Previewing Cesar 911: Season Three

"What is the deal with dogs and all their barking?" is disappointingly not something Jerry Seinfeld says when Cesar Millan shows up to help the comedian with his four legged friends. See his dog Foxy hates Jerry, something the beloved funnyman is not used to. And to show famous people are just like us, he makes the mistake to try to remedy the situation by giving Foxy a friend, but that made just more shy while the new dog loves barking at anyone who comes to the door. Of course famous people are not like us because where we have to go through lengthy casting sessions, Jerry can probably just call Cesar to come and help right away.

But Cesar is a man of the people so he does help plenty of us regular folk when the new season of Cesar 911 starts up. Also on the premiere tomorrow is Lucky who has become prone to attacking a very dog friendly dog condominium complex. Not only is Lucky not being invited to the Halloween dog parade, he is one dog bite away from the neighbors calling animal control. Lucky for Lucky, Cesar got called first.

Later this season, Cesar runs into maybe his most violent client yet, Simon, a bulldog/terrier mix who killed a pig and ripped off an ear of another that he lived with when the owner was away. Of course Cesar has pigs of his own at his center that he can help rehabilitate Simon from committing any more dog on pig violence. There will also be a Tibetan terrier who attacks dad while protecting mom, a pug that attacks the other five dogs in the family, and another animal killer, this time a goat killing rottweiler / German shepherd mix.

Cesar 911 airs Fridays at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild. You can download Cesar 911 on iTunes.

Previewing Barkfest

When I received the screener for Is Your Dog a Genius? my initial response was, "that is easy: no." Really I have considered my dogs to be dumb and dumber. But as I watched the couple of episodes included, the answer became a little murkier. The three part series airs part of Barkfest running all weekend starting tonight on Nat Geo Wild with a three hour block starting at 8:00 each night devoted to our canine friends the next three days.

Barkfest starts off tonight with World's Greatest Dogs where viewers will be introduced to special dogs that range from surfing therapy dogs, a dog with four bionic legs after a frostbite incident as a pup, as well as a dog who owns the world record for scootering which needs to be seen to believe (next up for the dog: breaking the world record for riding a bicycle). That is followed at 9:00 by the season finale of Cesar 911. The episode sees Cesar Millan being recruited by a father who's daughter's pit bull attacks every dog he sees including the daughter's boyfriend's dog. Be warned: there will be blood in the episode and a twist ending.

Saturday starts off with a special episode of The Incredible Dr. Pol: Deja Moo!: Dog-a-POL-ooza, followed by a canine focused episode of Unlikely Animal Friends: Barktacular! featuring uncanny pals like cheetahs, rats, and goats. Sunday starts off with the special Super Underdogs where you will meet the largest and smallest living dogs (the former of who costs his owners over a hundred dollars of food every week). You will also be introduced to medical marvels like the boxer who rejected any mechanical legs and only gets around on two and another who only has a half sized spine. While some of you may already be familiar with Tuna, a Chiweenie with over a million followers on social media.

The highlight of Barkfest is Is Your Dog a Genius? which airs new episodes at 10:00 the next three nights. The series follows Dr. Brian Hare to determine the personality traits of all dogs best on five criteria. And his test are so simple all you need to do them at home are two plastic cups, two bowls, aluminum foil, and a decent amount of treats. Then by the end of the weekend you should have a better understanding if your dog a genius or not. Since the show if fun and interactive, it is basically the dog version of Brain Games which airs on Nat Geo Wild's sister station the National Geographic Channel.

Barkfest runs all weekend with forty-eight hours of all dog programming with all new specials and episodes premiering every evening starting at 8:00.

Previewing Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas! and Cesar 911

For about a decade, Cesar Millan has been coming into our homes to train our dogs. The reason he has stuck around so long on television is that not only is he a dog trainer, he is also a showman. So with that knowledge it should not be all that surprising to learn he now has his own stage show which he recently brought to the place all showmen dream to headline: Las Vegas. Of course he brought some cameras along for his new two hour special airing tonight Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas!

Sure he rehabilitates some dog in his show but it is really more of a comedy show with Cesar stalking around the stage like he is Chris Rock, but instead of jokes about race, these jokes are family, and dog friendly. The stop at the Palms Casino Resort was actually the only American stop on his world tour.

Next week Cesar leaves the stage behind and returns to his day job on Cesar 911 where family members, neighbors, and friends call on the dog whisperer to help their loved ones and their best friend. In the season premiere Cesar receives a call from someone who was bit by a neighborhood Great Dane and an expecting mother who fears her kid will be bitten by her sister’s dog because of the number of times the Maltese mix has bitten her.

Later this season, Cesar is called on to help someone who was banned from the weekly family barbecue three years ago because of his German Shepard, a duo that has already been kick out of one apartment complex because of their unruly dogs and is close to getting kicked out of their current one, an American bulldog that is driving his owners towards a divorce after he bit the family’s toddler.

Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas (watch a preview) premieres tonight at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild. Cesar 911 (watch a preview) airs Fridays at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild starting next week.

Previewing I Love My Pit Bull

From dog fights to dog attacks, pit bulls have been in the news for the wrong reasons for a couple decades. These negative perceptions of pit bulls have led to breed specific laws targeted at them, owners of the dogs, would say unfairly. One of those owners is the Dog Whisperer himself Cesar Millan. If you have watched any of his shows, you have undoubtedly met Daddy his pit bull and leader of his pack. And went Daddy passed away a couple years ago, Cesar replaced him with a new pit bull Junior.

The Dog Whisperer would like you to know that just like every other dog, pit bull, and their owners, just need to be trained properly. Cesar goes over how in his newest special I Love My Pit Bull airing Friday at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild. Not only that he talk about his special relationship with his pit bulls and how rapper Redman was integral to how it came about.

The special also looks at the history of the pit bull back going back to the 1800’s when they were commonly used on farms to herd cattle. There was even a time when they were one of the most popular family pet (sometimes even considered nannies), even owned by President Theodore Roosevelt, Gen. George Patton and Helen Keller. Now associated with dog fights and gang members wants to reeducate the country on the values of the breed that is now euthanized about a million times each year. As Cesar says, “It’s not the breed that makes a good companion. All dogs are great companions. Communication creates a partnership and dogs have the simplest communication on the planet. For them, everything is about trust, respect and love.”

I Love My Pit Bull premieres Friday at 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild.

Previewing Cesar 911

After over a hundred episodes, The Dog Whisperer came to an end two years ago. But Cesar Millan continued his relationship with Nat Geo Wild last year with the premiere of Leader of the Pack where Cesar would try to find homes for high maintenance dogs. Cesar is back with a new show this Friday, Cesar 911 which bares many similarities to the show that introduced him to the nation and will air six episodes this season.

For all intents and purposes, Cesar 911 is just The Dog Whisperer but instead of owners at their wits end calling on his help, it is neighbors, co-workers, relatives, friends, and significant others who call Cesar for essentially a doggy intervention. Then Cesar and the whistleblowers ambush the owners and their unruly dogs usually on walks to air their grievances with Cesar offering his services to help. This small twist does add the intrigue of if the owners are willing to take Cesar’s help. Of course they all do because there would not be a show, but it is clear that one or two are resentful of the ambush. There are a couple of employees that call Cesar on their bosses which could very well effect their employment down the road.

So Cesar is back to familiar territories helping dogs and their owners. Of course the pack and his Dog Psychology Center come back into play (have he always had llamas). This season he will run into a trio of terror who like to honk the horn when they are stuck in the car, a spoiled Chihuahua who likes to go after ankles at a dance studio, and many more. And since the owners are not the ones asking for help, Cesar also has to do much more work training the humans too. There is even one relationship this season where Cesar suggest that an owner should either choose her dog or her boyfriend. And she does end the episode separated from one of them.

Cesar 911 airs Fridays 9:00 on Nat Geo Wild.

Previewing Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack

For those missing The Dog Whisperer after getting canceled, you mourning period should end tonight because Cesar Millan is back with Leader of the Pack premiering at 10:00 on Nat Geo Wild. The show says that Dog Whisperer had a mission; Leader of the Pack has a mission although if you squint just enough it will look very much like the same show. Instead of coming to your house to help train your dogs, Cesar will be heading out to animal shelters to help troubled dogs gets forever homes.

And Cesar will be doing it reality competition style. After rehabilitated a shelter dog that is having trouble getting adopted, Cesar rounds up three families and eliminates them one by one until he finds the best family for the troubled dog to live with. Sure he does not feel that comfortable telling a family they “are not the leader of the pack” but this is reality television people.

Among the dogs viewers will meet in the first three episodes are Jet, a black Labrador crossbreed that needs to learn basic manners and control his puppy-like behavior. Brigadiere, a timid mix-breed shelter dog that resorts to biting when he is afraid. And Harry, a 7-year-old basset hound whose owner passed away and whose poor social skills have made it hard to find him a home. For those that miss the helpful hints that The Dog Whisperer provided will surely enjoy Leader of the Pack.

Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack airs Saturdays at 10:00 on Nat Geo Wild.

Previewing Unlikely Animal Friends

Anyone who was five at some point in their lives remember The Fox and the Hound, but who would have guessed that the two specials could get along as well in real life as they did in animated form? That is the basis of Unlikely Animal Friends which is airing its third set of specials over the course of four episodes this Thanksgiving weekend. The first two episodes air Friday at 8:00, while the other two episodes at 8:00 on Saturday.

