The American Dog Whisperer

12/11/2024

WHOA THERE, WALLY! 💙🐾
Saturday afternoon was a consultation on the northeast side with this furry ball of fire. Wally’s human parents, current clients of mine, had decided to adopt Wally in addition to their current dog, Conley. Conley was doing well in the behavioral department after my work with the family on some of his issues. Now, the family felt that another dog would be good to add to the mix.

But Wally had so far proved to be a handful—and then some! 🙃

When I arrived and first met Wally, he wasn’t interested in interacting. He zinged around the house looking for tidbits of food, running from room to room checking things out, and otherwise ignoring the humans who were speaking to him. When I tried to step in and stop him, he darted around me and kept on his way. This necessitated putting a leash on Wally so he couldn’t run away if he decided he didn’t want to pay attention. 👀

In each area in which the family was experiencing frustration with Wally, I demonstrated how to use canine-style parental body language and actions to let Wally know he wasn’t running the show, and needed to pay attention to his human authority figures. It was gratifying to see Wally begin paying attention to the humans, calming himself down, and responding to orders. What an improvement! 🎉

Wally is a sweet, smart guy who just needed some firm boundaries in order to experience peace and focus. His human family loves him a lot and is committed to providing the leadership necessary for Wally to have his best life possible. 💙

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

11/11/2024

SOME BOINDARIES FOR CHIEF & INDY! 💙💜
Saturday afternoon was a consultation in Rushville with these two charming doodle pack mates. Their human family got a hold of me for some help ironing out behavioral wrinkles. Chief among these was, well…Chief—a 104 pound doodle who shoved his way into people, barked explosively, went off at the neighbor dogs and bullied his smaller pack mate, Indy. 

When I arrived, Chief was as advertised. He barked up gloriously at me, charging toward me in the front yard, but stopping short and barking in a circle around me. I had my work cut out for me! 👀

Cut to 45 minutes later, and Chief was sitting in his right mind, walking quietly through the house, listening to corrections, and overall chilling out. 🎉

What did I do to bring about this result? Explained and demonstrated how to use canine body language signals to let Chief know there were rules and boundaries in the home, and he wasn’t running the show! I showed his human parents how to take charge of elevated spaces, all food, and key thresholds in the home. Chief did push back during the initial training period, but I demonstrated how to intensify things until he realized we all meant business!

As for Indy, though a more shy, quiet dog, it turned out she had a bit of a stubborn streak with things she wanted—like food! So she too learned some manners, and how to relax when she was very excited and anxious to get something she wanted! 

It was a pleasure to meet Chief and Indy and their kind human family. I have no doubt there’s going to be much more peace and harmony in the home as the principles they learned from our session are inculcated and practiced.

You all got this! 😃👍🏻🐾

09/11/2024

SO MUCH BETTER, SAFFY! 😃💜👍🏻
Boy do I have a great report for all of you! Remember Saffy, the puppy mill Pomeranian who had no confidence and didn’t seem to know how to walk on leash or integrate with people? Well, after my initial visit with her I detailed a protocol for her human mom to follow that would build confidence in Saffy, and help her move smoothly between life’s transitions. And her human mom rolled up her sleeves and went to work on it! 👍🏻

Well… In a matter of days I heard from Saffy‘s human mom, and Saffy was doing so well! She was walking on leash, not barking anymore when her human mom left, and overall beginning to grow playful and happy. It was great news! 👌

When I returned for a follow up on Friday, our goal was to put a protocol in place to help decondition Saffy to the elevator and automatic doors at her human mom‘s residence.

We started with the automatic doors, which made a slap and a whoosh as they shut, and a loud click and whoosh when they opened. Saffy didn’t like those noises at all and would try to run away from the doors. To address this, I made sure Saffy‘s mom understood that the human energy needed to be calm and nonchalant. We repeated small steps in the process until, after about 20 minutes, Saffy stopped running away from the doors and followed her human mom through! Yay!! 🎉

Next was the elevator. I held the doors open, reminded Saffy‘s mom to be cool calm and collected, and had her repeatedly walk Saffy in and out of the elevator until the little dog trotted on and trotted off with no issue. Another victory for Saffy and her mom!

What an encouraging return visit, and how heartening to see Saffy start enjoying her life and losing her fears. She and her human mom are doing great! 👍🏻😁

Keep up the good work, you two!

07/11/2024

THAT’S EXCELLENT, ELVIS! 😃💙👍🏻
Recently I returned to the home of this sweet boy at the request of his human mom. Elvis needed to learn to treat little children with respect, instead of crowding them, getting in their face, and not honoring their personal space! 🥺

Elvis remembered me right away when I arrived, and was meek quiet, and self controlled. I gave him a few pets, then it was time to get down to business! Elvis’s human mom had a granddaughter who was over to the house quite a bit, we decided to teach Elvis to be respectful to her in specific.

