Dog Whisperer

Jake and King (1x14)

Air date: Sep 30, 2004

Linda and Bob Weide have a Shepherd/Lab mix named Jake. Jake is dog aggressive when he is on leash; off leash at the dog park, he's fine. Cesar explains that the leash itself represents something negative to Jake. "When a leash is an uncomfortable experience, everything around it is suspect," and that Jake must be walked with structure so that his negative reaction can be rehabilitated. This is no problem for Bob since he's always walked Jake correctly, which is to be the one in control and making the decisions, having the dog walk with the him, but not pulling or walking in front. Later in the walk when the owner allows it, the dog can be allowed to wander and sniff and so on. Linda has been letting Jake make the decisions and the inconsistency is bad for him. Cesar shows Linda how to keep Jake in a more relaxed state of mind from the beginning and to redirect his attention when he starts to go on alert. Jake does beautifully once Linda takes control of the walk, rather than letting Jake walk her. Chantel Valdivieso is a 10-year-old actress who has a Rottweiler named King. She and her mother, Teresa, regard King as Chantel's big brother. Chantel cannot walk King since he pulls on leash, which is a problem because he is more than double her weight. Cesar explains that they need to interpret King's behavior as a canine rather than human. Cesar teaches Chantel to be more assertive and empowered in her control of King.