03x07 - Bite Club

[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).

CHRISTY: I'm Christy and
this is my husband, Edward.

And we are here in
Santa Clarita, California.

EDWARD: We have two dogs.

CHRISTY: Come here.

EDWARD: Joey is a lab
golden retriever mix.

And he is a two
and a half years old.

Joey is playful, lovable.

Joey likes to wear a hat.

He has a great personality.

And Kai, he's five-years-old.

CHRISTY: Come here, Kai.
Come here.

EDWARD: He's a
border collie lab mix.

He was abandoned at the shelter
when we were adopting him and

he was super excited and he
kinda jumped in between us.

And we knew that
was the dog for us.

We took him in.

(barking)

Is he barking over there.

He knows we're
talking about him.

I've always been somebody to
root for the underdog because

I felt like such an
underdog in my life.

I think having come from a
background of growing up without

a father or sort of
feeling rejected at times,

I wanted to make sure
that Kai found a home that was

filled with love, where he
could have a second chance.

What I love about Kai is
that he's a very loyal dog.

He's just so warm and friendly.

But if somebody comes in
to his space, he will flip.

(snarling)

LORETTA: Hi.

EDWARD: He becomes aggressive.

(barking)

CHRISTY: Every single walk
he has this leash aggression.

When he sees another
dog down the street,

and he immediately
starts to get activated and,

and breathing heavy and pulling.

EDWARD: Kai.

CHRISTY: The hair on the
back goes up and he growls

and he starts to lunge.

EDWARD: Leave it.
Come on, Kai.

CHRISTY: It can be really scary.

We avoid certain
situations because of the dogs.

They don't get along with
our other family member's dogs,

especially my mom
and her dog Leo.

So it's hard for her to visit.

Kai and Leo are
like mortal enemies.

They do not get along.

(growling)

The aggression between
Kai and Leo is really scary.

One of the first introductions,
Kai lunged for him.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CHRISTY: It was just really bad.

So, since then we haven't
really had them near each other.

I worry for their safety and
any human that gets in the way.

It's really just
created a disconnect.

Family is so important to me and
my mom and I are really close,

so it's really been hard to
see as much of her as we'd like.

EDWARD: It's
like being isolated.

Kai's behavior is
keeping our families apart.

It's difficult to
watch him struggle.

It's difficult to see such a
loving dog turn on a dime and

become aggressive.

We really need Cesar's help.

(knocking)

CHRISTY: Hi.
EDWARD: Cesar.

CESAR: I'm here.
CHRISTY: Hello.

CESAR: Come outside.
Come outside.

EDWARD: Good to meet you.
CESAR: Thank you. Thank you.

So, how can I help?

CHRISTY: We need help for Kai.
CESAR: Okay.

CHRISTY: Kai is very reactive.

He has a lot of
leash aggression.

CESAR: Yes.

CHRISTY: Kai and my mom's dog,
Leo are like mortal enemies.

They do not get along.

So we just, you know, we
just feel kind of disconnected.

CESAR: Does he get
aggressive with other dogs or

just your mom's?

EDWARD: Kai got into it
with the neighbor's dog.

He bit the other dog on the leg.

It got pretty crazy.

He's such a kind dog, but
when we get him outside and

he gets around
other dogs, Cesar, he...

(snaps)

Something switches in him.

CESAR: Yeah.

EDWARD: It's like,
it's not himself.

Like, it's a Jekyll and Hyde.

CESAR: That, that is a problem.
CHRISTY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: I want to
see the walk next.

Go get him however you do it.

I'm gonna wait over there
just to see you in action.

EDWARD: Okay.
CHRISTY: Okay.

CESAR: I'm gonna help you.

CHRISTY: All right.
Awesome. Thank you.

CESAR: All right.
EDWARD: Thanks, Cesar.

CESAR: I wanna see how
this pack reacts to my dogs,

as well as Christy's mom
Loretta and her dog Leo who

triggers aggression from Kai.

Loretta, how are you?

EDWARD: Here we go.
CHRISTY: Okay. You ready?

CESAR: Okay. So,
Edward's walking Kai.

EDWARD: Okay.
Come, come here, Kai.

Easy. Leave it.

CHRISTY: Come on.
EDWARD: Leave it, Kai.

CESAR: All right. Loretta,
please pass them with Leo.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CHRISTY: Come on, Joey, Come on.

CHRISTY: Come on, come on.
Come on.

CESAR: Kai thinks he is control.

EDWARD: Leave it. Leave it.

CHRISTY: Oh.
EDWARD: Come here, Kai.

CESAR: The first thing
I see is Edward let's Kai

run out in front of him.

EDWARD: Okay.
Come, come here, Kai.

CESAR: But then in the street,
Edward's tense energy and

tight leash makes Kai
tense and aggressive.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CESAR: Kai's aggression
makes Joey excited as well

but he's just responding to Kai.

And Christy's energy is
much better than Edward's.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CESAR: So, it's clear Edward
is the source of this problem.

EDWARD: Sit. Sit, Kai.

CESAR: Oh, I like this.
EDWARD: Shh.

CESAR: I got it. I got it.
Pass her to me.

CHRISTY: Come here.

CESAR: I like
when they back away.

Shh. Shh.

So what he's sensing is my
energy is completely different.

See how he back in like away?

EDWARD: Yeah.

CHRISTY: Mm-hmm.
CESAR: Shh.

