The American Dog Whisperer

04/01/2025

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!

29/12/2024

SIMMER DOWN THERE, SHADOW & GABBY!
🙂💙💜
Yesterday afternoon was yet another consultation in the Milroy area with these two good-looking pack mates. Shadow had recently been adopted from Rushville Animal Shelter, and immediately grew possessive and overly protective of his human mom. This became a real issue when he began charging at anyone who came inside the home – even when they were invited! 😳

When I arrived and was invited inside, Shadow and Gabby were both being held back from rushing me. When I determined the edge had come off their intensity levels, I instructed their human mom to let them go. They both rushed up, Gabby in a more friendly way, and Shadow in a more tentative, suspicious way. Both dogs barked a lot through this process, and I had to start making immediate corrections to get this to stop. 🥹

As it turned out, both dogs had a habit of explosive barking, and this is the issue we focused on while I was there. I showed the human family members how to claim guests and the front door area, as well as how to address both dogs the way their canine parents would. I also spent some time deconditioning Shadow to the sound of knocking on the door. In a matter of minutes, Shadow radically de-escalated his reactivity. At this point, Gabby was the one who was a bit more stubborn and determined to continue barking. This necessitated I focus on correcting her, and she then quickly decided to go ahead and listen to the process too. 😊

I worked on a few more key areas with the dogs, including giving a zone of respect around humans when they ate, and not being forceful in people’s personal space. Both dogs did great! 🎉

It was a pleasure to meet Shadow and Gabby and their kind human family. I have no doubt both dogs are going to make great progress as the principles and techniques I showed their family are lovingly but firmly implemented. 👌

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

28/12/2024

A VISIT WITH FINLEY AND BEA! 😊🐾❤️💜
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation in Milroy with these two rambunctious puppy pack mates. I had come to see their five other pack mates about four years ago and things have been in pretty good order ever since. But with the addition of golden retriever, Finley, and mixed breed, Bea, things had gotten a bit chaotic again. 🥹

Finley, while sweet as sugar pie, was jumping all over folks when they came inside the house. Four month old puppy, Bea, was way too intense when it came to food, and showed signs of social and society and dominance. I have my work cut out for me!

When I arrived, the dogs were in the backyard, as I approached the chain-link fence, all barked. When I came near enough for them to smell me, most seemed too remember me from my initial visit years ago. A notable exception was Bea, who barked fiercely at me, snarling and charging the fence, then backing up. She did this repeatedly. 😳

When I came inside the house, I asked for Bea to be brought in first. She was immediately tense and nervous and tried to stay away from me. The rest of the dogs were then let in. Most trickled off and settled down. Bea stayed tense, while Finley moseyed happily around, nosing into everyone’s personal space. 🙃

It became obvious the course of conversation that Bea was strongly claiming her human mom. I went over the fine points of body language to help be understand she could not do this anymore. Bea had been staying away from her human dad and gluing herself to her human mom. I explained that this was due to a possessive claim. This was due, in part, to Bea’s mom allowing her to sit on top of her, as well as some high-pitched baby talk that convinced Bea her human mom was actually her human puppy! 😳

I had Bea’s human mom reverse the script and claim Bea’s human Dad. It was amazing the difference this made! Bea pretty immediately warmed up to her human dad and allowed him to approach her. Boy was that encouraging!

Sweet, high energy Finley tried multiple times to shove into my personal space, and I demonstrated how to address her for this. She quickly calmed down and began regulating herself—which was good to see!

We covered a lot of ground during the consult, but one specific area we focused on was teaching the dogs to stay away from the little humans in the family while they were eating. This took a little bit of doing, but the dogs finally got the message that they had to keep back rather than sticking close and attempting to snipe food from the littles! 😊

I have no doubt Finley and Bea are going to make great progress in their behavior going forward as the principles and procedures I went over yesterday are lovingly but firmly enforced. 👍🏻

Great to see you all! You got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

21/12/2024

A REFRESHER FOR ROSIE AND GRACIE! 😊❤️🐾
Yesterday afternoon found me in Westfield for a follow-up visit with these two charming sisters. The girls had been doing great since my sessions with them, due, in large part, to the family following up dutifully on the homework I gave them!

