How did you become a dog whisperer? That title was given to me by Americans. To dogs, I'm just a human who understands them. They're honest animals - all you have to do is listen. What's been the most difficult dog to retrain? The fearful ones, as they have no self-esteem. One dog, Babygirl, was so scared she went into starvation mode. She'd eat around horses but not other dogs. So I took her to a paddock where she felt comfortable and rebuilt her confidence. Have there been any dogs you couldn't cure? Yes, two. This is where puppy mills and backyard breeders come in. They will cross-breed anything, even if they have weaknesses. The two dogs had bad bloodlines with neurological defects. It meant they couldn't be trained to send into society. What's the most unusual problem you've come across? I met a dog that went crazy whenever his owner picked up a fishing pole. We discovered that the dog was excited, but the owner misread it as aggression. So the owner felt fear whenever he touched the rod and the dog reacted accordingly. Once I explained this, the situation was resolved! What happens to your dogs while you're away on tour? I have 15 dogs and I miss them all when I'm away. I have trained a friend to look after them on our 43 acres so they maintain the pack balance. Did you ever expect to end up with your own TV show? I've always wanted to share what I know. My friend Jada Pinkett-Smith is an actress and knows about the industry. She said I could do it if I learnt English. She supported me all the way. |
