03x11 - Won't You Bite My Neighbor?

[bunniefuu]

CESAR: 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.

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

CESAR: Do you know who I am?
MEGAN: Yes.

CESAR: Together
with my superhero pack,

our mission is to create
better humans and better dogs,

one pack at a time.

(theme music playing).

FERNANDO: I'm Fernando.

NICOLE: And I'm
his wife, Nicole.

FERNANDO: And we're
the crazy dog owners.

(laughter)

NICOLE: We have two
beautiful daughters and Romeo.

FERNANDO: Romeo
is a Boston Terrier.

He is two years old.

And I fell in love the
minute I saw that dog.

(snorts)

He has a personality.

He's this ball of energy.

NICOLE: We'll do bubbles,
he'll run around with us.

He gets his zoomies.

FERNANDO: Good job!

NICOLE: When you need him,

he will come over
and lay with you.

FERNANDO: He's
a lover, I would say.

You're gonna get licked.

NICOLE: He is definitely
this addition that has sparked

so much joy in us.

FERNANDO: But when
he was six months old...

NICOLE: He got into an interaction
with the neighbor dog.

FERNANDO: The
neighbor's dog Chopper was out

on his daily walk.

Our front door was left open and

Romeo bolted out
directly at Chopper.

(barking)

NICOLE: I was screaming.

The neighbors were
quickly able to get the dog.

But in that short interaction,

blood was drawn.

Chopper was able to bite Romeo.

Romeo had a puncture and blood
on his ear and on his forehead.

FERNANDO: Now, ever since
that has happened, Romeo,

when he goes into our backyard,
that's his number one focus.

Look for Chopper.

(barking)

NICOLE: He's attacking the gate.

FERNANDO: Barking or growling.

And it's like a bad
addiction that he can't break.

NICOLE: Fernando would be
okay if Romeo was lunging at

the gate all day long.

FERNANDO: My thought was Romeo
was gonna get bored of that eventually.

NICOLE: I don't find
it to be appropriate.

And I think it brings
tension between us definitely.

FERNANDO: I'd say we're about
75% agreeable on everything of

what we do with them.

NICOLE: That is probably our
number one fight these days.

(barking)

FERNANDO: If Romeo and
Chopper were to make contact,

I think Romeo would
definitely be the aggressor.

And Chopper
acting in self-defense,

being a bigger dog,
he would hurt Romeo.

NICOLE: I'm just terrified of
what potentially could happen.

The worst case
scenario is losing Romeo.

FERNANDO: And ultimately,
that's what, we're doing

everything to try to avoid.

NICOLE: Romeo is a
part of our family now.

FERNANDO: If Romeo gets
taken away or fatally injured,

I would be destroyed.

NICOLE: We don't have the tools
to figure out why he behaves

this way and we're hoping
Cesar can help with that.

CESAR: There they are.

FERNANDO: Nope. Romeo.
NICOLE: Stop.

(barking)

FERNANDO: Romeo.

CESAR: Oh.
FERNANDO: Romeo. Yeah.

You're okay.
You're okay. It's okay.

NICOLE: Romeo. Romeo.
That's enough. It's enough.

CESAR: That's not a good sign.

FERNANDO: Romeo, come on.

Come on.

CESAR: Fernando.
FERNANDO: Cesar.

Good to meet you, buddy.

CESAR: How are you, Nicole?
NICOLE: Hi.

CESAR: Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.

NICOLE: Nice to
meet you as well.

CESAR: Well, that's pretty bad.

FERNANDO: Yeah.
CESAR: Yeah.

NICOLE: That's
scary a little bit, huh?

CESAR: Yeah.
NICOLE: Yeah.

CESAR: That's pretty bad.

My first impression is that
Romeo is a dog who's displaying

a lot of aggressive energy.

But as his parents, they
don't know how to calm him,

and are feeding
the wrong energy.

What were you feeling
when you walked out the door?

FERNANDO: We walked out
and we were both anxious.

CESAR: Yeah.
You're feeding that.

FERNANDO: Yeah.

CESAR: So, it's not up to the dog to
maintain the right behavior.

It's our energy that keeps their
mind or their energy in place.

And also, you're not
using the leash properly.

You're using the
collar in the bottom.

NICOLE: Mm-hmm.
CESAR: It doesn't stop him.

So here, you put the tool
in the right place so he doesn't escalate.

The type of collar
they're using is not a tool

that I normally recommend.

I prefer to use a simple slip leash
because when used correctly,

it creates a way
better line of communication.

Usually, I make
that swap early on,

but I can tell these pet parents
are so anxious that introducing

a new tool could
add to their anxiety.

So, we'll take things slow.

While I begin by teaching
them the most useful tool,

calm confident energy.

Okay. I'd seen the walk.

What's the worse?

This or his
fence-fighting in the yard?

NICOLE: I feel
like it's our backyard.

CESAR: The backyard should be a
place where the pack feels safe.

But an excited dog that is
allowed to fight the fence

all day trying to attack the
neighbor's dog will only create

more anxiety in his
already anxious pet parents.

To begin this rehabilitation, I
need to see how they handle it,

starting with Nicole.

What I wanna see is how he behaves when
the other dog come out.

NICOLE: Okay.

CESAR: And then, what you do, and then I
tell you what I would do.

NICOLE: Okay.
CESAR: All right.

So, just drop the leash.

NICOLE: Okay.
CESAR: Yeah.

