Episode 9: Getting Khalil Mack’d While Walking Howie and Interviewing Jas Leverette

It's my first one by myself. I've won before, you know, with College Game Day and the World Series, but never I never thought I'd get nominated for Sideline Reporters. So it was really special, so special that I went to go shave my legs after I heard about it, and I had goose bumps. And you know when you have goose bumps and you're shaving your legs. Not good because the hair is just growing back at the same it's

it's a bad combination. And then it's like it's sand paper and now we've got razor burn and it's a whole situation. Yeah, and and later on, not this episode, but some other time, we have to talk about shaving around the knees. I have so many patches of hair and I just can't get to it. And the ankle, the ankle is a very difficult spot to get to.

Let's say about the first time I was shaving my legs on the episode of Shaving my Legs sponsored by someone, hopefully Kathy Thompson, walked in my legs bleeding everywhere because I didn't use water or soaked the first time, I just was hiding in my closet shaving my legs. I thought you were gonna shave like this with my razor the first time I did it, slice my skin right off on my bony legs. Well, you still have bony legs right off the shin shin loss of scars there.

I thought you were gonna say you were shaving your legs because you're gonna get lucky tonight because you're a nominee. No, there's a Home King's Game, so mom is going to bed early. Okay, well, fair enough, all right, So we've got a great episode for you. I know we tease last week Aaron that the Ryans were coming on. But our friends are very busy. They have a lot of things to do. Also, I had to change in a schedule because I did an interview yesterday with one of

our favorite receivers in the league, Davante Adams. So much fun. So the Ryan's will be on soon enough. But we are very very lucky because a guy that I have been wanting to talk to since I started watching his show on Netflix, Jaws Levrette. What a guy. His show is Canine Intervention, and Aaron and I have a huge affinity for our pups and all other pups out there, so I'm really looking forward to talking to him. Yeah, I know, I love that. So your infatuation or love

for German shepherds, you were raised with them? Is that how that happened? I was. I had a German shepherd growing up. His name was Hawkeye because my father loved the show Mash and my mom did daycare for us when we were growing up. Because my mom's like, how am I gonna make money while watching these children? So she had we had like a whole daycare. So there's like ten kids. I mean, now it wouldn't be Dakode,

it would be illegal in like ten states. But the German shepherd was like how how how it is super doscile like good around kids, could like we even and out of all of us, no problem. There are no chance that I would let Daisy even around my own child, which is going to be a problem. I really want to ask Jaws about that. My dogs are not good kids. They've never been around kids. No, I mean how he's

never been around kids either. Our issue comes from leish aggression and things like that, but you know, around kids. I was always kind of afraid, just because he's just not good with dogs that get in his face and don't give him his space. We did go to Caesar Milan a couple of years ago. He was everything. And what's interesting and I can't wait to see about our interview coming up, is we learned it's all about us. It's not about the dog. Like the dog's fine, you're

the asshole, like you have the problems. How he was overweight, he was my firstborn. You know, I'm talking to him like a child. I still do I give him anything he wants to kind of train him. And what was incredible was Caesar just looked at him and he stopped what he was doing and it was like, Okay, you're the real deal. Where it's Mommy is like, you want me to look like and Caesar is like, well, of course, the dog's not going to listen to you or pay attention.

So in the kid area, I think we're good. We have enough little kids that were around. He's totally plus if a kid's holding a pringle or a cheetoh even better. I mean I will worry about a finger or two. But you know, we're just how can I have to say give it to him when you goes his weight again? You um, yeah, but I got a whole I'm gonna need jaws for the rest of my life. I might have to like build a house out here for him and his family to move into because there's no chance

I trust my dogs around kids. That's the ways away though, because I'm not having kids anytime soon. But with that, speaking of being a kid, you you asked me about having a German shepherd. I know the Andrews house and their their love for retrievers. How many retrievers have you guys had in you know, throughout the duration of your life. We had Our first baby was Ashley. She was great. She lived to about ten or two elve. All our golden's lived to about that and then they all developed

a cancer. God love him, and you and I have made each other cry at nights, like talking about our dogs. That's another thing. So we had Ashley, we had Emmy that was a rescue. Actually Emmy wasn't. Coco was a rescue. And then my mom and dad when I left, had Cody and share a all. Do you remember my wedding when my parents showed up in our golden had passed away when I was on the flight or my parents

were on the flight to my wedding. It's I can't imagine, first of all, the emotion of like how close you are with your family so that you're getting married. I think the emotion might have been higher for the loss of the of the dog, honestly, of course, and it would have been for me too. I mean I talked to you about this all the time. If I have at least two glasses of wine, I can start making myself ball right away about when how he dies. I'm going to have to be buried with him, Like I

cannot go through this world without this dog. Aaron, I was texting you because Willis was sitting on the couch one night and I sent you a picture I'm like, he's getting older, he's gonna die. And you're like, don't say that, but it's true. We get so attached to them and they become Oh speaking of them, look who's just got back from the dog Walkers? Because actually, for those of you watching on YouTube and there's Willis I, well, it's still alive. So that's the good news. Um, I

don't I don't know. I don't know how there's the reason that they're called me his best friend a lot of action, um Man's best friend is because okay, so this is maybe a bad idea to have the door open. Um, we just love them so much and they are you know, like you mentioned, we don't have children, and they are our children, and so it's going to be but we don't.

Let's not think about them leaving it. No, no, But the night before we got howie you know this was Jared and I did it before we got married, like literally a couple of weeks before. I remember having thoughts to myself like, I don't know if I really want this dog. Like we're saying we want it, but I don't know if I want it. Because my mom always took care of the goldens and I loved them, but like I always knew my mom loved our dogs more than she loved us. It's just how it happened. And

now I get it. Like I love Jarrett, but Howie is my life. And we were talking this weekend about a story to tell about all freaking do anything for this dog, like I will. If we're walking down the street and there's another dog coming and it looks like Jared's not paying attention, I'm like a full blown bouncer. I'm like, yeah, I'm great, Like I get in front of my dog. But we always like we're the freaking Griswolds.

We had this incident on the strand during quarantine. We're like walking him and we see you know, you see Golden's, you see German shepherds and you're like, oh, hey, you feel like your family. We saw this golden behind us and he was gorgeous, really like he was kind of far back. We were saying, maybe like a hundred yards away, and he was really beautiful, and we just kind of waved to the owner like, oh, your dog is so cute.