If he can switch that fast
with a brand new human that just

shows you that he is not
at the front of the pack.

A natural front of the
pack dog would not accept

my leadership so quickly.

He went from aggression
to surrender in an instant.

And that tells me he's
really a back of the pack dog,

who thinks he needs to
aggressively take charge because

he doesn't trust
Edward to lead the pack.

Where's the dogs?

Come over here.

Shh.

So here, now you have a
completely different reaction.

EDWARD: Wow.
CHRISTY: Right.

EDWARD: Unbelievable.

CESAR: What's my energy?

EDWARD: In charge.
CESAR: Calm, confident.

EDWARD: Yeah,
calm and confident.

CESAR: Yeah.

Kai knows I'm in charge and sees
I'm not reacting to the dogs,

he follows my lead.

CHRISTY: The minute
Cesar kind of stepped in,

they were just so calm,
and they sat down and

it was just really amazing.

CESAR: Mom, come over here.

EDWARD: Oh, no.

(barking)

CESAR: Shh!

You see it?

Kai learned to calm surrender to
me and ignore that invitation.

CHRISTY: Mm-hmm.
CESAR: This is good for them.

Bad for him.

CHRISTY: Yeah.
CESAR: Right?

Because Leo, he's the
one that's practicing chaos.

They're practicing calmness.

CHRISTY: Yeah.
EDWARD: That's unbelievable.

CESAR: So if you would
have done this from day one,

they learn to ignore that.

CHRISTY: Yeah.
I feel hopeful.

CESAR: You should.

Number one, I'm here.

CHRISTY: I know, right!

CESAR: Number two,
you're seeing it.

But the hard part
is number three.

You got to do it.

(laughter)

CESAR: Kai is a
classic back of the pack dog,

who naturally wants to
follow a strong leader.

Christy's energy is
much better than Edward's,

even with Joey
gets a little excited.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CESAR: But Edward doesn't
provide any leadership to Kai.

So, Kai tries to
step up and lead,

but it doesn't
come naturally to him.

So he's fearful and aggressive.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CESAR: I need to find out why
Edward isn't leading his dog

the way he needs to.

But my first priority is getting
them to the ranch so I can teach

Edward how to give Kai the calm,
confident leadership he needs.

Once he's doing that, Kai can
fall into his natural position

at the back of the pack and
his aggression will go away.

Let's go to the ranch where I
can give you a new beginning and

rehab at the same time.

All right? Let's go.

CHRISTY: All right.
EDWARD: Let's go.

Meeting with Cesar, you,
you know, I felt frustrated.

I don't wanna seem like I don't
have that much control over

my dog and it was a
humbling experience for me.

I just know I have
a lot of work to do.

We're off to see the Cesar.

(laughter)

EDWARD: The
wonderful Cesar dog ranch.

Oh, my goodness, look at this.

CESAR: Let's give
them a warm welcome!

CHRISTY: They're like,
"What is happening?"

EDWARD: Mm-hmm.
CHRISTY: Oh.

CESAR: The first thing
I want to do is begin to

buildup Edward's
leadership in Kai's eyes.

Hey, guys.

CHRISTY: Hi.

CESAR: Edward,
you're gonna be first.

So, I'm going to put them in
the Serengeti with some new dogs

and unfamiliar animals.

This is a stressful situation
for Kai that will require Edward

to lead with calm, confidence
in order to prevent Kai from

taking charge and
getting aggressive.

Come in.

EDWARD: Cesar is saying,
"Come on in to the enclosure."

I'm thinking that
Kai's gonna lose his mind.

There's a menagerie of animals
there and, uh, I thought,

"Oh, hell, no. There's no way
that this is gonna go well."

CESAR: Okay. That's tension.

You're pulling back.

Before we go in, Edward is
already transmitting tension

through the leash, which
causes Kai to become alert and

will potentially
lead to aggression.

Calm, confident,
shoulders up, head high,

no tension on the leash.

EDWARD: Shh.
CESAR: That's right.

No negotiations.

You're about to enter into it.

Shh. Don't let him pull.

He can't go in front of you.

Show him how to behave when a calm,
confident human is in charge.

(takes deep breath)

Breathe.

There we go.
Now, he's waiting.

Take the leash off.

EDWARD: Uh, take, unclip it?

Okay.

Cesar asked me to take the leash
off of Kai and I'm hesitant.

I thought, "Here comes trouble."

CESAR: Just stay calm.

CESAR: Walk in, calm, confident.

That's it.

See, you have to stay calm.

That's Lucio.
He wants to play with him.

EDWARD: Okay.

(growling)

(snarls)

CESAR: Shh.

Hey. Shh.

Kai snapped at my dog
Lucio because he lives in

a home without any calm,
confident leadership from

his pet parent Edward.

So, when Edward is fearful and
hesitant in a new situation...

Take the leash off.

EDWARD: Uh, take, unclip it?

CESAR: Unclip it.
EDWARD: Okay.

CESAR: Kai takes the lead.

(snarls)

But he's naturally a back of
the pack dog and gets fearful

and aggressive when
force to take charge.

I need to correct him so
he knows that's not allowed.

We need to get him to
be in calm surrender.

(exhales)

Boom.

So that's calm surrender.

EDWARD: I think it's amazing.
CESAR: He has to calm surrender.

To understand that,

it's not allowed.

EDWARD: Okay.

