Cesar's 6 tips for mastering the dog walk

By Cesar Millan

https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-training/walking/6-tips-for-mastering-the-dog-walk?roi=echo2-13490884334-5737157-1896c97f61b77520b97ffc0253a0ee4e

Here are six dog training tips on how to walk your dog and master the dog walk. When I’m out with my dog pack, I often walk about ten dogs at a time, sometimes even off-leash if I'm in a safe area. People are amazed by this, but it's simple: the dogs see me as their pack leader. This is why dogs follow me wherever I go.

1. Walk in front of your dog. Walking in front of your dog allows you to be seen as the pack leader. Conversely, if your dog controls you on the walk, he’s the pack leader. You should be the first one out the door and the first one in. Your dog should be beside or behind you during the walk.

2. Use a short dog leash. This allows you to have more control. Attaching the leash to the very top of the neck can help you more easily communicate, guide, and correct your dog. If you need additional help, consider the Pack Leader Collar. Always keep your dog's safety in mind when giving corrections.

3. Give yourself enough time for the dog walk. Dogs, like humans, are diurnal, so taking walks in the morning is ideal. I recommend setting aside thirty minutes to a full hour. The specific needs of each dog differ. Consult your vet and keep an eye on your dog's behavior to see if his needs are being met.

4. How to reward your dog during the walk. After your dog has maintained the proper state of mind, reward him by allowing him to relieve himself and sniff around. Then you need to decide when reward time is over. It should always be less than the time spent focused on the walk.

5. Keep leading, even after the walk. When you get home, don't stop leading. Have your dog wait patiently while you put away his leash or take off your shoes.

6. Reward your dog after the walk. By providing a meal after the walk, you have allowed your dog to "work" for food and water.

And don’t forget to set a good example by always picking up after your dog!

Ten things you didn’t know about... pit bulls

Reprinted from Cesar's Way, August 23, 2017

Junior — and Daddy before him — has served as Cesar’s right paw dog and ambassador for this very misunderstood and maligned breed. Here are ten things you may not have known about pit bulls.

1. Pit bulls are the only breed of dog to have appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine three times, and of course pit bulls — especially Daddy and Junior — were regularly featured on the cover of Cesar’s Way magazine over its five-year run. Other magazine depictions have not been as favorable, however...
    
2. The negative change in attitude toward pit bulls began thirty years ago, with a Time magazine story called “The Pit Bull Friend and Killer,” which began with the premise that the breed is inherently dangerous and did its damage from there. Prior to pit bulls being considered the vicious breed du jour, Doberman pinschers, German shepherds, and Rottweilers had held that designation and were also subject to breed bans and breed specific legislation.
    
3. Ironically, 1987 was the same year that Bud Light introduced its hugely popular mascot, Spuds MacKenzie, during Super Bowl XXI. The campaign was not killed because of the dog breed, however. Instead, it was because of pressure from special interest groups that perceived the dog as encouraging underage drinking. Spuds was retired in 1989, although she (yes, the dog playing him was female) made a return appearance as a ghost during Super Bowl LI in 2017.
    
4. You may not recognize the name Armando Christian Pérez — or, as he says Lady Gaga calls him, “Armando, formando escándalo” (“Armando, creating a scandal”) — but you’ll probably recognize him by his stage name, Pitbull, which he adopted because of the breed’s tenacity, as well as its outlaw status in his native Dade County, Florida.
    
5. Years before their reputation was tarnished beginning in the 1980s, pit bulls were not only considered safe with children, but they were often used as nanny dogs — and some of the most famous images of pit bulls from the 1920s and 1930s involve them with children, including as Petey in the “Our Gang” comedies and as Buster Brown’s sidekick Tige.
    
6. Photographer Sophie Gamand created a series of portraits of pit bulls with flowers in order to help soften the breed’s reputation.
    
7. Meanwhile, pit bulls Budgie and Basil front the grindcore band Caninus as vocalists, with a little human help from members of the group Most Precious Blood — which is not a reference to bloodhounds.
    
8. There are many persistent myths about pit bulls. Some of the false ones are that they can lock their jaws, and that they bite much harder than other breeds. But the truth is that there’s nothing special about their jaws, and in a test against a German shepherd and a Rottweiler, the pit bull’s bite strength actually came in last place. (The winner in the animal kingdom is the Kodiak Bear, by the way, with a bite force nearly four times as strong as a pit bull’s.)
    
