Transcript of Chat with Cesar Millan on July 28, 2006

NGC_Chat_Host: Welcome
everyone! The live chat with Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan will
begin in a minute or two. Please send us your questions now
by typing them below, then clicking "Ask." We'll
get to as many questions as we can.

Cesar_Millan: Hi
everyone. Thanks so much for participating in our
online chat. We have a lot of people joining us tonight,
so I will try to answer as many questions as I can. Let's
get started!

wVirginia: Hi Cesar. Are there
certain breeds of dogs that are easier to train than others?
Thank you!

Cesar_Millan: Well, in my experience,
it's not so much the breed that makes training any easier, it's
the level of energy the dogs are born with. "Low" and "middle" energy
dogs are going to be easier to condition because they are born
to be followers. "High" and "very high" energy
level dogs are going to require a more experienced owner because
those dogs are more likely born to be leaders.

DWFanLady: Hi Cesar! What did
you think of the South Park episode that featured you as a character?
Did you think it was funny?

Cesar_Millan: It was hilarious!
I loved it!

Skillet: What are your thoughts
on people who dress up their pets?

Cesar_Millan: As long as you
walk the dog before you dress them up, there's nothing wrong
with it. If the dog has no topcoat and the weather is not in
his favor, I can totally see the need for putting a coat or sweater
on him.

indigirl1: Cesar, what do you
recommend when one person follows the plan and the other family
members don't follow the plan?

Cesar_Millan: Well, I think
that's when conversation is important. Everybody has to be on
the same level for the benefit of the dog. The goal is to have
a balanced dog, and everybody must play a role in keeping him
balanced. The family should sit down at the table and say, look
if we're going to have a dog, he'll need consistent exercise,
discipline, and affection. Otherwise, the human should have a
consequence. I'll leave it up to you.

Bethany: With a dog that has
a history of aggression, how do you know he will be safe around
babies? We are thinking about starting a family, but don't know
how to "prepare" the dog. Thanks!

Cesar_Millan: Well, you definitely
have to consult a professional. Babies and dogs can only be together
if they're both balanced. There was an episode on Dog Whisperer
Season Two that addressed this issue. The dog's name was Cosmo.
It's important that you don't address this on your own. Get a
professional to give you a strategy to follow.

nsweet: What is the best way to
teach my puppy to come?

Cesar_Millan: You have to
learn about motivation, and what motivates your puppy. Before
we ask the dog what he wants, we have to understand what he
needs, in order to create that ripple effect. That means you
have to learn to fulfill their needs, so they can automatically
fulfill your needs. I encourage you to learn about dog psychology.

dmm825: Our dog is an adult.
He never had any accidents on the carpet as a puppy, but now
is having accidents whenever we leave the house. Why would
this start all of a sudden, and what can we do to stop the situation?

Cesar_Millan: If the dog
is older, it might be a bladder problem, and that is a medical
question. It could also be psychological. If it's psychological,
he could be marking. Those are the two reasons a dog will pee
after he's been great.

Wiegman: How do you take
dogs on "off-leash" walks
in the woods?

Cesar_Millan: What I do to transfer the dog
from on-leash to off-leash is first I make sure he listens
on leash, then when he's "in the zone," I drop the
leash on the floor. Once he's in the tired state, I take the
leash off. By the end of the walk, he's off-leash. The next
day I'll do the same, but I'll take the leash off before he
goes into a tired state. So timing and knowledge are extremely
important in being able to send them back to their natural
way of traveling.

Ascott: What are your thoughts on electric
collars? And how true is it that you can't teach an old dog
new tricks. How old is too old?

Cesar_Millan: Before any tool is used, there
has to be a bond between the human and dog—regardless of the
dog—whether it's a choke collar, electric collar, a "Gentle
Leader," or a leash. It's important to develop trust from
our dogs before we use tools on them. That's my take on this.
You can learn a lot on this from my DVD, "People Training
for Dogs," available on my Web site, www.cesarmillaninc.com.

Cesar_Millan: And my answer to the second question:
It doesn't matter how old the dog is, they always want to go
back to balance. It's my belief that it's never too late.

Lisa: Why is it OK for the dog to be ahead
of you when they are pulling you on wheels vs. feet?

Cesar_Millan: Because that's a job. You're
utilizing their energy. For example, sled dogs pull, but the
musher is in control.