In the meantime, you
and I just wait over here,

and just let it do his thing.

Go ahead and bring
Chopper out, guys.

Let's see what Romeo does.

(barking)

He going back and forth,
that's excitement.

(growling)

I don't hear any
barking from Mr. Chopper.

Just show me
what you normally do.

NICOLE: This is what
I sort of normally...

CESAR: Uh-huh.
NICOLE: Romeo.

CESAR: He's getting too excited.

She has to snap him out of it.

NICOLE: Okay, Romeo. Okay.

FERNANDO: Romeo,
it's okay. It's okay.

CESAR: Right. So, never use the
name when they're misbehaving.

Because if they hear
their name when they...

(growls)

Name means that.

NICOLE: Romeo.
CESAR: So, even...

FERNANDO: So, not the name?
CESAR: No. You never use it.

NICOLE: Romeo, no.

(barking)

CESAR: Oh, wow,
that's beyond excitement.

That is obsession.

NICOLE: Romeo. Romeo. Come on.

(barking)

CESAR: We have to snap him
out of the state right now.

Shh. Hey.

(barking)

Shh.

(barking)

Shh. Hey. Watch.

A quick tug on the leash interrupts
the obsessive mindset.

(barks)

Shh. Shh.

Got to snap him out of it.

NICOLE: Okay.
CESAR: Hey, how you doing?

WOMAN: Good. How are you?
CESAR: Good.

I'm here to help, okay?

(laughs)

CESAR: He didn't make contact,
but Romeo lunged to bite me.

The reason, he's
obsessed with fighting Chopper.

So, it's like he's
blind and deaf to the world.

When I corrected him,
which he's not used to,

he redirect the
aggression towards me.

(barking)

But another quick leash correction
snapped him out of it.

He was told two things,
don't fence-fight.

NICOLE: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: And don't touch
the human with your mouth.

And the brain goes, "Okay.
So, this is off limits.

But the human is not
angry or fearful of me."

NICOLE: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: So, even when you discipline,
you're calm confident.

NICOLE: When
Romeo lunged at Cesar,

it definitely
spiked up my nerves.

That's the exact type of behavior that
I've been worried about.

CESAR: Let's do it together,
but start with him calm and

make sure he doesn't
elevate to obsession.

We can bring him to the fence.

NICOLE: Okay.

CESAR: Good. Shh.

So, right now,
we're shifting how,

how we want the brain
to experience the fence.

Shh.

You need to get him out
of this obsessive mode way

before he gets excited.

NICOLE: Okay.

CESAR: He can smell
as much as he want.

Shh.

But you can also control the
intensity of how long he stays.

NICOLE: Okay.
CESAR: That's plenty.

NICOLE: Okay.

(sniffs)

CESAR: He can get obsessed.
NICOLE: Yes.

FERNANDO: He does that
often with me as well.

CESAR: Shh. Hey.

Shh. Hey.

He has to process, and then come
out with a different response.

There you go. Boom.

Then he, on his own, walks away.

Here's the issue with this pack.

Romeo is a dog who's easily excited
like to the point of obsession.

That is what causes his
aggression especially when

he senses the
neighbor's dog, Chopper,

at the fence.

(barking)

After the dogs'
bloody fight two years ago,

Romeo's pet parents
believe he now hates Chopper.

I do not believe
dogs hold grudges.

However, if the same unbalanced
behavior is allowed to continue,

aggression could follow.

The bigger issue here is
with the pet parents because

they're not in agreement.

Nicole anxiously
repeats the dog's name which

only excites him more.

NICOLE: Romeo. Romeo.

CESAR: While Fernando tries to comfort
instead of giving clear guidance.

FERNANDO: Romeo,
you're okay. You're okay.

CESAR: When pet parents
don't work together as a team,

it is not if, but when
there is another attack.

So, I need to get this
pack to my ranch ASAP.

I wanna see you at the
ranch first thing tomorrow.

NICOLE: Okay.

CESAR: And if
you're gonna walk Romeo,

always keep a safe a
distance from the other dogs.

NICOLE: Yes.

CESAR: Nice to meet you.
FERNANDO: Great.

NICOLE: It was
very nice to meet you.

CESAR: All right.
See you at the DPC.

NARRATOR: The next morning
at the Dog Psychology Center,

Cesar receives
an unexpected call.

Producer: Cesar...

It's Fernando and Nicole.

Regarding Romeo.

CESAR (over phone): Hey.

CESAR: How are you?

FERNANDO: Not good.

So, last night, we had a major
setback with Romeo at home.

CESAR: Okay.

FERNANDO: We were
finishing our walk...

FERNANDO (over phone):
And my neighbor Lizette

was out there with Chopper.

CESAR: Uh-oh.
Did you bring them together?

FERNANDO: Romeo was
on his leash and I...

FERNANDO (over phone):
Positioned myself about...

FERNANDO: Five to
six feet away from her.

FERNANDO (over phone): Romeo
was already a little tense.

But I thought I had
the situation controlled.

And in a matter...

FERNANDO: Of second,
he just bolted, and...

FERNANDO (over phone): He
went straight for Chopper.

NICOLE (over phone):
And my neighbor...

NICOLE: Lizette was
trying to separate the dogs.

FERNANDO: And she
got, uh, she got bit.

CESAR (over phone): Is she okay?

NICOLE: She got
three stitches...

NICOLE (over phone):
But she's okay.

CESAR (over phone): I'm glad
that your neighbor is okay.

