National Geographic Channel's DOG WHISPERER Cesar Millan Heads To Sin City To Help Three Cirque Du Soleil Performers With Their Canine Challenges

Special Cesar Goes to Vegas episode premieres Friday, December 5, at 8 PM ET/PT

The world-famous Cirque du Soleil is known for great acrobatics, but unfortunately for three performers in Las Vegas, life at home with their beloved pooches seems more like a three-ring circus.   National Geographic Channel's Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan heads to Sin City to help with their canine challenges, and gets a look inside three of the fantastic Cirque shows -O, Ka and Mystere.

"Every circus is led by a calm, assertive ring leader," said Millan.  "What I hoped to do was teach these amazing athletes to apply this philosophy at home too."

Premiering Friday, December 5, 2008, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, the special episode of Dog Whisperer: Cesar Goes to Vegas includes the following circus stories:

O, I Don't Want to Walk

First Cesar visits with O performer Adir Ionov.  When performing at the Bellagio in Las Vegas his acrobatic talents take him 60 feet in the air, but at home he is quickly grounded by his 3-year-old Maltese, Fluffy.  Fluffy has a phobia of the leash, and anytime Adir or his wife Anastasia attempt to put the leash on Fluffy, he freezes or simply plays dead.  And the problems don't stop there - Fluffy has taken control of the house, relieving himself anywhere he pleases and even trying to bite Anastasia.  Adir and Anastasia know that Fluffy needs structure, but they need Cesar to jump-start their new regime.  Can Cesar help this star from O, or will Fluffy have to go?

Stranger-Hating Eskimo

Jason Zulauf, a featured player in Cirque du Soleil's show Ka at the MGM Grand, got Kuma, an American Eskimo, at a pet shop two years ago.  From the start, Kuma detested visitors entering the house, barking and circling the person continuously.  If she gets cornered or a stranger attempts to pet her, she'll bare her teeth and growl.  With people who come over often, such as Cheri Haight, Jason's girlfriend and co-performer, Kuma will jump relentlessly, ramming into the guests with her front legs.  To discipline Kuma, Jason will usually tell her "no" and put her in her crate.  Once there, she'll continue to bark and ignore Jason.  In an effort to reduce Kuma's anxieties, Jason got a corgi puppy, Chewy.  The dogs get along fine, but Jason is concerned that Chewy may pick up Kuma's bad habits.  While Kuma's owners are used to the grueling challenges of Cirque du Soleil, is Cesar ready for the Cirque du Kuma?

H2No

Paul Cameron is an accomplished acrobat in the company of Cirque du Soleil's Mystere at Treasure Island.  Wanting a dog and aware of the scorching summers in Las Vegas, he decided to get a breed that would take to water quickly and found 8-week-old Molly, a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever.  Oddly enough, this water dog quickly developed a fear of water.  Because of the extreme Nevada heat, exercising your dog in water is a no-brainer, but not if the dog is petrified of the pool.  Paul cannot coax Molly into the water and instead has to physically bring her in with him, but not without a fight.  Sometimes Molly is so resistant she will flat-out refuse to enter the backyard.  Molly is going against the nature of her breed, and Paul has tried every trick in the book.  Can Cesar unlock the mystery of Molly's hydrophobia, or will Paul's exercise plan sink like a stone?

For more information and exclusive clips, visit www.natgeotv.com/dogwhisperer.

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 recently celebrated its landmark 100th episode in September with a grand reunion of many of the past guests - and their dogs.  The second and third seasons of Dog Whisperer each received nominations for the Primetime Emmy for Best Reality Series.