9. One of the reasons that pit bulls get so much of the blame in the media for attacking people is that dogs are often misidentified as belonging to the breed when they don’t. In one study using animal shelter employees in Florida, the number of dogs misidentified by people as pit bulls when DNA said otherwise was inflated by 55%. Out of 120 dogs, only 25 actually were pits or part pit, but shelter staff identified 55 dogs that way. Remember, too, these are people who work with dogs all the time making the error. In the case of police or reporters making the call, it’s reasonable to expect them to be at least as inaccurate, if not more so.
    
10. Cesar has always said that a dog sees itself as animal, species, breed, and then name, with the latter two fairly unimportant as far as the dog is concerned — and with breed having nothing to do with a pit bull’s temperament. While people still spread the rumor that pit bulls are inherently vicious, studies have shown that breed is actually not a factor in dog-bite related fatalities at all. Human error and their failings at training or socializing dogs, though, were the biggest factors.

Our Magic Mirror

Reprinted from FaceBook / June 5, 2017 /  By Cesar Millan

Mirrors have long been associated with the truth, whether it’s Harry Potter’s Mirror of Erised showing people who look into it their sincerest wishes, or the magic mirror on the Evil Queen’s wall that tells her Snow White is the fairest of them all, leading to all kinds of trouble.

This connection is made clear in the lyrics to a very popular song written by Marco Antonio Solis: “El espejo no miente,” which is Spanish for “the mirror doesn’t lie.” Another way to put it is that a mirror only reflects the truth.

Lucky for us, when we have dogs, we have our own living mirrors that are there for us all the time.

If you want to know what kind of energy you’re projecting to the world, just look at your dog. If you’re calm and assertive, they’ll reflect that by being calm and submissive. If you’re not, then they’ll react accordingly. If you’re uncertain and anxious, they’ll either try to take over or become fearful and insecure. If you’re overly excited or angry, they may react aggressively or they may hide from you.

The image you want to see in your furry mirror is calm, but you can only get that if that’s the look you’re giving in the first place. And remember what I said about mirrors being associated with truth? The same is the case with dogs. They cannot lie. Their energy is always going to give away their state of mind.

What we don’t realize is that while it can be very easy for us to lie to other humans, we can’t lie to our dogs, at least not with our energy. Sure, you can “lie” by doing that “pretend to throw the ball” thing to make your dog run after nothing, but all that’s going to do is quickly teach her to not trust you, and who wants that? You cannot lie to a dog otherwise. You can give her the biggest smile in the world while you’re feeling sad about something, and she’ll see right through it.

However, none of this is a negative about dogs. Exactly the opposite: This ability to be our mirrors is one of the greatest gifts that they can give us. It’s instant and honest feedback, and the kind you may not get from other humans.

If your dog is acting a bit off and it’s not due to illness, then there’s something off about you, and your dog’s behavior is your signal to start looking to see what the issue is. Maybe you’re tense and haven’t realized it. Maybe you’ve been in a bad mood. Or, the opposite, maybe you’ve been too happy and excited. Whatever the cause, you’ve got a four-footed therapist right there to help you spot it.

Once you look at your dog as a mirror, you can begin to use him as another tool: a level. And what’s the whole point of a level? To find that place in the center, where nothing is leaning too far to one side or the other. That’s called balance, which comes from finding the symmetry between both sides; in this case, you and your reflection — your dog.

When your dog reflects well on you, you’re the one who’s found balance — and that’s the truth.

Stay calm, and keep reflecting!

Why grieving for a dog is so hard

Mama saw this article from The Dog Whisper, Cesar's Way, and suggested that I reprint it here.
Don't worry, I am feeling just dog-gone wonderful so I am here for many more years. 

My family knows how hard it is to lose a best friend.

Jackson, Sierra, and Louie

Taken from:
https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/end-of-life/Why-grieving-for-a-dog-is-so-hard

By Jon Bastian

If you’ve ever lost a dog, then you’ve probably heard the following well-meaning but somewhat heartbreaking comment, “Well, it was just a dog.” Only someone who isn’t a dog lover would ever say that.