But, Fernando, you
can't rush the process.

That's why I
said keep distance...

CESAR: You know, what I mean?

FERNANDO: Nicole was there and
she multiple times...

FERNANDO (over phone): Told me that
she didn't think it was a good idea.

NICOLE: Romeo
wasn't the problem.

(crying)

FERNANDO (over phone):
Yeah. And I feel like...

FERNANDO: I failed you.

FERNANDO (over phone): Part of being
in a team, you have to listen and

see everybody
else's reactions...

FERNANDO: And act accordingly.

FERNANDO (over phone): Everything
I had learned and prior to that, I...

FERNANDO: Shoved it down the
drain to...

FERNANDO (over phone):
To get my, what I wanted at that moment.

NICOLE: We
weren't working together.

FERNANDO (over phone): I
disrespected the code that...

FERNANDO: We should
have as a team in...

FERNANDO (over phone): Raising Romeo and
just in everything together.

FERNANDO: It's all on me and, and,
and I'm, and I'm sorry for that.

(crying)

CESAR: There is the
feeling of failure, I get it.

We all go through.

CESAR (over phone): But it's not
a failure, it's a teaching experience.

CESAR: You learn how to
assess and evaluate better.

You learn how to
communicate better.

CESAR (over phone):
How to listen better.

CESAR: Much respect to Fernando
for owning up to his mistakes.

But they both need to
learn from this bad experience.

First, Fernando tried to rush
the process by reuniting Romeo

with Chopper, something I told
them they were not ready for.

That tells me he still doesn't
know how to read a dog's energy.

Second, Nicole and Fernando must improve
their communication and teamwork.

If she's ever uncomfortable
with Romeo's body language,

she must clearly
communicate that.

And Fernando must
react accordingly.

For the safety of all involved,
we're gonna change up the plan

because this cannot be
allowed to happen again.

So, this is what we're gonna do.

CESAR (over phone): I'm gonna
send Jaimito, to, to get Romeo.

CESAR: That way, you, you, you
just breathe and take a break.

We'll work with
Romeo at the ranch.

In the meantime...

CESAR (over phone): I'll test you a few
things to work on together.

NICOLE: Okay.
FERNANDO: Thank you.

NICOLE (over phone): Thank you.

CESAR (over phone): Bye, guys.

NARRATOR: During
a rehabilitation,

if a dog bites or attacks,
Cesar often requires immediate

boarding at his
Dog's Psychology Center.

JAIME: On the drive over,
and here at the ranch,

I can tell Romeo is
still a little excited,

but I don't see any of
the obsessive aggression

Cesar told me to look out for.

So, he wants to set up a
little DPC doggie play date.

CESAR: Today, what I'm gonna do
is because he had a problem with

the neighbor's dog, I'm
gonna introduce Romeo to

two of my larger dogs
that I have right now,

which is Enoski and Kane.

Okay, Jaime, bring him in.

JAIME: Do I let him go?

CESAR: Yeah. Let him go.

Look. Look it, look it, look it.

Dogs live in the moment.

They let go so fast.

As long as they have the
right energy coming from us.

Look, when he goes to Kane,
he's showing he can be calm.

And when he's with Enoski,

he goes into his
happy-go-lucky self.

This is a beautiful
moment after an emergency.

So, he's completely forgot about
what happened with Chopper.

The fact that Romeo has
no problem interacting with

my big dogs tells me that his
obsessive excited aggression

is not deeply rooted.

When a dog is this
balanced one moment and

the next moment
capable of a lunge to bite,

we're dealing with an unacceptable
situation created by the pet parents.

So, I need to create a
personalized plan to help them.

NARRATOR: Over
the next few days,

to reinforce Romeo's
calm surrender mindset,

Cesar's team
encourages friendly play.

JAIME: Go, go, go.

NARRATOR: Balanced
with exercise to ensure

the dog's
overexcitement doesn't return.

JAIME: Yeah. There you go.
There you go. Good boy.

Giving him an activity to do,
it helps fulfill his needs.

Good job, buddy.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile,
back in West Covina,

after their recent breakdown
in communication allowed

the dog to bite the neighbor.

NICOLE: We weren't
working together.

FERNANDO (over phone): I disrespected
the code that we should have as a team.

NARRATOR: Romeo's
pet parents practice

Cesar's homework assignments.

Working together to interpret a
dog's body language and energy.

FERNANDO: This one
looks like a little nervous.

NICOLE: Yeah, definitely.

Cesar said it would be a good
opportunity for us to assess

other dogs' energies,
their interactions,

and then it would help us
work on our communication.

So, that way,
we're on the same page.

I like the one over there.

He's just happy-go-lucky.

He's...

FERNANDO: Oh, he's running all
over the place, you know, he's,

but he's not being...

NICOLE: Yeah.

FERNANDO: Bully-ish, you know,
picking on somebody to run with,

I think Romeo would like it.

NICOLE: Yeah.

FERNANDO: We're
still a work in progress.

NICOLE: We are.

But I feel like we're such in a
better place to be reunited with Romeo.

NARRATOR: Three days later,
Fernando and Nicole arrived at

the DPC, where Cesar plans to
boost their confidence in Romeo

and themselves by creating
an important new beginning.

CESAR: Ever since
Romeo first fought Chopper,

his pet parents have tried to control the
dog's obsessive excitement,

but they've done it all wrong.

They even try
using a prong collar.

