In the Doghouse

On his National Geographic Channel show, the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan transforms misbehaving dogs by retraining their owners. Cesar says the problems with Emma and Henry actually originate with Nate. Cesar says Nate becomes nervous that Emma and Henry will misbehave, and the dogs sense that he is not in control—he is not the leader of the pack.

To compensate for the lack of a leader, Henry asserts himself by barking and biting. When Nate tries to calm Henry down, he does it incorrectly. Cesar says Nate is nurturing bad behavior. "You're saying 'It's okay to be dominant and obsessive in front of me,'" he tells Nate.

Instead, Cesar explains, Nate needs to show his dogs that he's in charge. Dogs, like people, are more social when they don't feel nervous, Cesar says. Nate must learn not to reward Henry's nervous bad behavior, but rather to reward his submissive good behavior. "You have to set rules, boundaries and limitations in order for them not to become a ticking bomb," Cesar says.