Canine Intervention

Did You Know?

• Lady Macbeth, a two-year-old pit bull in episode 1, lost a leg after being shot due to her defensive behaviors.
• Episode 3 features boxer Andre Berto, who calls on his friend Leverette to test the skills of his protection dog Nino.
• The show is directed by Elise Duran and produced by A.Smith & co-Productions.

Synopsis per episodes

In the first episode, Leverette works with Lady Macbeth, a two-year-old pit bull who lost a leg after being shot, and her owner Brendan, to address the dog's aggressive behavior; the Cali K9 team's involvement represents the animal's last chance before euthanasia. The second episode follows Leverette and his team helping a couple train their young, large German Shepherd named Diesel, starting from the basics to improve obedience. Episode three focuses on Nino, a protection dog owned by boxer Andre Berto, whom Leverette had previously trained; the dog requires constant coaching to maintain sharp obedience and limits.

In episode four, Heaven, a Maltipoo serving as an emotional support dog for owner Andrew, is causing family difficulties due to a lack of limitations; the Cali K9 team teaches the family about the dangers of over-humanizing a dog. Episode five features Blue, a dominant pit bull puppy owned by Ray and Johnnetta, who was prematurely separated from his mother; Leverette addresses the dog's behavioral issues through basic education. The sixth episode shows Leverette visiting Jeannette's rescue camp in the Mojave Desert, where he trains rescue dogs to improve their chances of adoption.

Reception

The first season received mostly positive critical response, with Ashley Lee of the Los Angeles Times calling it "easy to watch and emotionally satisfying" and Joel Keller of Decider describing it as "a feel-good show." Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media noted that not everyone would agree with Leverette's techniques but acknowledged the series would catch the attention of many dog lovers. However, the series drew criticism from some dog trainers and owners who considered Leverette's methods dangerous or harmful; a Change.org petition to cancel the series before its release gathered 34,000 signatures. Criticism continued over his use of a balanced training regime and respecting dogs' natural learning methods, which he argues achieves the best results with challenging dogs.