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.
Tsch!
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
one pack at a time.
CESAR: Aggression from dogs
towards other animals or adult
is always unacceptable,
but dog aggression towards kids
is a true emergency.
I'm heading to East LA
to meet a father
whose dog has become
increasingly aggressive
with his teenage son.
As a father of two sons myself,
I'm determined to stop this
behavior as quickly as I can.
♪ ♪
BRANDON: Hi, I'm Brandon,
and Jackson is, uh,
my 13-year-old son.
He's just a great kid.
I, I couldn't love him any more.
And I have two dogs,
Kobe and Dodger.
Dodger is a German shepherd mix.
He is four years old.
Dodger is very calm,
very fun, very affable,
just a great all-around dog.
Dodger was flying solo
and, you know,
seemed like he was
a little bit bored,
and so we wanted to give him
a companion
that he could play with
and keep company,
and, uh, that's how Kobe
came about.
Kobe is 18 months old,
he is a German shepherd.
Kobe is extremely affectionate
and extremely loyal.
Wherever I am, he wants to be.
When I wake up in the morning,
the first face I see is Kobe.
JACKSON:
Well, he's really playful
and he's always excited,
he's very fun.
BRANDON: But when we got Kobe,
I thought that he was gonna be
more like Dodger.
I couldn't have been
more wrong about that.
(dogs barking)
He is aggressive
and very protective.
(barking)
Walks with Kobe
are extremely difficult
just from his pulling,
constant aggression.
(barking)
Kobe is constantly on alert
for dogs behind gates,
dogs inside of their own house,
if there are dogs passing by.
If the person comes too close,
then it can be lunging.
(barking)
So when Kobe gets
super riled up,
Dodger will turn to him
aggressively,
and now they're both sort of
feeding off of one another.
Hey, leave it.
Jackson and Kobe
are like siblings.
They get rough and tumble,
and they play,
and they will wrestle.
(barking)
It's just that when Kobe gets
a little bit
too aggressive for him,
Jackson can't quite handle it.
JACKSON: Ow.
He just ripped my pants.
He'll run after me and jump.
He'll try and, like,
grab my arm and, like,
tug it around
as hard as he can.
And sometimes I'll fall over
and, like, hurt myself.
Ow.
I feel like he could
very much hurt me.
And I'll try and push him off
of me and say, "No, Kobe stop."
He won't stop.
BRANDON: It was
kind of scary for me
to see you in that situation.
(barking)
To realize that Kobe
had the ability
to actually hurt somebody
that I cared about,
um, that scares me a lot.
I wouldn't want to have
to re-home him.
I love him,
Jackson loves him.
But you can't have
an aggressive dog
that is hurting people,
and, uh, it's been a lot,
just trying to deal
with the weight of it all.
These aren't responsibilities
that I can turn away from
or hand off to somebody else.
So I have to figure out
a way to manage them
without also burning out myself.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
(knock on door)
Hey, Cesar.
CESAR: Come on out, guys.
Come on out.
JACKSON: Hey.
BRANDON: Come on out.
CESAR: Let's go have
a chat over here.
Oh, wow. Tall Jackson.
You're already taller
than me, man.
Damn. That's not fair.
BRANDON: Yeah, well,
his accomplishment
is getting taller than me.
That's his whole point.
CESAR: Okay, that's good,
that's good.
So, tell me about your pack.
BRANDON: Dodger is probably
the most well-mannered dog
I've ever owned.
CESAR: Okay, nice.
BRANDON: Uh, we got Kobe
thinking that he was
gonna be the same,
and Kobe has been
the exact opposite.
Kobe is, uh, extremely
aggressive towards people.
CESAR: Mmm.
BRANDON: He's aggressive
towards other dogs.
But my main issue is...
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: ...safety for Jackson.
Because when they play together,
Kobe is extremely aggressive.
CESAR: And that's the only way
you play with your dog, wrestle?
JACKSON: We play, we, we horse,
horse around, play tug-of-w*r.
BRANDON: They wrestle.
CESAR: They wrestle?
BRANDON: They wrestle.
CESAR: Okay.
So WWE type of thing.
JACKSON: Yeah.
CESAR: Yeah.
JACKSON: We were outside
and he was playing with me.
And he got my pants
and he ripped a hole
and he broke skin,
he gave me a big bruise.
CESAR: So, too rough?
BRANDON: Too rough.
CESAR: Is that how
you hurt your leg?
JACKSON: No, I was
playing basketball.
CESAR: Okay.
The first thing I noticed about
Brandon is how relaxed he seems,
considering his dog's behavior.
Typically, I work
with pet parents
who are too excited
and emotional,
but too relaxed is
just as big a problem,
if it means you
are being passive
when your dog
is biting your son.
Are Dodger and Kobe
your first dogs?
BRANDON: We owned
two dogs prior to...
CESAR: Prior. Yeah.
BRANDON: ...to Kobe and Dodger.
In the past, they got
into several fights,
one of which I got bitten.
CESAR: Oh, wow.
BRANDON: And so, introducing
a second dog into the household,
even I know how well-mannered
Dodger was...
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: ...it created
apprehension within me,
and I could feel it,
it was palpable.
CESAR: Right, right.
All right, brother,
since you are not feeling good
with the leg,
you can take a break.