He also was huge. How he's seventy pounds. This dog was freaking I would say a hundred ten whatever he was massive, the dumb ass owner. Were on the strand, there's a ton of people. Let's the dog go. The dog is running full speed ahead towards Jarrett myself and how how for those only for those that don't know what the strand is, it's basically a sidewalk, so there's this small amount of distance between that in the beach, so you're you're in close quarters. Once that dog goes,

there's nowhere else to go. Okay, there's also bicycles coming, people on rollerblades. Like I said to Jared the other day, why didn't you run and hide? And he said, because if I turned and ran with the dog, I could have blown up somebody on rollerblades, on a bike, somebody with a baby stroller. So all of a sudden, this guy lets the dog go, and Jarrett and I start screaming no, no, no, on the strand and people know who we are. It's a small community. Our dog is

sexy like whatever. My husband's want a cup. All of a sudden I just get like an offensive lineman. I go fucking three point stand hands on the ground, and this dog is coming after me and Jared's like it could have been a massive It could have been a pit bull. It could have been This is my child, and I know my dog is going to go after this dog and it's going to be a mess. So I get down. This dog comes the strand is cement with sand. It is very slippdy. The dog comes, I'm

in a three point stand. It wipes me out. I flip in the air like three fucking sixty on my hip. Playing there Thursday Night Football this year, Khalil Mack took Tristan Worth's from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, flipped him over his head and got to Tom Brady. I was Tristan Worth's and Tom Brady all in one. We're gonna post that video because I was re enacting it for Troy Aikman dead on. You sent me that. You sent me

the aftermath of that. Yeah, you have had the one where you were getting ready to go to the NFC Championship game. This was earlier on in the year. You have bruises all over your legs like it's it's I just again, this speaks to what you will do for your dog. Yeah, I mean that could have been a Grott Wilder and Mommy's up in it, and like we said to the guy, nothing happened. How he lunged at

the dog, the dog backed off. Yeah that's right. Um, but I said to the owner, what the fuck and he goes, I thought you wanted me to let my dog go. What you also learned there's very stupid dog owners, but we'll get into that later. I definitely so my dogs anyone that knows me or has been over you included where my dogs are not friendly unless you know them. Like, that's okay. I love that, like I've lived and again, even Kyle lives in New York at the time, Like

my husband's not with me all the time. So I feel super super safe because I have them, Like I there's times where I forget to lock the door, but I'm not worried about it because nothing's getting through this sucker. This is totally the line from Pretty Woman. Nothing's getting through this sucker. This is the condom of champions right here. So nothing's getting through these doors with these dogs here. So I do feel very safe, but it's not. They're

just not warm and friendly with people. So I get nervous to have anybody over because it takes them a second to But maybe that's just help me with all of those things. So but honestly, that's one thing I learned with Caesar dogs. Much like people have different personalities. You have introverts, you have extroverts, Like, yes, and I bummed my dog doesn't socialized totally. Are you bummed about your dog and other people? Yes, But that's just the

way it is, Like I don't even care. I mean, I'd rather him be this way and be great with our kids, and I know that's what you want vice versa. They will be they will, But I have never ever felt love like this in my life. And again always goes back to drinking. Jur Will be like, you love this dog more than daddy, And I'm like, I walk in and I'm like, kind of guys, I can say hi to my dogs and then Kyld be sitting there. He's like, do I get any love? And I'm like, oh, yeah,

you're fine. He's like, you love your dogs more than you love me. I'm like, they were here before you, homie, and you know, so it's okay. It's all he understands. We love our husbands, but we definitely have a special place in our heart for our dogs, and especially I mean I remember when I got willis Um. I was actually dating someone else and he was like, don't get that dog, and I was like, don't tell me what to do, and so I got that dog, and that dog has been there through it. Oh yeah, I mean

I'm getting missy. Oh god. Yeah, Like I get how his dad died when he was six, Like how his dad was actually six years old. So I'm getting super panicky. And again, glass of wine. Get me Wayne know that because I'm psycho and we know his like he we know his family history and when how he was overweight. I was trying to check in on his dad's lineage, like in his weight and everything, to see how old his dad or how much his dad weighs. I remember this.

We're on vacation in Hawaii. Jared was taking a nap and I looked it up. His dad's name was Sinko, and I know and he lives in Houston, the family does. And I looked up and I found his birth certificate and it said born and then death and I was like, what what what? And I immediately texted the owners because I know them, and they were like, we're so heartbroken. Six years is not long enough. So now I'm like, I can't handle that, like a whole genealogy for dogs,

is it still a genealogy. I'll tell you who doesn't have that bloodline a bloodline his We know his bloodline because the way we got him is he is related somehow to one of my dogs growing up. My mom is a psycho Golden retriever mom that she found the bloodline of one of our dogs growing it up to Howie, shut up, this is how crazy we are. Oh my god. Okay, this is the difference. You and I have a lot

of similarities and are completely different in this regard. I wanted to get this dog the aforementioned conversation when I was like dating someone else, He's like, you can't get that dog. Was like, I'm getting that dog anyways. It was what I believe to be a fifteen pound They called them click I was like a mini husky, and I'm like, oh my god, those dogs are so cute.

I'll never forget it. I was with my friend Elizabeth, We're in Chicago watching this dog walk across the street, and I was like, I want a dog like that. So I go online. I find this dog. Do zero research on anything, because that's me. I'm just an impulse fire. I bought the dog online. Six weeks later it came from Kansas. I picked it up at the airport and I was like, oh, you're so cute. Then he kept growing and growing and growing. That dog is not what

the dog was that I bought online. That was a straight bait and switch that woman from Kansas, which again speaks to me. I never followed up with her. I never called her. I wasn't like, hey, yo, you gave me a coyote from the backyard. Willis is not that dog at all that I thought I was getting. But I just went with it, and I'm like, well, here

we are Willis. And so I did a DNA test on him because I tried to have him trained by a lot of dog trainers and they were like, does he have wolf and him now, all dogs are some sort of version of descendant from a wolf, but they're like, over a certain percentage, then we can't train him. And

so I'm like, okay, so I did. I did a DNA test and turns out that he had seven percent wolf or something in it, which was like a lot I guess according to the dog trainer, I'm like, here we are, so you wanted a toy poodle and you got two socks from dances with wolves? What the hell? I mean, you're not kidding? Where is she running out there a puppy mill? I mean god? And then again, you know me, I felt bad. I bought the dogs and I got Daisy and she had all kinds of issues.