What people who’ve never been in the position of losing a dog don’t understand is that it isn’t like leaving your favorite sweater on the subway or finding your goldfish floating on its side. The impact of this kind of loss is much bigger, partly because dogs generally are with us into their teens, but also because, even on a subconscious level, they have integrated themselves into our hearts and our families.

Because of this, the loss of a dog represents multiple losses at the same time.

The biggest loss, of course, is the unconditional love that they give us and which we have earned over their lifetimes. We probably have no relationships — especially not human ones — with such high levels of trust and respect as those that we develop with our dogs, so the loss of that connection can be especially devastating.

There is also that familial aspect again. Losing a dog can be, to some people, as painful as losing a child, especially because our dogs rarely live to reach the age of a human adult. At least in that chronological sense, our dogs always die as children.

Also, although it’s not a good idea to anthropomorphize our dogs and treat them like little humans, there are probably very few dog lovers who can honestly say that they don’t have “conversations” with their dogs. Remember, dogs are excellent listeners, and this ability is part of the reason that they work so well as therapists for humans.

Your dog is always there as a sounding board and even if they can’t give you advice, they can give support as you share your hopes and worries with them. The loss of this support system adds another level to the grief we can feel when our dog dies.

Finally, dogs help us establish a routine and take responsibility. We have regular duties to carry out on their behalf and are responsible for their care and well-being. This part of losing a dog can throw the entire rhythm of life completely out of kilter, and that kind of sudden disruption can just add to the stress of grief.

As if that weren’t all difficult enough, we bring our own emotions to the situation, and they can often just amplify the guilt. Since, quite frequently, we are the ones who must make the decision to end a dog’s life due to advanced illness, it can also be quite easy to go on second-guessing that choice — “Were there other medical options? Did I do enough? Should I have waited just to see if she recovered on her own?”

This is why it’s so important to develop a good relationship with a veterinarian who cares about your dog as much as you do, then to trust their judgment when it comes to this question. A good vet will explain your options for treatment and help you make the right decision.

Because we are responsible for our dogs’ safety and well-being, this feeling of guilt comes with any loss, though, whether it was planned euthanasia after a long illness or sudden death due to accident or other misadventure. After all, if your dog gets out and is hit by a car, it’s very easy to blame yourself for leaving the gate open, not keeping an eye on him, or not taking more time to train him to stay out of the street.

Finally, our society does not have the same support mechanisms in place for the passing of a dog as we do for the passing of a human. Wakes, memorials, and elaborate funerals are the rule when it comes to human death. For dogs, these would all be exceptional events, although police and military service dogs do often have full-on funerals. Civilians, though, do not generally receive the comfort of giving their dog such a ceremony, and so generally have to go through the process of saying good-bye alone or limiting it to the immediate family.

If you’ve ever lost a dog of your own, though, you probably also know that they wouldn’t care whether they had a funeral or not as long as you were there at the end. While it’s very difficult, being present for that pain is probably the best way to prepare for the grieving process — and to see that, up until the very end, your dog always saw you as their best friend.

For more information on preparing for and surviving through the process of losing a dog, please visit our End of Life Care section.

Pack Leadership Technique 5: Read your dog's body language

Reprinted from FB / January 8 2017

Cesar's Way
https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techniques/body-language/read-your-dogs-body-language

Zoey. Pictures are mine, not from Cesar's Way

Dexter & Zoey

Who wants to play ball, please, please...

While humans primarily use words to communicate, dogs use energy to communicate, expressing it through body language. To communicate with our dogs, we need to learn and adopt their 'language' rather than expecting them to learn ours.

One way to decode a dog's language is to remember that Energy = Intention _ Emotion. A dog's energy ' his intention and emotions, working together ' are communicated by his body language.

A dog's play bow to another dog illustrates how this works. The motion is forward, but the front of the dog's body is low to the ground. The intention (the forward movement) is excitement but the emotion (the low body) is friendly, so the energy is playful.

Related: Principle 1 for Achieving Balance: Be aware of your energy.

That means that similar behaviors can mean different things. For example, a happily excited dog and an aggressive dog may both move forward toward a person or other animal ' but one of them is playful and the other one is threatening. Likewise, a dog may run away in fear or it may run away to start a game of chase with another dog.

