Jas Leverette of Netflix's Canine Intervention Has the Advice Every Dog Owner Should Know
Netflix
Jas Leverette is dog-kind's best friend.
The dog trainer is the star of Netflix's new reality series, Canine Intervention, and owns his own dog training company, Cali K9. Leverette recently chatted with PEOPLE about one piece of advice he would give to all dog owners, no matter how well-behaved they believe their furry friends are.
Leverette tells PEOPLE exclusively that all dog owners should "figure out the motivation of their dog."
"Figure out what makes your dog tick. Each dog is different, so we need to figure out what is your dog's dopamine, and leverage that," he adds.
RELATED: Netflix's New Dog Training Show with Jas Leverette Is Helping 'the Dogs that No One Else Will'
Netflix
A self-described "animal person," Leverette has been around critters his entire life, which heavily influenced his current career path.
But becoming a dog trainer wasn't always in the cards for the New York native, who grew up in Oakland, California, though he always knew he wanted to be involved with animals in some capacity.
"I did this presentation in sixth grade saying that I wanted to work with animals, endangered species, and be a veterinarian," he says. "[But I] never really fell in love with blood and dealing with certain kinds of animals, so I didn't end up doing the vet thing."
Instead, he began to learn "dog behavior through all these world-famous trainers," Leverette says. He took this "high-caliber training" that he learned and "brought it to regular dogs."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Over the years, Leverette used his training talents and devotion to everyday dogs to build Cali K9 — a place where dog owners learn to work with their pets to form a relationship built on trust and understanding. Now, the trainer's successful approach to helping humans and their canines has "manifested" into his own popular Netflix series, Canine Intervention, which is produced by A. Smith & Co.
"I kind of knew I was going in this direction," Leverette says of the show.
Canine Intervention, which premiered last month, follows Leverette as he uses his unique program to help dogs of all breeds — and their owners — correct various behavioral issues so everyone can lead a happier life.
Sharing his knowledge with the dog owners on the show, Leverette says, is the best part of his job.
"The rewarding part for me is the life changes that I can provide," he explains.
RELATED VIDEO: Puppies With a Purpose: Meet the Canines Training to Become Service Dogs During Pandemic
And alongside his clientele of everyday people, Leverette also lends a hand to training some celebrity dogs — including that of PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive, Michael B. Jordan.
Noting that he and the Black Panther actor have "been friends for a while," Leverette tells PEOPLE he has helped train several of Jordan's family dogs.
"He's just a good-hearted dude [who] comes from a great family," Leverette says. "And it's a very organic thing when I go over to the house because it's like I'm family and not like the dog trainer."
"That's kind of the common denominator with all my clients," he adds. "I build relationships with people and dogs."