CESAR: So when a dog
makes a mistake in the pack,

whoever is in charge
sends them to calm surrender.

You are one of his pet parents,

so you need to give him
leadership in these moments.

That tail wagging right there.

He's, he means no harm.

He is ready to make friends.

EDWARD: He's exploring.
CESAR: Yup.

Follow, play, explore.

Kai won't be able to fall
back into his natural position

at the back of the pack
until Edward starts to lead.

Let's find out what's
happening inside of you.

What's blocking you?

I need to sit down with
Edward to better understand

why he's not giving Kai
the leadership he needs.

What makes it hard for
you to step up and lead him?

EDWARD: Yeah, with Kai,
I, I mean, I just,

I relate to him like
him having been abandoned,

me coming from a broken home,

growing up with an
absent father and...

CESAR: Mm-hmm.

EDWARD: Um, you know,

it just makes me
really connected to him.

CESAR: Right, right, right.
EDWARD: You know?

Now, I, I, I know that I haven't
processed a lot of that stuff.

I displace a lot
of my feelings onto...

CESAR: Yeah.
EDWARD: Onto him. Yeah.

CESAR: Everybody does, yeah.

But by projecting your own
stories and insecurities on him,

that makes you reluctant...

EDWARD: Yeah.

CESAR: To give the
leadership he needs.

EDWARD: Yeah, well.

CESAR: Kai was abandoned at the
shelter and Edward sees himself

as having been abandoned
as a child by his father.

But those stories of
abandonment from the past are

showing up in his
own family today,

because they're
fueling Kai's aggression,

which divides them
from Christy's mother.

We all have stories to tell.

CHRISTY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: It's how
fast you let it go,

things that are, have served
no purpose because it hurts.

EDWARD: Yeah.

CESAR: Reunifying his family
will require that Edward let go

of the story he's telling
both about himself and the dog.

EDWARD: It's been a projection,
a projection of maybe my own...

CESAR: That's right.

EDWARD: My own stuff that
I'm carrying around, you know?

CESAR: That's right.
CHRISTY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: And feeling sorry
for what happened to them,

that's not gonna change them.

CHRISTY: Yeah.

CESAR: Your projection
directly leads you to let Kai

get aggressive and that
is isolating the family.

EDWARD: Yeah.

CESAR: But now you
have to follow through.

CHRISTY: Yes. Yes.
CESAR: That's it, right?

And for your homework, I want
you to focus on calmness around

Kai inside, outside,
on walks, everywhere.

EDWARD: Yeah. I'm sold.
CESAR: Thank you.

EDWARD: And I'm gonna sign up.

(laughter)

EDWARD: In talking to Cesar,

I came to realize that
I've been carrying a story that

I was putting on,
on Kai about the abandonment,

having growing up
without a father.

I really got the point.

It's time to drop the narrative.

CESAR: Come on.

EDWARD: Thank
you so much, Cesar.

CESAR: Yes.

EDWARD: I just know I
have a lot of work to do.

NARRATOR: The next morning,
Cesar heads to Santa Monica to

help a pet parent whose feisty
Chihuahua mix has taken a bite

out of her
confidence and her hand.

BRANDY: I'm Brandy
and I love animals.

But horses and dogs,
they really have my heart.

I started riding
horses when I was three,

and dogs, I mean,
can you beat that face?

Look at that face.

Yes, good girl.

This is my dog Mighty.

She's almost one.

She is a Chihuahua
Min Pin Terrier mix.

She's a Pisces, um...

She's very energetic.

Where's your toy?

Good girl.

She's very loving and friendly,

and loves to snuggle.

I just love her.

Like, I love her to death.

(laughs)

Mighty weighs five pounds and
she acts like she's 50 pounds.

She has a big
personality and a big bite.

(snarling)

Uh-uh. Mighty.

(barking)

The first time she bit me,
I gave her a rawhide cookie

and she dropped it.

And I went to grab it
and she snapped at me.

(barks)

Mighty.

When it comes to food, she
really gets on the attack, like,

"You're not taking it from me."

Stop biting. Stop biting.

If I drop any food,
she'll just go for it.

And if I get in
the way, I'll get bit.

And now, I'm
hesitant to feed her and

go anywhere near her dish.

You've, you've lost, Mighty.

Mighty has bitten me
over 30 or 40 times.

I lost count.

It's easier to control a horse
that weighs 2,000 pounds for me,

than controlling a
five pound Chihuahua.

Because, you know, I don't have
a saddle and reins on this one.

When I feed her,
there is some terror.

I have to be very
careful with my hands.

It's really stressful.

I love her but she
just keeps coming after me.

And it's just,
it stresses me out.

I don't know what to do.

And I think that's the part
that makes me feel helpless.

And I just love her
and want her to be happy.

And I'm wanna be happy with her.

I adopted her, so
I'm responsible for her.

And I wanna try to give
her the best life I can.

That's why I need Cesar
because I can't do it anymore,

like I don't know
what to do for her.

CESAR: In order
for me to help Brandy,

I need to see how she
interacts with Mighty without

my energy affecting them.

My team recorded some footage of Brandy
feeding Mighty earlier today.

So I'll watch that before
I go in to meet this pack.

BRANDY: Mighty. Want this?

CESAR: Brandy needs to
wait until Mighty's sitting

in calm surrender
before she offers food.

BRANDY: Can I have it?

