

Tsch. Tsch.

JOHANNA: My gosh.

(snarl)
CESAR: Tsch.

Tsch.

(snarling)

CESAR: Tsch. That's alright.

JOHANNA: I've never
seen her do that.

(snarling)
CESAR: Tsch.

JOHANNA: It's making me
want to cry. Why is that?

NAILA: Oh, sweetie.

CESAR: Well, okay.
You protect her,

so she can't deal with stress.

JOHANNA: (exhales) Yeah.

CESAR: After Kokut's
seizure last year,

Johanna overprotects her,
which causes aggression

around her sister
Naila's dog, Siggy.

But just now,
I didn't protect her.

Instead, I lowered Kokut
so my pack could sniff her

and correct her
when she got nervous.

Calm, queen-like. Tsch. Hey.

That teaches her that
I want her to calm down.

Kokut has calm a bit.

(sighs)

Yeah.

JOHANNA: Okay.

CESAR: That's right.

There, look, she's in the mix.

So now that she has worked
through her nerves,

you reinforce the calm
by doing it all again.

Do it again.

You're gonna guide her
with the leash.

That's right. There you go.

Queen-like.

Calm, confident.

Nothing else.

(Johanna takes deep breath)

Yes.

See the difference?

NAILA: I do.

CESAR: Bring it in,
just put it in the pack.

Just drop the leash once
you're inside the pack.

There you go.

That's introduction.

Take the leash off.

What just happened?!
NAILA: Amazing!

JOHANNA: Wow. Yeah.
That was, like, so simple.

CESAR: Johanna led Kokut
right into my pack

instead of overprotecting her
and holding her back.

That tells Kokut that it's safe
to be here and calms her down.

Now that I correct her anxiety
around my pack

and Johanna is leading
with queen-like confidence,

you can see that Kokut isn't
anxious or aggressive.

NAILA: Wow!
CESAR: What just happened?!

NAILA: Look at Kokut,
she's chillin'.

JOHANNA: It is so encouraging
to see Kokut just at peace,

wandering around, because I
think I've spent this whole year

struggling with her seizure,

not sure if I would be able
to take care of her.

But I can already see
things opening up.

(laughing)

Oh, that's...
no, that's not good.

NAILA: That's worse,
but it's okay.

CESAR: Stress is part of growth;
just don't stay stressed out.

NAILA: Yeah.
JOHANNA: Yeah.

NAILA: Ooh, yes.

CESAR: This morning, Johanna was
so fearful and overprotective

that she wouldn't let Kokut
get near Naila and Siggy.

JOHANNA: Keep them apart.

They definitely do not
do well together.

CESAR: Now she's moving with
more confidence and calm,

and Kokut is responding
with less anxiety

around Siggy and all of my dogs.

They got a long way to go,
but this is a great first step.

Alright. So this is
the homework.

Calm confident energy every time
you guys get together.

And, Johanna, don't try
to separate the dogs,

just let it be.

JOHANNA: Okay.
CESAR: You know what I mean?

JOHANNA: This feels like
really vulnerable work,

and to be able to share
moving forward with my sister,

who is my best friend,
is really special.

NAILA: Absolutely.

CESAR: Let's go.

Look at this guy.
It's not a Jacuzzi.

JOHANNA: He's in the water.
(laughter)

NARRATOR: The next day, Cesar's
in Corona to help a pet parent

whose two overexcited
Schnauzers

have her worried about
an upcoming surgery.

MICHELLE: My name's Michelle,
I'm a barber.

I opened up City Male Barbershop
in 2012.

My mom's worked there,
my dad was in there, too,

helping with the electric.

It's definitely
a family business.

Four years ago,
I got Stanley and Stella

from one of my clients,
actually.

So I got Stanley first, and then
I got Stella four weeks later.

They're my babies!
(chuckles)

Stanley is so much bigger
than Stella,

but when I get home,
he's the first one

that wants to sit right
next to me on the sofa.

He's real playful,

but he's definitely
the little troublemaker.

And he knows
he gets away with it.

Off, off, off.

Off, Stanley.

In comparison to Stanley,
Stella is a lot leaner,

she's shorter,
her hair's darker.

Stella is the first one
in the morning

who's like, "Rub my belly."

(dog whining)

But the only thing she
cares about is a ball.

Catch, Stella.

They're both amazing dogs,

and I would love to
have them at the shop,

but I don't take them
there no more.

Oh, no, no, no.