To make the
fresh start they need,

they must physically witness
the old tool come off and

the new tool, a
simple slip leash, go on.

All right. So, let's do the,
this, the different leash.

He doesn't need a prong collar.

With the right energy, there
will be no excited aggression.

Look. Leash all
the way to the top.

See it?

FERNANDO: It was
pretty surreal to watch that.

I, I, I did not have
confidence in him to be

cool with a lighter leash.

Romeo reacted really good to it.

CESAR: Enjoy the calmness.

Next, we must teach
Fernando how to properly read

and control a dog's energy.

We've seen that
with a right guidance,

Romeo can easily
turn off the obsession

and become happy-go-lucky.

I'm gonna put you in
the middle of the dogs.

FERNANDO: Yeah.
NICOLE: Yeah.

CESAR: So, those dogs
are gonna be off leash.

NICOLE: Okay.

CESAR: And then, you're gonna
tell him, "Give us a space."

FERNANDO: Okay.

CESAR: Simple as that.
NICOLE: As simple as that?

FERNANDO: I hope I
can make it simple.

CESAR: Simple as that.
No, it is. It is that simple.

Here.

Just remember, before you go in,

go slow and read the
signs from your whole pack.

FERNANDO: You know,
just walking up there,

I'm thinking,
"How's this gonna be?"

It's just me asking other
dogs to respect our space

and I'm, I'm
hopeful I can do it.

CESAR: You're gonna
go through that door.

And don't let them
come inside your circle.

FERNANDO: Keep the
leash on him, right?

CESAR: Huh? Yeah, go, yeah.
FERNANDO: Shh.

NICOLE: Fernando,
move the dogs...

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh. Hey. Shh.

(barking)

CESAR: Romeo came in
a little too strong.

Let me do it. Shh.

When Fernando heard he was
bringing Romeo into my pack,

he got a little nervous.

Simple as that.

NICOLE: Simple as that.
CESAR: Simple as that.

FERNANDO: I hope I
can make it simple.

CESAR: As a result, he didn't
spot the dog's excitement or

hear Nicole's warning about
my pack crowding the gate.

FERNANDO: Shh.
CESAR: Like move...

NICOLE: Fernando,
move the dogs...

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh. Hey!
Shh, shh, shh.

CESAR: Fernando
must always remember,

even if he's nervous, to slow
down and read the dog's energy.

Then, the human can
confidently create space that

will prevent fights
from ever happening.

So, Fernando, watch.

Before entering, you
can help him sit to change

his excitement
for calm surrender.

FERNANDO: Uh-huh.

CESAR: Sit. That's relaxation.

FERNANDO: Okay.
CESAR: Yeah.

But when the human is excited,

the dog is excited, you
didn't started calm surrender.

FERNANDO: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: So you just have to learn
how to read the energy right.

If you approach
with the wrong energy,

that energy can create a fight 'cause
your dog is connected to you.

FERNANDO: Cesar showed me how
to read the room and to wait for

him to be calm,
and at the same time,

try to keep a relaxed attitude because
he feeds off of my energy.

I have to stay calm for him and

try letting him
know through the leash.

CESAR: That's right.
FERNANDO: That this is cool.

We're good here.

CESAR: That's right.

The human needs to be aware
of the whole pack's energy

in order to
create calm surrender.

The next step is to learn
the best way to prevent fights

is when you create distance.

Shh.

They claiming of the movement
means move out of the way.

FERNANDO: Okay.
CESAR: Distance means respect.

All right, so they all
know how to move away.

Let's try it again.

FERNANDO: Okay.

(takes deep breath)

CESAR: Yeah.
FERNANDO: Shh.

CESAR: What energy do you
see from my pack right now?

FERNANDO: They look calm.
They look respectful.

CESAR: Right. So enter
when you're both ready.

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh.
CESAR: Nice.

FERNANDO: Shh.

CESAR: You asked for a space and
the Sheppard respects your confidence.

FERNANDO: Sit. Sit. Shh.

CESAR: Nice. There you go.

FERNANDO: Sit.
CESAR: Yeah.

Beautiful.

Fernando is beginning to learn how to
read the energy around him.

He check at the gate to
make sure the pack was calm

and he was able to control his
own nerves and Romeo's energy.

FERNANDO: Okay.

CESAR: He entered the
Serengeti with calm confidence,

my pack sensed that
and remained calm as well.

I think they're all ready for Romeo to
have a bit more freedom.

Take the leash off.

So, what did you learn today?

FERNANDO: I learned
how to wait for them to,

to be calm, give us our respect.

And walk in and claim
mine and Romeo's ground.

CESAR: Yup.

NICOLE: Fernando did an
amazing job and quickly heard

what Cesar was saying.

FERNANDO: I came to
terms today that Romeo,

his behavior is a
complete reflection of me.

And it was exciting to see that.

When I approached
it with calmness,

Romeo was calm because I
was passing it along to him.

CESAR: He can do it.
FERNANDO: Yeah.

Every time I do it,
I have to remember

everything like second nature.

CESAR: Yeah.

FERNANDO: Just right
away claim the room,

claim the street,
claim the yard.

CESAR: That's right. Everywhere.

So he's ready to
come home with you.

Just remember what
calm surrender looks like.

This is a big step
for Fernando and Nicole,

but they still have a
lot of work to do at home.

If they're going to
control Romeo's energy,

they must remember to
always work together to assess

the dog's energy and use
their calm confidence to

help the dog
find calm surrender.