(barking)

CESAR: Whoa.

BRANDY: No. No.
That's naughty.

(barking)

BRANDY (over video): Uh-uh.

BRANDY: Mighty.

(barking)

Stop. Hey!

CESAR: Now Brandy's hesitating.

She acts weak which
encouraged Mighty to act strong.

Mighty is guarding her
food because Brandy hesitates

every time she
reaches out for the cookie.

She asked for the cookie instead
of just confidently claiming it.

BRANDY: Can I have it?

CESAR: I've seen enough.
I'm going in.

Now, I wanna talk to Brandy
about what's been going on.

BRANDY: Stay.

Hi.

CESAR: Hello, Brandy.
How are you? Good?

BRANDY: Good. Welcome.
CESAR: Thank you.

I've seen a little bit
already but tell me from

your perspective,
what's going on with Mighty?

BRANDY: She's
aggressive with the food,

like with her dish.

If I put food in it, and
I can't go to pick it up.

I'm the hand that
feeds her and she bites me.

CESAR: That's right.
BRANDY: So...

CESAR: So that's
against the pack code.

BRANDY: Yes. Yes.

CESAR: How many
times had she bitten you?

BRANDY: Many bites, um.

I mean, I stopped counting I
think after around 35 times.

CESAR: No way.
BRANDY: Yeah.

CESAR: You just
broke the record.

BRANDY: I mean, I used to ride
horses and I could dominate that

2,000 pound
animal but, you know,

I have a problem with
this five pound little one.

CESAR: In all of my years,
I have never worked with a

pet parent who has
been bitten over 35 times.

It's only a matter of time before
Brandy gets seriously hurt.

All right, it's time
to put a stop to this.

You go get Mighty, and I'm
gonna go to get something for

our first exercise.

BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: Here's what's going on.

The first time Mighty bit Brandy was
when she was giving the dog a cookie.

BRANDY: Mighty.

CESAR: Ever since then,
Brandy's energy and movements

are hesitant and weak
during feeding times because

she's afraid of being bitten.

This allow Mighty to
claim the food herself,

so she gets possessive
and literally bites the hand

that feeds her.

Brandy must learn to use clear
direct body language and energy

to let Mighty know that the pet parent is
in control of the food.

BRANDY: Mighty, stop biting.

Stop biting.

CESAR: Brandy is an
equestrian who knows how to

move a 2,000 pound
horse with no problem.

But she's bringing
none of those skills to

her five pound Chihuahua.

I'm going to teach her
what she needs to know to

stop this bite once and for all.

(knocking)

BRANDY: Shh, shh! Come in.

Shh, shh! Mighty. Mighty.

CESAR: Whoa.
BRANDY: Shh.

CESAR: Two words,
powerful and clear.

BRANDY: Shh. Mm-hmm.

Shh. Uh-uh.

CESAR: Let me show you.
BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: Let it go.
I brought this steak.

Shh. Shh.

(snaps)

Right now, her
nose is telling her,

"Go eat that steak."

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: But my energy
says, "No, you can't."

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.
CESAR: Powerful and clear.

Powerful, clear energy
creates powerful clear movement

when you're feeding her.

Shh.

(snaps)

Shh.

Even when it's closer
to you, my movement say,

"I am in control."

BRANDY: Right.

CESAR: I'm just
powerful and clear.

BRANDY: Right. But even
her in my lap right now,

anywhere near the steak I'm
scared because that usually

means that a bite is coming.

CESAR: If energy is
wrong, that's not healthy.

Simple as that.

The aggression is the outcome
of a problem, not the problem.

BRANDY: So in this
situation, what would I do?

CESAR: First, you use a leash
to give yourself more leverage.

Where's my leash?

A leash gives you more
control over the dog's head,

which should give
you more confidence.

So the leash all
the way in the top,

not in the bottom.

BRANDY: Oh. Okay.
CESAR: Right there.

Now, hand it to me,
no hesitation.

Then you're gonna grab here.

BRANDY: Yeah, her butt?
CESAR: Yeah, don't hesitate.

(snarling)

CESAR: I got it. I got it.

(snarling)

BRANDY: That's
what normally happens.

CESAR: Right.

What happened was, you
hesitated handing her to me and

that makes her aggressive.

BRANDY: Right.

CESAR: When I asked
her to hand Mighty to me,

Brandy was hesitant.

By showing
weakness and uncertainty,

she encouraged Mighty to show strength
in the form of aggression.

It's the same dynamic as
when Brandy is hesitant at

feeding times, which
causes Mighty to bite her.

So the part that she's
biting is your uncertainty.

BRANDY: Got it.

CESAR: When you're
dealing with a dog like Mighty,

you can not hesitate because
your movements tell Mighty

how to respond to you.

So the movements are
very powerful and clear.

I want you to come to the
ranch as soon as possible so

we can work on your hesitation.

BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: I want you to focus on
powerful and clear, energy-wise.

And then tomorrow at the ranch,
I will show you how to move in

a powerful clear way
when you feed her.

What do you think?

BRANDY: Okay.
I'm just gonna do it.

CESAR: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

BRANDY: Are you excited?

I'm excited.

NARRATOR: The next day, Brandy
and Mighty arrived at the DPC.

CESAR: Welcome to the ranch.

BRANDY: Hi. Thank you.

Okay, Mighty, you ready?