I'm gonna focus on your dad.
I want to see the walk.
The walk is everything for me.
BRANDON: Sounds good.
CESAR: We got this.
BRANDON: Thank you, man.
Appreciate it.
CESAR: Yeah. I got you.
Everything that Brandon
and Jackson have said so far
has made me really worry
about what I'm going to see
on this walk.
(dogs barking)
All right, so Kobe is
the gray dog on the left,
but it's already chaotic.
Gee.
Yeah, a lot, a lot
of excitement.
(barking)
Ooh.
This is really bad.
BRANDON: Kobe.
CESAR: Kobe is barking
and charging every dog
that he passes,
and Brandon is
so chill about it
that he's not doing
anything to stop it.
(barking)
BRANDON: Come on.
(barking)
CESAR:
He's redirected on Dodger.
That could start a fight.
(barking)
BRANDON: Kobe! Ugh! Gah!
(barking)
CESAR: This is a really
dangerous situation.
Kobe just redirecting
on his pack mate, Dodger.
And if he gets to me
and my crew,
he will absolutely bite us.
Brandon isn't taking control of
the situation like he needs to.
I need to stop this immediately.
(barking)
He's hot. He's hot.
He's gonna bite.
Pass me some food.
I'm just gonna use it,
just, just to redirect him.
(barking)
(sniffing)
(barking)
I tried to redirect
his attention onto some food,
but he tried to bite me.
He's hot.
He's gonna bite.
BRANDON: Steady.
CESAR: That was another bite.
Heather, take Dodger.
(barking)
BRANDON: Come on, boy.
CESAR: Kobe has tried
to bite me twice,
and then redirected onto Dodger.
Brandon isn't doing anything
to take control of his dogs,
so I had my handler, Heather,
take Dodger to keep him safe,
but to keep my own crew
and myself safe,
I need to take
a different approach.
(barking)
Let's put him in the backyard,
and then I'll go get him.
Because he's hot right now.
It's best if he's not
with his pack,
because right now
he's protecting his pack.
Let's go to the backyard.
BRANDON: Okay.
Come on, buddy. Kobe.
CESAR: Instead of
asserting leadership
to stop the situation
like he should,
Brandon is too relaxed,
which causes Kobe to step up
and protect his pack.
Even when Kobe
tried bite me twice,
Brandon didn't do
anything to correct him.
I need to isolate Kobe
away from Brandon,
so he'll go out
of his protection mode.
I will be able to slowly
approach him and build trust.
Only once he's in full surrender
I will be able
to put a leash on him
and begin our work safely.
NARRATOR: Before Brandon
releases Kobe
into the backyard,
Cesar scouts out the space
in order to keep himself
and the crew safe.
CESAR: Okay. There's
a lot of hiding areas.
This is very dangerous
behavior for the dog.
I need to be able to protect
every single team member
in the backyard.
So I'm only taking
a minimal crew in with me.
Just one, just one camera.
I can't protect two camera.
(dog barking)
So, I'm gonna use the racket
to give myself something
to block him with,
and if he comes to us,
I can redirect him with.
(barking)
Heather, you watch my side.
♪ ♪
All right, we're ready.
Let Kobe out.
♪ ♪
(bark)
(barking)
♪ ♪
He doesn't want us here.
(bark)
Look out!
(barking)
(dog barking)
CESAR: Good job, Heather.
Kobe is in a constant state
of extreme aggression
because he thinks
he needs to protect
his overly passive
pet parent, Brandon.
BRANDON: Kobe! Ugh! Gah!
CESAR: To the extent he already
tried to bite me twice.
(barking)
BRANDON: Steady.
CESAR: Just now he tried
to charge my team,
but my handler Heather expertly
blocked him with the racket
to keep herself...
Look out!
...and my team safe.
And Kobe immediately backed off.
Now we're going
to gradually close him down
so I can leash him
and begin our work.
(barking)
At this point,
he can't pass this boundary.
(barking)
Kobe's tail is tucked in,
so that tells me he's scared
and he's on high alert,
so that's dangerous.
Move with me.
You can come in now.
The rest of the group.
Yeah, so we're gonna move, uh,
we're gonna move together.
We're gonna move like in line.
You know, like, like a protest.
(barking)
Okay. There you go.
Gently, calmly, unified
pack of calmness.
(barking)
We have to, we have to project
that we're not here to harm,
we're just here to help him.
(barking)
We need to show him there
is no reason to be afraid.
A unified pack.
(barking)
Get, get a little closer.
(barking)
The more he realizes
we're not here to hurt him,
he should start to move
into calm surrender.
(barking)
We have successfully gotten
close to Kobe,
but next, I need to get
a leash on him.
He would definitely bite
if I reach in and put it on.
So I'm going to see if he'll
let me drop it over his head.
(barking)
Tsch. Hey.
(barking)
Tsch.
♪ ♪
(bark)
I need to take
a different approach.
(barking)
I am using the racket
to do two things.
First, I'm teaching Kobe
that I'm allowed to touch him,
but he's not allowed
to try to bite me.
And second, by holding it
gently against his head,
I'm showing him that
I'm not here to hurt him.
I am building trust, so he'll
let me put the leash on him.
(growling)
(growling)
There you go. That's it.
The minute he released
his tongue,
he let the tension go.