(barking)

Because everything sets off
Stanley and Stella.

(barking)

Tsch.

Their barking is uncontrollable.

(barking)

They will jump on top of,
over, on anybody.

Stop. Uh-uh.

They'll paw me.

No, no, no.

And I can't get through to them.

No, no, no. Uh, no.

Their behavior is
definitely worsening,

and I need to tackle this now,

because within a few months,
I'm gonna undergo surgery.

Stanley and Stella are
definitely important

to my recovery.

They are my emotional
support dogs.

But after a major surgery,

I have enough things
to worry about.

So I need Cesar's help,

because not having to worry
about their behavior

would be a huge weight
off my shoulders.

♪ ♪

(barking)

(knocks)

(barking continues)

Stanley. Quiet!
CESAR: Oh, yeah, yeah, I see.

MICHELLE: Hi! Oh, my gosh!
CESAR: Michelle.

MICHELLE: Stella. Stella.
CESAR: What a mess.

MICHELLE: Oh, we're,
we're a mess.

CESAR: Yeah. How are you?
MICHELLE: Alright.

CESAR: Come on.

MICHELLE: Come on,
come on, come on.

CESAR: Come on,
you need a lot of help.

MICHELLE: I do!
CESAR: Oh, my goodness.

(barking)

Tell me, how can I help you?

MICHELLE: They're super excited.
CESAR: Yes.

MICHELLE: They don't know
any personal space.

CESAR: Yeah.

MICHELLE: They jump up
on people.

When they meet people,
they'll start pawing at them.

CESAR: How old are they?
MICHELLE: They're four.

CESAR: Four years old?
MICHELLE: Yes.

CESAR: My goodness.

That's way too old
for this overexcitement.

MICHELLE: They're my babies.

I don't have, you know,
any kids, and so...

CESAR: So you have
an adult...dogs...

MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: ...stuck into
this baby thing.

You're going to excuse what
they do because they're babies.

You know what I mean?
MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: Michelle's dogs
are four years old.

Plenty old enough to have
learned how to stay calm

around new people, but Michelle
indulges them like babies.

So they are allowed
to stay excited,

climb and paw
on anyone they meet.

And that has to stop.

So you're ready
to break the cycle, then?

MICHELLE: Yes, I need help.

CESAR: Why today you feel like
you can break the cycle?

MICHELLE: I have a surgery
coming up soon.

CESAR: Okay, okay.

MICHELLE: And I obviously need
to do things differently.

CESAR: Yeah.

I want to hear more about
Michelle's surgery

in a little while.

But first, I need to see how
Michelle handles her dogs

both on her own and
with other people around.

So what I want to see
is exactly what you do,

just so I can study it
firsthand.

MICHELLE: Yes.
CESAR: Let's go.

MICHELLE: No, no, no.

Hey, Stella.

Stanley.

CESAR: Uh, it's just excitement.

No rules, bounds, limitations
with excitement.

And she never calms them down,

stops them from invading her
space, or climbing on the couch.

MICHELLE: Stop. No, no. No, no.

CESAR: Well, that was
pretty bad.

Now, I want to send in
a crewmember.

(knocks)

(barking)

MICHELLE: Stanley.

Stanley.

(barking)

(knock on door)
(barking)

MICHELLE: Quiet. Quiet. Quiet.
Quiet. Go, go, go.

(knock)

Hi.
CREWMEMBER: Hi.

MICHELLE: So nice to see you.
CREWMEMBER: So nice to see you.

MICHELLE: Come on in.
CREWMEMBER: Wow. This is Stella?

CESAR: Stella, the darker one,
is the one

who send in the more
nervous alert.

(barking)

Her high pitch keeps Stanley
engaged in the excitement.

(barking)

Alright, Michelle.
I've seen enough.

Come on out.

I want to change roles.

MICHELLE: Okay.
CESAR: I'm taking over.

MICHELLE: Thank you.

(barking)

CESAR: Here's what's going on:

Michelle has
an upcoming surgery,

but there is no way that
she can safely recover

with Stanley and Stella
being pushy and loud

and climbing all over her
and anyone else they meet.

But it's all because
Michelle treats them

like they are her babies,

never calming them down or
enforcing rules or boundaries.

So Stella gets excited,
and her high-pitch barking

gets Stanley excited as well.

MICHELLE: Come on.
Off, off, off.