NARRATOR: Brandy's
hesitation during feeding time

invites Mighty to
aggressively guard her food,

resulting in over 35 bites.

CESAR: All right, so...

NARRATOR: Today, Cesar will teach Brandy
how to feed Mighty with clear,

strong energy and
movements that will put

a stop to the aggression.

CESAR: So because
the energy is wrong,

the outcomes are gonna be wrong.

(laughter)

BRANDY: So everything's wrong?
CESAR: That's why I have a job.

Okay.

So, here we're gonna practice
power instead of weakness.

BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: We're gonna
bring the cookie.

I wanna see how you use powerful
and clear movements to give and

take away the cookie
without any hesitation.

BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: A pet parent
should be able to give and

take away food
without any issue.

And that can only happen if
they claim the food themselves,

so the dog know it's not theirs.

Right now her
nose is telling her,

"Go eat that steak."

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: But my energy
says, "No, you can't."

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.
CESAR: Powerful and clear.

But remember, she's
been bitten over 35 times,

so it's not safe to
work with Mighty until

Brandy builds up her skills.

I want to start her work with
another Chihuahua who's already

learned much
better table manners.

Spot.

(kisses)

Yeah, bring him in.

So, Spot right now is like,
you know, role model.

BRANDY: Got it. Okay.

CESAR: He has way more knowledge
than she does because...

BRANDY: He's got the master.

CESAR: He has the, he
has a great pet parent.

We're gonna use a
dog cookie this morning.

Show him the cookie.

Easy. He, he loves the food.

Now, so you are going
to go towards Spot and

remove him from the cookie.

If you're moving a
clear and powerful way,

Spot will recognize you as a
leader and he'll let you come up

and take his cookie.

BRANDY: Okay.

Do I say his name?

CESAR: Don't stop. Keep going.

Powerful energy.

You're hesitating.
Just walk up and take it.

You see what you did?

BRANDY: I'm doing
everything wrong.

CESAR: So you do this.

(laughter)

CESAR: So you, so you
trigger the run away from you.

BRANDY: I have been
bit around, like, 35 times,

so when Cesar asked me to
take the cookie away from Spot,

I mean, my initial reaction
is hesitation, because,

you know, I don't wanna get bit.

So I was too
slow on my reaction.

I wasn't confident.

So Spot took off.

CESAR: Look, I'll show you.

Shh. Shh.

See it, from here.

That's all it took for me to
tell him he needs to drop it.

You see it?

BRANDY: Yeah.

CESAR: Look, and then
I can walk towards it.

Yeah.

Now, you tell Spot to drop
the cookie, just like that.

BRANDY: Okay.
Let me try it again.

Here, Spot. Okay.

CESAR: Use strong
movements and a quick, "Shh,"

to tell him to drop it.

BRANDY: Shh.
CESAR: Yeah.

Move in. Move in.

BRANDY: Shh.

(laughs)

He's like, I'm trying to make...

CESAR: That's okay. This is
good, is good challenge for you.

Come this way.

BRANDY: Shh.
CESAR: Yes.

Just block him over here.

Go. Do it again.

BRANDY: Shh.
CESAR: Move a little forward.

Just a little bit. Again.

BRANDY: Shh.

CESAR: Yes.
Now you got him.

BRANDY: Shh.
CESAR: Yes. Yay!

Are you seeing the difference?

BRANDY: Yeah, I did.

CESAR: Brandy was able to use
powerful and clear body movement

to get Spot to drop the
cookie so she could take it.

BRANDY: Good boy, Spot.

Come on. Good boy.

CESAR: Eventually, Spot
recognized that she was

in charge and
understood what she wanted.

Now, we need to see if Brandy can do the
same thing with Mighty.

All right, time to claim and
take the cookie from Mighty.

BRANDY: Okay.
CESAR: Yeah?

CESAR: Okay?

This has been a trigger
for bites in the past,

so this will be a real test of
Brandy's powerful body language

and movement.

First, give her the cookie.

(growling)

(growling)

Now, take it back,
strong and clear.

BRANDY: So when Cesar told me
to take the cookie from Mighty,

I think the worst fear for
me is if I try to pick it up,

she would bite my
hand off, or my foot,

or whatever was available.

CESAR: Just like
you did with Spot.

Use powerful and clear
movements and a strong energy

to get the cookie back.

BRANDY: Shh.

Shh. Shh.

CESAR: Oh, good girl! Good girl.

BRANDY: Good job, Mighty.
CESAR: That is a good girl.

BRANDY: Good job, Mighty!

CESAR: Brandy's been
bitten over 35 times,

usually when taking
away food from Mighty.

But this time, she used strong
and clear movements and energy

to let Mighty know
she needed to give back

the cookie and Mighty listened.

She actually
delivered it to you.

BRANDY: Good job.
CESAR: Like Uber Eats.

BRANDY: Good job.

I was shocked when she
let me take back the cookie,

and she actually
gave me the cookie.

I was like, "Oh, wow.
Okay, we've turned a corner."

CESAR: All right. I think you're
ready for the final challenge.

So because you've
been bitten over 35 times,

I want to make sure that
your final test goes through

your whole feeding time ritual.

BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: It's one thing to
take away a cookie from Mighty,

but now, it's time to
take the training wheels off.

Feeding time is a daily ritual,
so the true test of whether

Mighty's biting is
a thing of the past,

will be if Brandy can
take away her food bowl before

the dog is finished eating.