♪ ♪
That tells me he's ready for me
to put the leash on.
(growling)
(growling)
♪ ♪
Open the door.
(Cesar exhales)
♪ ♪
So, why he's not biting?
Because my intention
is not to hurt,
my intention is to help.
All right, so he
has to feel that.
At this moment,
we don't need the racket.
♪ ♪
You can see what a difference
calm confident leadership makes.
I have used my calm confidence
to build trust
and show Kobe he doesn't have
anything to worry about.
And he's finally starting
to calm down.
But it's a very delicate
situation,
and he could go back
to aggression in an instant
if my energy changes.
Tsch!
(dog barks)
♪ ♪
This is not a dog
that is calm surrender,
this is a dog that is concerned.
That's why I'm staying calm and
I'm making subtle movements.
Even when I adjust the leash,
it's very, very careful.
I'm gonna use
my well-balanced pack
to teach him how to be
around other dogs
without getting aggressive.
I'm going to bring him
into the pack,
and he has no choice,
just to be respectful and kind.
It's like a mental surgery.
(Cesar exhales)
No. Stay calm.
I'm in charge.
So we got to help him to go from
there to become just surrender.
Let's go.
Come on, follow me.
He's still nervous.
Tsch. Look at the tail.
He needs to release it.
This is good.
He's starting to mirror
their energy, he's calm.
Kobe's tail is
no longer tucked in.
This shows me that he's
no longer afraid and trusts us.
As you can see right now,
it's completely different
than when Brandon
was holding the leash.
And we just met.
The main source
of Kobe's aggression
is Brandon's overly relaxed
and passive attitude
in situations where
he needs to step up
with confident leadership.
When we first met,
I was struck how passive
Brandon was discussing
Kobe's hurting Jackson.
BRANDON: They wrestle.
CESAR: They wrestle?
BRANDON: They wrestle.
CESAR: Okay.
So, too rough?
BRANDON: Too rough.
CESAR: That continued
on the walk,
as Brandon did nothing
to assert leadership,
which caused Kobe
to get aggressive
in a misguided effort
to keep the pack safe.
(barking)
The result is barking, lunging.
BRANDON: Kobe.
CESAR:
And worst of all, biting.
(barking)
Brandon's overly relaxed
attitude is creating
an even more dangerous situation
in the family
because he lets Jackson play
too aggressively with Kobe
and does nothing
when Kobe's play
turns into biting
and bruising.
JACKSON: Ow.
He just ripped my pants.
CESAR: I talk a lot about
the importance of calmness,
but that's very different
than being totally passive
in the face
of dangerous behavior.
Brandon must step up with
calm confident leadership
that lets Kobe know he doesn't
need to protect the pack
and provide correction
when it's needed.
Only then we can be sure
that Jackson or anyone else
won't end up hurt.
Family?
BEVERLY: Yes, sir.
CESAR: Familia.
BEVERLY: Hello.
BUFFY: Hello.
CESAR: So you must be
Jackson's mom, Buffy,
and grandmother, Beverly.
BEVERLY: Yes, sir.
CESAR: Next, I want to hear more
about Kobe's aggression
toward Jackson.
I want to find out
if Kobe's aggression
is really just rough play
getting out of hand.
Jackson, talk to me
about what happens
when Kobe plays too rough.
JACKSON: When I'm playing
with Kobe, he's wild,
like he just goes
straight after me,
and I'll run back and forth and
he'll chase me at full speed.
CESAR: Mm-hmm.
JACKSON: And he'll knock me down
and he'll start going on
attacking me,
and he's nipped at me
and he's torn my clothes
and stuff before. Yeah.
CESAR: Kobe is playing too
rough, so he's still playing.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: He's not doing an attack,
but eventually
it could turn into it.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: Brandon,
think back on a time
you saw Kobe playing
too rough with Jackson.
What's going through your mind
in a moment like that?
BRANDON: Seeing that full-grown
dog lunging at my son like that,
you know, I almost
felt helpless.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: Like, okay, would I
even be able to protect my son?
Feeling in that moment like
you couldn't protect your child
was just, it was
devastating for me.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: I bet.
BRANDON: Yeah.
And then that triggered a memory
of when the two dogs
that we had prior
fought in the living room.
And I got in the middle of it
to try to break them up,
and I was bitten.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: And that immediately
rushed back to my head
like, okay, if I had to run out
there right now and stop this,
you know, it creates
some apprehension in me.
CESAR: Yeah.
It's clear the passive energy
from Brandon,
when Kobe tried to bite me...
BRANDON: Steady.
CESAR:
...carries over in the family
when Kobe gets too rough
with Jackson.
JACKSON: I'll try
and push him off me
and say, "No, Kobe, stop."
He won't stop.
BRANDON: It was
kind of scary for me
to see you in that situation.
CESAR: In both cases,
Brandon is passive
because fearful memories
of a dog biting him in the past
are paralyzing him.
I can't imagine how terrible
it must feel as a father
to be helpless with your son
in that situation.
To stop this aggression
with Jackson and everyone else,
Brandon needs to face his fear
and let them go
so he can assert the leadership
his dog and his family need.
So, this is what I'm gonna do,
I'll invite you
to the ranch, Brandon,
so I can work one on one,
and you and Kobe.