(barking)

CESAR: For Michelle to recover
with her pack after surgery,

she needs to learn
how to calm the dogs down,

especially Stella, and start
enforcing rules and boundaries.

I'm going to show her how.

(whining)

MICHELLE: Wow.

CESAR: My calm confident energy
immediately stops their barking.

Next, I'm going to leash them up

so I can correct
their excitement

while I have a team member
knock on the door.

Hey. Alright. So they can
knock on the door.

(knocking)

Tsch. (bark)
Let's go this way.

By walking Stella and Stanley
away from the door,

I am teaching them a boundary.

I don't want them approaching
the door when there's knocking.

Tsch, tsch, tsch.

Tsch. Tsch. Hey.

Tsch.

(knocking)

Tsch.

Hey.

Tsch.

Okay. Stanley's calm. Tsch.

Let's see if Stella can
follow his lead for once.

(knocking)

♪ ♪

MICHELLE: Stanley is so calm.

I can't believe.

I'm in awe.

CESAR: I finally got Stanley
sitting in calm surrender,

but the fact that Stella is
still struggling to get calm

is a big problem since she's the
one who gets Stanley excited.

We need to do more work
with her.

But next, I want to hear more
about the surgery

that Michelle has planned.

Tell me more about
your upcoming surgery.

MICHELLE: So I'm gonna be
donating my kidney

to help my dad.

He's been on dialysis
for about a year, so.

CESAR: My.
MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: You're pack,
pack-oriented.

MICHELLE: About a year ago,
my dad let us know

that he was struggling
with kidney disease,

and the function in his kidneys
declined rapidly.

My dad's always,
he's always worked so hard.

And always wanted to,
like, provide the...

the best life for us.

So I'm trying to donate
my kidney to him.

After surgery, I'll be
recovering at my parents' place,

and I want Stanley
and Stella there.

But the way they don't respect
boundaries or space

would affect recovery time
for my dad.

Our timeline for, you know,
the kidney donation

is just a few months.

So it's very urgent to
get their behavior fixed.

Sorry.
CESAR: That's okay.

MICHELLE: I just want
to be able to, you know,

recover with my dad and...

CESAR: Yeah.

MICHELLE: ...not have to
worry about them

bothering my dad's sleep.

CESAR: Mm-hmm.

MICHELLE: I just, you know,
I want my dad to be comfortable.

CESAR: That's right.
That's right.

MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: I have never, ever in my
life been asked to come and help

because you're about
to give an organ

to your father or your mother.

This is about an ultimate,
ultimate sign

of unselfishness, loyalty, love.

Um, I want to make sure
that we honor that.

So it's definitely like
huge emergency.

MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: Yeah, this is definitely
about literally somebody's life.

MICHELLE: Right.
CESAR: Human's life.

MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: Definitely you have to
come to the ranch tomorrow.

MICHELLE: I would really
appreciate that.

CESAR: Yeah.

Alright, Schnauzers.

Take care of my ecuatoriana.
(Michelle chuckles)

NARRATOR: The next day,

Michelle's at the ranch
with Stella and Stanley.

CESAR: Good morning.
Welcome to the ranch.

MICHELLE: Hi, good morning!

CESAR: With just a few months

before she donates her kidney
to her father,

it's critical that Michelle
learns how to stop excitement

and set rules, and that's what
we're going to do today.

Super important for Stella to
practice staying away from you.

MICHELLE: Yes.

CESAR: So what we're
gonna do right now

is work on setting clear rules,
boundaries, and limits.

MICHELLE: Okay.

CESAR: Yesterday I saw that
Stanley gets calm,

but Stella struggles
to calm down,

and since her excitement
gets both dogs riled up,

we're going to focus
on her today.

We will place Stella
on a platform

while Michelle leads Stanley
through the obstacle course,

and the pet mom will have to use
her energy, voice, and body

to keep Stella
from getting excited

or moving off the platform.

Stay. Okay. Let me show you.

Your job is literally just
to control the excitement

and enforce a rule that Stella
stays on the platform

while you take Stanley
over the obstacles.

MICHELLE: Okay. Wow.
CESAR: There you go. Good job.

Good job. Okay. Your turn.

MICHELLE: There's a lot going on
all at once

doing this exercise.

Having to keep an eye on Stella

and making sure that she's
where's she supposed to be.

(snaps)
Tsch.

If I can't keep Stella
calm here,

I don't know what
I'm gonna do at home.

Okay.

CESAR: First, make her
calm down and sit.

