In this latest installment of our video series “Chance Encounters,” Cesar finds a woman whose Rottweiler picks up any bit of trash he finds on the ground during the walk. Trying brute force to stop him only makes it worse, but Cesar has his own technique that solves the problem with very little effort. Check it out in the video below. Like 0
How does your dog react when she sees another dog on the walk? If she pulls or gets excited, it can turn a pleasant experience into a nightmare and earn you and your dog a bad reputation. It isn’t such a difficult problem to solve, though. In the second installment of “Chance Encounters with Cesar Millan,” an excitable dog named Penny and her human get a lesson in calming a dog down as Cesar drops in on them in Long Beach, California. We also learn how to choose the training tool that’s right for you. Have you tried Cesar’s technique?
You’ve probably seen or experienced it many times. Two dog-walkers approach each other and, when they try to pass, their dogs go out of control, showing either too much excitement or too much aggression. If doesn’t have to happen like this, though, and only takes a few simple steps to avoid. In the first of our “Chance Encounters with Cesar Millan” video series, below, Cesar visits an Orange County park and teaches some unsuspecting humans how to get their dogs to pass each other calmly. Does your dog pull you on the walk? The Pack Leader Collar is designed to
Mastery is very important when it comes to having balanced packs, particularly mastering the walk and mastering leadership. But what does “mastery” mean? Basically, it means command or grasp of a subject, or the state of being in control. Note, though, that mastery does not mean “being the best.” There are many people with a mastery of chess who could not beat the world champions no matter how hard they tried, although they still know enough about what they’re doing that they could beat a dozen amateurs at the same time. Mastering the walk and leadership just mean that you
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
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 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
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
There’s no doubt in my mind that dogs have emotions. They feel joy after a job well done. They feel sad when a pack member passes away. And they feel love for their family members – their pack. However, it’s important to remember that those emotions are different from our own. The feelings that dogs experience aren’t connected to complex thoughts. They don’t have ulterior motives or doubt. Their emotions are pure and honest. Your dog isn’t lying to you when he communicates that he loves you. The more you fulfill your dog’s needs, the more this connection will develop
John Muir said “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks,” I couldn’t agree more. Hiking with the pack is one of my favorite things to do. The level of happiness I feel on those mornings is beyond a ten! I feel really relaxed and have absolute silence within me. The only sounds are those of the nature around me and the hard breathing of the dogs. I love that sound. You hear and feel everyone and everything when your mind is silent. On the days I hike with the pack, we typically go early –