But again, however you get your dog is up to you with such a personal preference. But I just we just love them, and I am just very impressed on your ability to do this kind of recon with your with your dog. That's all my mom and my mom

found this dog and the breeder and everything. I remember we were doing a Steelers game and I was literally like writing the breeder a note, and like when he was born, they had a baby cam set up so we could check in on him, like a link and his litter, and that's what Jared and I would do. We would freaking look at this litter and send each other the pictures from it, like look at him, look at him, and then like when he remember the day he was born. We knew the day he was going

to be born. I mean, this is crazy. I love his dog so much. Like, don't even get me started because the necklace you're wearing, and I got it for you because for me, I was like, there's nothing I can get this chick she doesn't already have. Oh, babe, you're crying. Oh. I love him so much. So the day he was born, Jared, I was doing a photo shot and Jared texted me and he said he's here. He's here, and I was like, oh my god. I hope I love kids as much because this thing, it's

like ride or die. If he doesn't get along with the kids, Sorry, Jarrett, You're gonna be with them. I'm with this thing for the rest of my life. Aaron. I just love you so much that you're crying over how how Oh he's my angel. He is not an angel, but so much. You're the best. Dogs are the best.

And I can't wait for our next guest. He is an expert at all things dog, and uh, I'm really excited because watching his show makes me emotional because he has this incredible ability to go into people's homes and take these dogs that you know just haven't been trained the right way. And and um, I'm really looking forward to speaking to him more. In the stories, and how he even got into what is now his life's passion and able to help so many people because of his

incredible skill set. So I believe we're going to take our first break here. Aaron grab a tissue day a while. I wonder if I even love my dogs as much. Probably not as much, but um we gott playing more Calm Down podcast coming up right after this Jazz Love Barette at break Well. There's really no introduction because we're not formal here. I told Aaron when we started this podcast, I said, there's a few people that I need to talk to, and you are one of them. We are

so appreciative of you coming on. I have a I a German Shepherd rescue, and I have this husky mix that was supposed to be a fifteen pound, cleek guy that turned into a seventy five pound wolf because I did a DNA test and he is a hot mess. Uh. No one's even allowed to come over to my house because he doesn't he doesn't do well with others. Aaron has a gorgeous Golden retriever who is far more well behaved than my dogs. Will get into that later. So

we both share an affinity for for dogs. But congratulations on everything that you've done and and watching your show. Oh, you just have this ability to connect not only with the dogs but owners, and you make it so so personal, like your approach is different than anybody else that I've ever seen. How do you feel about this last year and the spotlight that's been shown on your ability that

you know you have had for a long time. Well, I mean, our whole goal was to make sure that we had something to you know, bring people out of the pandemic with some hope and some inspiration. It was all love that we wanted to just display in this piece. Shout out at least during my director, and she basically took me. I told her, I said, look, at least we're not doing anything corny. No, huh, reality, you know, the type of stuff like it needed to be, like

what it was was organic, And she kept it. She would ever still tell the story and really capture what we do and how we do it. Shout out my team. We're able to get a lot done in twenty four days of shooting, So a lot of people don't know that. That's a lot of fact and we usually have to do things and uh yeah, we're able to get a lot done, and I'm just glad it came a bout how it did. It was great. I'm really proud of the work and I'm really excited to continue. So can

we get your background? What is your story? What? Where? When? Why? How? We're sports reporters, so that's how we like to know how to interview people. What made you get into this? What's the backstory with it? Well? Me, I was always like a like one of those kids. I was like a d H D all over the place, you know,

kind of an entertainer. I'd always be trying to like disrupt the class and make a bunch of people laugh and do something that was like that was like me, Like that's how I learned, like I can't sit still like I need to do unless I'm engaged. And that's what it was, you know. But dogs and animals always kept me engaged, you know, and it was something that would catch my attention, so circle B. I mean that

was just the source from when I was young. But then later on, you know, I ended up having dogs, you know, living with my mom's you know, single mother, and the house wanted to make sure we have a little edge edge with some protection got some pit bulls and wanted to teach him. Really got exposed to seeing protection training for the first time. So I got kind of hooked at like eleven years old, and it was like, I want to be gumming to my dogs. I want

to do all this stuff. I wanted to be able to be my body guards, you know, through not no matter what, you know, It's like it just it just made sense to me. And then I kind of came up and evolved, got into the cannabis industry, tapped back into the dog said all right, well we now we need security, you know. And I was like, all right, We'm gonna train these dogs and teach them how to protect, but then not only teach them how to protect, but learn how to teach them how to protect, you know.

And then from there I really got involved in the dog sports and protection training were You know that because I played a lot of sports growing up. You know, my athletic ability. A lot of people like, uh, as a decoy, you get to do all the bite work, the guy who gets bit and I was able to just get around a lot of different circles of trainers because you know, I had the athletic and physical ability

to work the dogs. And then, um, yeah, I just then I was entrepreneur from Oakland, so you know, this land of the hustlers. You know, we learned how to you know, make it happen, you know, from nothing. So I watched my mom as a businesswoman, you know, you know, I watched her hustle out of the Orange Dotson out the trunk, you know, putting products in in the bottle

and you know, clearing people's face up and stuff. So it's like, you know, it's it's it's kind of in my bloodline, you know, less like just the mentality of my environment right there. Amen, And there's not enough time for me to ask all the questions I want to ask you. But again Aaron mentioned it like being the sports reporters, like the background that we have. But there's

a lot of stories about guys. I just went down to Miami and talked to Dalvin Cook about you know, Dalvin Cook didn't go till the second round as a running back and now he's, you know, arguably one of the best, the best running back in the league coming off the performance he had last year. But he talked about how he slipped to that second round because of his upbringing and he made some mistakes along the way, and the environment in Miami. He grew up in a

in a tough neighborhood. So a lot of your story does it's about where it is that like you come from and seeing Marshawn and seeing you know, and and I used to work with Gary Payton and these guys in northern California and talking about the area that is Oakland. So what is it about where you grew up that you think has made you who you are today? And why you think it resonates with the consumer? Because again, like now being on the platform, like there's a consumer