Each episode is dedicated to a species animal group, starting with Dogs Gone Wild (featuring commentary from Nat Geo’s resident dog expert Cesar Millan) which will be followed by Hello Kitty which features felines big and small. Then The Wild Bunch is dedicated to some of the wild’s friendliest animals. And the last episode is Man’s Other Best Friend which features some of the weirdest human pets.

Some other bizarre pairing you will see are a fog who takes a swim with his dolphin friend, a housecat that plays with an owl, a wild boar who joins a herd of cattle, and a goose that follows around a human whenever he takes a walk in the park, or even a ride on a scooter. Unlikely Animal Friends is perfect for any parent with small children who will get a kick at all the wield and wild pairings.

Unlikely Animal Friends airs back to back episodes this Friday and Saturday starting at 8:00 on Nat Geo Wild.

Saying Goodbye to The Dog Whisperer

After eight seasons, it is time to say goodbye to The Dog Whisperer. With only two episodes left (tonight at 8:00 on Nat Geo Wild, with the series finale net week), Cesar Millan is ready to get his hands dirty (and bloody) one last time. Before saying goodbye, Cesar will check in with two of his celebrity friends tonight. First up is Jillian Michaels is back again with a new rescue Chihuahua and with an adoptive daughter coming soon, Jillian wants to get the breed’s legendary attitude under control. The episode hits a little too close to home because everything wrong with her dog is exactly how my Chihuahua acts around anyone who gets with in a hundred foot radius from my house. Also tonight, Cesar will also travel to Kelsey Grammer’s house where apparently his dogs have not seen his show Boss because they thing they rule the Grammer household by doing their doggie business all over the house and occasionally sneak off the property to do some geese hunting.

Then for next week’s finale, Cesar has a couple more cases to crack and when the episode is titled Cesar’s Worst Bite. In the episode Ceasar helps a couple who fears their 18-month child may get bitten by their Lab puppy who has started to display disturbing food aggression. Later in the episode Cesar helps a homeless woman as she prepares to move into a woman’s shelter with her protective pit bull, Tucker.

The Dog Whisperer may be coming to an end next week, but do not worry, Cesar Millan will not be going anywhere because he is currently in production on his new Nat Geo Wild competition series Leader of the Pack, due to premiere in early 2013.

The final two episodes of The Dog Whisperer air tonight and next Saturday at 8:00 on Nat Geo Wild.

Previewing The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Final Season

It is a sad day for those of us hoping to one day get Cesar Millan to Tsst our dogs into submission because the final season of The Dog Whisperer starts tonight. And just like the greatest athletes in the world, Cesar is off to London to make sure the likes of Michael Phelps do not get bit by the local canine population (although I would not mind if LeBron James gets nipped a time or a hundred by an angry Chihuahua). Cesar will be across the pond for four episodes including back to back episodes tonight including an owner who got a Dalmatian because of the movie (never a good sign), a rescue dog from Romania where strays roam the streets by the thousands, and a dog of an actress from Absolutely Fabulous.

Back stateside, Cesar will be helping some famous faces including Kelsey Grammer whose dogs are not as well behaved as his televised version Eddie. Fitness trainer may be able to whip humans into shape but will need Cesar’s help to quiet her barker. Cesar will also hit the road to help NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick. And we know how good Cesar is with dogs, but we will also get to see how well he works with bunnies when he heads to the Playboy Mansion West to help Hugh Hefner’s King Charles spaniel get along with Miss November’s dog.

Even though there will be no new episodes of The Dog Whisperer after this season, Nat Geo Wild will continue to air the entire catalogue of episodes. And Cesar will not be going anywhere because he is currently in production on his new Nat Geo Wild competition series Leader of the Pack, due to premiere in early 2013.

The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan airs Saturdays at 8:00 on Nat Geo Wild. You can also download The Dog Whisperer on iTunes. Check out a clip from tonight:

Previewing The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan 8.x

I realized while watching The Dog Whisper that I need Caser Millan to come over to get my dogs to stop barking at the television while we watch The Dog Whisperer. Of course watching The Dog Whisperer makes me realize that even though they attack anyone who comes to the door and occasionally use the dining room as their own personal bathroom stall, they really do not come close to the dogs that Millan is tasked to rehabilitate.

The new season kicks off this Saturday on its new network, Nat Geo Wild with a very special episode dedicated to why dogs fight, thankfully a problem I rarely have to deal with unless one of them is hoarding bones (which begs the question, is there a doggie version of Hoarders?). The episode features two well mannered Jack Russell terriers that, when they get together, go all out on each other, leaving puddles over the house.

Later this season, much like Ernest P. Worrell before him Cesar goes into the army. Or at least he visits dogs at Fort Hood in Texas including an Australian shepherd who is scared of people in uniform. This of course cases problems on an Army base. Same for the Shetland shepherd who goes into a barking frenzy around loud noise, where there is a lot of with all the helicopters flying around the base. During his tour, Cesar also runs into a miniature bull terrier who needs to find a way to curb her uncontrollable excitement.

