PHOENIX -- If you have a relationship with your dog where you wonder who really is in charge, you may want to meet the man known to some as the Valley's "Dog Whisperer."
His name is Brice Cavanaugh and he owns a company called Total Dog.
"I have not met too many dogs that truly want to be in charge," said Cavanaugh, who has been training K9s for nearly 20 years.
If you catch a glimpse of his 7-year-old German Shepherd named Monk, you may have to look twice.
"He can walk fences," said Cavanaugh.
And that's not all.
At any given time he can jump several feet high onto light poles and keep his balance on thin railings.
On command, he runs from rock to rock and can even leap from object to object several feet off the ground.
Cavanaugh said it's all in a day's work to help train other dogs, but Monk wasn't always this talented.
"I got him from a police department that pretty much gave up on him," he said, "The dog was always capable, but he was never shown how, which is true of most of our dogs."
Dogs with fight and determination, like another German Shepherd named Rampaige and her owner, Kathy Vertullo.
"My dog was kind of fear aggressive and would like lunge back at other dogs," she said.
That's why Cavanaugh uses a unique approach involving touch.
"So just like acupuncture and acupressure, there's ways that touch can be used as healing," he said.
He also dissects both your personalities so you can learn how to keep your dog in check, which has helped dog owners like Vertullo.
"I can walk calmly on a leash with her. She used to break leashes, pulling me."
So while jumping, then balancing on fire hydrants and splashing into the water to fetch a toy might seem like a tall order, Cavanaugh said he can do it within three months if your dog is athletic.
But most importantly Cavanaugh said, "If you were to drop your leash accidentally and you tripped and your leash fell out of your hand, you should feel comfortable that you can call your dog back before they run out into traffic."
Cavanaugh just started up a new program called FIDO.
It stands for Fitness Inspired Dog Owners.
It's a boot camp for you and your dog to get in shape.
For all of the information on Cavanaugh's training, log onto
totaldog.com.