for your product, right, like we consume your product. Why you think it resonates differently because of your upbringing or because of the neighborhood you grew up. Well, I think that Oakland is one of the places you just can't be fake. You can't try to like be tough, you know, unless you really are to you know. So it's like you know all of that, you know, wanna bees, you

know you're gonna get caught out on that. And I think justice this from playing up in pop winner football to you know, growing up running around and bikes and and just dealing with you know, just the overball was crazy because we grew up in Oakland when it was like the nineties, like the early nineties when it was like crazy, like crack epidemic was crazy. Everything. All these old gangster shows that they make now were about places

like Oakland. And plus we had the hold Black Panther, you know, movement, and we had everything going on with just just hip hop and Oakland and just I mean it was just this just a trip, man. I mean, I'm so grateful. So I mean I give a lot of uh you know, pay how much to my city, Pay how much everybody who comes from my city, because

you know, everybody g p be small. You know, Raphael Saideek, all these people would tell you like and you know, even Dwayne Wiggins, like his partner, if you guys know Tony Tony Tony, you know, like he's still again, he still got that, you know what I mean. So I can put up you know, Dwayne Wiggins right now and we'll we'll talk about Oakland and we'll be playing jams, will be smoking weed or whatever it is, like it's like it's or organic, and you know that's the thing

is like, can't nobody take that away. And when that is when people see that, because the world is so full of nonsense and fakeness, and when people see that, they really, you know, I think he gravitates to that. So that's all we're trying to do is give you all a piece of um. Just what like you know, it's like an urban entrepreneur. You know, we're trying to like be It's bigger than just being be smaller being Gary Payton, like with hustlers in different kind of ways,

you know, and we got financially intelligent. We know how to balance check books and pay off our debts and and create accounts and do all these different things. And it's like people forget like hustlers and the whole the whole persona being like a street hustler. You're really like a businessman. That's the whole thing. Is like you want to show like new age businessman within these communities like Oakland, California.

So new age businessman. I mean, I've got, like Chris mentioned, I have a seventy pound Golden Retriever sitting next to me. I'm I'm obsessed with dog trainers. We've been to some what separates you? What's different about what you you know with your Netflix show congrats on season two, by the way, saw that. But what's different about things officials? Okay, it is. It is official. I'm gonna go ahead and say, yeah, we're good. You can put that into the to the

to the university. But what's different is just an understanding of dogs, you know, just being able to really be fully immersing dogs and really do dive deep um, really getting into temperament of different dogs, dealing with the highest caliber of dogs, dealing with the most sensitive of dogs, and being able to just understand the full spectrum of the animal, and being able to teach and convey it to the people. So you know, you guys talk sports. We can talk sports and dogs. You can talk cars

and dogs. We can talk to those about getting into the people because the people have to continue on. When I'm going, I can't stay with people twenty four to day, you know what I mean. So I have to get the message, get it through them, make it resonate. Sometimes we gotta be a little bit firmer to get it crossed. They don't in time, you know, I mean, if I play, then you're gonna sit there and not really take it serious.

So it's like it's all about really just kind of understand the temperament of the person we're dealing with plus the temperament or the dog we're dealing with the environment that time. Some dogs they're gonna get put to sleep if they don't get it fixed right now. Is that we don't have six months, you know what I mean? Like you just take person like let the leash go or something happen and that's that's another you know, dog

that can be harmed or something. So it's like a lot of this stuff is just depends a case by case basis. The kids well change with the difference in Kalie Kanine is we worry about temperament, not breathe that we worry about what's good for the dog, not this style or that style. It's like we're trying to get saved this dog. Is the main thing. What I love so much about your show is obviously you're there to reform the behavior of the dog, but the emphasis is

there's no bad dogs. It's the individuals that owned the dog, right And there was yeah yeah in season one and I apologize in their names, but the couple that there was a dissonance between the couple, right, the guy was more firm and the wife was like, I just want to be nice the dog and he's like, no, we have to be firm. And you did this incredible job of of saying like, Mike and Tasha, there you go.

Thank you Mike and Tasha. And what resonated with me in that situation is is I found myself a lot with my husband's like he's nicer and I'm like, no, we have to be firm. And there is this dichotomy that it ends up creating a rift in the relationship between us. But our only goal is to help the dogs. We just don't know how how to do it. So when you walk into a situation, how are you so

successful with your communication to the owners? Because again the emphasis that there's no bad dogs, it's just it's our fault as owners. What would you say to someone that's listening right now that you would say, like, what's the number one thing as owners we should pay attention to well as an owner, as a CEO, as a parent, whatever you are. In a leadership role, you have to

figure out what engages your team. And the key is when you know what engages them, then you can build value in that and then leverage that to get stuff done. Because everybody wants to work. Then we're all selfish in the way. We all want what we want, whether it's a job freedom and financial freedom, is want to go

to the beach, we all want what we want. So when you tap into that and you're able to channel that and get the dog really engaged, focused on the focus on the source of the issue, which is lack of engagement, and not just trying to go fix the problem, because once you have engagement, a lot of times the problem to fix themselves because you're able to expose the

dog and directly and not making such an event. It's like the dog can experience because it's able to put his energy in a dopemine state versus an anxious state. What do you mean by that? That's when you say a dope meine sate. For those people that don't know what a dopean state is, the dope means stated, you're happy, you're fun place where you are in your mind mentally, you know what I mean. You're depressed. You gotta go

have fun, you gotta go turn up. You know, you gotta get with your people who are gonna keep you up, you know, and a lot of times people get depressed, you have to you know, check, you have to redirect that energy and figure out what it is. And that's the same thing with the dogs, whether they're nervous or distracted. Because of distracted dog needs engagement. A nervous dog needs engagement.