Once the little one arrived, this allowed me an opportunity, in real time, to demonstrate how to use canine-style body language cues to let Elvis know he needed to give space, calm down, and be respectful to the little one. It was amazing how quickly Elvis responded! In no time at all, the little gal was able to run around the house, play with her toys, and enjoy herself while Elvis watched respectfully. A few little cues here and there was all that was needed to remind Elvis to be calm and controlled around the little girl. 💙

What an encouraging follow up! Elvis’s human family did so well replicating the behaviors I taught them, and Elvis responded great to them! 👍🏻

You all are doing awesome. Keep up the good work! 😊🐕

(Elvis’s photo courtesy of his human mom. 😊)

05/11/2024

I miss this dear, furry guy. My heart goes out to you, Patty. ❤️

Watch Patty’s tribute to her precious Stewie. Link in comment section below. 🐾

04/11/2024

Such a fun segment with Brittany Noble, along with my dear friend, and host of Pet Pals TV, Patty Spitler.  Talking about the best way to get good results from your dog! 🐾💙

Does your dog have some unwanted behaviors that you can’t seem to fix? American Dog Whisperer Nathan Lowe, who trains dogs across the country and overseas, s...

02/11/2024

YOU’RE OKAY, SAFFY! 😊🐾💜
This afternoon was a consultation in Indianapolis with this sweet rescue girl. Most of Saffy’s life had consistent of being shut up in a cage, and though her newfound freedom was preferred, Saffy didn’t quite know what to do with it. Her kind human mom got a hold of me to help build Saffy‘s confidence, deal with her separation anxiety, and teach her to walk on a leash.

When I first met Saffy, she was very nervous indeed. She did allow me to pet her, but stiffened up and shook a bit.  I explained that lowering my elevation would help her feel a bit more comfortable, as someone standing up high over her could make her feel confronted. Sure enough, as I sat down on the ground, Saffy became noticeably more relaxed.

Saffy had an issue with running from her human mom, utilizing plant pots at the end of the couch to avoid being tracked down. Saffy didn’t like being walked toward directly as this made her feel nervous, and often prompted her to run when approached. I demonstrated how to come toward the little dog at a slight angle so as to avoid a confrontational approach. As I did this, Saffy decided to run away anyway. This necessitated I track her down, corner her, and let her know she couldn’t run. Saffy was a good girl and sat down obediently calming herself down. It was a turning point in my interaction with her! 😊👍🏻

When it came to Saffy’s separation anxiety, the solution ended up being something quite unique. Normally Saffy was placed in her large pen inside the apartment when her human mom left. From there she would howl and bark and carry on until her human mom came back.

On a hunch, I requested Saffy be left outside the pen and the pen shut. We tested this out by shutting the apartment door and walking down the hall. There was no barking and no noise at all from inside the apartment. It worked! I explained my theory was that Saffy’s pen area was her “throne room.” It had her food, her blankets, and all the things a queen would need. 😊 From that space she barked her disapproval when her human mom left. But once she was out of that space, she became much more calm and quiet when her human mom left the apartment. We tested this out a couple of times by leaving and then coming back to the. Both times Saffy was quiet and didn’t put up a fuss. Yay! 😃

There are some other lessons and victories experience today, and overall it was a very encouraging visit. Saffy mom loves her a lot and is committed to modeling the energy and leadership Saffy needs to have a peaceful, enjoyable, adventurous life.

You all got this! 🐾✌️

31/10/2024

Think your younger dog is the one who needs the most work? You might want to think again! 👀⬇️🐾

17/10/2024

This weekend catch an all-new episode of Pet Pals TV, and my chat with Patty Spitler chock full of dog training tips!! 🐾 Streaming ‘live’ at 10:30am this Saturday at www.wishtv.com.

Don’t miss it! 🐕💙

The bearded dragon is one of the most popular pet reptiles in the world. They are friendly and curious, but getting one is quite a commitment, with some living 15 years or longer. Our Pet Pals TV Reporter Renee Jameson visits the Indianapolis Zoo to find out more about these docile lizards and how t...

17/10/2024

THAT’S MORE LIKE IT, MIA & WILLOW! 😊💜❤️
This week was a consultation in Greenwood with these two pretty sibling-packmates. Willow and Mia’s human family got a hold of me wanting help fine-tuning some unwanted behaviors—especially Mia’s dominant possessive behaviors toward the new human grandchild! Whenever the tiny one arrived, Mia gave no personal space, shoving her muzzle into the infant and overall acting as if that baby was hers. 🥺

When I arrived and knocked on the door, both dogs exploded into loud, staccato barking. Willow was the first to calm herself, wag her tail, and show interest in meeting me. Mia, however, remain suspicious, barking loudly at me from a distance. I could immediately see that Mia’s behavior was having an effect on the Willow, causing her to feel tense and unsure.