BRANDON: Okay.
CESAR: After we do that,
we work with Jackson
on safer ways to play with Kobe.
JACKSON: Okay.
CESAR: In the meantime, let's
stop the play, you know, and...
JACKSON: Okay.
CESAR: ...in a wrestling way,
and then I'll see you
at the ranch.
BRANDON: Looking forward to it.
CESAR: All right.
BUFFY: Thank you, Cesar.
CESAR: See you guys later.
Thank you.
(Beverly laughs)
NARRATOR: The next day,
Brandon, Dodger, and Kobe
arrive at the DPC
to begin work with Cesar.
BRANDON: So we're gonna have
a good day today, right, guys?
I appreciate the fact
that Cesar helped me
better understand my own psyche
in regards to the fears
that I was holding on to
regarding the dogs.
I felt it.
I knew it was there.
It was a palpable feeling,
but I didn't quite understand
how much it was affecting
my relationship with the dogs
until Cesar explained it to me.
Hello, sir.
CESAR: Good morning.
Welcome to the ranch.
Yesterday, I learned
how Brandon's apparently
over-relaxed attitude
is actually passiveness
caused by fear
from getting bitten
by another dog years ago.
So today is
about teaching Brandon
how to set aside his fear
and step up with calm,
confident leadership
that will let Kobe know
he doesn't need to protect
his pet parent
and his aggression
should go away.
BRANDON: All right, guys.
Oh...
Here we go.
Oh, here we go.
CESAR: All right, so we're
gonna focus on Kobe.
BRANDON: Okay.
CESAR: Robert is gonna come
and take Dodger.
Just pass me this guy over here.
There you go.
Here, Robert.
I can tell from the intensity
and intent behind the barking
that Kobe is already
in a protective mode.
I need to put a stop to this
before it escalate into biting,
like I saw yesterday.
Come over here in the shade.
(dog barking)
We need to stop that
immediately.
(bark)
CESAR: You're gonna pass me
the end of the leash.
BRANDON: Here you go.
CESAR: There you go.
Slowly relax the leash.
(barking)
Let it go.
Shh.
Tsch. Tsch!
You correct with a quick tug
on the leash.
Tsch! Like that.
There you go.
Kobe gets tense and aggressive
because his pet parent Brandon
is too passive, and Kobe
feels he needs protection.
But you see immediately
how Kobe calms down
when I assert calm
confident leadership
and Kobe goes out
of the protection mode.
You need to communicate
calm confidence with him
using the leash.
So the right thing to do,
as you see,
short leash, but relaxed.
So that's what
allows them to feel,
"Okay, you got this
under control."
BRANDON: Yeah.
Kobe has a, a very unique
ability to call my bluff.
You know, I may look
like I'm calm confident,
but inside I'm having
a bit of turmoil.
Thankfully Cesar was able
to recognize that and coach me.
CESAR: I have something
special for Kobe,
and we have some sheep for him
to do sheep herding.
BRANDON: Oh, wow.
CESAR: Come on.
German shepherds
are natural herding dogs.
So this will be a great exercise
to put Kobe back in touch
with his instincts,
to run and herd without
getting aggressive.
But the real goal
of this exercise
is to begin to teach Brandon
how to step up and assert
leadership around Kobe
instead of passively letting
the dog take the lead.
We have a chair
over there for you.
I'm going to start with Brandon
observing at a distance.
BRANDON: You got this, buddy.
You got this.
CESAR: So he's a little nervous.
See how he keeps
looking back at Brandon?
He's attached
to my friend over there.
Come on.
Kobe is so used
to protecting Brandon
that he can't stop
checking on him.
Hey, can we release the sheep?
That should redirect
Kobe's attention.
(sheep bleating)
♪ ♪
He's still focused on Brandon.
He's not interested
in the sheep.
So that is something
that is not normal.
Kobe's instincts to herd
the sheep should be taking over.
But he can't let go of that
protective role with Brandon.
It's clear nothing
will change with Kobe
until Brandon step in
with confident leadership
that makes clear
he doesn't need protection.
Just walk in
like you own this place.
BRANDON: Okay.
CESAR: If Brandon
is calm confident,
then Kobe will be calm.
But if Brandon gets fearful,
then Kobe will pick up
on that immediately,
and that's when he
can turn aggressive.
Come all the way here.
That's it. Just move forward.
No hesitation.
Show him he doesn't need
to keep you safe.
(baa)
BRANDON: Hey, look at this.
CESAR: No, no, no.
Don't get him excited.
Move with silence.
You're sending him to the sheep.
BRANDON: Got it.
CESAR: So by you
moving that way,
you're sending him to the sheep.
You're saying I don't need help.
Go herd the sheep.
There you go.
See? Once you move
towards the sheep,
his instincts took over.
It seems very basic, but just
by calmly moving into the space,
Brandon communicates that he
doesn't need protection.
Then by moving
towards the sheep,
he tells Kobe he wants him
to move towards the sheep, too,
and then Kobe
immediately responds.
(baa)
Kobe is doing a great job.
I really love how he's moving,
very gentle.
Beautiful.
Yay! (clapping)
That was beautiful.
How he was moving and herding,
not protecting.
Just now I saw a very subtle but
profound difference in Brandon.
He used his body to guide Kobe
towards the sheep.