(snaps)

Yes. I like that.
There you go. I like it.

♪ ♪

(bark)

She's getting excited.

MICHELLE: Oh. Ah.

No, no. Tsch.

CESAR: Make her go back
to her platform.

MICHELLE: Tsch.

CESAR: Wrong platform.

She needs to follow
your rules exactly.

MICHELLE: Come on.

CESAR: That was good.
That was really good.

Stella and Stanley's unruly
jumping and barking

could disrupt Michelle's dad's
recovery after surgery.

In order to stop it, she needs
to set clear boundaries

and calm down her
most excited dog, Stella.

MICHELLE: Can we do
that one again?

CESAR: Yes, yes.
You should do it again.

♪ ♪

Stella hasn't moved.

(clapping)

MICHELLE: We're doing it.
CESAR: You're doing great.

Finish up with
the teeter-totter.

MICHELLE: Perfect.

CESAR: Relax the leash.
Yes, ma'am. Yes, baby.

MICHELLE: We did it.

(Cesar laughs)

Seeing Stella get it
once I start correcting her,

it's indescribable.

CESAR: That was beautiful,
by the way.

MICHELLE: That felt amazing.

CESAR: That felt...
it should feel amazing.

And my girl is still there.

MICHELLE: Oh, yeah.
CESAR: Yes.

MICHELLE: I felt calm confidence
for the first time.

It's, it's a new feeling,

and I do want to take that
with me to my dad.

It's so monumental.

CESAR: Absolutely.

MICHELLE: But we're gonna
have to practice a lot,

and I'm gonna have to be
a little more confident

in Stanley and Stella.

CESAR: So for the homework,
work on calmness

and keep enforcing
rules and boundaries.

It's just a matter of
exercise and repetitions.

That's it.

I'm happy to help you, girl.

MICHELLE: I'm appreciative
of you so much.

CESAR: Thank you.
Thank you, thank you.

MICHELLE: Thank you so much.

NARRATOR: The following day,
Johanna returns to the DPC

with her sister and
best friend, Naila.

Last time, Cesar worked
with Johanna

to end her anxious
overprotection of Kokut,

which triggers aggression

especially toward
Naila's dog, Siggy.

JOHANNA: Hello.

CESAR: Welcome to the ranch.

Since Kokut's seizure,
Johanna overprotects her,

which actually makes the dog
more stressed and aggressive.

Come on.

So now we're gonna do
a very simple exercise.

Johanna will have to put Kokut
in a crate with Siggy,

where she won't be able
to protect her dog.

Johanna will have to use her
queen-like calm confidence

to tell Kokut to
stay calm herself.

So, Naila, please put Siggy
in the crate. There you go.

NAILA: In your crate.
CESAR: Oh. Oh.

Okay. So he's comfortable
with it.

NAILA: Yeah.

CESAR: Let's go
and sit over here.

He can't get out.
Is that okay?

NAILA: Yeah.
CESAR: Tsch.

Now, Johanna,
bring Kokut over here

and put her in the crate
with him.

JOHANNA: Okay. Yup.

CESAR: Yeah, put her inside.

JOHANNA: I am a little bit
apprehensive,

because I'm worried that Kokut
is going to get nervous

and that Siggy is instantly
going to jump up.

I mean, I definitely feel like
I'm always thinking back

to Kokut's seizure moment

and not wanting to be
too hard with her.

But I just need to practice

and learn not to be
so precious with her.

CESAR: She's not gonna fight
with Siggy

if you're calm confident.

JOHANNA: Right.

Okay. In the crate.

CESAR: No fear allowed.

♪ ♪

There you go. Nice, nice, nice.

Okay, go, go, go, go, go.

There you go.

Boom.

So what did you do differently
than you normally do?

JOHANNA: I trusted.
CESAR: That's right.

Now, just drop the leash
and just use your energy

to keep her in the crate.

Come over here and join us.

She's learning that
you're not protecting her

because there is
nothing to fear.

Oh.

This is huge.
JOHANNA: Yeah.

CESAR: You know, when we met,

they couldn't be
in the same place.

They're inside crate together.

NAILA: Sitting down.
JOHANNA: I can't believe it!

NAILA: It's amazing.

CESAR: Johanna was able
to put aside her fear

and calmly and confidently
put Kokut in the crate,

which told Kokut that it's okay
to share the space with Siggy.

As a result, the dog's anxiety
and aggression are gone.

