The American Dog Whisperer

12/02/2025

BEFORE YOU GET A PUPPY…🐶
My friend, journalist Amber Hankins, interviewed me for this article. Yes I know, we’re well past the Christmas season, but the information applies whenever you are in the market for a puppy! 🐾❤️

Ask yourself these five important questions before committing to bringing a puppy into your home this year!

08/02/2025

MY GOODNESS, GUS! 😊💙
This afternoon was a consultation in Shelbyville with his goofy, mischievous, charming boy. Great Dane, Gus is as handsome as they come, but had issues with anything that flashed past his house, including bicycles, skateboards and delivery trucks! 😳

When I arrived, Gus was out in his e-fenced front yard, barking his large head off at me. When his human parents came out to meet me, he begin showing a little more curiosity, but would dart away if I reached to pet him. It was obvious to me he was challenging me, though not in an aggressive way. I had Gus’s human dad hand me the leash, and as soon as I took it, I ordered Gus to sit down, and he calmed down very quickly.

Ironically, the FedEx man pulled up as we were outside, and I was able to demonstrate in real time how to address Gus for his explosive response to the delivery driver. Within a matter of seconds, Gus was sitting in his right mind, watching the delivery man chat with Gus’s human parents. Yay!! 🎉

We went inside the home, where I reviewed some essential rules Gus needed to follow, coaching his parents in the use of canine-style body language cues that helped Gus understand more clearly what was being asked of him.

All in all, Gus did very well responding to the new system I put in place today. He was obedient to a fault when it came to me, but did challenge his human mom on a few occasions. But she held the line with him, and he ended up deferring and showing her some newfound respect! 😀

It was a pleasure to meet Gus and his kind human parents. I have no doubt this big boy will make great strides in his behavior as his human family lovingly but firmly holds him to the new boundaries! 👍🏻

You all got this! 🐾👌

01/02/2025

MAKING PEACE BETWEEN VEDDER & BOB
😊🐾🐾
This afternoon found me on the southwest side of Indianapolis to help two devoted dog owners reintroduce their dogs after an unfortunate misunderstanding between the canines.

The two dogs had enjoyed playing together frequently. But recently, an incident had occurred in which Vedder had accidentally gotten his paw stuck Bob’s harness. Bob seemed to think this was Vedder trying to be dominant, and turned on Vedder. Vedder than decided he needed to defend himself from Bob‘s flashing teeth. The dogs owners were concerned that relationship between the two dogs was altered since that event, and wanted to work them back toward their old friendship.

The incident had taken place at Vedder’s home, so that’s where we met up so I could evaluate where the dogs were at, and get them on a course to reconciliation.

It was great to see Vedder again. I had worked with him and his human dad on a couple of occasions. The sugary-sweet pit mix was delighted to see me again, and the feeling was mutual! Pit Dalmatian mix, Bob Barker showed up with his human dad shortly thereafter, abs I made this happy dog’s acquaintance for the first time.

To evaluate what was happening between the dogs, I set up some controlled interactions that would greatly minimize the possibility of any violence occurring between the dogs. I quickly noticed that Vedder was nervous and unsure of Bob, influenced, almost certainly, by the negative incident that had occurred between them. Bob, for his part, seem to wholesale ignore Vedder, but did display some dominant-excited body language cues as he roamed around the yard on leash marking everything he could.

After setting up a few different scenarios between the dogs, my recommendation was that the dogs co-adventure with their dads on neutral territory at first. When they were relaxed and peaceful in their body language, they would then share walks together with their human dads in the neighborhood, then learn to interact peacefully again in Vedder’s backyard. I emphasize the need for Bob to exhibit calmer, less dominant body language, and for Vedder to relax a bit more instead of watching Bob with suspicion.

It was great to see Vedder again, and to meet Bob for the first time. Both dogs were sweet as can be to me, and interacted acceptably with each other during our session. I have no doubt their human dads are going to put in the work, with the goal of getting the animals to be good buddies once again! 👌

You all got this! 🐾

25/01/2025

25/01/2025

THAT’S BETTER BRODY & DARLA! 😊💙❤️
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation in downtown Indianapolis with thoroughly-charming bulldog pack mates, Brody and Darla. Their human mom got a hold of me concerned, primarily, with Brody’s disrespectful nipping of her pant legs as she walked, as well as his intense pulling to get back into the house after a walk. Brody also was terrified of certain traffic sounds such as squealing bus brakes, or loud trucks. 😯