And then you need support. They need they need compassion, they need you know, patience, and then from me build them up into being more confident and less sensitive, you know, and eventually they're like, hey, you know, they're like little Andrew and that in the show. So it's like even with kids like you, you pump them up and you get them up, you know, and then you support that

you give that behavior. Like first thing I said, like, hey, good eye contact, Acknowledge what you like, don't always look at what you don't, look what you like. And then from there then they're gonna get build some communication, you know, and the dogs and say instead of trying to fix me, let's engage me, let's get some trust you you see what I mean? Like if I come and see you comes to the company and they start telling everybody, well, this is the new structure and blah blah, blah people

like whoa, whoa, whoa. You know, and that's just natural. You know, if you got to just win your trust, and if you win the trust, then the dog will go anywhere with you. Then you don't have to do anything really abrasive or anything. The dogs just wants to roll. You just want to be coming to anything. You're just helping the dog along the process. It's really coming from a compassionate place. But again understanding temperament, understanding what the

dog needs, understand what they want. How to build more value. You know, you think one piece of food and stretch out the whole training section, or you can give it to them for doing nothing. You see what I mean. So how you leverage it and how you build fun Like for me, I'm a very motivational trainer, very positive. I got treats, trays, toys, I'm scratching in your chest, your belly, behind your ears, I know all these different places where it's not just a pet. It's like an exciting,

accelerated pet. It's not it's a piece of food. It's like a whole game that we're gonna do for this food. It's not a toy. That's how we let you win and you feel like you accomplish the world. So when you get in that kind of state, you're ready to do more. You're willing to like do things in order to get that feedback. What's the number one mistake people make that you find? I think, Yeah, so I think trying to number one, under stimulating their dog, under engaging

their dog, believe, or not under correcting their dog. Right, So we'll talk straight on that. Right, So what happens. You can under correct correct your dog and go hey, no, don't do that, Dallas stimulate the dog, versus like, hey don't do that. They get like, okay, you mean business. So the thing is like the reshold of the dog is like you could say a word, but it doesn't have any value unless you pair it with something. And again, if you get the dog engaged, that's always gonna be

your first alternative. But you're gonna have competing motivators and you're gonna have certain situations that are you know, again we'd of dangerous dogs there for kids and for for for people, and you have to be able to like correct those issues otherwise you're gonna run into, you know, dangerous situations and the dogs established things through confrontation, not negotiation. That's the pact, whole dynamic, that's important, that's thank you.

I want to interject confrontation, not negotiation. So dogs respond better to negotiation not confrontation. No, they they they're not going to sit at around table necessarily a reason. Yeah see what I mean, like if you got a let me get let me get an example. So I'm at the dog park the other day. I've got this this and because breeds are important, because breeds the DNA it's

very it's like humans pretorial interstinct. So my willis is half shiba, so you know, attitude, stubborn exactly, KLi kai uh DNA test this cats ten percent wolf like this cats like you know, there's self self, self preserve and just very like an individual where they don't need anybody. I had I had a dog trainer, like straight up l a p D like retired K nine trainer come over to my house and he goes, you got to test this dog, And I go, what do you mean?

He goes, because if there's more than ten percent wolf and him, I can't do anything because like that's just who he is. I d n a test him. This cat is ten percent wolf, and I was like, all right, here we are so but so. But I'm at the dog park the other day and I was like, Willis, we're leaving. We're leaving that, let's go. So I got the other. I got the I got the German shepherd Daisy. She's very obedient, she's my rescue she. All she wants to do is please me whatever will Is is. The

Shiba wants to defy like everything. And finally I was like, I'm out. I took a Daisy to the car. I like drove out of the parking lot. I left Willis in the parking lot because I was like, I'm out on this thing. And I was like, I can't leave a dog here. So I drove back and Willis was waiting for me. Oh my god, you left him a hundred percent because I was like, you know what, I'm leaving him here because I know his friends stand he's

gonna be fine. But I'm like, why do I have to sit here and bake this dog to come with me? So what can I do in that situation? Or what am I not doing as an owner that's right or wrong? When this cat won't come create more value and have more of an absolute system of recalls, So I don't train the dog awfu leash until I have a dependable recall. The lash allows me to like really man, And I was like, oh, you know, because so what happens is he gets becomes conditioned to being motivated to do it.

Plus he has to be and only he has to do it is because he's motivated and I have him on leash. He gave me a straight middle finger at the dog park. He's like, I'm gonna stay here. Yeah, that's why his level of distraction like why would he want to leave wolf or not? Right? You know what

I mean? Especially having fun, So it has value there and then from there you have to um, you know, practice that and then you start proofing their obedience with distractions, small levels of distractions until you go into the dog park and expect to have an awfulah recall. So I shouldn't I shouldn't let him off leash. Then you gotta do everything on lash a lot of times, like six foot leash and you go like ten foot of leash and your fifty the lash, you know what I mean.

Once you got and you can kind of like drop the leash and start working it, But so when can you come to Los Angeles help? So I'm coming with I have a tour of the first week of May, and then I have online training. We have an online training at fifteen minutes a day on Instagram and then on Mondays and Fridays and yeah, we're always training. Oh that's our slogan, always training. So the kids is like you you condition your wolf, hybrid, whatever you have, because

obviously it's your dog. You know, he's gonna be around, right, so it doesn't matter what I do is like say, temper said wolf, then that means I gotta train another like you know what I mean. It's like you just gotta to say wherever you're off balance, you know. I's like you've got strong arms, you gotta work double legs, you know what I mean. It's like you've got small legs and it's the same thing. So dogs have temperament imbalances. And then from there you like kind of conversate for him.

So it's like a mathematical equation. But we just teach people how to do it through. What people don't understand is your part therapist as well. If they do not understand that when you come into the picture. They're gonna hear a lot about what they're doing wrong and figure out why the hell they're doing it wrong, right, I mean, you really don't get paid enough to be both a trainer and a therapist for these people. Give us some sort of story and you don't have to name names.

Just how hard it is to get into the heads of these owners. It's about you, my friend. It is well what happens is the busier to client. You know, that's the hardest part because when you're busy, then it's like you expect like everybody else is at your foot, like you know what I mean, you can you know, pay for this, So we have to train the dog. So the dog is right there at there at this So sometimes they can't train. We have to training because they even then the dog still knows what, you know.

So if they're like if they see like, oh, you're gonna repeat, Oh, you're gonna ignore the fact that I just blew off, they're kind interesting to see what's going on. And my son doesn't like this is a fool, Like you know, it's like every day he's saying, like, Dad, you'n serious? And then I said, I'm serious, and then I take them away and I re engage myself something else. But now it's almost like a game, like now he knows, but no, Me like no, and he goes and he

looks like, daddy, you got run away. You know. So it's like the thing is that everybody's trying to test to see where the relationship. People test each other at work, people test each other in every kind of way. So dogs is no different. It's just if they win or not. And it's not like you don't have to overdiscipline them for not. You just have to ensure that they end

up doing what you need him to do. And like I said, the whole goal is to just can kind of get it on a one command system to where you're not begging the dog, you know, because it's like one thing to like give a command and then a big you know. It's so interesting you say that because dogs, like children or a spouse in a relationship, we want to know what we can get away with, and we push the limits and we see where the line is. They're like, oh, they're serious, he said it, not me.

