NBC’S TIME HONORED TRADITION CONTINUES WITH “THE NATIONAL DOG SHOW PRESENTED BY PURINA” ON THANKSGIVING DAY, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Three New American Kennel Club Recognized Breeds, The Irish Red and White Setter, Norwegian Buhund and Pyrenean Shepherd Make Their Broadcast Television Debut

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif – November 4, 2009 – NBC continues its Thanksgiving Day celebration with “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina” on Thursday, November 26 (Noon – 2 p.m. in all time zones), airing immediately following the telecast of NBC’s “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.” Making their national television and major competition debuts are three new American Kennel Club-recognized breeds — the Irish Red and White Setter, the Norwegian Buhund and the Pyrenean Shepherd. America’s #1-ranked show dog, a Scottish Terrier named Sadie, is also entered in the competition.

Some 2,000 aspiring purebreds vie for the coveted “Best in Show” title on NBC’s eighth broadcast of one of America’s most prestigious dog shows. NBC research estimated that 19.6 million viewers watched the 2008 “National Dog Show Presented by Purina,” the biggest total audience for the “National Dog Show” since 2003. Held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and hosted by dog lover John O’Hurley (NBC’s “Seinfeld”) and David Frei, the “dean of dog show commentators,” “The National Dog Show Presented by Purina” is one of America’s five remaining “benched” shows, at which the public can interact with approximately 150 breeds and varieties of dogs – from Afghan Hounds to Colored Bull Terriers and Doberman Pinschers to Beagles and St. Bernards – and talk to experts throughout the day.

The two-hour special celebrates the wonders of man’s best friend through the voices of O’Hurley, on the whimsy of canines, and Frei, America’s foremost authority on purebreds. This year the show will also include a therapy dog theme with 2005 National Dog Show champion “Rufus” scheduled to be part of the telecast. Rufus, a Colored Bull Terrier, is the only dog to win both the National Dog Show and the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show (2006).

An award-winning actor and a New York Times best-selling author, O’Hurley returns for his eighth year as host of this annual classic. O’Hurley’s hosting partner and expert analyst Frei is an American Kennel Club – licensed judge who has officiated at dog shows worldwide. Frei is on-air host of USA Network’s famed “Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show” and is one of America’s foremost authorities on purebreds and the dog show world.

The elite canines must prevail though several levels of competition before boasting the “Best in Show” title. The entrants are first judged against their own breed, and then are classified by seven different groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding. The winner from each group is then brought into the ring to compete for the coveted title of “Best in Show.”

“The National Dog Show Presented by Purina” is television’s only two-hour special that both entertains and educates in a competition format embraced by millions every Thanksgiving,” said NBC Vice President Jon Miller. “It is the dog world’s most prominent annual showcase and it continues the great family TV viewing theme launched each year by the Macy’s Parade.”

“The National Dog Show Presented by Purina” is hosted each fall by The Kennel Club of Philadelphia, which is sanctioned by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The Kennel Club of Philadelphia (KCP) staged its first show in 1879 and has hosted the Philadelphia shows annually since 1933. The Kennel Club of Philadelphia shows benefit the Veterinary School of the University of Pennsylvania.

“The National Dog Show Presented by Purina” is a property of NBC and Carson International of Ketchum, Idaho, the world’s most prominent producer and packager of canine events for live audiences and for television.

About Nestle Purina PetCare
Nestle Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A., the world’s largest food company.

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Dog Whisperer: Pekaso and Yogi & Smokey
Friday, October 23 at 9PM ET/PT
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-whisperer/4507/Overview

As an artist, Daniel Maltzman relies on inspiration, but he can’t inspire his 2-year-old Pekingese, Pekaso (Picasso), to eat or drink. Pekaso refuses dog food and gets freaked out by the ripples in the water dish; she’s even become so dehydrated Daniel had to take her to the vet. Cesar works to repaint this dog’s canvas. But the real surprise is what Pekaso’s owner does for Cesar and Daddy…it will move any long time fan of the show! Then, Daniel’s friend Brendi Blackburn has problems of her own with 5-year-old Chihuahua Valentino, who bites people. Can Cesar play muse and inspire these two to become true pack leaders? Then, Claudia Imson’s two chow mix brothers, Yogi and Smokey, pick fights with each other. It’s so bad that when the dogs are in the house, she has to keep them in separate rooms. Can Cesar put an end to this sibling rivalry?

