January 2009 Archives

Meet El Diablo in an All-New Episode of Dog Whisperer this Friday, 8P et/pt!



NAME: El Diablo
BREED: Chihuahua
AGE: 3-years-old

ABOUT THE DOG:
In 2007, a hungry, human-aggressive, stray Chihuahua was found by shoppers in a Wal-Mart parking lot. The dog, deemed El Diablo, was taken to Lane County Animal Services, where he was spotted by Luv-a-Bull pit bull rescue owner Liesl Wilhardt. Liesl adopted El Diablo and soon found out the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. El Diablo refuses to have a leash put on him, snaps at anyone who approaches, and threatens to unravel Liesl's balanced pack of pit bulls.

ABOUT THE OWNER:
Liesl Wilhardt founded Luv-a-Bull pit bull rescue in 1999, in Eugene, Oregon. She has a Master's degree in theology from Harvard University was originally going to teach Buddhist studies. She has successfully used acupuncture on her dogs for many years and believes practicing Buddhism has greatly helped her with the dogs. Her motto is "Place, Pack, and Purpose."

BEHIND THE SCENES:
Liesl designed and built the entire Luv-a-Bull sanctuary from the ground up, specifically to suit the dogs' needs. Daily exercise is a priority for her and the pack, including 2 ½ hours runs each morning, 2 ½ hours walks in the evening, and two 40-minute, less strenuous walks for the puppies and older dogs.

Meet Calder tonight on an all-new episode of Dog Whisperer at 8P et/pt!

Dog: Calder
Breed: Cattle Dog / Blue Heeler mix
Age: 6 yrs

ABOUT THE DOG: Calder is the first dog that Joe Janiga and Margretta Hansen have raised together. Now six-years-old, Calder is a great dog during the day, but bedtime unleashes unwelcome night terrors. He'll circle around, growl, and whine in the bedroom, and if someone closes the door on him, he'll throw himself against the door, barking ferociously.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Joe Janiga is a drummer/percussionist who performs with groups such as 3 Leg Torso Sextet, McKinley, Klezmocracy, and BossaNouveau around the Pacific Northwest. His wife Margretta Hansen is a dance teacher and choreographer.

BEHIND THE SCENES: The shoot started at 4:30 pm and finished at midnight and even though the shoot took place at night, Portland was experiencing unusually warm weather, and the heat was almost unbearable.

Meet Sadie in an all-new episode tonight at 8P et/pt!

DOG: Sadie
BREED: Basset Hound
AGE: 3.5 yrs.

ABOUT THE DOG: Sadie, first featured on the local news as a part of their "adopt-a-pet" program, may have been a former "puppy mill" dog. Though she had no visible issues, once she was adopted, Sadie's fear of her new owner Allen was apparent. She whines and moans whenever he's around and shakes if placed in Allen's lap. When he comes home, Allen hears Sadie's fearful moans.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Allen and Erin Carrasco have been married for 12 years and have two children. Erin owns a children's dance studio; Allen has his own business specializing in photography, marketing, and design. He also manages a little league baseball team.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Allen was adamant about not filming Sadie in her tutu, but with some pressure from Erin and the Dog Whisperer crew, he finally caved.

DOG: Nacho
BREED: Chihuahua
AGE: 4 ½-years-old

ABOUT THE DOG: Nacho can be very people-aggressive, especially if someone tries to take a toy or object away from him. He's also very protective of his owner, Gloria, and will try and bite anyone who comes near her. He's earned the nickname "Velcro" because he's always by Gloria's side. Meet Nacho in an all-new Dog Whisperer this Friday at 8P et/pt!

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Daniel and Gloria Don have been married for 35 years, and have owned several dogs, though Nacho is the only one to give them problems.

BEHIND THE SCENES: During a filming break, Cesar and the crew had lunch at D.Z. Aikn's in San Diego. A staff member had Cesar sign a photo to hang up on the wall.

Dog: Hyde
Breed: Wolf Hybrid
Age: 3 ½-years-old

Dog: Vada
Breed: Wolf Hybrid
Age: 3 ½-years-old

ABOUT THE DOGS: Hyde is an Arctic Wolf-hybrid, and Vada is a Mexican Grey-Timber Wolf, and a descendant of the movie star dog that played "White Fang." The owners were hoping for more domestic traits in their dogs, but found that Hyde and Vada were not without some wild problems.