I am raising my hand right here. It's strong. It's all the way up I do it in a relationship, I'm like, oh, there's the line, but it's just that. No, it's just that. And so I guess you know again, not everyone has access to someone like you. Um, you know, not everyone knows what to do. And I've seen in your show the frustration of owners. The frustration happens in myself. And these are animals. They can't communicate. They don't know, you know, to say to you, like hey, relax or whatever.

So calm down. What would you what, Yeah, calm down? What would you suggest as owners that we can do a better job of just hearing our animals even though they don't know are vernacular? Well, the thing is is like they're not necessarily they don't hear you. But the thing is, like I said, you gotta tap into that engagement. Dogs want what they want. They need to be motivated. You know. It's like they have workers. Yeah, they need a job and you have to tap in you know

what I mean. It's like kids, me a job. Everybody needs socially, they need stimulation, physical and mental. So the thing is, you gotta do that part. It doesn't owner's part, to like tap into that and figure out what motivates them. From there, you gotta lead from there, you've got your training box and you could work on all your behaviors right there on that box and then from there to go onto the world. I've seen you with slash in the trainer box, so explain what that means and how

can I build a trainer box? So I have them actually onca dot com. It's very too much elevated platform that allows the dog to do a straight sit, straight down, straight stand, you know, recall into a straight front position, and recall, you know, calling dog to a heel straight. So when you see like me doing all of this like robotic obedience, it's only because I'm just teaching the basic foundation and then we just build on like a house.

A lot of times that people reinforced sloppy obedience, and my whole concept was taking working dog obedience and bringing it into pet obedience and not kind of settling like, oh that's just pet dogs and these are working dogs like no dogs and his dog training. So it's like mine. It's like a high. It's almost like a CrossFit where you have like heavy duty workouts for the average person,

you know what I mean. It doesn't have to be too crazy, but it's something's a high standard of just going and just hanging out the gym and not getting any results. Like it's like a program. So that's what we that's what we do the box and then you know I do with the same training, my clients do

the same stuff. That's ass because they need to always, like you said, be stimulated, like they can never be bored because I feel like, well, just speaking from experience, once they're board, that's when they give you the middle finger and they're like, you know what, mom, it's your problem. And that's what I learned from the whole thing. Um. Any story that has absolutely inspired you along the way, that you know, is one that you keep close to

your heart. Whether it's I'm just thinking of Caesar and when though I know one dog you know, bit him and he talked about that was the dog that sent him to the hospital and then he adopted that dog. Anything that has just you know, you always kind of tell this story that's inspired you. Yeah. Absolutely, I was. I was doing a regional championship for the Helper decoy work stuff in the Washington State and my mentor who played a huge role in my influence and teaching me

the business of dogs and temperament other stuff. Who's that? His name is Bob Smith, and uh, Bob, you know, he taught me and I've learned from various trainers are all over, but I was just like he was one of like really took me in like a son, you know, and that was really cool. But we were doing a competition and there was his dog that was like rumored

to be this super high caliber dog. He's like you in the in the protection sport we do as a hundred point protection dog, like super just strong and all of his drives like the perfect Belgian Malawa, except he he had already been two or three handlers, and those two or three handlers you know, again they probably you know, uh did something to like where he just kind of asserted his dominance and just said, hey, this is what

it's gonna be. And sometimes in our motivational techniques we can kind of do a lot of bathing to make this dog look happy. But in the in the the dog has to know he can't just go and bite you. And what happens is he sent a couple of people, you know, to the e R and it was time for him to you know, find a new homes. So Bob, of course he says, I could do it. I'll take him. But in that process before kind of re transforming a dog, he brought him out to be a showcase for me

while I was doing this helper try out. So we want to bring a nice dog show my work show, because as a helper you have to work like twenty and thirty dogs consistently the same way. And the judge wants to see this high level of like understanding of working a dog. So basically he brings his dog out, and as he's bringing it out, he tried to like you know, like move a collar around, and the dog just turns up and starts biting him and just going

to ask him all out attack. And this is like big police dog, like serious, and he has no equipment, no nothing. Everybody around him just scattered like roaches. And I'm all the way down the field and I'm the one with the protective equipment. So I come down. I take on the fight from the dog. He bites me.

You know, we get him under control, you know, uh, we we load him up, and I see vibe and he's got his whole tendant like from all the way here, like out of his arm, just hanging like a piece of spaginning, and I see him with this laceration in his hand and this one and this one, and I had to come to my dissensus like, oh, ship, like this is what dog training can get you. This is what this is the type of as we deal with

this is you know. So you know, it just made me understand, like you can only trust the dog based on the history, you know, and what he shows you, what he proves as you're training, you know what I mean. That's why I'm never really just jumping on the dog, like like trusting a dog before he shows me that I can trust him. That's so interesting that he said, So I don't have children. I hope to have children

in the next few years. But I think about, like, my dogs are my babies, right, and my German Shepherd and Willis, and like they're aggressive and like a lot of my friends don't want to come over because they're so you know, protective of me in my environment and insecure with themselves. So a lot of times that's the biggest I think that's the biggest misconception if people said my dogs are because they see aggression of sixteen dimensions

of aggression. Okay, what's so interesting that you just said that. When I got Willis, they were like literally in the description of Willis was like he's insecure, and I'm like, I mean the dog's insecure. The dog was six months old. I like, that dog's insecure and it's like he has self esteem is And I laughed. I laughed at it. Okay, okay, so can you help me before I get into my second tier question? And again I could ask you seven hundred questions, but you have a life, so you have

to get on with your day. But real quickly, like if the dog, if in my case, Willis, is insecure or has and I like laughed at it because I'm like, what, this dog lives in Malibu and he's got three incredible meals today and he's got a dog. How's this dog insecure? Right? Whatever? Like what do I do for that? So it's almost like kids, you think, oh, because I raised him here and he has this life and this and that, it's like he is who he is as a temperam as