The important parts to watch are the head, ears, tail, and back. The higher these are, the more dominant a dog is feeling, and the lower they are, the more submissive or uncertain her feelings. Look also for tension in the dog's body, particularly in the back and legs. The more tense a dog is, the higher its energy level.

It can be easy to misinterpret a dog's energy, so develop a habit of close observation of their body language. For example, many people are afraid when a dog shows its teeth ' but an astute observer knows that when the teeth are together, with the ears pulled back along the head, eyes squinting, and the body is lowered and leaning away, the dog is actually showing submission. Likewise, a dog may come charging at you, but if its body is relaxed, its tail is level and wagging, and there's no tension in the body, then it is showing excitement, not aggression.

Dogs can't tell us in words what they're thinking and feeling because they don't have to. They're expressing themselves constantly through body language. Once we learn how to understand this, a whole world of communication with our dogs opens up.

Pack Leadership Technique 4: Master the walk

Reprinted from FB / January 7, 2017

Cesar's Way

https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techiques/the-walk/master-the-walk?utm_content=sf49820516&utm_medium=spredfast&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Cesar%27s+Way%2C+Inc.&sf49820516=1

Pack Leadership Technique #2 reminds us to provide exercise, discipline, and affection in that order. And the absolute best way to provide exercise and discipline for your dog is through the walk. Here's what you need to master it.

Pack Leadership Technique 2 reminds us to provide exercise, discipline, and affection in that order. And the absolute best way to provide exercise and discipline for your dog is through the walk.

To make the walk productive and bonding, you have to be the leader. This means that you're in front, not your dog. It helps to use a short leash with the collar up at the top of the dog's neck, where you have the most control. Keep your leash arm down and relaxed, with the leash loose. Don't grip tightly because that sends tense energy down the leash to your dog.

Avoid harnesses for the walk, because they tend to encourage dogs to pull. And take a pass on any kind of variable-length lead, as these put your dog, not you, in control.

Related: How to be the pack leader

The most important tool for the walk, though, is your calm, assertive energy. It's a transformative attitude that actually encourages your dog to follow you. This means being fully present for your dog. The walk isn't a time for texting or chatting on your phone.

Your dog must also be present for you. Sniffing and peeing are rewards your dog needs to earn ' so during first part of the walk, keep in constant motion, mimicking the forward movement of the pack in search of food. After establishing a good balance of leadership (you) and calm, submissive walking (your dog), you can relax a bit and let your dog sniff or mark the landscape.

Another skill for mastering the walk is reading other dog walkers from a distance. If their dog is out in front and pulling, and the person's energy seems anxious with weak and uncertain body language, it's possible their dog could exhibit some undesired behavior should you meet. It's better for you and your dog to avoid such encounters.

The walk is the perfect way to give your dog exercise, discipline, and some affection, as well as to establish rules. When you master it, you will have discovered the most rewarding and productive way to improve your relationship with your dog.

Pack Leadership Technique 3: Establish rules, boundaries and limitations.

Reprinted from FB / January 6, 2017
Cesar's Way
https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techniques/rules-boundaries-limitations/establish-rules-boundaries-limitations?utm_content=sf47435897&utm_medium=spredfast&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Cesar%27s+Way%2C+Inc.&sf47435897=1

Rules, boundaries and limitations can keep a dog from misbehaving because they give her something else to do. The trick is to be clear and consistent.

Because of their nature as social pack animals, dogs want us to tell them what they're supposed to do. Their goal is to help the pack survive, and they do it by following the pack leader. It's the job of the pack leaders to provide protection and direction. Establishing and enforcing rules, boundaries, and limitations is how they provide direction to the pack.

' Rules refer to what a dog is and isn't allowed to do: Stay off of my bed but sleep on yours; don't jump on people; don't pull on the walk.

' Boundaries control where a dog can and can't go: The baby's room is off-limits; don't go out the door until I say so; you can only enter my personal space when I invite you. Boundaries are about claiming territory, and they teach your dog what is and isn't his.

Related: 5 tips for building boundaries

' Limitations control the length or intensity of an activity: We stop playing fetch when I say so; you're too excited, so it's time to return to a calm and submissive state with a timeout.