That was all it took
to tell Kobe to herd the sheep,
not to protect Brandon
from them.
All right, brother.
Come over, Brandon.
It's also a big turning point
for Brandon.
When I first met him,
he seemed too passive,
even in the face
of his own son getting bit.
It's like his fears
from getting bit years ago
had left him detached
from his own emotions
and unsure of what to do,
but I'm starting to see
a change in him.
BRANDON: I think I got
to a point there
where I had to keep
my emotions in check
because I almost wanted to cry.
CESAR: You wanted to cry?
BRANDON: Yeah. I mean, like,
a happy, you know...
CESAR: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
BRANDON: ...you feel real happy,
become, become overwhelmed
with emotion
because you see something
so good and so wholesome
that you're just like,
that feels good, you know.
CESAR: That's right.
BRANDON: But I had
the realization
that the relaxed demeanor I had
is a result of years of feeling
that, as a Black man,
I had to make everyone
feel safe around me, you know.
CESAR: I feel trusted.
BRANDON: Yeah, exactly.
As a Black man,
I have to be the calm one,
the relaxed one, the chill one,
then everyone else is calm,
chill, relaxed,
and they're not threatened
by my presence.
But now that I'm working
with a dog
where I have to be calm,
assertive,
it's a different sort
of presence.
And that's something
that I'm going to be learning
consistently as I work
with Kobe.
CESAR: It's about
direction protection.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: We eliminate,
um, tension.
BRANDON: Mm-hmm.
CESAR: Right away,
evaporated it.
We redirect it into something
where it's more positive,
which is trust,
calmness, you know.
And, of course,
if you do the right thing
with the right energy,
your dog will pick up on that
and give you the behavior
that you want
no matter how
the other people see you.
BRANDON: Yeah, exactly.
CESAR: I understand what Brandon
is saying on a deep level.
I've been a minority in the US
for over 30 years,
and while my experience
has been my own,
I know how navigating the world
as a minority
creates insecurity
and confusion,
and that can carry over
into how they handle their dogs.
But the important thing
is always to remember
that dogs don't see race.
That's exactly why I, I,
I invite people to the ranch.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: Because I want people
to see things
that they probably never seen
because they are trapped
in what the world has told them,
and that's why it's so important
to teach Jackson
what you are realizing.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: You know, involving
the whole entire family.
That's how things grow.
BRANDON: Yeah.
In order to control my dog,
I need to have calm,
assertive leadership ability.
But it's difficult to pair that
with also being passive
in certain situations
at the same time.
And I realize
that if I'm not able
to present that assertiveness
and that leadership role,
then he's gonna be confused.
So it creates conflict
not just with the household,
but with Dodger, the other dog,
with my son, Jackson.
CESAR: Not bad. Let's go.
BRANDON: And in this scenario,
it's one where I can
actually show Jackson
what it looks like to be
calm confident, to be a leader,
and then have him pick up
from my behaviors.
He can see it.
He can apply it.
He can use it himself.
CESAR: Did you enjoy?
BRANDON: I enjoyed.
CESAR: Yes?
BRANDON: I had a great time.
CESAR: Let's head out
to the next exercise.
Let's go.
Wait. Hold on.
Kobe's focused on me.
It's dangerous.
(dog barks)
Tsch.
He's protecting you again.
(dog growling and barking)
CESAR: Tsch!
♪ ♪
(dog barks)
Tsch.
♪ ♪
All right, move him.
There you go.
So what just happened was
I got close to Brandon
while he was in a passive,
relaxed position,
and Kobe immediately reverted
back into protection mode...
(dog barks)
Tsch!
...because he sensed
I was a threat
that Brandon wasn't
paying attention to.
I picked that up
because he was...
BRANDON: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
CESAR: ...because he took
the cue from you
by doing this,
you're chill, right?
You're in chilly mode.
So, "Okay. When he's chilling,
I protect him."
At the moment you see
something like that
when I say open your body, just.
BRANDON: So, okay.
CESAR: Yes.
BRANDON: More of that
calm confidence position,
that stance.
CESAR: You're claiming back,
it's like, "What the hell?"
BRANDON: Yeah, yeah.
CESAR: We have to take away
this protection.
BRANDON: To let him know that I got it.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: I got it.
You can relax.
CESAR: You can relax.
There's no more,
I don't need that from you.
BRANDON: Yeah.
I realize in this situation
that in order for Kobe
to be successful,
it requires me to keep
a consistent level
of focus on him,
to keep him progressing.
CESAR: So he'll,
look at those eyes.
He's locked in on me.
That's the telling right there.
When you see that he's
doing that,
that's when you go...
and then you're gonna...
phew.
Kobe was making steady
eye contact with me.
That's the first stage of him
fixating on me as a threat
and can lead to aggression.
Brandon has to recognize
those signs and claim his space
so Kobe learned he
doesn't need protection.
The moment you see
he's about to come in, hey.
Use the force, brother.
BRANDON: Hey.
CESAR: There you go.
BRANDON: In that moment,
I'm presenting relaxed,
because I'm now trying
to get Kobe to be relaxed
because this is the way
I've operated my entire life.
As an African-American male,
my presence had to be such
that I have to be the calm one,
so that everyone else is
relaxed and chill around me.
CESAR: There you go.
That's beautiful.
BRANDON: But in this situation,
it demanded that I take control,
that I have a calm confidence.
The ability to become assertive,
which in other situations,
because of who I am,
can be a detriment,
but with Kobe, it's a positive.
CESAR: All right, so part
of the homework
is claim your space when,
when you come back from work
or when you come back
from outside,
whatever you're doing,
don't just let him come in
and greet you,
you know, in an excited way.
Make sure you claim it,
and then you invite him in.
Also, I want you to practice
calm confidence
at home and on walks.
BRANDON: Yeah.
CESAR: Let's go get
Dodger, brother.
Come on, follow me.
It was a good day for this guy.
NARRATOR: A few days later,
Brandon and Kobe
return to the DPC,
joined by Brandon's son,
Jackson.
BRANDON: Hey, it's Cesar.
NARRATOR: Last time,
Brandon realized how his fear
led to an overly passive
attitude
that encouraged Kobe's
protective aggression.
But today...
(dog barks)
...the work
is even more critical.
(dog barks)
CESAR: What's up, Jackson?
JACKSON: Hello.
NARRATOR: Brandon must learn
how to protect Jackson
and put an end
to Kobe's rough play.
CESAR: Feels like he just
grew up a little bit more.
And looks like
your leg's healed up.
BRANDON: Oh, yeah.
CESAR: On day one, Kobe was
so protective and aggressive
that he almost bit me twice.
(barking)
BRANDON: Steady.
CESAR:
But on his previous visit,
Brandon really came a long way
in ending his
dangerous passiveness
and stepping into a calm
confident leadership role
that let Kobe know
he doesn't need protection.
So first I want to see
how their work has been going.
What about homework?
How's homework been?
Any difference you see?
Anything that is changing?
BRANDON: Uh, he is
more respectful
of space and distance.
CESAR: Ah, that's good.
BRANDON: Kobe's progressed
in some areas.
He's focusing really well.
He's been giving a lot of space.
This is day one
of homework with Kobe.
Good.
I mean, he still has
work to do in other areas.
But that's gonna depend on us
and how consistent we are.
CESAR: Glad to hear
you're growing that confidence
to go with your calmness.
That confidence is
to keep Jackson safe,
so we need to keep
working on that today.
JACKSON: Yeah.
CESAR: Come on, guys, follow me.
I heard how Brandon
doesn't intervene
when Kobe plays rough
with Jackson,
leading to bites, bruises,
and ripped clothing.
He just ripped my pants.
CESAR: Today Brandon needs
to model for Jackson
leadership that is
both calm and confident
so his son learns a better way
to play with Kobe.
I know personally
that the father-and-son bond
is so special.
By strengthening it today,
we're going to put a stop
to Kobe's bad behavior
with Jackson.
All right. We're gonna build
connection, trust, respect,
so that Kobe learns how
to properly play with you,
but you're always in control.
All of this is about trust.
For them to play safely
together,
Jackson needs to be in charge,
and Kobe needs
to follow Jackson's lead.
This is exactly what Brandon
began to learn last time...
how to offer leadership that
is both calm and confident.
So I want him to demonstrate
for Jackson how to do just that.
You're the pack leader, Brandon.
Go show Jackson how it's done.
First, make him sit.
BRANDON: Sit.
Sit.
CESAR: Yeah. Yes, yes.
Remember, calm confidence
and no hesitation.
Tunnel.
Yeah.
BRANDON: Come on.
CESAR: Yes.
BRANDON: Up.
CESAR: Ah ha ha! (claps)
That's it.
Drop the leash.
That was good.
That was good.
BRANDON: Thanks, brother.
CESAR: Okay, your turn.
Let's do it, Jackson.
♪ ♪
There you go.
JACKSON: Come on.
CESAR: That's okay.
Start again.
JACKSON:
When I'm leading the dog,
I have to be
in complete control.
Come on.
I'm having to keep him on.
It was more of a struggle
than it had to be.
Come on.
CESAR: Kobe only stayed
on the A frame
because you're physically
keep him from jumping off.
But your problem started
because you didn't make him sit
and get fully calm
before you started.
Let's do it again.
Guide him to sit down.
Yeah.
Yes, just determination.
There, guide him, guide him.
Yeah, stay right there, stay
right there, stay right there.
Stay calm, you can do this.
Hey!
BRANDON: Hey!
CESAR: Tsch! Hey!
BRANDON: Hey!
CESAR: Let me have it.
Watch, Brandon.
This is how you step in
when Kobe gets aggressive.
Tsch.
Hey.
Because they wrestle together,
Kobe associate Jackson
with aggression.
At home, that leads
to bites and bruises.
And just now when Jackson
tried to guide him to sit down,
Kobe reacted by resisting
and nipping at his arm.
Tsch! Hey!
BRANDON: Hey!
CESAR: This is where
Jackson's father, Brandon,
needs to step up
and get Kobe calm.
I'm going to show them both
how to do that.
So right now, look.
We're unlocking the resistance.
♪ ♪
See he's resisting less.
By calmly guiding Kobe to sit,
I am teaching him that he
can't resist my direction.
I am in charge.
Now make him sit.
He needs to accept
you're in charge,
the way he respects
your dad and me.
♪ ♪
Yeah, you almost got it,
Jackson.