a person. You know. So sometimes it's confidence issue, sometimes socialability issues, sometimes you know, manners all that kind of stuff. Oh that's kind of how you shape behavior and that's where we're all the same and we're just a product of like what the society has allowed us to get away with, you see. I mean like it's like your manager or your dog or you kind of rude, you push here and this or that. So again the same thing with the dogs. Sometimes people are mean because they're insecure,

you see. So they're they're actually playing off their you know what, their insecurities and then they kind of like we aggressive with people a lot of times with with dog behavior, um, and sometimes that's the case. Like sometimes they're scared because they're scared, they're lashing out to overcompensation. Yeah I'm tough, but they're really not tough. They're really

just saying, help me, help me. So the thing is like those kind of dogs, we addressed that issue by like not taking him straight into the distraction or whatever it is they're freaking out about. We do everything distraction free, you know, all full motivation. Again, we tap into that dopeamin, We tap into that motivation, and then we gradually move

them into that whole space of socialism. I need all the insecure for how can Yeah, that's all easy stuff, like that's what do Yeah, through the process and the thing is whether we do it or whether we show somebody how to do somebody's got to do it. Somebody's gotta put in the work, somebody's got to spend the time with dog. Somebody takes for repetitions. You know, we say it's like three or four thousand repetitions before your

dog really gets what you know, what it means. So if you're not training those kind of repetitions, then how's your dog gonna know? So you never worried when you had your your your son, You never worried about behavior, slash or you know, any dogs that were around your son. No, but I understand dogs, and I understand like I have a twenty pound toddler and I have a dog a supermotivate and you know him not do anything by ill will, but he might run passing and the process abup and

he my bump is here. So you have to like think worst case scenario. And that's why I move how I move, Like you know, dogs when they're come in the house a certain like inside behavior because of what could happen. I always kind of think, you know, I mean, I always say optimistic, but it's always good to be you know, precautious at the same time. So no, I don't, I don't have any issues like Slash and Moosa. All his dogs, all our dogs are really solid with him.

He's confident with them. And now it's all I just again, I just always you know, he even him, like you have to watch him up the stairs doing the block maybe blocks and getting in the drawers because this is what they do. So you have to, like we go with dogs like they're hyperactive and they're getting into trouble. Like yeah, it's not that they're getting in trouble. They just need to be stimulated and they're gonna stimulate themselves if you don't stimulate. The same thing goes as a kid. Kids,

You just you know, they for hours. More dogs or kids. I like them both. I love you know. Raising my son is amazing, you know, because it's like you're constantly

like shaping his baby, you know. And even like my wife, she's always like teaching them new things, and I'm just like wow, like you're teaching them, like beating me and teaching them stuff because she spends the time, and you know, they practice and she spends the time, and it's like with the repetition and he's just turned into his own little person, like this one year old little person, and it's just a productive like you know, shaping his behavior

and his experiences, and he's being responsible and he's listening, he's doing a lot of things, but he's still a baby, so you have to understand that and you know, kind of set him up for success. So it's very similar in so many ways. But I can't love being a day. It's like the ultimate. All the dog training I did and everything is really like made this really cool. So so what's next for you? What I mean, I hate that question when people ask me, but I'm so interested.

Where do you want to take this thing? Um? Well, we're gonna continue to film because I think that's the best way to get our content out there to the world. You know, people can do internet and thing. It's really cool. We got a tour coming on national international tour, got the online training and got Oikana dot com store, merch training Kids Underdogs program for nonprofit for you know disadvantage, you you know, kind of big brother program talking to

the positive change. We're going to the prisons, work with the image and uh helping them getting so helps rescue this plus guys getting out of uh you know a lot of our guys, you know they can have you know, uh trouble past. But you know, we can reabilitate dogs, we can rehabilitate humans, We can reabilitate everybody, but we really rehabilitate the world's love and just you know, doing good work and uh surround ourselves with positivity. Not giving the ages too much? Is you know energy. I love

that before we let you go. Um, so much of what you have said resonates with me, and like I will do my best to apply it. And also come on tour when you're in Los Angeles because I need all the help I can get. But I come to l A I need it. I need you. Um. But but I was telling Aaron, like when we started this podcast, it was like why I wanted you on. I watching

your show. You just have an incredible it will make the emotional weird, but like you have this awesome ability to connect with people, and like you make people's lives

better because of it. And like I'm getting emotional because like I almost had to get rid of my dog because she didn't get along with my other dog, and like I can't imagine like not having her, So my emotions like you have an ability to like keep dogs with the families are supposed to be with, Like you have an ability to keep dogs when like you know, the kids like don't aren't good with dogs, or the

dogs aren't good with kids. Like you an angel? Actually she's saying you're an angel, a full blown angel, and like no, And why my emotion is weird is because, like I love, I don't have kids, so like my dogs are my kids, so I can't imagine like having to get rid of them because they're gonna like attack

my children in the future. So I think what you offer people is like this ability, as we've seen in the relationship up in like your episodes, to keep relationships together, to keep families together, and to keep a community together, because there is a sense of like when you have the dog that you feel protective in that community where it's like it's a little sketchy and like that dog protects you. So the emotions coming from a place of like what you do is far greater than dog training.

Do you feel that? Is that why you do this? Is that you know, sorry for my emotion, but like I just love it. Yeah, for sure, I always say it's bigger than dogs. You know. I think my community like might keep my closest friends around me. I mean, you know, we I really give them a lot of um a credit, right because your people, your tribal who kind of keeps you on point, keep you humble, looks out for you, gives you real tips, real advice coming

from place to love, you know. Um. And then just you know, I just really manage just doing good good in the world. You know, my mom, you know, she taught me to be a good person, you know, being a Muslim, you know, it's all about being a good person and really you know, helping your brother and putting on and giving, you know, giving your time and giving

to your community. Um. And I think just you know, like that's just Oakland, that's you know you you talked to, Like, you know, sometimes our our our families are broken up in this place, but you've got a brotherhood that's like

no other brotherhood. You know. So I got brothers who are like it's just like blood, Like I have blood brothers too, but then I have other brothers because I moved to the West Coast when I was two years old, and we moved to Oakland, and you know, it's just it's just good to like just it's just an organic thing, you know, and everybody just like I said, hold you accountable for stuff and like you know, but at the

same time, it's like a crazy place. So you have to be street smart, you have to be sharp and really just trying to you know, take this game and give it to the world at the same time inspire to youth, you know, and hopefully you know, do some good work in the world while we're here. Thank you for doing it. Sorry to be weird and emotional, but like almost got emotion. I got a guy catch you know you don't love right there? You know. So like dogs are dogs are my family, and like you do,

you have your shows. Your show is incredible. And what you do to keep you know, families protective and the unit and the whole thing. So keep doing what you dog. Yeah, man, So like dogs and families and and and just you know, got all these issues going on in the world. It is like a weekend th dogs and you know, like floring other things. Man, it's like why not leverage through

dogs and make it all Well, you're special. There's a reason that you stand out there's a reason that you're you know, of all the dog trainers you have this platform, you've obviously resonated with me enough to elicit this emotion. And I'm not the only one because I'm a hard shell to crack. So thank you for your energy, your love, and for your guidance because I will apply that to my own life. Thank you direct message. You know what