Keep practicing what
you're already doing and

I'll check with you in a week.

Let's go.

NICOLE: Okay.

CESAR: Romeo, you
had a good day, buddy.

(laughter)

NARRATOR: The next day,
Cesar heads to Orange County,

where another pack
of protective pups

can't get along
with their neighbors.

MELINDA: Hi, I'm
Melinda Wilmore.

I teach 9th grade English
and I have two wonderful dogs,

Patches and Lucy.

Can you sit? Can you sit?

Oh!

Lucy, she's only six.

Patches is eight.

They're both terrier mixes.

They have been my constant
companions for five years.

Lucy's very intelligent.

And Patches, his little
stance makes him look like

he's the toughest guy around.

(barking)

Who wants to go?

And they are just the
best snugglers in the world.

They're my family.

But as much as they relax me,

they stress me out, too.

(barking)

Their walks are chaos.

The pulling at the leash,

the snapping and
barking at other dogs.

(barking)

I am always on constant alert.

(growls)

I've had such a good
relationship with all of

my neighbors
until I got these dogs.

But now, I've had neighbors who've called
Animal Control two times.

I cannot risk one more call
because I think it would mean

that I'd have to
get rid of my dogs.

And I am so afraid.

So, I'm in a really tough spot.

I'm willing to do
whatever it takes.

I'm ready to put my teacher
hat off and my learner hat on.

CESAR: It's a
great neighborhood.

(knocking)

(barking)

MELINDA: Hi.
CESAR: How are you?

MELINDA: Good.
It's so good to meet you.

CESAR: Pleasure.
Come on out. Come on out.

I love to help teachers.

MELINDA: Yay. I'm so happy.

CESAR: Because you
teach and I teach.

And, you know, sometimes
a teacher needs a teacher.

MELINDA: I'm gonna learn
something from you today.

CESAR: Oh, you will.
So, how can I help?

MELINDA: I need help
with Lucy and Patches.

CESAR: Yeah.

MELINDA: They are
aggressive towards other dogs.

CESAR: Okay.

MELINDA: Especially
with Patches.

He just goes berserk
when he sees another dog and

whoever's nearby, he could bite.

Animal Control has
been called several times.

CESAR: Oh wow.

So Patches' behavior
must be pretty bad for

your neighbors to
call Animal Control.

MELINDA: And I don't know if they would
ever make me put them down.

But I don't even want
to imagine that at all.

CESAR: That's why
I'm here to help you.

First, I wanna see them in action
and then I can say...

MELINDA: Absolutely.
CESAR: "Oh, okay."

"This is what's happening."

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: This is what I'm gonna do, I'll
watch from across the street.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: While you walk
them so I don't interfere.

MELINDA: I know
you are the master.

CESAR: Yeah.

MELINDA: So, I am,
I am ready to learn.

CESAR: Yeah.
All right. Let's do it.

MELINDA: Okay. Yay.
CESAR: Come on, teacher.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: Usually, when
neighbors call Animal Control

is because they feel unsafe.

So, in this neighborhood,
Patches and Lucy are already

labeled as
dangerous problem dogs.

If the aggression escalates
or they're allow to bite,

officers could remove the
dogs from Melinda's home.

MELINDA: Let's go.

CESAR: Uh, dogs are in front.

She's pulling them back.

MELINDA: Come on.

CESAR: Her energy
is a little timid and

the dogs are too excited.

This is not good.

MELINDA: Here. Guys, come on.

CESAR: They're just pulling her.

She got the
leash on her forearms,

which gives her no control.

By the way, I've never seen
anyone holding a leash with

this part of your body.

Not ideal because
they can redirect on you.

You know, you're
pretty much trap into it.

(barking)

MELINDA: Psst. Come on.

(barking)

Hi, baby. Uh-oh.

CESAR: Patches is hunting.

MELINDA: No.

CESAR: See how
Melinda and Lucy walk ahead?

But he keeps looking
back at the other dogs.

(gasps)

(barking)

CESAR: He's looking for
them even though dogs are

not doing anything to them.

He wants to attack.

MELINDA: Oh. Ooh.

CESAR: He's literally
hunting for a fight.

And Lucy just mimics him.

MELINDA: Come on.
Come on. Come on.

CESAR: If a dog is alarmed when

they're hunting
instincts are trigger,

adrenaline can surge through their body
and trigger a fight response.

It's pretty clear that Patches
has been on nonstop alarm

the entire walk, which
just fuels his need to fight.

Melinda should be calming him.

But all she's
feeding is timid energy,

so he'll never settle down.

MELINDA: Shh! Okay.

Uh-oh, here comes Dory.

Shh!

This is their natural...

CESAR: Hold on. Too close.
MELINDA: Uh-oh.

CESAR: Keep the dogs apart.
MELINDA: Uh-oh.

CESAR: I got the Boxer.

MELINDA: Shh,
shh, shh, shh, shh.

CESAR: Okay.
MELINDA: Shh.

CESAR: Patches was already hunting dogs
but Melinda gave him a target.

MELINDA: Uh-oh.
Here comes Dory.

CESAR: Oh, be careful.
MELINDA: Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

CESAR: And with
Lucy as his backup,

they went in for a fight.

That's not a good energy.

You can't get nervous
when dogs like Dory approach.

That just adds anxious energy.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: Here's my
report card for this pack.

These dogs are
severely lacking leadership,

so both dogs, but
especially Patches,

try to protect Melinda.