When I arrived and was invited inside the home, I found Brody to be very cautious and a little bit nervous of my presence there at first. Eight-year-old Darla, on the other hand, was thrilled to see me, and welcomed some pets and scratches on the head. 😄

After a few minutes Brody started warming up, sniffing around the area I was sitting and coming up to my hands to investigate. Within a few minutes he was good and I was able to pet an interact with him. 🤗

I explained and demonstrated some house rules both dogs needed to follow in the home environment in order to recognize their human mom as the authority figure. Both dogs did well listening to the new system, though Brody did push back a little with the kitchen rule, attempting to get into the kitchen by any means necessary when he had been asked to leave. But, his human mom proved more stubborn than he, and Brody finally sat outside the kitchen and stopped trying to make his way in. Even Darla pushed back a little on a couple of occasions, but ended up rolling with the program quickly. 🙃

I further demonstrated the best way to exit the home on the walk in a way that would help Brody understand his human mom was the one in charge in the outside space. I also established best practices for returning home so Brody wouldn’t pull so hard. He ended up doing very well with this! I further established a protocol to address Brody in the event he nipped at his human mouth while walking. 👍🏻

When it came to Brody‘s fear of outside sounds, I introduced a process that would help decondition Brody to sounds he was currently afraid of. Because he was very food motivated, treats were part of this process to help Brody understand that the things he was afraid of were harmless, and treats were on the menu instead! 🎉

It was delightful to meet Brody and Darla and their kind human mom. I have no doubt the dogs are going to enjoy more harmony and peace at home as the things I introduced yesterday are lovingly but firmly enforced. 😊

You all got this! 👌🐾

25/01/2025

A VISIT WITH PIPPA, PEACH & LAIRIE! 😊🐾❤️
Last night was a follow up visit with these three charming ladies. Their human parents originally hired me to help bring peace between the dogs. That had been accomplished as the humans worked on the program I put in place, but now an additional unwanted behavior had serviced – mainly, the dogs going absolutely bonkers when their human parents came home. Nothing seemed to calm them down, and I was asked to stop by to address the situation. 🐾

The scenario was as advertised, and all the dogs barked and shrieked with excitement, waiting to burst out of their kennels. I demonstrated how to calm each one, and established a protocol that would help keep the dogs accountable once they emerged from their kennels. 👌

The dogs responded very well, and calmed themselves quickly. It was so encouraging to see how well they are getting along, and I know they’ll be able to make great progress in this behavioral challenge too! 😀

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

23/01/2025

WELL DONE, WID! 😊🐾💙
Yesterday afternoon was consultation on the southeast side of Indy with visually-impaired cattle dog mix, Wid. Wid’s parents got a hold of me because the little dog had shown some concerning intensity toward her human dad. 🥺

When I arrived and entered the home, Wid was frantic with excitement, and when let go of by her human mom, came rocketing toward me, jumping up against my legs and pawing me excitedly. (It was amazing how accurately she was able to detect my presence and location using just her nose and ears!) I corrected her appropriately as she continued to leap up on me. She then calmed down a bit and started lifting a pow up in the air and feeling toward me. That was acceptable, since her little paws had become her “eyes” given her visual impairment. ❤️

We sat down, and as I began discussing Wid’s history and behaviors with her parents, it became clear to me that Wid strongly claimed her human mom, and was uncomfortable with her human dad approaching. This meant I needed to coach the humans in the use of canine-style body language cues that would help Wid understand her human mom was not her puppy, and she needed to show respect to her human dad. 👍🏻

I did just that, also explaining and demonstrating a few rules that would help build Wid’s respect for both of her human parents. We replayed scenarios that had been troublesome for Wid, and I was delighted to see her respond obediently and quietly as she was asked to listen to a new set of boundaries. 🤗

Wid is a delightful girl, and learned to respect and make room for her human dad. Good girl! 😀🐾

Great job you all! Keep up the good work! 👌

20/01/2025

In case you missed my segment this morning on Life Style Live with rescue pom, Saffy…here you go! 😊🐾❤️

(P.S. I can help your fearful dog!🦮)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Saffy, a five-year-old Pomeranian once confined to a breeding facility in Wisconsin, was terrified of nearly everything when she was adopted by her owner, Betsy Van Horn. From cars to the sound of elevators, Saffy’s early life left her wary of the world around her. To help ...