Okay.

I want you to fill her food
up like you normally would.

Do the whole preparation.

BRANDY: Okay.

Feeding with Mighty is
definitely stressful just

because I don't want to get bit.

But then, I realized that this
is the time to actually do it,

because Cesar's next to me.

So, I felt more confident,
but I had some trepidation.

Mighty. Come on. Up.

CESAR: Get her to calm
down before you start.

(snaps)

BRANDY: Shh. Shh.

CESAR: Great job.
Now, set the bowl down.

All right. So, before...

BRANDY: Yeah.
CESAR: She finish it.

BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: With powerful,
clear movements,

pick the bowl
straight up, no hesitation.

BRANDY: I know.

I flinched. I know.

CESAR: Okay.

BRANDY: The first time I take
away the food, I'm hesitant.

And he saw it.

I flinched because I
didn't want to get bit.

I'm not used to
having her not bite me.

CESAR: Can I show you how?
BRANDY: Mm-hmm.

CESAR: So, if you move up,
and then it's easier for her.

Versus if you do
this and then you,

and keep the brain engaged.

BRANDY: Got it.
CESAR: Let's do it again.

BRANDY: Okay.

CESAR: Yeah. That was it.

You passed!

BRANDY: Woo!
CESAR: That was perfect.

Brandy's hesitation
has disappeared, and therefore,

so has Mighty's biting.

I am really proud
of Brandy and Mighty.

She's moving in
more powerful ways.

And if she can keep it up,
Mighty will have taken her

final bite out of her pet mom.

Brandy, you just needed to bring
in a different perspective,

different energy.

BRANDY: I mean,
you're exactly right.

She would never do this before.

She would hover like,

"It's mine and
you can't have it."

CESAR: Right.
BRANDY: I'm ecstatic.

CESAR: Yeah.

BRANDY: I think what changed in
me is realizing I just have to

be calm and confident with her,
and tell her exactly what I want

in a very clear way.

Before, I would
avoid situations.

Like, I'm not going near
her food dish, because,

you know, I'm gonna get bit.

And so now, I think
there's definitely a

different relationship
between Mighty and I.

And I would never know how to get this
if it wasn't for Cesar showing me.

So, I'm feeling
relieved and happy.

CESAR: Thank you for coming,
Brandy, I appreciate it.

BRANDY: Thank you for helping.
CESAR: Mighty. Bye-bye.

Let's go.

BRANDY: That's a wrap.
CESAR: That's a wrap!

NARRATOR: The next day,
Edward and Christy head back

to the DPC, with their
Border Collie Mix Kai.

Due to his own abandonment
issues related to his father,

Edward doesn't give Kai
the leadership he needs.

That triggers aggression in Kai.

EDWARD: Kai! Leave it.

NARRATOR: Which isolates
the couple from family.

CHRISTY: Hi.
EDWARD: Hey, Cesar.

CHRISTY: Come on.
Let's go see Cesar.

CESAR: Yes. Come
and see Uncle Cesar.

NARRATOR: To solve this,
Cesar must teach Edward to lead

his back of pack dog
with calm confidence.

CESAR: Jaimito, bring him in.

I'm going to have my
barnyard pack join us,

so Edward can experience just
how important calm energy is,

not just to his dogs,
but to all animals.

We don't have to worry about
Joy because he's happy-go-lucky.

And Kai, he, as
you see, he stays back.

He's a back at the pack.

EDWARD: Gotcha, 'cause
normally he would be in there...

CHRISTY: Go out there. Go play.

EDWARD: Barking and...

CESAR: That's right.

Because unconsciously, you
allowed him to be in front.

But see, you're walking
confidently and are sitting here

calmly in all this chaos,
so he sees your leadership

and can pull back.

EDWARD: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Hi, buddies.

CHRISTY: Oh, hi, guys.

EDWARD: Hi, guys.

CESAR: You need to
stay calm confident,

so Kai stays calm.

CHRISTY: Oh. Oh.
EDWARD: Oh, no.

CESAR: Stay, stay, stay, stay...

Hey, stay calm. Yeah.

EDWARD: Here, cut
that last piece here.

(laughter)

CESAR: Lorenzo is showing
Edward the importance of

staying calm and confident,
just like he must do with Kai

if he's going to
reunify his family.

Come here, Lorenzo.

Shh.

So your energy tugs, right?

And then he, he stops.

CHRISTY: He knows you're here.
CESAR: That's it.

EDWARD: Okay.

CESAR: But then you
went to a flight mode.

EDWARD: I know. I did.

I was, I, I thought he was gonna
bite my head like an apple.

CESAR: They don't bite.
They spit.

EDWARD: Oh.

My experience with a llama,
my projection was that it was,

obviously it was
gonna be chaos, right?

And so maybe it's the projection
that I have with Kai, you know?

I got to be
really careful of that,

and really watch that energy.

CESAR: You're still
struggling with calm confidence,

so I need to push you.

Jaimito begin to
move the animals,

so they can go
into migration mode.

And then, I want
you to be in the front.

EDWARD: Okay.

CESAR: You know,
lead the migration.

EDWARD: Let's do it.
CESAR: Okay.

I want to see if Edward can
lead Kai with my barnyard pack

from the front
with calm confidence.

Then Kai can fall back
into his natural position in

the back of the pack.

Make sure you breathe.