Video: Cesar gets the thank you of his life when a grateful dog owner immortalizes Daddy on the canvas.
Link: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/dog-whisperer/4507/Videos/07400_00

Check out the new NAT GEO Dogs Social Network  today for all things canine!

Introducing a new canine community, NatGeo Dogs. Today, it’s a great place to see the latest video from our award-winning dog shows, try your hand at Canine Quizzes, and check out the weekly “Dogs of NatGeo” gallery. Soon, NatGeo Dogs will be a community for dog owners and enthusiasts, where you’ll be able to create profiles for you and your four-legged friends and share photos and stories.

Iams Home 4 The Holidays event to raise awareness for pet adoption in New York City, October 19 2009

By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, Associated Press Writer Samantha Critchell, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 30 mins ago

NEW YORK – There are no divas among the cast of “The 101 Dalmatians Musical,” but plenty of stars. Take Rascal, the puppy with a broken leg who was rescued from the side of a road.

A late addition to the cast of more than a dozen dogs — most from shelters — Rascal has become “the charmer of the bunch,” said animal trainer Joel Slaven.

“I thought, `Just want I need — a 4-month-old puppy with a broken leg.’ But he was my guy,” Slaven said. “He goes out with the big dogs and he watches them. He’s learning from them and he’s like, `I can do this. This is what I was meant to be.’”

The shelter-dog stars of “The 101 Dalmatians Musical” got a second chance with a new home on a Florida ranch, a rock star-style tour bus, top-billed roles in a stage show, and, in all likelihood, a place in the audience’s heart.

It’s hard not to fall in love with these dogs — any dogs, actually — on stage, said lead producer Lee Marshall, whose track record includes shows with David Copperfield, Janet Jackson and Britney Spears, and Broadway’s “Jekyll & Hyde.” But dogs are almost universally accompanied by humans and taking cues from them, which he said can take away a little magic.

For this show, which embarks on a national tour this month starting in Minneapolis, the three-minute finale is all dogs — performing what is essentially a song-and-dance act to a tune by composer Dennis DeYoung of Styx fame.

“It’s just jawdropping,” Marshall said. “This is a choreographed number they do all by themselves.”

(It should be noted that in the bulk of the show, though, the Dalmatians are actually portrayed by actors, a la “Cats.”)

Slaven started looking for Dalmatians back in January using a network of shelters and rescue groups, who were, he said, hesitant at first to be his partners.

After the live-action Disney “101 Dalmatians” came out in 1996 and its sequel in 2000, there was a rush on the black-and-white spotted dogs as family pets — a role this breed is not necessarily suited for, Slaven explains. That meant a flooding of shelters a few years later, and canine rescuers weren’t eager for that to happen again, he said.

“The toughest thing I’ve ever done is finding the dogs,” he said. “When the movies came out, they were overbred and that made the breed, which already has some health problems, even worse. People got the dogs, couldn’t afford vet bills, found the dogs untrainable, or didn’t get along with kids. Shelters, Humane Societies and rescue groups don’t want anyone to use these dogs for entertainment, and they don’t want to help someone who’s going to do this again.”

But Slaven said he persuaded some that he would use the dogs’ celebrity as a teaching tool.

“I knew we’d have to do it differently than the movie. We have to explain about the stars that, just because they’re cute, doesn’t mean you should get one for the kids tomorrow.”

The traits Slaven, who often trains animals for theme-park shows, was looking for in the dogs included stage presence and the ability to live in a pack, not things usually at the top of the list for families, he said.

“These are the outgoing, playful, confident dogs — the dogs that aren’t going to be happy laying on someone’s couch each day,” he said. “They’re the ones chewing and barking because they want to be doing something.”

He has given them plenty to do. Until last week when they boarded their tricked-out tour bus to head to Minnesota for final stage rehearsals, they were up at 6 a.m. at Slaven’s facility in St. Cloud, Fla., for a walk and then they were off to a day of exercise, rehearsals, confidence-building classes so they wouldn’t be fearful of any surfaces and the occasional drive on a flatbed truck so they’d be used to moving vehicles.

They also had “fame training,” including desensitization to lights, wheelchairs and noise. “I’ve got a drum set going because we’ll have a live orchestra at the show,” Slaven said. “We have jam nights and bring the dogs there and play with them. Everything is made positive for the dogs and everything they are trained to do is so they can have fun with it.”