Portia: When a storm is coming, our nineteen-month-old
Lab, that I have had for three months, shakes, pants, and will
not go out to potty. She even got frightened when a bird hit
the window the other night. What can I do?

Cesar_Millan: Sometimes it's good to babysit
a stable, adult dog at times like this. Because sometimes dogs
don't take cues from us as well as they do from other dogs,
especially at that age. But, if you don't have the option of
babysitting a balanced dog, redirect their attention into something
more constructive. Do not share negative energy at that moment.

skindred: How can I stop my three-year-old
chocolate Lab from incessant licking?

Cesar_Millan: He's fixated. Every time I hear
that a dog doesn't have limits, it makes sense to me to give
him limits. An obsession mind has no limits.

samwright23: How do you deal with dogs with
low self-esteem?

Cesar_Millan: Well, for dogs with low self-esteem,
I create activities. For example, going over an obstacle, walking
through areas that might make him nervous, joining people in
a walk who have balanced dogs. Those activities will build
his self-esteem. Do not nurture or feel bad for him having
low self-esteem.

Will: Cesar, my four-year-old adopted golden
retriever Dixie is very afraid of the vacuum cleaner. Any tips
on helping her?

Cesar_Millan: If the dog runs away from the
vacuum, try feeding him next to the vacuum while it is not
on. But if a dog is angry-aggressive, then I invite you to
watch Monday's episode on Dog Whisperer Week on the National
Geographic Channel. There are two Yorkies with a similar issue
on this episode.

CF: Hi Cesar! You are such an inspiration!
Thank you for what you do. I am 46 and seriously considering
getting into dog training. Am I too old to start, and can I
support my family doing it? Thank you.

Cesar_Millan: You're never too old to work
with animals! They need human beings like you, and it's up
to you how much you want in life. Thanks for seeing me as an
inspiration!

Norcam: I have two miniature pinschers, one
is five, the other is six months old, and they eat each others'
stool. Please help. It's sick.

Cesar_Millan: There's a medical reason for
it. The dogs are lacking some kind of vitamins or minerals,
and the vet can advise you on that. It can also start with
boredom. When they don't have much to do, since poop has food
inside, they feel like they're discovering food.

Star_s_owner: Hi Cesar! I know that when older
dogs jump on you, it's a form of dominance, but what about
a three-month-old puppy? And how can I stop her from doing
it? Thank you.

Cesar_Millan: In a litter of puppies, you're
going to have dominant puppies, and what they do is jump on
the other littermates. The choices you have are to block or
ignore the behavior. You have to make that judgment, since
I can't see the puppy.

mia: Hi Cesar. I have an older pit bull and
I have problems removing foxtails from his paws. Since I've
been practicing your methods, I've come a long way, but he
still struggles and puts up a fight. Do you have any suggestions?

Cesar_Millan: Make sure you're always safe.
A lot of times when you're taking away a foxtail, they're in
a lot of pain. You can ask the help of another person to hold
his head. Don't try to take all the foxtails out at once. Take
one out, then give him a massage, then take another one out
and give him another massage, so you make it a positive experience
for him. But teamwork is a great answer to a situation like
the one you have. There's also an episode Dog Whisperer, "Pups
on Parole," that deals with this.

Star_s_owner: When a puppy is biting the neck
of an older dog, is that a sign of dominance?

Cesar_Millan: It depends; we have to read the
energy. They target the same area for play or dominance. They're
looking for stimulation, so what we need to do is, if the older
dog is not stopping the puppy, we have to do it for them, because
the puppy could be using dominant energy.

Lab_1: Hi Cesar. HELP!! Our four-month-old
Labrador is becoming very aggressive. He will be okay one second
and the other, he begins to snarl and lunge at us and bite.
He is doing this more and more. Today he did it after playing
ball in the pool. Why is he becoming so frightening?

Cesar_Millan: My take on that is don't worry
about why, go back to basics.

Dixie77: Hi! I have a question regarding my
dog Champ. He barks at anyone—even me—whenever anyone goes
up the stairs. Can you help?