(exhales)

EDWARD: Cesar was walking
me through the exercise and

I'm thinking,
"This is gonna be nuts."

It's really daunting.

CESAR: All right.
Bring them in. Bring them in.

(bleating)

CESAR: There you go.
Relax. Yeah.

EDWARD: Okay.

CESAR: Kai's watching for your
leadership around my animals.

So you need to stay calm to keep
him from getting aggressive.

Shh. Shh.

Yeah, outta here.

(exhales)

In the past, Edward hasn't given
Kai the leadership he needs due

to his own abandonment issues.

So the back of the pack
dog tries to lead himself,

which ends with aggression,

which has isolated the
couple from their family.

Now, Edward must lead Kai
as well as my barnyard pack

with calm confidence.

Turn around. Look at them.

So Kai knows you
are aware of them and

he doesn't need to take charge.

EDWARD: Oh, hi, guys.

CESAR: He's getting restless.

Give a quick correction to
let him know you got this.

EDWARD: Shh.
CESAR: Follow through.

It's all about
the follow through.

EDWARD: Shh.
CESAR: Yes.

That's what I wanted.

That's the image.

This is a huge turning point.

Edward noticed Kai
was getting nervous,

but with a quick correction,
Kai snapped right out of it.

EDWARD: Shh.
CESAR: Follow through.

It's all about
the follow through.

EDWARD: Shh.

CESAR: By leading Kai from the
front of the pack in a stressful

situation and correcting
him calmly when Kai starts

to get restless, the
dog is finally getting

the calm confident
leadership that he needs.

And he's responding beautifully.

How does that feel?

EDWARD: I am calm and confident.

And I can feel the
difference when he's tensed...

CESAR: Yeah. Mm-hmm.
EDWARD: And then he gets back.

I felt that there was a
big shift for me as far

as my confidence, my calm.

It was one of the first times I
really felt like a pack leader.

It's a good feeling.

CHRISTY: Watching Edward
take Kai with the animals,

it was really cool to see.

I am expecting Kai to go crazy,
but Edward did such a good job.

It filled my heart.
It really did.

EDWARD: You know, Cesar, if we
would have done an exercise like

this prior to some of the
things that you have taught us,

it would have been chaos.

CESAR: And that's why
we do the work we do.

To see a new,
a new possibility,

a new reality.

So for the next week, your homework
is working on your calm confidence.

So continue with the walks,
continue with all of that.

But the ultimate goal
is to reunite the family,

so you can be with
Christy's mom and her dog, Leo.

So the final step
is bring Leo back...

CHRISTY: Yeah.
CESAR: Your mom.

You know, get them together,
so we can finish it.

CHRISTY: Yeah.

CESAR: Edward made some great progress
with his leadership today,

but truly becoming a
calm confident leader requires

completely letting go of
the stories he has told himself

about Kai's abandonment
and his own abandonment.

And that takes time.

Edward still has a lot of work
to do before I can be confident

that his family can be
together without any issues.

Look at Lorenzo.

He's like, "Hey, sir, I didn't,
I didn't finish with you, sir."

EDWARD: Here.
You can smell.

CESAR: Yeah, he's like...
EDWARD: My head, Lorenzo.

(laughter)

CHRISTY: No. You had your chance
to make friends with Lorenzo.

EDWARD: I know!
I blew it with Lorenzo, man.

NARRATOR: Over the next week,
Edward continues to work at home

on how to lead Kai
with calm confidence.

EDWARD: So things had
been going well with, uh,

using the tips
that we were given.

CHRISTY: Hold
Kai a little closer.

Like, um, yeah.

EDWARD: I feel much
more confident and calm when

we're walking and the
dogs seem to sense that.

CHRISTY: Okay, we see some dogs.

EDWARD: One thing is that Kai
continues to get fixated when

there's other dogs around.

(barking)

I look forward to continued
learning and challenging myself.

CHRISTY: Well, that
was pretty good, right?

NARRATOR: Today, Cesar
returns to Santa Clarita,

to see if Edward can lead
Kai with calm confidence,

and end the aggression
that isolates the family.

(exhales)

CESAR: Let's do this.

The first time I visited,
Edward was projecting onto Kai

his own story of
abandonment from his father,

which stopped the
pet parent from giving Kai

the calm confident
leadership he needed.

This caused a dog
to try to take charge,

but since he's a
back of the pack dog,

he's uncomfortable
leading and gets aggressive.

EDWARD: Leave it.

CESAR: The aggression was especially
bad around Christy's mom's dog,

which meant the couple
couldn't be around family

as much as they wanted.

At the DPC, Edward learned
how to lead with confidence.

EDWARD: I am calm and confident.

CESAR: And once he finally
did, Kai fell right in line.

I know they've
been working all week,

so I can't wait to
put them to the test.

Hey, guys.

CHRISTY: Hi.
So good to see you.

CESAR: All right.
So for the last challenge,

you guys are just
gonna walk around

my handlers and dogs.

As you guys are guiding,
doing the follow behavior,

dogs calm surrender,
humans calm confident.

CHRISTY: Okay.
CESAR: Oh, and one more thing.

Bring the surprise.

It's Christy's
mom and her dog Leo.

EDWARD: Oh, no.

CESAR: With Leo here, this will
be the ultimate test of whether

Edward has fully faced his
abandonment issues and become

the calm confident
leader Kai needs,

so he can bring this
family back together.