Come on. Use your big size.
BRANDON: You know
how when we're boxing
and you get tired
and I tell you to finish,
we got to finish,
we got to burn out?
CESAR: Yeah, finish, yeah.
BRANDON: It's the same thing.
CESAR: This is very,
very important.
Yes, yes. Yes.
BRANDON: Keep him moving.
CESAR: A frame. Boom.
BRANDON: Keep him moving.
CESAR: Shoulders up, brother.
Yeah, perfect.
Much better.
That's better, there you go.
BRANDON: I'm definitely excited
because I can see Kobe
improving with this rehab
and I learn to be
more confident with Kobe
and take control
of the situation.
CESAR: Keep going.
Yes. Perfect.
BRANDON: There you go.
CESAR: That was awesome.
BRANDON: When you see
your son develop
that sort of confidence
in himself,
it's another one of those
extremely proud moments
where you just know your son
has the ability to take control
not just over dogs but over
other things in his life.
I know now that both Jackson
and I have the ability
to work together as a team
to get Kobe to where
he needs to be.
CESAR: So your homework
is to keep doing walks.
And, Jackson, keep practicing
structured play like this
instead of wrestling.
You had a good day?
Good father-and-son day?
BRANDON: Oh, yeah.
He had more fun
than playing video games.
CESAR: Yes.
On that note, let's go.
This is way better
than video games.
NARRATOR: A week later,
Cesar returns to East LA
to check on Brandon
and Jackson's progress.
(knocking)
BRANDON: My good man.
CESAR: Good. Come out.
BRANDON: How are you
this morning?
CESAR: Really good.
What's up, Jack?
When we first met,
Brandon was passive with Kobe,
and that led to the dog trying
to aggressively protect him,
even trying to bite me twice.
(barking)
BRANDON: Steady.
CESAR: Even more dangerous,
Brandon assumed that same
relaxed, passive attitude,
even when Kobe played rough
with Jackson,
leading to injuries to the boy.
I want to know how
their work has been going.
So how's it been?
JACKSON: I mean,
it feels like I'm,
I have more control over Kobe
than just them running after me
and jumping on me and all that.
BRANDON: Yeah.
JACKSON: Sit.
(Brandon chuckles)
BRANDON: I haven't seen him
roughhouse with Jackson
since the Dog Psychology Center.
Jackson's been really good.
CESAR: I'm happy for you.
JACKSON: Kobe's a lot better.
He's much more respectful
of my area and my space.
And it's great.
CESAR: What about you, brother?
BRANDON: Kobe has had
his improvements.
The walks have been
a lot better,
the barking has been less.
CESAR: But you're
a better driver now?
BRANDON: Yeah, yeah.
CESAR: I want to see you
in action now.
So for the final challenge,
I want to see how you do
on the walk.
BRANDON: All right.
CESAR: Let's do it.
BRANDON: All right.
CESAR: On the first day,
Brandon's passive lack
of leadership
had Kobe hot and aggressive.
I want to see if Brandon
has stepped up his calm,
confident leadership enough
to be able to walk Kobe without
causing protective aggression.
All right, so we're back
to where we,
where everything started,
this, you know,
I was right here first day,
and the walk was
very terrifying.
Definitely, uh, not,
not a good scene.
So for the final challenge,
I just want to see the walk,
and so your dad
is gonna start first.
Jackson, you and I, we're gonna
stay behind and just watch him.
You got this.
BRANDON: Oh, yeah.
Let's go, bud.
CESAR: This is for the dads
in the world.
BRANDON: This final challenge
is the culmination
of everything
we've done to date.
I'm worried that we haven't
made enough progress.
I was afraid that maybe Kobe
hadn't progressed fast enough.
So I'm curious
to see how it goes.
♪ ♪
(dog whining)
CESAR: Yeah. Alert.
Tail is wagging.
There's a dog in the opposite
direction coming.
BRANDON: Hey. Tsch. Tsch.
I'm still working with Kobe
in terms of his reactions
with other animals.
So when I see the other,
other animals,
it generates a bit
of anxiety in me.
(dog whining)
Tsch. Tsch.
CESAR: He's hesitant, so he's
making the dog more anxious.
(Brandon sighs)
(dog barks)
Don't be scared,
it's going to set him off.
(dog whining)
(barking)
(dog whining)
(barking)
CESAR: Correct with
a slight pull on the leash.
BRANDON: Tsch. Tsch.
Tsch, tsch, tsch.
CESAR: Yeah, perfect.
Brandon's energy is much more
calm and confident,
but that old habit of protecting
him is hardwired into Kobe,
so he still reacts
when other dogs approach.
(dog whining)
CESAR: But Brandon confidently
took control and kept moving.
BRANDON: Tsch, tsch, tsch.
CESAR: And Kobe learned
that his pet parent
doesn't need protection.
See the body language there?
Shoulders are up, head is high,
calm, relaxed, dog
right by his side,
dog is happy, look at the tail.
BRANDON: In comparison
to the first day,
I am feeling emotional
but in a good way.
Cesar helped me realize
that a lot of the issue
was with me and my anxiety.
And now that I have
a better understanding
of how those puzzle pieces
fit together,
I'm feeling a ton
more confident.
All righty.
CESAR: (chuckles)
You look amazing, brother.