The on another very special episode, Cesar Millan will be celebrating his 150th episode over Valentine’s Weekend of course with Home-Wrecking Hounds. Cesar will be visiting two couples where their dogs have complicated their relationships. Will Cesar be able to play Cupid or will the dog days for these couples be over? We will have to wait until 2/11 to find out.

The Dog Whisperer airs Saturdays at 8:00 on Nat Geo Wild. You can stream select episodes on Hulu. You can also download Dog Whisperer on iTunes. Check out a clip from the season premiere below:

Previewing The Dog Whisperer 7.x

I thoroughly enjoy watching The Dog Whisperer because not only does it gives me tips for my dogs; it is a nice reminder that there are much worse behaving dogs on the planet than mine. Like on tomorrow’s season premiere we are introduced to a lamp shade eating dog. My dog has chewed on socks, CD’s and even paper, but never has she jumped up to take out one of my lamp shades.

For his second case, Cesar Millan gets offered a deal to tame Howie Mandel’s Chihuahua Lola, who Howie fears is going to kill him because she lunges at him every time Howie tries to sit next to his wife. As a Chihuahua owner myself I understand just how angry the dog can get, but lucky for me I am the one mine is protected so everyone around me gets the ankles gnawed on a little. Check out Howie getting flew from a one pound fur ball below:



Tomorrow is the first of fifteen all new episodes to air Fridays at 8:00 on the National Geographic Channel. Also this season, Cesar will be visiting Astronaut Suni Williams, who once received Cesar’s coaching while serving on the International Space Station. Actress Rhoa Mitra (The Gates) and her French bulldog, Oscar. Meghan Plunkett, daughter of former NFL quarter back and Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett, who has been caring for a pit bull that belonged to her brother Jimmy, who, prior to his unexpected passing in 2008, had cultivated a close relationship with his dog based on Cesar’s relationship with his dog, Daddy. And even wildlife experts like Casey Anderson, a Nat Geo Wild host, will call on Cesar, along with his wife Missi Pyle to help with their two dogs.

Previewing The Dog Whisperer 6.x

It is hard to image that The Dog Whisperer is entering its sixth season because in his hundred plus cases Cesar Millan has yet to come to the McGavin compound to tame my dogs yet. Of course of the episodes I have seen, my terrors (see Ren and Snoopy’s Doghouse) are like angels compared to most of the dogs Cesar has come up against. And for the sixth season premiere of The Dog Whisperer, Cesar is doing a little something different.

Instead of going to our houses to correct problems our dogs have, for the season premiere Cesar is showing us How to Raise the Perfect Dog (there is also a book of the same name out that Cesar has written) so we don’t have to contact him in the future. To demonstrate, adopted for new dogs of different breeds: a Labrador pup Marley, a Miniature Schnauzer Angel, an English Bulldog Mr. President, and a Pit Bull pup Junior. The latter Cesar hopes that he can groom to help him in tougher cases as he number two Daddy gets up there in age.

But after the premiere, Cesar will be back into the field helping with other people’s dog featuring thirty new episodes starting tonight. Cesar will even be heading Down Under to Australia this season as well as to Texas to work with NASA astronauts. And of course visits some well known dog owners in the next couple weeks including The Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum.

The Dog Whisperer airs Fridays at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel. You can stream select episodes over at Hulu. You can download episodes of The Dog Whisperer on iTunes. You can also buy previous seasons and specials of The Dog Whisperer on Amazon.

Previewing Dog Whisperer: Inside Puppy Mills

Last month, Barack Obama got a lot flack for selecting his dog Bo from a breeder instead of adopting a rescue dog like he promised during his campaign. An off shoot of that decision is that will increase puppy mills churning out Portuguese water dogs because of his decision. On a special episode of Dog Whisperer tonight at 9:00 on the National Geographic Channel Cesar Millan goes undercover to witness the puppy mills first hand. As the press release says:

Every year, millions of dogs are mass-produced at puppy mills - often packed in tiny wire cages, neglected, dehydrated, dirty, and chronically sick - and then sold legally to pet stores throughout the country. In this powerful episode, Cesar sees puppy mill horror and works to rescue and rehabilitate caged pups with the animal rights group Last Chance for Animals. With hidden cameras, LCA operatives spot check Los Angeles county kennels, rescue eleven dogs considered worthless by breeders and learn from Cesar as he teaches them how to immediately rehabilitate the traumatized pups.

For anyone who is thinking about getting a dog, this is a must see episode. For more facts on puppy mills, head over to NationalGeographic.com. And since they were both mentioned in the special you can find out more about Last Chance for Animals and StopPuppyMills.org at their websites. You can also check out a preview below with a cameo from Sharon Osbourne: