Behind the Scenes with Lexi Beermann

I'm psyched to present the first in a series of posts that profile the principle cast members of a new TV show I'm involved in called Who Let the Dogs Out, which premieres February 18th on Animal Planet.

I'm starting this series of posts with the lovely Lexi Beermann. Lexi is not only beautiful and talented, but she’s brings her fascinating personality to this dynamic cast of characters. The heart and soul of this male-dominant cast, Lexi adds a feminine charm that off-sets the rough and tumble of life on the road with dudes and dogs. I asked Lexi to describe what it is like to be part of the show cast. 'Sometimes I feel it's just me and Rose" (the female bulldog pal of Tillman). "The guys get going on a kick and it comes down to Rose and me holding up the softer side of things. Luckily we met Karen Cobb, so things will start to even out a bit more." You might say that Lexi follows the beat to her own drum, which is how she came into training in the first place. 

Lexi and Wally

She joined the Natural Balance bulldog Team in the 2009 with her first skateboarding bulldog, Lyle, where they made their debut on the World’s Longest Rose ParadeFloat. Since then, Lexi continues to develop a unique approach that sets her apart from the other trainers on the show. Her training philosophy is to communicate or "talk" with the animals. When I asked her what she means by her communication style, she explained that “dogs have a language too. While it’s non-verbal, it’s still a form of communication, which I know how to translate”.  While she doesn’t believe a dog can actually talk in human words, she does believe that every dog has a passion waiting to be discovered, it's just a matter of listening to what they are trying to say." And, listens she does, it’s fascinating to watch her to relate to her furry friends, acting as their number one advocate to help them bring their dreams to reality. When you hear Lexi explain herself in person, it seems very plausible, however the producers of Who Let the Dogs Out have fun pitting Ron's disbelief in Lexi's training philosophy against her genuine and touching manner.

Lexi is no stranger to training dogs; she grew up with three English bulldogs and has a deep, true love and understanding for the breed. Unlike Ron, Lexi doesn't skateboard, snowboard or surf (though she’s tried all three to no avail) but, so far she’s been successful training bulldogs to skateboard, so maybe this whole “talking to the animals thing” really does work! She is an inspirational and patient coach to her four-legged friends, and has a knack for teaching them how to board!

I'm always interested in knowing where people grow up, as I've always felt we are partly a product of our upbringing. Turns out we're both from "back East" as we Californians like to say. Lexi was born and raised in New York City, NY. She graduated from Davidson College with a BA in Fine Arts. Her parents were both successful entrepreneurs, so it was no surprise when Lexi founded her own jewelry company, Neckisses by Lexi www.neckisses.com in 2002. She managed and operated all aspects of the business and was able to combine her business acumen with her inner artist, and today uses that blend of skills in her work with the dogs. I asked Lexi how she does it, managing it all (dogs and business) so well. “It’s always interesting to look back on your experiences and see how they all come together to bring you to your present career”.  Similar to fellow cast members Dick Van Patten and Jimmy Van Patten, Lexi is an avid tennis player and athlete; in fact she once won a bronze medal in the NY State Junior Olympics. It’s apparent in her current position as trainer for the Natural Balance Bulldog team, that she combines her accomplishments in sports, business and art to make a fun, learning environment for Wally to thrive in. Work hard, play hard is what she likes to say!

Lexi currently lives in Venice Beach, California with her four legged son, 'Wally' – puppy in training.  Lexi is a fellow blogger!  She enjoys writing a blog about her life as a Hollywood Pet Mom. Lexi can be seen in every episode of “Who Let the Dogs Out” premiering on Animal Planet, starting February 18th, 2012, don't miss the series, you're going to love it.

Click here to hear my radio interview with Lexi Beermann on BlogTalkRadio.