Hyde often displays food aggression, growling when anyone approaches during feeding time. Vada, on the other hand, is prone to dog aggression on walks, a trait she also shares with Hyde. But Hyde's aggression seems more pronounced, especially when he gets on his hind legs, bares his teeth, and lunges for other dogs.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Animal enthusiasts Holly and Robert are engaged. In addition to the two dogs, they own two ducks, three tortoises, two turtles, a large snake, a rhinoceros iguana, a green iguana, a bearded dragon, and a beta fish. Holly is currently getting her Masters degree in English literature.

BEHIND THE SCENES: For the follow-up shoot at the Dog Psychology Center, Holly and Robert brought lunch for the crew from their pizza shop, Pacino's Pizza.

Name: Leo
Breed: Australian Shepherd/Shar Pei Mix
Age: 8 yrs

ABOUT THE DOG: Leo was found at the Orange County Animal Shelter, but he came with a curious condition. Whenever Lori coughs, Leo will go out the doggie door to the backyard and climb up onto the fence and walk around, as if on a tight rope. This is distressing because he sometimes falls off and hurts himself or he'll jump off the other side and run away. When he gets out of the backyard, he loves cruising around the neighborhood. He's been found by the neighbors several times and has shown up at the local shelter twice. Sometimes, Lori will even find him pawing at their front door at 2am.

ABOUT THE OWNER: Lori Polydoros is a children's book writer. Dan Hubbard owns a BMX stunt promotion company called Creative Sports. They have two children, Grayson and Nova.

BEHIND THE SCENES: During a break, Dan performed some "old school" BMX tricks for the crew. The crew filmed the demo, but the footage did not make it into the show due to time constraints.

NAME: Shoven
BREED: Pomeranian
AGE: 3 years

ABOUT THE DOG: The name Shoven comes from the word "chauvinistic," though it's unclear where Shoven learned to emulate his name. From the moment Barry and Debbie Fisher wake up, Shoven anxiously keeps watch, dreading the moment they leave for work. Once the door is closed, they can hear Shoven's shrill bark all the way to the car and are greeted with the same sound when they arrive back home. Shoven's separation anxiety doesn't stop there. He will also go into a barking, whirling, uncontrollable frenzy whenever anyone leaves the car in which he is riding.

ABOUT THE OWNER: Barry Fisher is a division manager for the local health department. Debbie is a marketing professional for an insurance brokerage firm. They have three children.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Shoven's nickname is "Security" and even has a little black shirt that proudly displays this moniker. Barry's friend owns a quad, and Shoven loves to ride around with him, sitting in the front seat and letting the wind whip through his fur.

NAME: Stanley
BREED: Chihuahua mix
AGE: 5 yrs

ABOUT THE DOG: Stanley was rescued by New Yorker Alison Smith when he was about 4-years-old. He instantly bonded with Alison and adjusted to life with her, but everything changed after they moved to Los Angeles. He soon became aggressive towards anyone entering the home, so Alison must lock him in her bedroom and endure his barking until her visitors leave.

ABOUT THE OWNER: Though she had grown up with dogs, Alison didn't own one until she was an adult. While volunteering at animal shelters in New York City, she found Stanley. In mid-2007, they made the move to Los Angeles.

BEHIND THE SCENES On the day Stanley's story was filmed, another story had been scheduled. That one fell through, so Stanley and Alison jumped in as pinch hitters.

NAME: Bacchus
BREED: Great Dane
AGE: 2 Years

ABOUT THE DOG: Bacchus is a massive 150-pound Great Dane named after the Roman god of wine. He came from a breeder near San Francisco and was relatively well-behaved in the beginning. He excelled at his obedience classes until one day, he started lunging after the other dogs, biting two within a week of each other. Because of his escalating canine aggression, Bacchus's weekly trips to the dog beach have been called off.

ABOUT THE OWNERS: Hailie McGetrick and Heath Moore live in Long Beach, California. Heath works as a printer and Hailie is a high school history teacher. They are an athletic couple who like to take Bacchus on long hikes in the mountains. Heath is also an avid cyclist who enjoys having Bacchus run alongside his bike.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Field Producer Todd Henderson's animated dog Curly took one for the team during filming. To show the owners how an overly excited dog can induce aggression, Curly ended up on the receiving end of a bite on the nose from Bacchus. But in the end, neither dog was injured and the rest of the shoot went on with no problems.