19/01/2025

Tomorrow morning during the 10 AM hour on Life Style Live I’m joined by Betsy Van Horn and her rescue pup, Saffy to talk about the most effective ways to help a dog who seems to be afraid of nearly everything! 🥺❤️

You don’t wanna miss it! Only on WISH-TV! 📺

14/01/2025

THAT’S BETTER, BUDDY! 😀💙
This afternoon was a consultation in the New Castle area with five-month-old brilliant, mischievous shepherd/lab mix, Buddy. Buddy’s human mom is in her senior years, and wanted some help addressing Buddy’s nipping, shoving, and generally disrespectful behavior! 🥺

When I arrived and was let inside, Buddy was extremely excited to have a visitor! When his human mom let him go, he immediately wanted to leap up on me, but thought better of it when he saw the way I was standing. He actually ended up backing off and barking at me instead! 😂

There were a number of scenarios that Buddy‘s mom experienced with him throughout the day, and which we needed to address. I explained that Buddy’s first language was body language, and this needed to be employed if we were to clearly communicate with him what we wanted him to be doing. 👌

Buddy‘s mom followed my directions extremely well, and in no time at all she was able to keep him out of the kitchen when she brought food out on the counter, and effectively ask for a zone of respect as she sat and worked a puzzle in her easy chair. “ I can’t believe it” I heard her say when Buddy was being deferential and obedient to her, instead of his customary crowding and harassing. 🎉

What a great improvement Buddy made in a matter of minutes! His human mom loves him a lot and is committed to introducing and enforcing boundaries that will make him the best adult version of himself possible one day! 🏆

Great job today, both of you! 😊👍🏻🐾

10/01/2025

AN INTERVENTION FOR YADI & BLUE! 😊❤️💙
Wednesday afternoon was a consultation on the east side of Indy with these two handsome boys. Senior hound, Blue, and pit mix rescue, Yadi, were having some difficulty getting along! 😯

When I arrived and was let inside, Yadi exploded into sharp barking and growling, even snapping toward me. He was extremely intense! I gave a couple of corrections, and though he eventually calmed down, he remained physically tense. I could see by the way he ran through the house and shoved into everyone’s personal space, that he was a dominant boy!

Hound, Blue, was in the bedroom behind a baby gate, and he looked pretty bored with my arrival. 😄

I say down with the human family and had a conversation about the dogs’ history, incidents with each other, etc. It became quickly apparent that Blue had claimed the human mom very strongly, and this was causing some of the issue. Also, there was the matter of a toy that Yadi and Blue had fought over. This incident had seemed to cement a rivalry between them. 😢

I explained that the humans needed to earn the right to utilize parental authority, and to get this done I introduced some specific rules and boundaries the dogs needed to follow in the home. I also coached the family of the use of canine body language signals that would help the dogs clearly understand what was being asked of them. It was great to see both dogs respond to this! 🎉

Though we had Yadi and Blue on separate leashes and made sure they didn’t get tangled up together, neither dog seemed too interested in the other. It was a relief to see they weren’t constantly targeting each other, though Blue was by far the dog giving more challenging l states to Yadi. When he did, I gave him a quick correction until he turned the other way. 👍🏻

I emphasized the need for the human parents to accurately read the dogs’ wordless communication to each other and interfere when necessary. As we began doing that, both dogs responded well especially-young Yadi, who obeyed me to a fault! 😀

It was a pleasure to meet Blue and Yadi and their kind human family members. I truly believe the dogs will enjoy more harmony with each each other as the humans take more leadership, and begin addressing the dogs for sending wordless, dominant messages to each other!

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

08/01/2025

MY, MY, MANDY! 🙃❤️🐾
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation at Marquette in Indianapolis with adorable, frantic guest greeter,, Mandy. The little cavapoo’s human parents reached out to me because Mandy “mauled” newcomers with excitement as they stepped into the home. Nothing seemed to work when it came to trying to calm Mandy down. She leaped all over people‘s legs, running and jumping off of furniture and returning to the guest to leap all over them again. 😯

When I arrived, Mandi was as advertised. She vaulted up her repeatedly on my legs, spinning and running and returning to leap on my legs all over again. I had to get pretty serious pretty fast to let her know she needed to settle down—and I MEANT it! Once we crossed this threshold, Mandy quickly began controlling her energy and approaching me with respect. It was VERY encouraging to see! 😀

I sat down with Mandy‘s kind human parents and explained that certain rules and boundaries needed to be put in place in the home so Mandy would recognize the humans were running the show! That would enable them to control her behavior when guests arrived. I coached the humans in the use of canine-style body language cues that would help Mandy understand more clearly what was being asked of her. 👍🏻

The acid test came when a kind neighbor came over and knocked on the door. When I answer the door and invited the guest inside, Mandy was good as gold, following all my cues as I asked her to stay calm and be respectful to the guest. What an amazing improvement! I was very proud of her! ❤️