MELINDA: Come on.

CESAR: When Melinda spots
the other dogs on the street,

she gets anxious that
other dogs will attack,

Patches picks up on that
anxious and timid energy and

mistakenly thinks it's the other
dog that are causing her nerves.

This sends him into hunting
mode to protect his pet mom.

And because these dogs are
very in tune with each other,

Lucy follows
Patches bad example.

If that's allowed to continue,
I have no doubt Animal Control

will be call again.

(barking)

Shh. Hey. Shh.

To fix this, I need to
start by showing Melinda how to

confidently and
properly walk her dogs.

So I am taking her
back to the basics.

Lesson one.

Use your hand to hold
the leash, not your wrist.

Short and not tense,
see it's a loop.

The leash is all
the way in the top.

It's safer for you and the dogs.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: Watch me handle
Patches near the Boxer.

Follow us.
Not too close, yeah.

Shh.

Shh, shh, shh.

You see how he
keeps looking back?

Shh. Hey.

He's hunting for dogs again.

We gotta correct that.

Shh!

Hunting has been his bad habit.

It's gonna take
repetitions to unlearn it.

So we have used the
leash to correct him.

And then, he learns, we
don't need his protection.

Come on.

I'm telling Patches
respect dogs, follow human.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: There you go.

MELINDA: I am just
blown away right now.

CESAR: Now that Melinda has
seen how to use the leash to

guide and correct a dog,
it's her turn to try.

I'm starting her off
with the easier dog, Lucy.

But because the dogs are
so influential on each other,

once Melinda shows Lucy
she doesn't need protection,

Patches will fall in
line and stop hunting.

MELINDA: Okay.
CESAR: Okay? In the moment.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: Stay calm
and use the leash.

There you go.

That jumping is not good.

MELINDA: Oh.

CESAR: Yeah.

The dogs are
just literally bouncing.

She's just becoming
like a bounce house.

Hey.

When he comes all the way
and starts doing this, this,

that is excitement.

That's not respectful.

Don't interpret that as love.

This is bad.

Shh. Hey.

MELINDA: I guess what I had been
doing is encouraging excitement

and chaos, which is
not healthy for them.

So that was eye
opening for me today.

CESAR: Let's do it again.
MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: Yeah, that's good.

She's giving a space.

She's not interested
in the Boxer anymore.

Okay, so when she jumps, pull
up on the leash to correct her.

MELINDA: So do I do this?
CESAR: Yup. Go ahead.

MELINDA: Good girl.

CESAR: She's jumping.
Correct that.

MELINDA: Stop that.

CESAR: That's good.
That's what you want.

Turn around. Do it again.

MELINDA: Okay.

No.

CESAR: Yeah.

Very nice. Yeah!

MELINDA: Good girl.
Look at you. Good girl.

CESAR: So this happened
because you were calm and

you taught Lucy to
be respectful and calm.

Now that she's learned it,

she'll help you
teach the same to Patches.

That was a
gigantic leap for Melinda.

She's not only starting to
lead Lucy by another dog calmly,

she taught Lucy to be
respectful while doing it.

MELINDA: No.

CESAR: But, to ensure that the
dogs don't hunt their neighbors,

Melinda's homework is taking
long walks with both dogs so

that Patches can
follow Lucy's example.

They must always give
the neighbor's distance.

By repeating this, the
dogs will begin to see her as

a calm, confident leader,

they no longer need to protect.

Do not allow them to
jump on you all the time.

Just stay confident.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: And we need more
repetitions of you learning

how to walk them
while keeping distance from

your neighbors' dogs
and I'll see you in a week.

NARRATOR: Throughout the week,
Melinda tackles her homework

with Lucy and Patches.

MELINDA: I was nervous at
first about the homework,

but I feel more in charge.

Stay.

The jumping behavior,
it's not happened anymore.

Sit. Good.

But I still struggle
coming across other dogs.

And I just hope
we can get there.

NARRATOR: A few days later,
Cesar's back in Orange County

for a progress report on
terriers Lucy and Patches.

If Melinda can't stop Patches'
overprotective hunting...

(barking)

Her fear of losing both
dogs to Animal Control could

become a reality.

CESAR: Let's see if the
teacher has done her homework.

(knocking)

(barks)

MELINDA: Stay. Stay.

CESAR: I like to
hear the silence.

It's really good.

This is so good, Melinda.

You're doing the homework.

MELINDA: I am
doing the homework.

Oh, my goodness.

CESAR: Come on out.
Come on out.

It was a very profound
opening door moment.

To get to that
place of calmness.

MELINDA: They're both...
CESAR: Right.

MELINDA: Improved greatly.
CESAR: Right.

MELINDA: They're
so much more relaxed.

CESAR: Your face
looks relaxed and bright.

MELINDA: Oh, thank you.
CESAR: Yeah.

It's clear Melinda is
ready for her final challenge,

a neighborhood pack walk
with Lucy and Patches.

If Patches goes
into hunting mode,

Melinda must correct him
quickly with calm confidence.

Visualize it, you gotta see it.

MELINDA: In that moment,
it was difficult because

I had to remember
all my training.

What am I supposed to do?

Don't bend, stand up straight,
have the positive energy.

I am trying to remember all
those things and be calm because

I don't want it to escalate.

(barking)

CESAR: Okay. There we go.
MELINDA: Hey.

CESAR: There you go.

Wait, wait. There you go.