I will. I will. I appreciate you and and above all else, like asking to your family and thank you for what you doing so nice to me. Keep doing what you're doing, and thank you too. So sweet. Hey guys, welcome back to Calm Down Podcast. I gotta be honest. If you are not dialed into our Instagram account which is calmed Down Podcast on the old, I g you're missing out. I mean, you're getting insight from me and my pajamas with my acne skin. Mean you give a lot on the on that Calm Down. I love that

about you. You're giving people what they really want. I'm even like pleading to mitcham about our deodorant situation, which we gotta we gotta get back to that later on, you know, down the road. But I mean, for those of you who don't know. Aaron's really upset that her favorite deodorants being discontinued. I don't know if it is. I just can't find it anywhere. So I'm also mad

because I d M them, will not DM them. I tagged them on the Calm Down i G account and they haven't looked at the message that I'm like a girl. I'm just gonna say, maybe he hasn't seen it. Oh my god, it's getting WiFi. Where is he right now? Um, I'll tell you where I am right now. Back on. After my emotional outburst with Jaws, I'm sorry, but, like you know, again, we started this episode with your emotion

about your dogs. My emotion is about what it is that he does for families and the ability to keep them together and for the relationship to be stronger, because you know, you and Jared, like you know, any argument that you might get in that revolves around how he is rooted in a place of love and you just want the best for your dogs. So watching his episodes and watching what he's able to do, and also for

these dogs. And you know, I know when I adopted Daisy, she was I can't tell you how many rugs she ruined in this house because she'd have all these accidents. But I know that she was abused in the past because of them. She was in six foster homes before I took her home, and um, you know, it just makes me sad to think that these dogs don't get a chance to have a great home because they don't know any better and they just want to be loved and owners want to love them. So what he's able

to do. I really enjoyed my conversation, as I know you did as well with him, and I have so much more to learn, and I'm going to get him down here. Him and I are going to have a side conversation. I see see how much I can beg him to come down here and work with me because I I can have a lot to learn. Yeah, anybody that works with dogs or wants to make their lives

better just I think has a heart of gold. Okay, this is something that I have been passionate about for a while and I want to try to talk to you about this and see if maybe we could figure this out. I don't know if this is a project for the Calm Down podcast. I don't know what this is, but you know how much our dogs have changed our lives. I have been very, very passionate about when veterans that

are returning home or veterans that have been injured. I have been so passionate about projects that bring an animal like, you know, not reunite them with a dog, but pair them with a dog. It's something I talked to our friend Jay Glazer about. And if you don't know about Jay Glazer and what he does with m v P, his group and with veterans and so forth, I just really want to find a way to work with some

sort of group that pairs maybe dogs. I know shelters aren't overcrowded right now because of COVID, but I think that Jah said that they may start being like people, you know, may start going back to work have to give up on the dogs. I would love to pair up animals that have hearts of gold with these veterans that have served and are dealing with PTSD or injuries.

Because one time I was reading here we go with the emotions like this whole thing about you know, these guys that come home and what they've seen and what they've gone through, and sometimes I just want to sit there with a dog and nobody can understand them like a dog, and I just where can we do that. I really want to be a part of this well.

I will put in every resource, every effort, every amount of energy to help see this to fruition because as you mentioned our buddy Glazer, what I've been able to see firstand being associated with that program. So it's merging vets and players. And the idea behind that idea is you know, to your point that veterans are part of a team and their squadron and the things that they see out in battle. And for players, you know what life looks like for them after the game of football

and still needing to have that locker room. So I love the idea of merging you know our favorite things, which are animals, um and people that that need that extra little love and just had a sense of purpose. And my brother went through a lot, and that's another conversation and it's his personal stories, so I won't share it, but I know that like the birth of his daughter saved his life because he had Propis after that and he wasn't going to take his life knowing that he

had her. So it's this idea that if somebody is feeling a certain way. As heavy as this conversation has now become, it's it's important to have because we want to have purpose. And so to your point about somebody coming home, um and having seen the things that they have and serving our country and doing the greatest, most, you know, selfless thing you could possibly do. Having an animal there gives you a sense of purpose to get you up in the morning. You've got to walk the dog,

You've got to feed the dog. So I think that's an incredible idea and and you just brought it to our attention right now. But I say that we work offline to to see that become a reality. Yeah. I tried to sell it as a show. Nobody wanted it at the time. Well, you know, I just would love to do it. Forget the show. The show will come. But right now, as we saw, even with what Jazz does, um, you know, what he does is that he was there to service the dogs, and the show comes after the fact.

So let's put all of our efforts and energy into that. I love it. Yeah, I do too. I I love that so much. And if any Womanystening has more information sort of on how we can kind of effort this. I mean, I think that this is a great community and Grysonice, are you listening, get great, great, great feedback from you know, people who are I work with wags and walks, I work with German shepherd rescues from where

I got Daisy. So um, let's put our heads together, and anybody that's listening that also feel like they can help UM in this aspect would be would be awesome. I think there's a big possibility here. But I hope that if you guys listening, if you have an animal, you can understand. If you don't have an animal, you can see why people love you know them so much. So thank you for listening everyone. And she got heavy this week. Huh yeah, but for good reasons. You know,

sometimes it's okay to be heavy. But let's end how we started. It's a major award. Oh God, thanks, we love you well, dessert, Thank you everyone, Thanks for listening. Calm Down podcast and when in doubt just go to our I g Aaron has all the entertainment you need and she smells great. Thanks to Mitcham. We'll see you next. Continue my deoder and please Mitcham, Calm down with Aaron

and Carissa is a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. H