But…a bit of trouble had begun in paradise – paradise being the beautiful new home the family had moved into! The dogs had begun reverting to some unwanted behaviors, and it was time to get things shaped back up! 👌

I reviewed some key canine body language signals that needed to be fine-tuned, and explained how to utilize them more effectively. I also created some adapted strategies for addressing food obsession and tension, as well as extreme reactivity to activities in the neighborhood. 🥹

The dogs were good as gold while I was there, and their human mom noted that they were on their best behavior because of my presence there! 😀🏆

It was a pleasure to see Rosie and Gracie and their kind, fun human family members. The family is doing a wonderful job with their furry charges, and I’m confident there’s going to be even further behavioral progress made! 👍🏻

Keep up the good work, you all! 🎉

19/12/2024

In case you missed my segment this morning with Animal Care Services adoptable boy, “black dog,” here you go!

Black Dog, a friendly and trainable dog, is looking for a forever home. Learn about his journey and the opportunity for a free dog training session.

19/12/2024

TOMORROW MORNING…📺
Tommorow morning on Life Style Live, I’m joined by adoptable shelter dog, “black dog,” a long-time resident of Animal Care Services in Columbus, Indiana.

Tune in during the 10 AM hour, only on WISH-TV! ☀️🐾

17/12/2024

GOOD BOY, GUNNER! 😊💙
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation in Carmel with smart-as-a-whip Keeshond, Gunner. His human family got a hold of me wanting help addressing some stubborn behaviors! 😊

When I arrived and came inside, Gunner yip-yapped like crazy. When I attempted to quiet him, he intensified his barking and added a bit of growl to it as well! So I had to get prey no-nonsense before Gunner understood he needed to relax and stop reprimanding me for my presence there. 🙃

I sat down with Gunner’s kind human parents and explained that they would need to become the parental authority figures in Gunner’s mind so he could relax and quit reacting so strongly to everything. Gunner was especially reactive to his human dad‘s movements, running after him and barking at him frequently as he moved through the house. I explained and demonstrated some canine body language signals that quickly helped Gunner understand he needed to back off and allow his human dad to move about freely without harassment! 😇

I further explained and demonstrated some house rules Gunner needed to follow in order to build a reservoir of respect for his human parents. As I introduced these rules, Gunner wasn’t thrilled to say the least. But in the end, he complied with everything and begin relaxing more and more. 👍🏻

Before I left, we took some time to teach Gunner to lower his intensity levels when it came to animals appearing on the television set. This took some doing as Gunner was extremely reactive to barking dogs and other creatures on the “boob tube.” But eventually, he calmed down dramatically, emitting an only very low complaining murmur once in a while that I let slide. 😀

It was great to meet Gunner and his kind human parents. The little guy is sharp as attack and I have no doubt he is going to make great behavioral strides as his human parents hold him to the new system I introduced them to yesterday. 🤩

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

P.S. I couldn’t decide which of these two pics of Gunner to include in my post – so I’ve included them both!

17/12/2024

SETTLE DOWN, SUGAR! ❤️😊
This afternoon was a consultation the Carmel with this 11 year-old firecracker of a dachshund. Sugar’s human family got a hold of me wanting some help with Sugar’s short-tempered reactions when someone tried to make her do something she didn’t want to. There were little humans in the house, and their parents wanted to make sure she understood she needed to be careful around the little ones and control her intensity! 🥺

Sugar and her senior pack mate, Moose were behind a baby gate. Sugar barked ferociously at me even after I knelt down to lower my elevation. She continued to bark and growl at me after she came out of the gate, which necessitated me addressing her in a no-nonsense manner. She quieted for a minute or two, then jumped up on the couch and started barking and growling all over again. We went through a few cycles of this until Sugar finally understood I wasn’t going to back down to her statements. She wanted me gone, and she wanted me gone NOW! 🙃

I sat down with Sugar’s human mom and explained that the little dog become very unhealthily possessive of the family members and was very reactive as a result. The remedy to this would be to teach Sugar that the humans were running the show and she needed to relax and let them do their thing! 🤩

I explained and demonstrated some house rules that would help Sugar realize the humans were the parental authority figures. I also coached Sugar’s mom in the use of canine body language signals that would help the little dog understand more clearly what was being asked of her. Sugar started responding to everything well, and it was encouraging to see! She relaxed more and more as the consult wore on. 🙂

As for Moose, he turned out to be more stubborn than Sugar! The senior Catahoula leopard dog is an absolute sweetheart, but decidedly stubborn and with a mind to do only as he sees fit. So things had to get a little bit no-nonsense with him before he understood he had to follow the protocols too! 🙃

It was great to meet Sugar and Moose and their kind human family. I have no doubt there’s going to be great behavioral progress made as the system I introduced today is lovingly but firmly enforced.