(barking)

Melinda, you have to stay calm.

Shh. Hey. Hey.

(barking)

CESAR: I got it. Shh.

Hey. Shh. Hey. Shh.

And then, you
just bring it down.

Just keep your calm.

Patches and Lucy sensed
that Melinda was still

a little nervous, so I stepped
in briefly to reset the dogs

back to calm surrender.

Shh.

(barking)

Melinda must
overcome her fear of

losing her dogs
to Animal Control.

If she can calm herself first,

Patches and Lucy
will follow her lead.

All right. Let's do it again.

MELINDA: Okay.

I know I can do this.

Just move forward.

Just start calm
and continuing calm.

(barking)

CESAR: Yeah.
Right here. You can...

MELINDA: Okay.
CESAR: That's right.

See that distance right there?

(barking)

There, you're moving in.

That's really good.

Hey, you got it, right there.

That's it. Now you move.

Yes. You did it.

He also gave you calm surrender.

MELINDA: Yes, he did.

Before, I didn't know how
to take my leadership role.

And now that I do, I think that
it's gonna be part of my life.

I feel like I passed.

CESAR: This is the first time I see you
moving in with authority.

MELINDA: Okay.

CESAR: That was,
that was really good.

MELINDA: Okay.
CESAR: You see?

They're in the following mode.

You did it, Melinda,
you're ahead of the class.

When Patches reacted to the
other dogs, Melinda calmly,

confidently asked the
dog for calm surrender.

Melinda's claimed her
role as leader in this pack,

and as a bonus, reclaimed
her place in the neighborhood.

I am confident that if
she keeps doing the work,

she'll have no
aggressive barking,

no hunting, and no more
calls to Animal Control.

I'm so proud of you.

MELINDA: Me, too.

CESAR: Teacher did great this time,
A plus, plus, honestly.

I'm proud of my student.

NARRATOR: A week later, Cesar's in
West Covina to check up on Romeo,

the Boston terrier
obsessed with attacking

his neighbor dog, Chopper.

(barking)

Recently, pet parent Fernando's
impulsive attempt to reacquaint

the dogs ended in bloodshed.

(barking)

FERNANDO: He went
straight for Chopper and

my neighbor,
Lizette, she got bit.

NARRATOR: Now, after
practicing better communication

within the pack,

Cesar must assess whether they still pose
a threat to the neighborhood.

NICOLE: Hi.
CESAR: How are you?

FERNANDO: Good, good.

CESAR: So, how
you guys' been doing?

NICOLE: Romeo's definitely
been a challenge for us.

There was a lot of
tension in the house.

CESAR: Yeah.

NICOLE: But it feels
like it's better now.

We're communicating more.

FERNANDO: I've been helping around more in
the kitchen a little bit.

Does it look good?

NICOLE: Yeah, that
looks good. Thanks.

FERNANDO: Did I
do it right here?

NICOLE: Yes, you did.
FERNANDO: Okay. Good.

NICOLE: You did perfect.
Thank you.

FERNANDO: We've been doing
some landscaping at the house

that we wanted to do.

I was thinking maybe we
get the two big ones, like,

put them on the outside,
and then maybe some small,

color stuff down the middle?

And it's a good
little activity to work on

our teamwork, communicate, and,

kind of have a goal in mind.

NICOLE: It's gonna look nice.
FERNANDO: Yeah.

NICOLE: It's gonna look good.
FERNANDO: It's gonna look great.

CESAR: The best thing to
happen through this accident is,

is that, better communication,

better sense of
reading yourself.

You know, listen to
your significant other and

listen to the dog.

Good communication is
so important in a pack.

NICOLE: We're making
sure we're checking in on

each other's feelings.

FERNANDO: And making sure
we have the same goal in mind,

and also interpreting
Romeo's energy the same way.

Um, I think he's doing well.

NICOLE: Come on. Uh-uh, uh-uh.

FERNANDO: But he's
still having some, uh,

problems at the fence.

CESAR: It really
sounds like this pack is

finally communicating
in a much healthier way.

And Fernando is taking the time
to read the dog's energy right.

But dogs can be
creatures of habit,

so Romeo is still having a little
episodes of the fence fighting.

NICOLE: Leave him alone.

Ooh.

CESAR: I need to see how
they handle that behavior.

Right now, there's no
need for him to be excited.

Right now, it's, it's for
him to be calm surrender.

You just have to
feel calm confident.

Fernando, if he
approaches the fence,

just bring him
to calm surrender.

FERNANDO: The last time that
Romeo darted to the fence and

Cesar tried
correcting him there,

Romeo lunged at Cesar.

(snarls)

CESAR: Shh. Shh.

FERNANDO: So I'm
thinking about, like,

how is this gonna go?

It's nerve-wracking.

CESAR: You ready? Let's do it.

Okay. Lizette, bring
Mr. Chopper to the fence.

(barking)

FERNANDO: Hey.

CESAR: Let's see how you do it.

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh. Shh.

NICOLE: The
side touch, Fernando.

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh.

Shh.

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh.
CESAR: Yeah, the side touch.

FERNANDO: Oh.

CESAR: Or you can use
the leash to correct him.

FERNANDO: Oh, okay. I forgot.
CESAR: Here, watch this.

So, the touch is
when he's, like,

paying attention to that,
you come to the fence,

you claim the fence.

Remember, correct his energy
with a gentle tug on the leash.

Just snap him out of him and then he's
gonna go to calm surrender.

FERNANDO: Yes.

CESAR: When a dog
like Romeo who's already

overexcited becomes obsessed, he
can't hear a verbal correction.

By reminding Fernando to
use a touch or a gentle pull on

the leash, he can better guide
Romeo to a calm surrender state.

Let's do it again.
We'll bring him to the fence.

Up. There you go.

FERNANDO: Shh.

CESAR: Just ask him
to go to calm surrender.

(snaps)

Perfect.

And then, come back this way.

That's it.

NICOLE: I'm, like,
so proud of Fernando.

Fernando was quickly able
to get Romeo back in line and

he did it excellently.

CESAR: He's doing the behavior.

You did it.

This is great start in
learning how to prevent Romeo

from continuing the
obsessive aggressive behavior

at the fence.

So, this pack is ready
for the final challenge,

safely bringing Romeo
face to face with Chopper.

All right, we're
gonna bring Mr. Chopper.

FERNANDO: Oh. Okay.

My first thoughts when
Cesar said we were gonna

practice with Chopper,
I was like, "Here we go."

Last time, I pushed
him into a situation that

he wasn't quite
ready for at the time.

It's up to me to read
the energy on both of us,

and hopefully, we can
do it with confidence.

CESAR: Just keep him
right here, calm surrender.

Bring him here.

NICOLE: You got this, Fernando.
CESAR: There we go.

And you're just gonna pull up.

Pull up. There we go.

Boom. That's it.

That's calm surrender.

Look at what
they're saying today.

"Remember, you attacked me?"

That's not what is happening,
you know what I mean?

This is the
beauty of dogs, right?

They live in the moment.

FERNANDO: You know,
what happened recently,

with the incident
with Romeo and Chopper,

that was the worst fear
that I had as a dog owner.

Facing that fear today,

it was intense, but
it worked out great.

CESAR: Right now, right now,
you're calm surrender.

NICOLE: Mm-hmm.
FERNANDO: Yeah.

CESAR: This pack is using
all the tools I gave them

to maintain Romeo in
calm surrender and allow him

to be respectful with Chopper.

But if they can close the distance
between Romeo and Daquita,

I'll know they truly reached

the ultimate level
of calm confidence.

All right, let's
go close to there.

That, that's the highest level of calm
surrender for Mr. Chopper.

(laughs)

CESAR: You can do it.
You're calm confident.

NICOLE: Remember
to give distance.

Check his energy.

CESAR: That was a
good reminder, Nicole.

NICOLE: Wait for him to be calm.

FERNANDO: Shh. Shh.

CESAR: Calm surrender.
Do you see it?

NICOLE: Yeah.
CESAR: Sit on the brick.

FERNANDO: Okay.
CESAR: There you go.

FERNANDO: Sit.
CESAR: Nice. Nice.

NICOLE: You're doing great.

CESAR: This is like
the ultimate, ultimate.

You're saying, "I'm
respectful to your space."

You're doing it.

I couldn't be prouder.

Fernando slowed down,
checked everyone's energy,

and stay calmed confident.

And Nicole played an important
part by offering timely support.

NICOLE: Remember
to give distance.

Check his energy.

CESAR: All of that kept
Romeo in calm surrender

when he approached Chopper.

And Fernando even sat
down next to the dogs,

which they see as a reward
for calm surrender mindset.

As long as they continue to use
the tools that I taught them,

they should have no more aggression
towards dogs in Romeo's future.

And now, tell me
what you're feeling.

FERNANDO: Knowing that he's
just completely calm surrender

right now, it's,
it's indescribable.

It was amazing.

I think today I showed
patience and the fact that

Romeo's completely surrendered
to the moment right there,

you have to
co-exist with Chopper.

It's his neighbor, and I couldn't have
wanted anything more.

CESAR: Thank you. You feel good?

LIZETTE: Yeah.
CESAR: Good.

NICOLE: Thank you, Lizette.
CESAR: Thank you, Chopper.

FERNANDO: That was pretty crazy.

That was...

(laughter)

CESAR: Let's celebrate.
You aced the final challenge.

You feel good?

NICOLE: I feel wonderful.

I loved seeing Fernando, like,
that smile when he was sitting

on the porch
with Romeo was like it...

CESAR: Priceless?
NICOLE: Priceless.

FERNANDO: Talk about
being in the present.

I don't even know I was smiling.

The joy just took over me.

NICOLE: This whole
experience working with Cesar,

we've learned that
our communication is

a major component of our
family being successful.

FERNANDO: And by recognizing
our energy and our dog's energy,

I feel that now we can
be the best dog parents for

Romeo and for ourselves.

CESAR: My job is done.

NICOLE: Thank you so
much for everything.

CESAR: Thank you. All right.
FERNANDO: Thank you, Cesar.

CESAR: My pleasure.

CESAR: Romeo is a lover,
not a fighter anymore.

To be a dog lover is to know that dogs
truly make our lives better.

Not just with their
companionship and obedience,

it's even the bad behavior
that can bring real change.

I believe when a dog acts out,

he's telling us we're living
in an unhealthy lifestyle.

So, if there is tension
between a husband and a wife,

the dog may feel the
need to start a fight.

If inside, he
clouds our awareness,

the dog may see enemies where
there should only be community.

Our dogs reveal
our deepest, darkest secrets.

They force us to face
our own innermost struggles,

so we may hit the reset
button on our calm confident,

love and joy.