I think most of you know that I originally came to the U.S. from Mexico illegally when I was twenty-one. When I arrived here, I didn’t speak a word of English, but I was fortunate enough that Jada Pinkett Smith eventually hired a tutor for me. English spelling is another thing — it still makes […]
‘Leader Of The Pack’ Episode 3: When Harry Met Cesar
Harry was an unfortunate dog that lost everything he knew and ended up at Whitehall Dog Rescue. Already seven years old, he outlived his former caretaker, who passed away three days before police found Harry in his apartment. Re-homed twice and returned twice, he is a difficult case. Harry has bad manners and pulls on […]
‘Leader Of The Pack’ Episode 4: Miles To Go
A stray all his life in southern Italy, mixed breed Miles was being taken care of by an American family, but they are returning home and can’t take Miles along, so Jane and Becca, two of his temporary caretakers, have asked Cesar to help find him a forever home. Cesar determines that this old dog […]
Imagining Success
On my 13th birthday, I told my mother my greatest dream — to be the best dog trainer in the world. She told me I could be anything I wanted to be but, looking back, I realize how unrealistic my dream had been. I was a short, poor Mexican kid from a farming town with […]
An Absolutely Staggering Number
I want you to think of a number: Six hundred million. It’s a very big number and can be hard to imagine, so I asked one of my pack members to put this number in perspective for you, and here’s what he came up with: It’s more than the population of every country except China […]
‘Leader Of The Pack’ Episode 5: A Friend For Amigo
Galgos, or Spanish greyhounds, are bred for hunting. Unfortunately, when they have outlived their usefulness as hunters, they are often abandoned or killed. Amigo had been abandoned when a well-intentioned woman in the Netherlands rescued him via online adoption from a shelter in Spain, but they turned out to not be a good match. She […]
‘Leader Of The Pack’ Episode 6: Rosie’s Thorn
Rosie is a Staffordshire bull terrier, a breed lumped in with pit bulls and given a bad reputation because of irresponsible owners. Cesar believes that all dogs, including Rosie, deserve a second chance — and third, and fourth — and in this episode of “Leader of the Pack,” he sets out to show that it’s […]
Memorial To Daddy
It’s hard to believe that Daddy left us four years ago today, and strange to realize that most of my current pack never met him. Coco, who’s about thirteen or fourteen, did and, of course, Daddy is the one who picked Junior as his successor. Junior has grown into that role nicely, although on a […]
‘Leader Of The Pack’ Episode 7: Once Bitten
Many dogs are bred as working dogs, but problems arise when those dogs are not given a task. This is a story of a distressed dog without a job and without a home. Her name is Janna. A four year old female Belgian Malinois that was picked up as a stray and re-homed three years […]
‘Leader Of The Pack’ Episode 8: Mambo Madness
Mambo, a seven year-old neutered Jack Russell terrier mix, was originally found on the streets as a stray. He lived with — and was treated like a king by — an older couple for a few years, until he showed aggression toward their grandchildren. Now Mambo is an old, homeless mutt with a really spoiled […]