You all got this!😊👍🏻🐾

14/12/2024

MUCH BETTER, MURPHY & CLARE! 😊💙❤️
Yesterday afternoon was a consultation in the Broad Ripple area with these two charming pack mates. Irish terriers Murphy and Clare lack nothing in the “cute department,” but were struggling with some behavioral issues at home. 11-year-old Murphy barked ferociously at even the smallest sounds in the neighborhood. Nine-month-old Clare had started to manifest food guarding tendencies, and had gone after her senior pack mate, Murphy, on a few occasions.

When I arrived and knocked on the door, both dogs interrupted in loud barking. I took a quick minute to comb both of them down, and they both responded quickly. 😊

I sat down with the dogs’ human family members and explained what it meant for dogs to “claim” humans and become confused about the relationship. The humans needed to be the parental authority figures, and the dogs needed to be the puppies! 👌

In order to achieve this, I explained and demonstrated some key house rules the dogs needed to follow, emphasizing the use of specific canine style body language movements and cues that would help the dogs understand more clearly what was being asked of them. 🐾

Clare was a quick study, and responded immediately. But the elderly Murphy decided to push his way through and ignore some of the new rules. I had to gently intensify things a bit until he understood he wasn’t going to be able to push through my legs and do what he wanted! 🙃

A neighbor was kind enough to come over and bang on the door so I could demonstrate how to “claim” the threshold and the guest, and achieve a peaceful interaction between newcomer and canines. The dogs both did very well with this!

We paid special attention to teaching Clare to relax when it came to food. We did this by helping her understand the humans were the only ones who had a right to claim food strongly. She picked this up quickly and was soon eating her treats peacefully without giving any crossways looks to Murphy—who was very eager to see what she had! 😁

It was a pleasure to meet Clare and Murphy and their kind human family members. The dogs did very well and I’m confident they’re going to continue to make great behavioral progress! 🎉

You all got this! 😊👍🏻🐾

08/12/2024

SOME BOUNDARIES FOR FINN! 😊💙
When a Columbus, Indiana family adopted a new pup this holiday season, they immediately got a hold of me for help getting their furry family member off on the right paw! 🐾

When I arrived and was let inside, little Finn wasn’t quite sure what to make of me. He growled a bit under his breath and kept his distance. I had the family attach a leash to Finn. I took the leash to help Finn understand that I would be giving the orders while I was there! 😊

As I watched family’s little ones play with Finn, it was encouraging to see him showing lots of self discipline, not reacting when the littlest human family member was playing a bit rough. The family reported that Finn had been showing some signs of being possessive over the young ones, so I demonstrated some canine body language cues and techniques that would help Finn understand the little humans were claimed by the bigger humans! Refusing to allow Finn to claim the littles would help him relax when friends or guests came over and wanted to interact with the young family members. 👌

I explained and demonstrated some basic rules Finn needed to follow as he started life with his new family These rules included staying back from doors until he was invited through, learning not to jump up on family and friends, and learning to handover control and possession of treats and toys to his human family. Finn is a smart boy, and responded rapidly to all of these boundaries as I introduced them. Good boy! 🎉

I have no doubt Finn is going to grow up to be a balanced, happy, peaceful member of the family as the principles and techniques I taught are lovingly but firmly implemented. 😊

You all got this!👍🏻🐾

(Photo courtesy of Finn’s human mom. 🙂)

04/12/2024

In case you missed my segment this morning on WISH TV… here you go! ⬇️

Ensure a happy holiday for your furry friend with tips from Nathan Lowe, the American Dog Whisperer. Learn how to communicate effectively and keep your dog stress-free.

03/12/2024

TOMORROW MORNING ON WISH-TV…📺🎄
It’s a special American Dog Whisperer holiday segment tomorrow morning on Life Style Live!

We’ll talk about goodies your dog can partake in, as well as important factors to consider if a puppy is on your holiday wish list! 🐶🎁

That’s all coming up tomorrow morning during the 10 AM hour, only on WISH-TV! 🐾

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 BOUNDARIES 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. 🐾