Cesar_Millan: Yes, I can help by suggesting
that you closely watch the show, read the book, and then watch
the show again. The answer is very simple; you must claim the
stairs. It's a ritual. The dog is barking to let you know that
those are his stairs, not anyone else's, including his owner.
It means that nobody is really the pack leader in your house.

horsecrazy816: I have a three-year-old border
collie/German shepherd mix that tries to attack our cocker
spaniel when we get in the car. What can I do?

Cesar_Millan: Exercise the collie/shepherd
mix by himself before you put him in the car with the cocker
spaniel. Then, with the cocker spaniel already standing in
the car, use a leash to bring the collie/shepherd mix inside
the car and tell him to lie down. Give him something to do
in order for him to stop attacking the cocker spaniel. Continue
to practice the commands "down" and "stay." This
way, the collie/shepherd mix will become the submissive one
when he's in the car. Always consult a professional before
attempting this.

Jimmy: Hi, Cesar. Thank you for being online!
I hope you will be online more often. I am from Quebec City,
Canada, and I want to know, if I am fearful of being bitten
when I try to put my mom's dog outside of the excitement stage
while the dog is barking, can the dog sense my fear and bite
me? I think that the energy I send while correcting the dog
is nervousness and fear of being bitten.

Cesar_Millan: The majority of the time, they'll
still bite you. I'm doing a show airing in season three, which
starts in October, similar to your case, about a human who
is terrified of dogs, and my goal is to help him to get over
that fear. And I will do my best to be online more often.

Isa-Ro-La: Cesar, besides the "exercise,
discipline, and then affection" routine for our dogs,
do you have additional advice for owners whose dogs suffer
seizures? Thanks!

Cesar_Millan: Acupuncture, homeopathy, massage,
swimming, or anything that involves relaxation.

K2: Hi Cesar. I'm your biggest fan and always
on the BLOG! My dogs are cat-aggressive towards cats not part
of our pack (usually outdoor cats). I've tried body-blocking
and blocking their view of the cats, and being calm-assertive.
What else do you suggest?

Cesar_Millan: I strongly suggest you watch
the episode I did with the dog named Buddy, called "Animal
Killer," airing Monday night. Sometimes it's good to watch
an episode over and over until it becomes part of your strategy.

Tom: We were at your Columbus seminar last
week and asked about dog fighting in our home between our Doberman
and German shepherd. You were explaining how to use a muzzle.
Could you explain how to put them together again?

Cesar_Millan: It's very important that you
find a professional in your area who has knowledge about aggression,
so he can guide you.

Barngodess: I have four dogs. Should I discipline
one when he shows dominance over one of the other dogs?

Cesar_Millan: It depends, though this is what
might happen. When a dog is practicing dominance over another
dog, he can also spread the behavior to the others, so the
rule should be, whatever dog is in a dominant state is going
to be disciplined, even if he didn't start the fight or the
dominance.

Bodieboy: I use a cane on short walks, but
how do I get my five-month-old Labrador retriever to stop pulling
the walker on longer walks?

Cesar_Millan: This is when you hire a professional
dog trainer who can condition the dog to go and walk with you.
Let the trainer know what your goal is.

molly: I have a four-month-old female German
shepherd that lunges and barks at other dogs while she's on
her leash. Do you have a suggestion on how to stop this behavior?
Thank you.

Cesar_Millan: She needs to be socialized. Since
your dog is still a pup, she would benefit tremendously from
daycare centers. She needs the interaction of her own kind
because she's showing signs of antisocial behavior. This is
a perfect time to socialize her. Hope you do it.

dmm825: Our dog is very possessive when it
comes to taking objects. However, you can take his food or
objects away from him without any problem. What can we do to
change this behavior?

Cesar_Millan: Redirect him with another object,
or change it with food. Eventually, you have to learn to do
what he is doing to you. Claim everything in the house as your
own, to the point that he doesn't own anything, then share
with him. There's an episode Sunday night called "Drop
it, Sugar," and that will give you an idea of what I'm
talking about.

NGC_Chat_Host: Unfortunately, our time with
Cesar is up. Cesar, thanks so much for being here tonight.
Do you have any final comments for all of your Dog Whisperer fans out there?

Cesar_Millan: Thanks for joining, everyone.
Sorry I couldn't answer all of your questions. Don't miss Dog
Whisperer Week starting Sunday and of course, my new DVD, Dog
Whisperer, Season One, and my book Cesar's Way are in stores
now. Take care and remember to always be a calm, assertive
pack leader!