For Those Who Are About to Bark…

From games of fetch in the backyard, to swimming in the reservoirs and romping in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest, Dog Whisperer field producer Todd has his hands full dealing with his athletic and rowdy new pack. At just 2 years old and quick as a whip, pit bull/pointer mix Rockstar gives even his bullying adopted brother Curly a run for his money when it comes to sheer velocity! But it isn't all life in the fast lane with Rockstar and his foster siblings. With a new baby in the house, Rockstar is putting his inner-cuddler to work and showing everyone the soft, fuzzy underbelly of rock 'n roll!

When Todd's fiancée Lindsay moved in with him in February of 2008, she brought along with her a 3 year-old pit bull/boxer mix called Charity and Rockstar, whose true personality might surprise anybody expecting the brash attitude that his name suggests. Rockstar, Todd says, is a very submissive pup at home; he gets along well with older sister Charity, and shows reverence and respect for new baby Hunter, sniffing and kissing, but never pressing his boundaries; however, his timidity often makes him the target of dominance from lab/greyhound mix Curly. With other dogs and people, he is very friendly - a "social butterfly" - but he becomes nervous and goes instantly submissive at any display of dominant behavior. For Rockstar, there's no question who's in charge... it's anyone but him!

"To give an example: we were watching the NFC Championship game," Todd recalls, "and my brother's girlfriend was over and was sitting behind a TV tray with food on it, and Rockstar went underneath the TV tray to beg for some. I went to get him out, and he got so nervous that he peed all over my hand, all over the floor, ran out from under the tray and into the kitchen peeing all the way, slipped on the linoleum floor and crashed into the wall, breaking Curly's bowl."

Calm submission is one thing - submissive behavior taken to an extreme is another. It can be unhealthy just as dominant behavior can. But ironically, it's Rockstar's instantly submissive attitude that has landed him supporting roles in two rock 'n roll themed episodes of Dog Whisperer! He was brought in for Fall Out Boy bass guitarist Pete Wentz and pop singer/songwriter Ashlee Simpson's episode in order to help Cesar rehabilitate their wayward and dominant dog, and may appear in an upcoming episode in the same capacity for a case belonging to a prominent rock drummer!

And with Todd and Lindsay's patient help, Rockstar has started to come into his own. He no longer takes Curly's bullying lying down. All it takes, says Todd, is a delicate and considered approach. Working with Cesar has helped him to understand that when you're dealing with a special case like Rockstar, not only do you need to provide exercise (and plenty of it!) and enforce rules, boundaries, and limitations; you also have to be aware of both your energy and his. It takes a special mix of gentleness and firm discipline to put the "rock" back in a dog like Rockstar!