JOHANNA: Good girl...
NAILA: I'm so proud.

JOHANNA: ...and boy.
NAILA: So proud.

JOHANNA: It is like
beyond our imagination

of what could happen with them.

Seeing Kokut and Siggy laying
next to each other in a crate

really showed me that
I'm probably stuck

in thinking about
her protection, when in fact,

she's great and she can do
so much more than I even think.

NAILA: After today, I'm feeling
very, very hopeful

and extremely proud of them,
extremely proud of them.

JOHANNA: Proud of us.

NAILA: Proud of everyone!

(laughter)

CESAR: For homework,
keep the pack united

on walks and in the house.

I'll see you in a few days.

JOHANNA:
Thanks so much, Cesar.

CESAR: My pleasure.

JOHANNA: You've given us
so much hope. (chuckles)

NARRATOR: After a week
of Johanna working at home

with Kokut, Cesar joins
the sisters in Santa Clarita

to check on their progress.

(knocks)

JOHANNA: Hello.
NAILA: Hello.

CESAR: Wow. Come on out.
Que guapas.

Wow. So, how's it been?

JOHANNA: It's not perfect,
but, like, I am amazed

by how much we've improved.

NAILA: Yeah.

That was actually pretty good.

JOHANNA: We had some wins
and we had some losses.

(growling)

(growling)
Tsch. Tsch.

CESAR: It sounds like
you still have some fear.

JOHANNA: I mean, I-I...

I am seeing improvement!
(laughs)

CESAR: Yes.

JOHANNA: I am seeing
improvement.

NAILA: The dogs together,
we are almost there.

CESAR: Yeah.

NAILA: But, I mean, even
just in this process,

we've been seeing each other
pretty regularly,

so exactly what we asked for,
we got just from doing this.

CESAR: Yeah.
JOHANNA: Yeah.

CESAR: Well, Johanna, I want
to see you totally fearless.

So for your final challenge,
it's gonna be in the backyard.

Good?

JOHANNA: Okay. Sounds good.
CESAR: Let's do it. Thank you.

It's one thing to see success
once at the ranch,

but true success happens
again and again on home soil.

So today's final challenge
is going to be testing

whether Johanna
has truly mastered

the queen-like calm confidence

she needs to stop overprotecting
Kokut around Siggy.

Only then will the two sisters

be able to be in each other's
lives the way they want.

Okay.

So for our final challenge,
we're gonna replicate

what we did at the ranch,
which is the crate.

JOHANNA: Yes.

CESAR: And so Siggy is
gonna go in first,

practice calm surrender, then
Kokut is gonna come and join.

This is the ultimate
shared space.

For this final challenge
to be successful,

Johanna will need to use
her calm confidence

to get Kokut to fully surrender

while inside the crate
with Siggy.

Naila, you can lead in Siggy.

I like that concentration.

NAILA: Yes.

CESAR: That's right.

Now let's bring Kokut in there.
NAILA: Yes.

CESAR: Just calm surrender
outside.

We're just gonna transfer that
same state of mind inside.

Remember, you must stay
calm confident

or she could get aggressive.

JOHANNA: I'm feeling
a little nervous.

I mean, there's no way
we're getting Kokut and Siggy

in a crate without
Kokut snapping at Siggy.

Like, that was just
a moment from the DPC.

CESAR: There you go.

Keep going, keep going,
keep going, keep going.

Just stay calm.

She's getting nervous.

♪ ♪

CESAR: There you...boom!

Now Kokut needs
to fully surrender.

Keep your energy calm.

♪ ♪

JOHANNA: Wow.

She hasn't growled
at him at all.

NAILA: Yes, girl.
JOHANNA: Tsch.

CESAR: Good correction,
but she isn't fully relaxed yet.

In order to once again
be able to spend time

with her sister Naila, Johanna
needs to be completely fearless

and show Kokut that
she must fully relax

around her sister's dog, Siggy.

Do a little distance
on the, on the door.

But keep your energy queen-like.

Total calm confidence.

♪ ♪

JOHANNA: (quietly) Oh, I feel
like it's gonna happen.

Yup. Mmm.

Good girl.

CESAR: Whew!

That is calm surrender.

JOHANNA: I mean, seeing
these dogs, you know,

just existing side by side,
it feels so empowering,

and I feel like
I don't even think

about Kokut's potential
for seizures anymore.

In fact, I can support her
in being her best dog self

by trusting that she's okay.

