Jas Leverette’s Netflix reality series Canine Intervention follows one dog and its human in each episode. In each situation, there’s a lack of harmony between dog and human, which leads to poor communication and leadership on the human side. Of course, there is also bad behavior on the dog’s part. However, the human is usually an adult, so things were doubly difficult when it came to creating harmony between Heaven and her 12-year-old human, Andrew.
Andrew grew up in Pasadena with his mom Sylvia and his three brothers. His siblings were father figures to Andrew, but two brothers are now in the Air Force and the third was getting ready to go off to college. Andrew was having a hard time with all the changes. He was gripped with fear about his two oldest brothers’ safety, as they were serving in the military. At the recommendation of Andrew's counselor, his mother Sylvia gave her son a one-year-old emotional support dog named Heaven, who is a Maltipoo.
Heaven made Andrew feel like he wasn’t so alone. She became his best friend and was there for him when he felt sad. In these extremely important ways, Heaven successfully fulfilled her role as an emotional support animal. However, there was a problem.
Heaven’s lack of obedience was hugely problematic. It essentially added to young Andrew’s stress. She was fully unmanageable, especially when out on walks. They couldn’t take her anywhere, which defeated the purpose of having an emotional support dog. The family worried about how Andrew would cope if Heaven got into an accident.
One day, Heaven got out and darted down the street. Andrew bolted after her, terrified and screaming. She narrowly missed getting hit by cars. The dog eventually came back unhurt, and Andrew wasn't injured either. However, the experience was emotionally traumatic, as Andrew couldn’t bear the idea of losing his pet.
To make sure Andrew’s emotional support pup was in fact providing emotional support and not exacerbating his anxiety, Sylvia called in the dog training expert Jas Leverette. Jas immediately saw all of the issues in Heaven’s house. Heaven had been taking on Sylvia’s daughter's role. Therefore, the pooch had all the control in the relationship.
Hilariously, Jas looked on as Sylvia dressed Heaven for their walk. The rigamarole included booties, a pet carrier, a pet stroller, and a dog bag (which was basically a diaper bag). Jas was flummoxed. He told the family that while treating Heaven well is good, treating her too much like a human will encourage her to treat them like dogs. Heaven wasn't a "bad dog.", but leadership was lacking.
Jas, who also grew up without a father, knew firsthand just how important dogs were to him when he was Andrew’s age. Jas walked with Andrew and helped him see that it was his responsibility to lead Heaven. He encouraged Andrew, which allowed the boy to develop confidence and realize that he was capable of leading his pack. This Canine Intervention was a big success.
Canine Intervention is now streaming on Netflix