Now that they are on the road, the dogs have two rehearsals, playtime in the afternoon, grooming sessions and, of course, media appearances.

Rascal, along with the 14 other dogs, will need to find permanent owners after the tour, which is slated to run through at least June. However, Slaven, who already has two yellow Labrador retrievers, has committed to bringing back to his ranch any dogs who don’t find a home.

Until then, “home” is the bus. Kennels line one side (with living quarters in the rear for two full-time trainers), with a pet-care area for bathing and grooming. An awning pops up alongside the vehicle for shade and there are attachable pens for outside time.

“I’ve been in show biz my whole life. … This is a much easier way for an entertainer to travel than an airplane every night,” said Lee. “Showering on a bus for humans isn’t the best experience, but I think it will be much more pleasant for the dogs.”

Source

In this Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009 photo, Boomer, a 180-pound Landseer Newfoundland dog, drinks water from the kitchen sink at Caryn Weber’s home south of Casselton, N.D. The dog measures seven feet from nose to tail. stands 36 inches tall at the shoulders, measures 7 feet from nose to tail, and weighs 180 pounds. Weber will send his measurements to Guinness World Records for consideration as the tallest living dog. The previous record holder was a Great Dane that died this summer. He measured just over 42 inches at the shoulders.

(AP Photo/The Forum, Dave Wallis)

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IT’S PUPPY TIME! FROM BUNDLE OF LOVE TO FULL-GROWN CANINE, CESAR SHOWS HOW TO RAISE THE PERFECT DOG FOR SIXTH SEASON PREMIERE OF EMMY-NOMINATED DOG WHISPERER

PREMIERE EPISODE DOCUMENTARY COMPANION TO CESAR’S NEW BOOK

30 New Episodes Begin Friday, October 9, at 9 PM ET/PT — New Season Includes Episodes From Down Under in Australia Plus a Trip to the Lone Star State

(WASHINGTON, D.C. — SEPTEMBER 16, 2009) In five seasons and more than 100 episodes, Cesar has seen every canine case imaginable ― red-zone aggression, fearful anxiety and just plain weird. But never before has he shown viewers how they can avoid these problems from the very start! In the sixth season premiere of DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN: How to Raise the Perfect Dog, Cesar goes back to the basics, adopting four adorable pups and filming them living with him and his pack for their first eight months to show viewers how to avoid problems from the very start.

“I realize I may actually be putting myself out of business with this episode,” joked the three-time Emmy nominee. “But I wanted to adopt four different breeds and work with them in my pack from the very beginning, showing that if you prevent bad behaviors in puppyhood, you can steer clear of canine nightmares down the road.”

The season premiere is also the documentary companion to Cesar’s fourth book — “How to Raise The Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond” — being released nationwide by Harmony Books, a division of Random House, Inc., on Tuesday, October 6.

How to Raise the Perfect Dog begins the sixth season of Dog Whisperer with 30 all-new episodes. This year Cesar also goes international, searching out problem dogs down under in Australia! Plus, he takes a road trip to Texas, works with NASA astronauts, visits “The Biggest Loser’s” Jillian Michaels, helps former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum and much more.

The season premiere begins with Junior, a pit bull pup Cesar hopes will someday assist him with his toughest cases now that his trusted right hand Daddy is nearing retirement. Daddy and Cesar have been a team since Daddy was four months old, and any fan of Dog Whisperer knows Daddy accompanies Cesar on many of his hardest cases — including a visit with Oprah! But with age come limitations. So, in order to ease Daddy into retirement, Cesar adopted the first young puppy for his puppy project — Junior. Daddy and Junior were instantly attracted to one another, and thus Junior joined Cesar’s pack.

Next Cesar selects a Labrador pup to join the pack. Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue brings two labs to Cesar’s Dog Psychology Center. Cesar is immediately drawn to the calm, submissive male, whom Cesar slowly introduces to the pack at the center. The pack mentality of all the dogs has never been clearer, as you can see firsthand how — with no human interaction — the pack slowly takes in the new puppy. Cesar eventually names this little guy Marley, after one of the world’s most famous bad dogs (the subject of last year’s hit movie “Marley & Me,” about the life of Cesar’s client and friend John Grogan).