Rules, boundaries and limitations can keep a dog from misbehaving because they give her something else to do. For example, if your dog has separation anxiety, create a rule that she has to lie on her bed when you're getting ready to leave. This will keep her from becoming excited because she associates the bed with being calm and submissive. She will stay in this frame of mind when you leave. If your dog is an obsessive beggar, create a boundary around the table, constraining the dog from approaching while humans are eating.

Because our dogs want to please us, their Pack Leaders, our approval becomes the positive reinforcement they need. We just have to be clear and consistent with what we want. Creating rules, boundaries, and limitations and enforcing them provides that clarity and consistency for our dogs.

Pack Leadership Technique 2: Provide exercise, discipline, affection

Reprinted from FB / January 5, 2017

Cesar's Way

https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techniques/fulfillment-formula/provide-exercise-discipline-affection?utm_content=sf47435782&utm_medium=spredfast&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Cesar%27s+Way%2C+Inc.&sf47435782=1



The formula for a balanced dog is simple. Living it takes practice and commitment.

A balanced dog is one that is fulfilled in all three aspects of its being: body, mind, and heart. In nature, dogs instinctively find that balance. When dogs live in the human world, however, it's up to us to ensure that they get that balance.

Humans and dogs both have instinctual, intellectual and emotional dimensions. We humans live in a world where intellect and emotions are primary, while our instinctual side is less important. For dogs, it's the other way around. They live in an instinctual world where their intellect and emotions are secondary.

When we relate to our dogs in a human way, emphasizing the intellect and emotions over the instinctual, they can lose touch with their own instincts and nature. Meanwhile, we don't recognize our dog's instinctual behavior and what it's telling us. Our dogs thus develop behavior issues.

Related: Exercise: Challenge your dog physically

That's why exercise, discipline and affection must be given to our dogs, in that order. We first exercise the instinctual, then we discipline the intellect and express affection to the emotions. In this way, we fulfill the dog's needs and promote balanced behavior. That's why Cesar calls this the Fulfillment Formula:

Exercise is for the Body = Fulfilling Instinct = Creating Trust

Discipline is for the Mind = Fulfilling Intellect = Creating Respect

Affection is for the Heart = Fulfilling Emotion = Creating Love

It is only when we, as humans, stop acting intellectually and emotionally with our dogs and start living more instinctually that we learn one of the most important things we need to have a balanced dog: Our goal is not to make our dogs trust, respect, and love us ' it is to make ourselves trustworthy, respectable, and loveable.

Pack Leadership Technique 1: Project calm, assertive energy

Reprinted from FB / Jan 5, 2017
Cesar's Way
https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techniques/calm-assertive/project-calm-assertive-energy

It's a new year and there's no better time than now to make a resolution to become a better pack leader. There are five key techniques that I will post about here over the next few days. Here's the first one!

To dogs,' says Cesar, 'energy is everything.'

Because dogs communicate with energy, our personal energy plays a central role in our relationship with them. Dogs are our mirrors, reflecting back in their behavior the energy we express. If we are hyperactive and over-excited, our dogs will be the same; if we are tense and angry, our dogs will be anxious.

Unlike humans, dogs will not follow unstable energy. They instinctually seek and follow pack leaders who exhibit calm and assertive energy. When dogs live with a human who does not fill this role, they will attempt to correct the pack balance by filling what they see as a vacant pack leader role. This is how behavior problems develop.

Related: How to be calm and assertive

To establish yourself as the pack leader, you must project calm, assertive energy. Think of it as a perfectly balanced set of scales. On one side is your calm and assertive leadership; on the other is your dog's calm and submissive behavior. This balance nurtures stability and creates a centered and happy dog.

We can learn and practice projecting calm and assertive energy by using a natural ability that dogs don't have ' our imaginations. Think of someone who inspires confidence in you ' a parent or mentor; a famous leader or hero; even a fictional character. How do they carry themselves, and what in them inspires confidence in you? Now imagine that you are this character. Stand like they would stand. Move like they would move. Take slow, deep breaths. Relax your body, but keep your head up, shoulders back and chest out.

Note how you're feeling. Then practice capturing this state during the day with your dog. Don't be surprised if your dog spontaneously sits next to or follows behind you wherever you go. It's because you're communicating with your dog using only your energy and body language. Now you're ready to continue the 'conversation' with your dog in a balanced way.