EDWARD: Is she
coming over here or...

CESAR: Yes. She'll join me here
while you guys walk around us.

EDWARD: My mother-in-law
and Leo are walking up.

And at this point,
it's nervous time, right?

'Cause I'm not sure what
Kai is gonna do right now.

CESAR: All right.
Start the walk.

CHRISTY: Okay.

CESAR: Edward, you need to
stay calm, so Kai stays calm.

CHRISTY: My mom and Leo
walk up, and I'm really nervous.

EDWARD: It was tense.

CESAR: How are you?

EDWARD: I'm thinking, you know,
let the training kick in.

This isn't a time to
second-guess yourself.

Be the leader of the dogs.

(whining)

CESAR: Kai is
definitely curious,

so he needs your
leadership, Edward.

CHRISTY: Calm confident.
EDWARD: Calm confident.

CHRISTY: I, I was a little
worried about what Kai was

gonna do, but I felt confident
and sure that we were going to

be able to handle the
situation without an incident.

EDWARD: Shh. Shh.

CESAR: Good correction.

CHRISTY: Look how good he is.

CESAR: What a difference!

On day one, I saw firsthand the
dog family feud that was leaving

Christy and Edward
separate from her mother.

But with Edward showing calm
confident leadership today,

the dogs barely
reacted to one another.

And when Kai
started to fixate on Leo,

Edward gave a simple correction
to diffuse the situation.

EDWARD: Shh.

CESAR: Kai trusts
his leadership now,

and even Leo can
sense the change.

Oh, he likes them.

That's your family, brother.

EDWARD: A day like today, for me
proved that change can happen.

Prior to getting the
training with Cesar,

a situation like with Leo, it,
it would have been chaos.

So, it felt really empowering,

it felt, it felt great.

How are we doing?

CHRISTY: I think
we're doing really well.

They're good.

CESAR: This is like
a beautiful, meditated,

healing peace to the
world type of thing.

This is like a beautiful march.

Look at Kai,
he's calm surrender.

I'm telling you, he's doing
exactly what he was meant to be.

CHRISTY: It was really cool
to have my mom here today.

I'm really surprised.

I really didn't think
we'd get this far, this fast.

And so it's pretty cool to see.

CESAR: All right.

So, let's get
the family together.

You guys, come in here with me.

CHRISTY: Okay. Come on.

CESAR: Edward and Kai have
come a long way in overcoming

their mutual
distrust in one another.

And as a result, Kai is
not reacting to Leo at all.

Just get the family together.

Beautiful.

But it's one thing to
stay calm at a distance and

it's another to do
when you're much closer.

EDWARD: Look how close they are.
CESAR: Yeah.

CHRISTY: Oh, I'm so happy.
EDWARD: Yes!

(laughter)

CESAR: This is what it's
all about, you know, the family.

EDWARD: Family's
really important to us.

So, having experienced
the success of today,

it gives me greater hope
that we can start developing

a different
relationship with family.

You know, we, we have a home
we'd like to share with them.

And it's nice to know
that we're gonna be able to,

to create family again.

CESAR: What has changed?
What do you think is different?

EDWARD: You know, Cesar,
for me, my insight was how much

of my own experience I
was projecting into the dogs,

and that's not necessary.

I can be more confident.

It, and it's gonna
help them be calm.

CESAR: That's right.

By being more
vulnerable, people learn.

CHRISTY: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

I'm really proud of Edward.

I do think that there has
been a big change from when

we started to where we are now.

This is just a
new beginning for us.

CESAR: Incredible.
Incredible, my friend.

I love it when I'm speechless,

because that means
you did amazing, right?

CHRISTY: Wow.
CESAR: For me, yes.

That's, that to me is...

CHRISTY: Good job.
CESAR: It's incredible.

So to finish this, let's
do a little family dog walk.

CHRISTY: All right.
Come on, boys.

EDWARD: Come on, Kai.

Going through the
training has helped me improve

being aware of projecting some of my
weak areas onto the dogs.

So, it felt good
to actually let go,

'cause I think it's helped us
become more aware of the energy

we're creating in the home.

Because as Caesar explained,

it's not the dog,
it's the human.

LORETTA: Hi.
CESAR: Amazing.

LORETTA: Amazing is right.
CESAR: Yes. Yes, it is.

You know, this is the beauty,
being able to have this peace.

EDWARD: So, I can't
thank you enough for that...

CESAR: Yeah.
EDWARD: Cesar, yeah. Truly.

CHRISTY: Yeah.
EDWARD: Thank you.

CESAR: Thank you, brother.

CESAR: You passed the test!
CHRISTY: Yes.

CESAR: Thank you, ma'am.
CHRISTY: It was amazing, Cesar.

CHRISTY: Thank you.
CESAR: Thanks for listening.

CHRISTY: What a
great experience.

CESAR: I really
appreciate it. Thank you.

Let's walk into the sunset.

CHRISTY: All right.
EDWARD: All right.

CESAR: Yes.

Edward, lead the way.

(laughter)

I come from Mexico and that's where most
of my family still is.

Many times I missed my family.

And when I see families, they're
not being able to get together,

even though they
live in the same place,

it is saddening to me.

The power of the pack
bringing family together.

I think it's
something very honorable.

We are on this Earth,
for a short period of time,

so the best thing we can do is
to experience beautiful moments

with our families.