December 2008 Archives

NAME: Jody
BREED: Lhasa Apso
AGE: 2 Years

ABOUT THE DOG: Jody enormous appetite was thought to be normal puppy behavior, but she's eating her new family, the Hueys, out of house and home. The Lhasa Apso will chow on anything she can get her paws on. If it's left on the floor, it's as good as gone. Jody once swallowed needles from a sewing kit, which resulted in a $600 vet visit. If anyone tries to remove objects from her mouth, Jody will bite without hesitation. She's even picked up a nasty habit of eating her own feces.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Christina Huey and her husband Matthew have two children, Adam and Ashley. Christina is a stay-at-home mom; Matthew is a physical rehabilitation doctor.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Jody traveled with the crew to Portland, Oregon and San Francisco, California. During filming, she spent a lot of time in the production crew's RV with make-up artist Rita Montanez. The two formed a bond and served as the RV's official "Dog Whisperer" Welcoming Committee.

NAME: Riley
BREED: Saint Bernard
AGE: 11 months

ABOUT THE DOG: The Smith family purchased Riley from a breeder when he was four-months-old. Though mom, Patti fought for a smaller dog, the rest of the family was set on a Saint Bernard. As the pup grew, so did his fear of stairs. Now, Riley weighs 141 pounds and remains firmly grounded on the main floor. When it's bath time, Riley must be sprayed with the hose outside because the only bathtub is on the upper level of the house.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Patti and Jim Smith live in Moorpark, California with their 13-year-old daughter Allison. They also have a 19-year-old daughter, Michelle.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Even though Cesar's first plan for Riley's rehabilitation didn't work, the entire stair exercise with the giant Saint Bernard took only 25 minutes.

NAME: Hemingway
BREED: English Bulldog
AGE: 3 Years Old

NAME: Rigby
BREED: English Bulldog
AGE: 5 Months Old

ABOUT THE DOG:
Hemingway's increasingly dog-aggressive behavior has owners and expectant parents Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz worried. Even the arrival of 5-month-old pup Rigby does nothing to curb Hemingway's aggressive tendencies. With Ashlee's due date fast approaching, Cesar steps in to teach the budding family a new tune, while creating a safe and balanced environment suitable for the baby and his four-legged "siblings."

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Pete Wentz are renowned musicians. Pete is the bassist and lyricist for the band "Fall Out Boy," as well as an author and entrepreneur. Pop star, television and stage actress, Ashlee gave birth to the couple's first child, Bronx Mowgli Wentz on November 20, 2008.

NAME: Tobi
BREED: Sheepdog/Collie Mix

ABOUT THE DOG: Tobi's skittishness around sudden movements is making him a dangerous, "red-zone" dog. He aggressively chases his owners when they walk around their home and has been known to attack guests coming into the house -- even children! Can a stay at the Dog Psychology Center turn Tobi into a peaceful pet?

DOGGIE DOSSIER

NAME: Cricket
BREED: British White Retriever
AGE: 9 months old

ABOUT THE DOG: Cricket is a British White Retriever, which is a lighter-colored variant of the classic Golden Retriever. Lyndon and Cindy Murray bought Cricket to keep them company after their children moved out. But when it comes to meal time, Cricket displays an aggressive appetite, eating in a very hurried, panicked way and even growling at Lyndon as he walked by his bowl. Even moving Cricket's bowl to a more central, open area doesn't help the growling and aggression.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Lyndon Murray, originally from South Africa, is the president of a company that helps midsize businesses with warehouse management through barcode scanning technology. His wife Cindy is a teacher for children with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and other processing problems. Their son, Sefton is a recent grad from Lewis and Clark College and works for his father.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Lyndon and Cindy made the near-1000 mile journey from their home in Oregon to the Dog Psychology Center. But they were not the only ones. "Flat Stanley" traveled almost 2000 miles to visit Cricket and Cesar on the "Dog Whisperer" set. "Flat Stanley" comes from Ms. Negley's second grade class at Dunlap Grade School in Dunlap, Illinois.

NAME: Molly
BREED: Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever
AGE: 2 1/2 years old

ABOUT THE DOG: Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retrievers were developed to lure and retrieve waterfowl, but oddly, this water dog has a fear of water. When she was just a puppy, Molly fell into a very cold pool. Years later, her owner still cannot coax Molly into the water. Instead, he has to physically bring her in with him, but not without a fight; sometimes she is so resistant, she will flat out refuse to enter the backyard.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Paul Cameron has been performing in Cirque du Soliel's "Mystere" for 10 years. He began competing in trampoline when he was just 13 years old.

BEHIND THE SCENES: While Cesar and Molly worked in the pool, the cameras were having a harder time staying cool. In the 100+ degree Las Vegas heat, the cameras had to be shut down to avoid overheating.

NAME: Kuma
BREED: American Eskimo
AGE: 2 Years Old

ABOUT THE DOG: Kuma has issues with strangers entering the house. When a visitor arrives, she'll constantly bark and circle the guest. If cornered, she bares her teeth and growls. Kuma's even bitten a visitor's hand during a family visit. And with frequent visitors, Kuma relentlessly jumps on them in greeting.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Jason Zulauf is a principle performer in Cirque du Soleil's "Ka." He began his career in 1995, performing in "Alegria" with Adir Ionov. Jason began tumbling at the age of 6 and has competed internationally.

BEHIND THE SCENES: As a token of thanks, the Dog Whisperer crew was able to see Jason and his girlfriend Cheri perform in "Ka" at the MGM Grand.

Can Cesar curb Kuma's perceived "stranger danger?" Find out this Friday at 8P et/pt!

NAME: Fluffy
BREED: Maltese
AGE: 3 years old

ABOUT THE DOG: Fluffy, Adir Ionov's first dog, has never liked wearing his leash. As soon as it's on, Fluffy freezes. When it's time to walk, he lies down on his side. Upright him and he'll stand there like a statue. But when the leash comes off, Fluffy runs and romps like a normal dog. And because he refuses walks, Fluffy often uses the house as his personal toilet. He even bares his teeth and barks when someone tries to pet him.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Since 2002, Adir Ionov is a performer for the Las Vegas-based Cirque du Soleil show, "O." He began his career as a professional gymnast for the Russian national team, competing internationally until someone urged him to join the circus. Adir joined Cirque du Soleil in 1997 and also performed in their touring show, "Alegria."

BEHIND THE SCENES: During the taping, the Union of European Football Associations European Championship was taking place. Coincidentally, Russia was playing Spain and the crew scheduled their lunch break so that Adir could catch some of the game.