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Young dog trainer spends time with ‘Dog Whisperer’

Rachel Heidtman, 10, sits with her English Shepherd named Baby July 5 at her home in Middletown, Ohio. Rachel recently visited "The Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan in Los Angeles. Staff photo by Nick Daggy

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By Rick McCrabb, Staff Writer 9:49 PM Sunday, July 10, 2011

MIDDLETOWN — Talk about the Dog Days of summer.

Last month, Rachel Heidtman, a 10-year-old dog enthusiast from Middletown, spent about a week in California working with Cesar Millan, host of the popular National Geographic Channel series “Dog Whisperer,” which premiered in September 2004.

Millan is the “best dog behaviorist in the world,” said Rachel’s mother, Brenda.

When the show held a contest for two potential junior “Dog Whisperer” assistants, Rachel, a student at Miller Ridge Elementary School, sent in a 2-minute audition tape. In the video, Rachel shows how she exercises a pit bull at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society in Middletown and includes a recommendation from her fourth-grade teacher Sandra Owen, who says Rachel has “such a passion” for dog training.

Rachel and her mother flew to California and worked with Millan and his crew. Brenda Heidtman said they were treated “like family” and that Millan and his crew wore the PAWS T-shirts and caps they were given. Rachel and the other contest winner, a young girl from Canada, traveled to two locations and worked with dogs. The episodes will air in January, they said.

Brenda Heidtman estimated the value of the trip at $2,000, but the experience was priceless, her daughter said.

“It was amazing,” Rachel said. “I will never forget him.”

Her mother, a part-time school bus driver for the Middletown City School District, added: “It was a dream come true for us.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

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