I then asked the guest to re-enter the home, and had Mandy’s mom go through the greeting protocol I had just established. Mandy was respectful and listened and backed away from the guest when her human mom asked her to. Yay!! 🎉

Mandy had a real issue with pulling like a sled dog when she was taken out to walk, so we stepped out of the home and I demonstrated how to ask Mandy to focus, and control her energy as she walked—and as she encountered people as she did. She did absolutely fantastic! Her parents amazed looks were very rewarding for me to see! 😊

It was a pleasure to meet Mandy and her charming human parents. I have no doubt in my mind that Mandy will continue to impress with her behavior, and make even greater strides as a human parents lovingly but firmly continue to practice the principles I showed them yesterday. 👌

You all did great! 😃🎉👍🏻🐾

08/01/2025

NO MORE FEAR FOR SAFFY!! 😃❤️🐾
This afternoon was a follow up visit to check on pretty pom, Saffy, whose human mom had rescued her after Saffy’s terrible early years as a breeding dog. 😢

During my initial visit, I observed that Saffy was afraid of nearly everything including people passing by, doors opening, leash walking, and the list went on. a coached Saffy human mom through a program that would help build Safi‘s confidence, and boy did Saffy’s mom follow through!

When I arrived today, it was almost as if I was looking at a different dog. Safi‘s posture was erect, tongue out, eyes bright, curious and investigative about everything. Wow! Safi’s mom told me that the little dog had become a joyful, curious little being who now enjoyed a huge measure of confidence. What am encouragement!

One little fear did remain, however, and that was…STAIRS! So today I introduced a customized strategy to help Saffy deal with her fear of stairs and staircases. The little dog seems genuinely panicked as I worked with her in the building staircase, opting to try and leap off multiple stairs in order to reach the landing more quickly. This was unsafe for her, so I recommended her human mom order some of the smaller, carpeted pet stairs for her home so we could work safely with Saffy in an environment where she felt more comfortable.

I was beyond thrilled to see the amazing progress Saffy has made under her human mom’s loving leadership. Oh by the way…Saffy and her human mom will be joining me January 20th on WISH-TV’s Life Style Live to tell their story! Stay tuned for more details! 📺

You’re doing great, Saffy! 😊❤️

04/01/2025

SOME GUIDELINES FOR MAGGIE, BUSTER (& ROCKO) 😊💜❤️💙
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation in Greenfield with these three charming packmates. Their human mom got a hold of me wanting some help with 7-month old pit puppy Maggie’s intense energy and fierce spats with senior pit, Rocko.

When I arrived and was welcomed inside, all three dogs were very excited. Nine-month-old massive boxer, Buster was a bit standoffish at first, staring at me intently and showing some hesitancy to come up.(I would end up winning him over before the consult was over. 😊)

As I began interacting with the dogs, what became immediately clear is that Maggie was intense and in charge, running around and reminding the other dogs of that fact! I explained that it would be necessary for the humans to adapt their body language and tone of voice in order to appear more parental. I further introduced some key house rules the dogs needed to follow in order to understand the humans were the ones running the show! Along with this, I coached the family in the use of canine-style body language cues that would help the dogs understand more clearly what was being asked of them. 👍🏻🐾

Though there was a bit of pushback at first, all ofthe dogs ended up rolling with the process and subduing their frantic energy in very short order. It was amazing to feel the peace that descended on the home! ✌️

I paid special attention to teaching the dogs not to claim specific toys and food as this had started to create problems. I explained that it was important to humans laid claim to everything so rivalries would not initiate and intensify between the dogs when it came to high-value items. 👌

But my favorite part of the consult by far was the simultaneous kisses Maggie and Buster decided to plant on me at random intervals. That was the best! 🥰

It was great to meet Maggie, Buster, Rocko, and their kind human family. I have no doubt the dogs are going to continue to enjoy more peace and harmony as the system I introduced yesterday is lovely but firmly enforced by the humans. 😀

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

01/01/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who cared and shared! Black dog has a home!! 💙

"Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”

We are thrilled to announce that after 250+ days at the shelter, Black Dog, now known as Lucky, has been adopted! This handsome, goofy boy finally has a home and family to call his very own! He is going to have a very Happy New Year!

Columbus Animal Care Services would like to thank Nathan Lowe, The American Dog Whisperer, and WISH-TV for introducing Black Dog to viewers and encouraging his adoption before the holidays. We appreciate your support!

Special thanks to Black Dog’s new family for opening their hearts and home to this sweet pup!