CESAR: Yeah, let them out.

NAILA: Come.

I'm like, how do we do that?

Come.

JOHANNA: I feel like
I am accessing my queen! Yes!

This used to be absolute chaos,

like, Siggy would be
chasing Kokut.

Kokut would be snapping.

NAILA: Yeah.

CESAR: That's it.
The energy is everything.

Everything, everything.

When I first met
Johanna and Naila,

they couldn't get together

because they thought their dogs
couldn't get along.

NAILA: They definitely
do not do well together.

CESAR: For sisters
as close as these two,

this was a very painful
separation.

And it was all because Johanna
was letting her worries

from the past
create fear in the present.

Once she let go of the worry
and stop overprotecting Kokut,

not only did her relationship
with her dog improve,

her connection to her sister
did as well.

The family and the pack
are back together again

the way it should be.

NAILA: We could not even imagine
it going like it just did.

CESAR: Yeah.

NAILA: I mean, when we first
came to see you,

we literally came from
opposite sides of the park

because it was just
too reactive.

CESAR: Right, right.

NAILA: So it's kind of
like a 360.

CESAR: Yeah.
NAILA: 360? 180?

CESAR: Whatever that is.

(laughter)

NAILA: Ah, it is such a treasure
to be able to do this

with my best friend, my sister!

JOHANNA: Yeah, I mean,
it'll be so nice

to just be able to hang out
in the backyard together

and be in the present, you know,

not worried about what's gonna
happen with the dogs.

Just letting them be
and letting ourselves be.

CESAR: That was perfection,
perfection.

JOHANNA: Yay.
NAILA: There we go.

JOHANNA: There we go.
CESAR: There we go.

Let's go. Let's go, Siggy.
(laughter)

NARRATOR: The following day,

Cesar visits Michelle's
barbershop in Corona

to check on her progress with
her overexcited Schnauzers,

Stanley and Stella.

CESAR: Hey.
MICHELLE: Hi.

NARRATOR: Michelle hopes
to donate her kidney

to her father, but she must
learn to set clear boundaries

with her dogs to stop their
rowdy jumping and barking...

(barking)

MICHELLE: Stop. Uh-uh.
No, no, no.

NARRATOR: ...so they don't risk
her father's recovery

as they heal together
after the surgery.

CESAR: It's amazing.

MICHELLE: Thank you.

CESAR: You know? Look at them.

They just got groomed.

MICHELLE: Yeah.

CESAR: When I first
met this pack,

Stella will get too excited,

and that would trigger
Stanley's excitement.

And that made both dogs
loud and pushy.

There is no way
it will be safe for her dogs

to be around her father
after the surgery

unless Michelle learns
to stop babying them

and enforce rules, boundaries,
and limitations.

What's new about you?
How's the homework?

MICHELLE: Um, independently,
they're, they're getting it.

And then, I just couldn't get
them when they were together...

CESAR: Yeah.
MICHELLE: ...to just relax.

Stella has been
testing me at home.

(bark)
Tsch!

(knocking)
(barking)

So I've been
correcting her a lot.

This. Uh-uh. Tsch.

But I'm sticking to my g*ns
to create boundaries.

Get down, Stella. Down.

CESAR: You just got to
decrease the energy.

So you have to be,
you know, more direct.

Just this is the rules,
the boundaries, limitations.

MICHELLE: Right.

CESAR: You see it,
so that's all it is.

Today is going to be
the ultimate challenge.

I want to see if Michelle
can keep the dogs calm

and respecting her
rules and boundaries

as her barbershop fills
with employees and customers.

If she can do that
in a busy barbershop,

she'll have no trouble
making it happen

when she and the dogs are around
her father after surgery.

So let's do the final challenge.

I know you got to
open for business.

So we'll bring in your barbers
and then the customers.

Your job is just to
keep them in that state.

MICHELLE: This is our final
go-through.

We have to make sure that
everything that we've learned

has been applied.

CESAR: This is it. Let's go.
MICHELLE: Okay.

CESAR: Alright? Send in
the first two barbers.

♪ ♪

MICHELLE: Good morning.

CESAR: How you doing, brother?
BARBER: How are you?

CESAR: Really good,
really good, yeah.

She can't leave the platform.

MICHELLE: Uh-oh! Tsch!

CESAR: Send her back.
MICHELLE: Uh-oh! Tsch!

CESAR: Look, every time they
try to move, go make it happen.

Michelle babies
Stella and Stanley

and never sets
rules or boundaries,

leading to overexcitement,

barking, and jumping
all over everyone.

MICHELLE: Stop. Uh-uh.
No, no, no.

CESAR: That needs to stop,

but she's still too hesitant
and weak when enforcing rules.

Tsch.

Use a confident touch.

You're doing like...
MICHELLE: Right.

CESAR: Yeah. So you...
boss energy.

MICHELLE: Okay.

CESAR: Like you had at the DPC.

MICHELLE: Boss energy.
CESAR: Boss energy.

MICHELLE: Boss energy.
CESAR: Boss lady.

MICHELLE: Okay.

I'm trying to keep
Stanley and Stella calm,

but they're just
getting too excited.

It's, it's frustrating.

If I could keep Stella and
Stanley calm right now,

I know I'll be able to do so
for my dad's recovery.

CESAR: Let's do it again.

Three more barbers.

MICHELLE: Good morning.

CESAR: How you doing, brother?
BARBER: How you doing?

CESAR: Alright. Good.
Cesar. Pleasure.

Stella's movement is
getting Stanley excited.

Correct that.

MICHELLE: Tsch.

CESAR: Boss energy.

MICHELLE: Tsch.

CESAR: Yes.

That's it. Good correction.

Just like we saw with the first
entrance a moment ago,

Stella got excited when
the new barbers arrived.

But this time,
Michelle corrected her

and used calm confident energy

to make sure both dogs calm down
and stayed on the platform.

Let's get the clients in.

MICHELLE: Hi. Good morning.
WOMAN: Welcome.

♪ ♪

CESAR: Yeah, you do
need a haircut.

MAN: I do.
(Cesar laughs)

MICHELLE: Tsch!

CESAR: Stella's totally calm.

You know, as friendly
as you want to be,

as loud as you want to be,
it really doesn't matter.

MICHELLE: Okay.

CESAR:
They're supposed to adapt.

MICHELLE: Today has
boosted my confidence

in dealing with
Stanley and Stella.

Tsch.
(snaps)

CESAR: Nice.
MICHELLE: Good.

A few months ago, I couldn't
even imagine this moment.

I recognize that I've definitely
done a disservice to them.

They do need
boundaries and rules,

but now I can kind of step back

from worrying
about them so much.

This is completely calm.

CESAR: It's good.
It's really good.

MICHELLE: Hola.

CESAR: Who's that?
MICHELLE: That's my dad.

CESAR: No way!
MICHELLE: Hi, Mom.

The family!

MICHELLE: How are you?
Everybody, hi.

They are so much more calm.

Yes, I see the dogs.
How beautiful.

I couldn't be close
to the animals

because of my illness...

Now I can be around them.

So are you ready for the
operation and everything now...

mentally, spiritually?

Yes, thank God.

She has given me life again.

She has given me
life again.

For me, she is the greatest.

You're also a great father.

Yes...he is a great dad.

Yes, right?

Yes.

Thanks, Dad.

CESAR: It's clear how much love
there is in this family.

Donating a kidney to your father
is an amazing sacrifice.

But on top of it, Michelle
has worked incredibly hard

to make sure her pack is ready
for the surgery, too.

When we first met, Michelle
babied Stanley and Stella,

letting them stay excited

as they bark and jump over
everyone they met.

But now they're sitting in the
middle of her busy barbershop

completely calm, and I have
no doubt they'll be able to join

Michelle in her recovery at her
parents' house after surgery.

Now I can calmly be
around the dogs.

MICHELLE: I feel like Stanley
and Stella were that last thing

I needed to take care of
before surgery.

I overcomplicated
my relationship with my dogs,

but to see my dad
see them be calm,

I have no more worries
about going into surgery.

CESAR: Mission accomplished.

MICHELLE: Thank you so much.

CESAR: Thank you.
Thank you, thank you.

Stanley, Stella.

She did great.

MICHELLE: She did awesome.

CESAR: The family is
the ultimate pack.

And as every pet parent knows,

your dogs are part
of the family,

which means they deserve all
the things you give your family.

Loyalty, sacrifice,

and above all, love.

But love can take many forms.

And not all of them can
make the pack healthy.

Love can lead to
overprotection and fear

or babying and indulging
in bad behavior.

A strong pack leader
shows their love

with calm confident
understanding

of what their pack needs

to be as happy and healthy
as they can be.

And that is the greatest gift

you can give your dogs
or your family.