Projecting calm, assertive energy isn't a new skill to be learned. It's a natural human trait to be remembered, and mastering it will bring your relationship with your dog to a whole new level.

Children and puppies

Reprinted from FB: Cesar's Way

http://cesar.mn/eYrnhw

Few images are as evocative of trust, loyalty, and friendship as a child with a puppy. Bonds formed between humans and dogs can be made incredibly strong when the relationship is formed early on, but it's very important that our children be taught how to interact safely and responsibly with their canine companions.

Greeting a puppy:

• Teach the child about "No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact."
• The introduction between puppy and child should be delayed until the child's excitement has passed and he or she is in a calm state of mind, able to focus on adult instruction. Never allow the child to make the first move.
• Keep an eye on the child's energy levels and note the puppy's reactions. Once you are satisfied that the situation is safe and under your control, show the child the proper way to give affection.
• Safety first! Don't be afraid to say no... if the situation appears unsafe for puppy or child, inform the child that the dog is in training and can't be pet.

Playtime:

Keep an eye on the scene at all times! Puppies and children should never be left alone together without adult supervision.

• Set some ground rules for off-limits play. Be sure that the child understands not to pull the puppy's ears or tail.
• Keep watch for signs of rough play, and correct the child or redirect his or her energy when needed.
• Observe the puppy's body language. Step in when you believe the puppy has had enough of playtime.

Photo not taken from Cesar's Way. Photo by David Citarella 

Heath issues and cleanliness:

Children are more vulnerable than grown-ups to the illnesses that pets can carry. Here are some helpful tips to avoid risks to your child's health.

Related: How to choose the best dog for your kids

• Make sure the puppy sees a vet regularly.
• Make sure your child washes his or her hands thoroughly both before and after playtime.
• Do not allow playtime around or near the areas where the puppy or dog relieves himself.
• Any and all excrement should be picked up from the lawn and surrounding areas frequently and properly disposed of.

Let it Be by Cesar Millan

By Cesar Millan

Show of hands — how many of you consider your dogs to be your children? Do you call them your “fur babies” and include them in family events? Maybe celebrate their birthdays, talk to them constantly, feed them scraps from the table?

Well, if you’re doing these things, you’re acting like a lot of dog owners. The problem is, if you are, then you’re doing all of the wrong things for your dogs. As I like to say, in Mexico, dogs are skinny but happy. In other places, they are fat and neurotic.

Related: 5 things you're doing that drive your dog crazy

Considering your dogs to be your children and humanizing them is actually the worst thing you can ever do for them.

This is probably one of the most difficult concepts for people to grasp when I try to teach them how to be Pack Leaders. And I can understand that. We have bred dogs to be cute and cuddly, and it’s completely natural for humans to want to love and coddle cute things.

This is completely natural for humans, but absolutely unnatural for dogs. To prove it, all you have to do is go to a dog park and look at which dogs other dogs gravitate toward, want to play with, and give respect to.

Hint: It’s not the ones we would necessarily describe as cute.

No. It’s the dogs that are calm and assertive. They may be big or small. They may be “cute” or “ugly.” They may even be handicapped in some way, but that doesn’t matter to the other dogs. All they see is energy, and the dogs that project calm, assertive energy are the leaders. That’s how it works in the dog world.

The reason it works is because most dogs need a leader. That’s how they’re designed. Dogs are social animals that live in packs and follow strong leaders, and most dogs do not want to be in charge. In fact, the quickest way to confuse a dog and make it act out badly is to try to force it into a leadership role that it doesn’t want.

And this is exactly what we do when we treat our dogs like little humans, fail to show them leadership, and give them nothing but affection, affection, and affection.

From the human point of view, we’re just being humane. From our dogs’ point of view, we are not.

Imagine that, as a child, you wanted to be a sculptor, and you were actually pretty good at molding clay into statues. It’s what you love to do, and you have talent... and your parents put you on the hockey team instead.

You’re not into sports, you can’t skate, and you’re terrible at hockey, but your parents are there at every game, cheering you on and telling you how good you are. And you hate every second of it.

That is what it’s like for a dog when we don’t let them be a dog, and no amount of praise or treats or affection is going to make your dog any better at not being a dog. This will, however, make your dog neurotic and confused.