For the next two puppies, Cesar selects a miniature schnauzer, Angel, and an English bulldog, Mr. President. The goal is to raise four balanced pups of different breeds, and to make the most of each breed’s characteristics. For the next eight months, our cameras are there as Cesar shows viewers how to raise the perfect dog.

Cesar begins by setting rules, boundaries and limitations early on — a mantra familiar to any viewer. As the new pack demonstrates, Cesar isn’t the only one setting the rules — it takes only a hint of a growl from Daddy to send Junior, Angel, Marley and Mr. President into Daddy-pleasing mode.

Cesar walks through how to deal with overexcitement, common in many young dogs, and how to overcome this type of behavior from the very beginning using calm, assertive energy. Cesar goes through the important rituals such as mealtime, and how to start them young with a routine. Next up is housebreaking — which can become an owner’s worst nightmare, or, if done right — Cesar’s Way — comes with no drama.

And of course, no Cesar boot camp would be complete without the all-important ritual of exercise. For the new pups, Cesar looks to swimming as a key element. Surprisingly, all the new puppies take to the water except one — Marley, the only real water breed. Cesar shows Marley how to overcome this fear early.

Finally, Cesar addresses socialization — bringing the new puppies to the dog park — and a message very important to Cesar about spaying and neutering your dogs. We join Cesar as he takes Mr. President to the doctor to get fixed.

At the end of the eight months, Cesar proudly passes Marley, Angel and Mr. President on to new homes. And Junior is a permanent member of the Millan household — and on Dog Whisperer.

About Dog Whisperer
Each episode of Dog Whisperer follows dog behavior specialist Cesar Millan as he goes directly into the homes of dog owners — without any prior information about the dog’s case — and documents the remarkable transformations that take place under Cesar’s calm, assertive guidance.

The hugely popular series has grown into a pop culture phenomenon, including parodies on “South Park” and “Saturday Night Live”; references on popular shows including “Jeopardy!” and Bravo’s hit series “Work Out”; appearances on “Oprah,” “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Martha Stewart,” “Today Show,” “The View” and “Live with Regis and Kelly”; and a guest star role for Cesar on the hit series “Ghost Whisperer.”

The series celebrated its landmark 100th episode in September 2008 with a grand reunion of many of the past guests — and their dogs. Dog Whisperer has also been nominated three times for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program.

About Cesar Millan
With more than 20 years of experience working with canines, Cesar has been called a “Dr. Phil for dogs,” and for good reason. He has a unique gift of rehabilitating dogs and training their owners. His talent with dogs first developed on his grandfather’s farm in Mexico. Now, at his Dog Psychology Center in Los Angeles, he receives as many as 100 calls a week from owners desperate for help and confronting a crisis with their beloved pets. He is their emergency responder, and often their last resort. Often, the dogs Cesar works with are “red-zone cases” that trainers or veterinarians have told the owners to put down. Cesar believes every dog deserves a chance at rehabilitation before such drastic measures should even be considered. His pack of dogs at the center are largely dogs no one thought should be left alive — and they now live in harmony as part of Cesar’s pack, and make frequent appearances on the show.

Millan was made an honorary member of the International Association of Canine Professionals and was presented The Michael Landon Award for Inspiration to Youth Through Television at the 28th Young Artist Awards.

Cesar has published three best-selling books, and launches a new magazine, Cesar’s Way, this fall. Other things Cesar include: the first four seasons of Dog Whisperer are available on DVD; Cesar and his wife Ilusion have founded the nonprofit Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation, providing financial support and rehabilitation expertise to shelters throughout the United States; Cesar has an exclusive product line available at Petco; and he is giving online seminars, “Sessions with Cesar,” an interactive coaching course. Additionally, Cesar’s new magazine — “Cesar’s Way” — from IMG Publishing is available on newsstands now and will feature celebrity dog stories and everyday dog lovers who have built a lifestyle around their companions. More information can be found at www.cesarmillaninc.com.

Dog Whisperer is produced by MPH Entertainment and Emery/Sumner Productions for National Geographic Channel. For MPH Entertainment MPH Entertainment executive producers are Jim Milio, Melissa Jo Peltier and Mark Hufnail. For Emery/Sumner Productions producers are Sheila Possner Emery and Kay Bachman Sumner. For the National Geographic Channel executive producer is Char Serwa; senior vice president of production is Michael Cascio; and executive vice president of content is Steve Burns.

For more information, visit natgeotv.com/dogwhisperer.