I sat down with the family and explained that the humans in the home needed to learn to manifest canine parental behaviors so the dogs could calm down and learn to show deference. This would mean learning to speak in a calm tone of voice rather than a high pitched animated one. It would also involve establishing some specific rules and boundaries in the home so the dogs would understand the humans were definitely running the show. This, in turn, would help Mia release her claim from the infant grandchild, and hand claim over to the humans. 👌

I explained and demonstrated these house rules, and both dogs were quick to comply. As I went through the process, Mia would sometimes dash away and bark from another room. We would then get her on leash, bring her back to the group, and continue the process. Her avoidance was another way of saying “No, I’m not going to comply if I don’t have to!” Nothing would be solved that way! 😏

Now it was time for the acid test…the arrival through the front door of the infant grandchild. Both dogs did very well through this process as I demonstrated how to utilize canine body language signals of “claim” to let the dogs know the little one was the puppy of the humans—and the dogs needed to give some respectful space! And that they did. It was awesome to see the dogs control and listening with the little one around. 👍🏻

Mia and Willow’s human parents did a great job absorbing and practicing the principles I taught them. It was encouraging to see the dogs begin showing increased respect and deference for them – especially when it came to their little grandchild!

Great job everyone! Keep up the good work!
😊👍🏻🐾

13/10/2024

A JUMPING CURE FOR CLOVER! 😊💜
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation in Greenfield with this sugary-sweet, space-invading girl. Clover’s mom got a hold of me because Clover showed zero respect for personal space! This included each family member living in the home, including the two littles, in addition to extended family and friends who walked in through the front door. Clover would come like a missile, leaping up repeatedly, following up by nudging bumping and harassing the human as they walked around the house. The family had resorted to putting Clover in a back room, and decided this was no solution for the problem at hand.

When I arrived, I found a Clover as-advertised. She jumped up forcefully and repeatedly on me, and I had to intensify my energy toward her quite a bit before she got the message that I needed her to show respect in my personal space! Once she did get the message, though, it was smooth sailing between me and Clover. 😃⛵️

The main issue I was there to address was Clover’s incessant jumping on everyone who came into the home. I demonstrated some canine body language cues that would help Clover understand that people she wanted to jump on were “claimed,” and she needed to calm down and show respect in their personal space.

A neighbor was kind enough to come over so we could address this issue with Clover in real time… and she did terrific! The guest was able to step inside, walk through the foyer to the living room and have a seat without a moment’s harassment from Clover. Then, when everyone was settled, Clover came over calmly and interacted with the guest. What a victory! Clover’s human mom did a great job utilizing the Canine body language cues I had taught her to let Clover know she needed to stay calm and respectful around the guest. 👍🏻

A couple other issues I remedied was helping Clover learn to stay away from the little ones’ food while they were having snacks, and learning to give her human mom personal space while she was relaxing in the living room and using the cell phone. Clover picked up on these things in short order, and the peace that descended over everything was amazing! ✌️

What a great consult with Clover and her human family. Everyone did extremely well, with extraordinary behavioral results for sweet Clover!

Great job, everyone! 😊👍🏻🐾

P.S. Clover’s human mom sent me a message today letting me know that Clover had stayed away from the children’s food—even while they were eating outside! Bonus points! 😊🐾

P.S.S. Photo above is courtesy of Clover‘s human mom. 😊

11/10/2024

THAT’S MUCH BETTER, BEA! 😃💜
This week was a consultation on the northeast side with sweet, sometimes rambunctious Boston terrier, Bea. Her human mom got a hold of me wanting help addressing some unwanted behaviors. These included jumping all over guests, attacking the swiffer and the broom, and barking manically at certain dogs in the neighborhood.

When I arrived, Bea attempted to leap up on my legs, but I made a few quick corrections to stop this process and explained to her human mom what I was doing. Bea quickly got the message and calmed herself down near me. Good girl! 👌

I explained a few fundamentals of proper interaction with Bea, including avoiding high-pitched, animated conversation. We also reviewed some house rules that would help Bea understand her human mom was in charge!

Bea’s mom had not been able to sweep or swiffer for some time because Bea would immediately attack both of these cleaning implements. I demonstrated in real time how to address Bea for this, and it was awesome to see her mom sweeping and swiffering while Bea sat quietly watching from a short distance away. Yay, progress! 🎉

A neighbor was kind enough to come over and knock on the door so I could demonstrate how to teach Bea that guests were “claimed” entities, and she needed to settle herself down around them. Bea did great with this, and kept control of her energy when the guest arrived.

I also demonstrated a protocol for Bea’s reactivity to other dogs, emphasizing the use of body language and intensification to help Bea understand what was expected of her in these scenarios.

It was a pleasure working with Bea and her kind human mom. I have no doubt that Bea is going to make further and further progress as the principles I explained are lovingly but firmly enforced. 🐾

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐩

09/10/2024

ELVIS HAS QUIETED DOWN IN THE BUILDING! 😁💙
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation on the northeast side of Indianapolis with this energetic, athletic, intelligent, and uncontrolled boy! Elvis’s human parents got a hold of me wanting help teaching Elvis to stop harassing and bumping into their young granddaughter! 🥺

When I arrived and was welcomed into the home, Elvis immediately began jumping all over me, mouthing my hands and refusing to listen to any type of correction. I had to intensify things quickly before Elvis realized he needed to show respect in my personal space! Once that message got through, Elvis was an absolute dream to work with. 😊

I explained to the family that rules and boundaries needed to be introduced at home that would help Elvis understand the humans were running the show, and could call the shots. I explained and demonstrated a handful of household guidelines that Elvis needed to follow. Once he understood his human parents were running things, it would be much easier for them to “claim” their granddaughter and have Elvis respond by calming down!

I coached the family in the use of canine- style body language cues which helped Elvis understand more quickly what was being asked of him. This was especially apparent when a family member came over, knocked on the door, and Elvis responded to my cues by backing up, sitting down, and interacting very calmly with someone he was normally extremely excited with! Yay, Elvis! 🎉

The initial consult with Elvis went great! His human family caught on quickly to the principles I taught them, and I look forward to our follow up visit when we will teach Elvis to show respect and deference to a certain little granddaughter! 😊

Keep up the good work, you all! 😊👍🏻🐾

(Photo courtesy of Elvis’s mom. 📷)

27/09/2024

TOMORROW MORNING ON DAYBREAK..☀️
I join my good friend and media legend, Patty Spitler for a discussion on my dog training methods…and some video evidence to prove it works! 🐾❤️

Segment starts at 9:40 AM, only on WISH-TV! 📺

26/09/2024

LET’S HELP GET SHELTER GIRL, REIGN, ADOPTED BY OCTOBER 12!! ❤️
Info on this sweet girl in the comment section below, along with contact info for those interested in adopting her! 🐾 ⬇️
—PLEASE SHARE!!—

11/09/2024

HOW TO HELP CALM YOUR DOG QUICKLY! 🐾
A pro training trip from my talk at Grateful Fest 2024 put on by Grateful Rescue & Sanctuary. A big thanks to my friend, and the President of Grateful Rescue, Pamela Lewis Terhune for inviting me! You can watch the full episode at the link below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️

https://www.gratefultv.com/post/2024-grateful-fest?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2CTF8P6EipuR9j72RLfh7gpbT49_Kcnblu92CBj_4X7qZ3O5-4ZINaWJA_aem_K4uFKRwi-U3K81f4EoxEtw

09/09/2024

TIP-TOP JOB, TRIXIE! 😊❤️
This afternoon was a consultation in Carmel with this sweetheart of a girl. Unknown rescue mix, Trixie, had a few rough edges that needed smoothing, and her human mom reached out to me for some help! 🙏

When I arrived and came inside, Trixie was jittery with excitement, attempting to jump on me multiple times. I stood my ground, gave some canine body language signals that meant, “honor my personal space,” and Trixie settled down very quickly! 👍🏻

I sat down with Trixie‘s mom and explained the factors that contribute to a dog being overly excited, tense, and uncontrolled. One major factor was talking to Trixie in a high-pitched voice. I explained that, to a dog’s ears, this kind of vocalization sounds very puppy-like, and initiates pushiness and dominant signaling from the dog toward the human. 😳

I introduced some rules and boundaries Trixie needed to follow in order to understand her human mom was running the show! As I introduced each rule, Trixie responded right away. What a smart, willing girl! 🙂

A neighbor was kind enough to come over and bang on the door so I could demonstrate a protocol Trixie needed to follow when guest greeting. Would you believe, the guest was able to step inside while Trixie gave a respectful zone. Trixie then came up carefully being sure not to bust into newcomer’s personal space. She did great!

It was a pleasure to meet Trixie and her kind human mom. Both of them did absolutely awesome today! I see great progress on the horizon! 🌅

Keep up the good work, you two! 😊🐾🐕

09/09/2024

PITBULL VS, TOY POODLE
A pitbull kills a toy poodle. Guess which dog was off leash and initiated the aggression? Probably not who you think.

Leashes matter. This episode of the People’s Court proved it. 

The plaintiff says her puppy was mauled to death by the defendant's dog. The plaintiff is suing for the cost of her puppy and pain and suffering. The defenda...