BRANDON: Thank you.
CESAR: That was good.
All right, your turn.
Since Jackson is more
of a work-in-progress,
I want to keep building
his confidence
by having him walk Dodger,
since he's easier to handle.
Same thing, calm confident,
imitate dad.
JACKSON: All right.
CESAR: All yours.
♪ ♪
Smooth.
It's perfect.
There you go.
That's perfect.
♪ ♪
BRANDON: I'm, I'm seeing
my boy growing and developing
into a confident young man.
It lets me know
that he's gonna be okay.
This is a proud moment for me.
You know, Jackson has had issues
with his own
personal confidence.
CESAR: Hmm.
BRANDON: Yeah.
And so for him to be able to do
something successfully like this
and see it happen right away...
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: ...gives him that idea,
"Okay, if I change my mindset,
it'll turn out better."
CESAR: That was amazing.
You kept it smooth, uh,
very little corrections.
Now both of you,
together as a team,
Jackson with Dodger
and Brandon with Kobe.
Keep the same frame of mind and
I get to enjoy father and son,
and I'm missing
my sons right now.
(Brandon chuckles)
♪ ♪
(dog barking)
BRANDON: Hold on.
You got him?
CESAR: Good correction, Jackson.
BRANDON: Tsch, tsch.
CESAR: I hear him addressing,
correcting,
he's teaching his son,
not the dog,
he's teaching his son
how to be in the world
with calm confidence.
BRANDON: Tsch, tsch.
Hey, hey, hey. Tsch!
CESAR: You got this, Brandon.
You're in charge.
BRANDON: Come on, come on.
Come on. Lock it in, lock it in.
Let's go.
CESAR: Refocus.
Yes, sir.
Perfect.
(clapping)
(Brandon laughs)
That was it.
That was, that was, that was
perfection to the perfection.
When I first met them,
Brandon was passive
in the face of Kobe's aggression
towards everything and everyone,
including me.
(dog barking)
BRANDON: Steady.
CESAR: But I seen a total
transformation in Brandon,
from detached and passive
to engaged and calm confident.
Ah ha ha!
(clapping)
That's it. Drop the leash.
That was good.
I know if he continues
on this path,
Kobe's aggression will be
a thing of the past.
BRANDON: I just, uh...
(clears throat)
I almost got caught up
in the emotion just now.
I just feel not only
a change in them,
but a change in my abilities.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: And if I was
somewhere lacking,
I can't take that
as a moment of failure.
Instead, learn to, to use it
as a learning lesson
and a motivation
to be better the next time.
CESAR: That's right.
JACKSON: I've learned a lot.
I've learned calm confidence.
CESAR: Yeah.
JACKSON: I've learned
trust, respect, love.
CESAR: That's right,
that's the formula.
JACKSON:
It's just cool seeing my dad
be able to control these dogs,
and now I'm able
to control these dogs.
And it's just,
yeah, it's awesome.
CESAR: That's it. Simple.
BRANDON:
Coming into this process,
I wasn't sure about myself.
I wasn't sure about the dogs.
And now I have a better
perspective on all of that.
I am not at all worried
about Dodger and Kobe
because I feel completely
in control
based upon the knowledge
that was given to me.
JACKSON: Kobe's not gonna
hurt me anymore.
He's much more respectful
of my area and my space.
If he does, I know how
to claim my space.
BRANDON: When you learn
calm confidence,
it allows you in those moments
to have an alternative
approach to things.
I love my son.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: You know,
and I want to see him grow.
CESAR: Yeah.
BRANDON: I've learned a lot
about myself,
but also you want to leave
something with your kids,
and now I know my son
has, has tools.
He's a better man today
than, than, than he was.
CESAR: Oh, sure that's huge.
BRANDON: He's a stronger man,
he's a, he's a...
CESAR: That's huge.
BRANDON: And, uh, this is
a proud moment for me...
CESAR: Yes.
BRANDON: ...as a father.
Yeah, I, I, I was
fighting back the tears.
I know that I'm gonna be
a better father to my son.
I'm looking forward
to more opportunities
to try to prove that, not just
with the dogs but with Jackson,
by being calmer
and being more confident
and reflecting the type
of person I want to be for him.
So I feel like all of us
are in a better place.
CESAR: Jackson, it was
a pleasure to meet you.
JACKSON: Yeah.
CESAR: Thank you, eh? Brother.
BRANDON: Thank you, my friend.
CESAR: Yes, sir.
BRANDON: Thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you.
CESAR: We got you.
BRANDON: Appreciate it.
CESAR: As a father of two boys,
I know how special the bond is
between a father and a son.
I talk about treating your dog
with trust, respect, and love.
But just as importantly,
these are the foundations
of a healthy
parental relationship.
Our children watch
and learn from us,
whether we realize
we're teaching them or not.
We seen today how when parents
are calmer and
more confident leaders,
letting go of the past
and living in the present,
the family and the pack
will only grow stronger.
♪ ♪
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03x08 - Ruff-Housing
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With dog adoptions at a record high Cesar's timely return to television will give new pet parents the tools they need to teach their dogs good habits and shed the old bad habits.
With dog adoptions at a record high Cesar's timely return to television will give new pet parents the tools they need to teach their dogs good habits and shed the old bad habits.