Calming an Overly Excitable Dog | Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog

[suspenseful music] [knock at door] Hi, Cesar! Hi, guys. How are you? Good morning! I have a surprise for your final challenge.

NARRATOR: For the past month, Cesar has worked closely with the Calderones, a family of first responders, with a red-zone pit bull named Bella. After two attacks-- Bella! Bella! [aggressive barking] NARRATOR: --the family may need to surrender Bella if they can't control her excitement.

CESAR: The last time I came here to work with Bella it was because she escaped out of the front door to attack another dog. I need to know that we worked through her dog aggression. To put Bella and Jennifer to a final test, I'm going to have my son Andre walk a dog by the front door to see if Jennifer can keep Bella in a calm surrender state.

All right, Andre. [bella growling] Tsch! Tsch! I could see Bella switching into attack mode. Her body was getting tense. Her eyes were getting fixated on the husky. I just need to do a proper correction to remind Jennifer how to keep Bella calm. Tsch! There you go. This is more calm surrender. Yeah. Andre, do it again. Tsch! There you go. That's the one. So whatever you did and whatever that is, that's the intensity. So you don't have to, like, do it three times.

JENNIFER: This is huge for her because she normally would've been--

CESAR: Yeah. And this is her true nature, her happy go-lucky self that we all love. There you go. This is more calm surrender. Bella and Jennifer are doing great so far. So now I'm going to push their limits a little and see how they react when confronted with another dog. Andre!

ANDRE: Yes, sir.

CESAR: I have my son Andre move in slowly with the other dog to prevent Bella from feeling threatened. I want to see how Bella chooses to react to a dog entering her space calmly. Tsch! Tsch! [dogs whining, panting] So now we have two calm surrender. Can you see it?

JENNIFER: Mm-hmm. So that's why it's so important to assess and evaluate how they feel, not what they did, what they're doing right now.

JENNIFER: Right. Yawning is good. A yawn equals relaxation. It means calm surrender. Bella has a troubled past, but you can see that that's not going to define her future. When I do walk her, I usually put the weighted vest and her goggles on just to help decrease.

I want to see the whole thing. OK. I'm so proud of all the work Jennifer has put in. She's even using tools like a weighted vest to burn energy. She looks-- oh my! They have pink?

JENNIFER: Yeah!

CESAR: Oh, my lord!

JENNIFER: [chuckles]

CESAR: I love it even more!

JENNIFER: Yeah. When we put it on her, she's much calmer.

CESAR: And goggles, they'll work like blinders on a horse. Together, it's all about controlling Bella's excitement. We're ready.

NARRATOR: Showing great success remaining calm when faced with old triggers, Cesar takes this once red-zone pit bull for a final neighborhood walk. Yeah. When I first met Jennifer, she was getting dragged down the streets by a dog ready to fight anyone that stepped in their path. These dogs never got exercise because it wasn't safe to walk them.

So now I want to see how Jennifer handles a walk with all the tools and knowledge she's gained throughout Bella's rehabilitation. Don't forget distance also. Look, turn this way. There you go. Distance is respect.

We were so concerned that we would have to find Bella a new place to live. Then, working with Cesar, learning all the tools, and seeing that she's happy-go-lucky, and she's not really responding as much to other dogs, it made me feel better. And giving her a second chance-- it's all thanks to Cesar.

[inhales deeply] Much better, right?

Yeah, this was great.

Yeah, this is it. Uh-huh. Normally, she would have already been barking by now at them.

CESAR: She's actually in a super happy, go-lucky feeling right now, so enjoy this point. Just like you--

Yeah, this is good.

Yeah, exactly. So let's focus on those little moments where it's just awesome.

ANDRE: Seeing the progress has actually fueled my fire to keep on progressing with all the dogs. Cesar, I just wanted to thank you. And there's nothing I could say that would repay what you've done for our family. It was awesome to be a first responder for once. [laughs]

CESAR: Well, you definitely were. Appreciate you very much. You did amazing.

[music playing]