The best thing we can do for our canine companions is to honor their instincts by being calm, assertive Pack Leaders, establishing rules, boundaries, and limitations, and giving them exercise, discipline, and affection — in that order.

Stay calm, and let your dogs be dogs.

The Real Top Dog

Cesar's Way / May 1, 2016

By Cesar Millan

When you hear the term “alpha male,” what do you think of? You probably see some loud, powerful, overbearing man in a position of leadership — a CEO, professional athlete, or drill sergeant.

These images all tend toward negative stereotypes about masculinity: insensitive, loud, opinionated, and pushy. An alpha male resolves conflict by escalating it and then winning in combat, whether actual or symbolic.

So when people use the expression “alpha” in the dog world, they tend to think of the same negative images, seeing the alpha as the aggressive leader who will attack and kill any challengers. But that’s never what the term meant in the dog world. The alpha is just the dog (or mating pair) leading the pack

To put it in perspective, here’s one example of an extremely alpha male: Gandhi.

That may seem surprising. After all, wasn’t Gandhi a pacifist, determined to achieve his goals through peaceful resistance instead of armed conflict? He never gave the impression of being physically strong and was never loud or bossy. Nobody could seem farther from being the classic alpha male, right?

And yet Gandhi led his fellow Indians into a revolution that took on one of the world’s most formidable empires, and they won, becoming an independent nation again.

Gandhi’s secret to being a great leader was his calm, assertive energy — and this is also the key to being a true alpha, whether you’re a dog or a human. A leader cannot lead through fear or intimidation. They may be able to control their followers for a while, but it’s a following created by coercion. Since it’s not based on trust or respect, it will fall apart at the first opportunity.

After all, how many dictators wind up being assassinated by their own military or inner circle?

The difference with humans is that we will follow an unstable leader who uses strong-arm tactics to bully us into control because they often use arguments based on emotion, usually fear of the unknown.

Dogs don’t work like this. If an unstable dog tries to become the alpha, the other dogs will either not follow at all or, if it becomes too extreme, they’ll gang up and drive that dog from their pack without hesitation.

Researchers found a perfect example of a true alpha in the Yellowstone Park wolf pack. He was a male known as M21. He never lost a fight to a rival, but he never killed a rival he defeated. According to Yellowstone’s biological technician Rick McIntyre, one of M21’s favorite things to do was to wrestle and play-fight with the wolf pups. But what he really loved, McIntyre explained, “Was to pretend to lose. He just got a huge kick out of it.”

Of course, the other big difference between human, wolf, and dog alphas is that the canines have always allowed either males or females to assume the leadership role. They don’t decide based on gender. They decide based on energy. It looks like humans are only just catching up to that one.

So the secret to being the alpha is to always have calm, assertive energy to earn your dog’s trust, respect, and loyalty. The only thing that changes is the degree of assertiveness you may have to use. A timid dog requires very little assertiveness provided that you’re calm enough, and it goes up the scale from there. An aggressive dog requires a much more physical correction.

The only dogs I’ve ever had to put into a submission position are those that are trying to be overly dominant themselves. This isn’t a technique that I learned from any trainer or behaviorist, though. I learned it from the dogs themselves. It’s exactly what a mother dog will do to correct her pups when they’re out of line — roll them on their backs and hold them down until they submit. She isn’t trying to intimidate or coerce them, though. She’s making a simple statement of fact: “I’m the one in charge here.”

The secret to being the alpha — the Pack Leader — is to find the right balance between being calm and being assertive and remembering that a true leader will use whatever technique is necessary to maintain control, but always from a place of love.

Stay calm, and let your dogs respect you.

https://www.cesarsway.com/cesar-millan/cesars-blog/The-real-top-dog?utm_content=A+true+Pack+Leader+cannot+lead+through+fear+or+intimidation.+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cesarsway.com%2Fcesar-millan%2Fcesars-blog%2FThe-real-top-dog&utm_campaign=&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=&utm_medium=1462129728

Top 5 myths about shelter dogs

Reprinted from Cesar's Way / https://www.cesarsway.com/


Part of Cesar’s mission is to promote rescue, rehabilitation, and re-homing of dogs. There are millions of homeless dogs in the world, and a large number of them are currently in shelters waiting for one of two options: a forever home, or death. Often, people are reluctant to adopt shelter dogs because of certain preconceived notions about them. Here, we debunk five common myths about shelter dogs.

1. They’re in the shelter because something is wrong with them

This myth comes from common misunderstandings about how dogs wind up in shelters in the first place. The perception is that dogs end up in animal shelters because they were strays, they were seized in police raids, or they were aggressive. So, they will tend to run away, they will have emotional problems because of how they were treated, or they are just vicious.

But, in reality, a big reason that dogs wind up in shelters is because they were given up by their owners for reasons that have nothing to do with the dog’s behavior. A lot of families give up their dogs because they can’t afford them anymore, or they are forced to move to a place where they can’t have dogs or, worse, can’t have a dog of a particular breed.

Related: If you can’t adopt...

Dogs also end up in shelters when expectations and reality don’t meet — that little Dalmatian puppy grew up into a large, energetic dog living in a studio apartment, or that lap dog that was so cute in the pet store became uncontrollable and dominant because its cuteness earned nothing but affection, affection, affection, so the dog never had any rules, boundaries, or limitations.

The only thing inherently wrong with a shelter dog is that it’s in a shelter and not with a loving family.

2. You’ll never know their history

While this may be true, it’s not a bad thing, because that shelter dog will never really know its own history, either — especially not once it’s brought into a loving home with good Pack Leaders. Dogs don’t dwell on the past, and we shouldn't either, especially when it comes to dogs.

There are shelters that offer a glimpse of the dog’s story, but that’s not necessarily a good thing because, again, humans like to dwell in the past. Whether the dog was abused by children, thrown out of a car, rescued from a dog-fighting ring, or whatever traumatic event she went through, it's past. Dogs live in the moment.

A dog's past will only be a problem if you constantly dwell on what happened before the shelter. The dog forgot about it once it wasn’t happening anymore, and you can help the dog forget as well by not triggering anything that resembles that early trauma.

3. They may have a disease

Yes, they may, kennel cough being particularly common. However, most shelters nowadays will also provide you with a voucher for a subsidized or no-cost first vet visit, and the more devastating diseases have vaccines that are routinely provided by the shelter, like the DHPP(Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvovirus/Parainfluenza) shot, as well as a rabies vaccination. Shelters also make sure that dogs are free of fleas and worms, and they provide spaying and neutering as part of the adoption process.

4. They aren’t purebred

And…? Unless you’re a breeder or are looking for a professional show dog, mixed breed dogs are a much better choice. They are generally free of genetic or behavioral problems that are typical of some pure breeds, like hip dysplasia in German shepherds or incessant digging by terriers.

Mixed breed dogs are also just much more interesting looking, since they don’t follow the strict standards required for purebreds. Finally, if you live in an area with breed specific laws (BSL) that ban certain dogs, like pit bulls or Rottweilers, having that other identifiable breed in the mix can avoid issues with your dog being outlawed.

5. They’re too old

Adopting a puppy can be an attractive idea — you get to start out with a four-legged blank slate, and raise it to adulthood. However, people often focus on the “cute” part and forget the reality of raising a puppy: It can be just as intense and difficult as raising a child, and it’s also a full time job.

Sure, it only takes about a year and a half to raise a puppy, as opposed to eighteen (or more) for children, but that can be a year and a half of having things chewed up or peed on, having your rules constantly tested, and having a growing ball of energy rushing around the house.

You can also never be absolutely sure with a puppy what you’ll wind up with as an adult. You may want a medium size dog and the shelter thought that the puppy you've adopted was mostly beagle. What happens, then, when the other part turns out to be a St. Bernard or Great Dane and the dog you expected to weigh 30 pounds tops out at 150?

Particularly if you don’t have a lot of time to spend on training, an adult dog around 1 or 2 years old can be ideal. They usually come with all the useful features pre-installed: Housebroken, they know some tricks, they’re used to people. If they do have any behavioral issues, they will be much easier to fix at this point — assuming that they show up at all, which they may not if you do things the right way.

And don’t discount senior dogs, which are those aged 7 years or more. Senior dogs can be ideal for lower-energy households, or in situations where you don’t want to commit for ten or fifteen whole years but still want a loving companion.

So, next time you want to add a dog to your family or your pack, adopt don’t shop — you’ll save a life and find a faithful friend at the same time.