Exercise, Discipline Then Affection

Not having grown up with dogs the idea of training a puppy seemed daunting and tiresome, which I came to find out was a fairly accurate assumption. After the thrill of experiencing 100 things in 100 days with Ubu had passed, the need for correcting his “cute” habits became apparent. In speaking with fellow dog owners, almost everyone would drop the Dog Whisperer’s name, Cesar Millan. Shrugging it off like it was just another dog trainer with a television show, my girlfriend and I never even caught an episode much less picked up one of his books. That is until Ubu stopped letting us cut his nails and my girlfriend came home from work one day gabbing about how a it was our energy and mindset, a tired dog is a good dog, on and on it went. I wasn’t sold on Dog Whispering just yet, but after the first few chapters of Cesar’s Way my perspective on not just dog training, but on my overall relationship with my dog changed.

A Tired Dog is a Good Dog

Cesar Millan came to the US from Mexico with the goal of becoming a dog trainer. After experiencing and observing how dogs as family pets fit into the American lifestyle, his career path changed to focus more on dog psychology. As the opening line of his television show, The Dog Whisperer states, “I train people and rehabilitate dogs.” Through his books and his television show, Cesar has enabled dog owners throughout the world to understand the importance of being a pack leader and provided them with tools to do so. From this, not only is the dog able to become balanced, but the family or pack is able to experience balance as well.

Within the first days of reading Cesar’s Way I began to catch on to Cesar’s techniques that would act as the foundation in my ever growing relationship with Ubu. The three that I found the most important include:

1. Calm assertive energy
2. No eyes, ears, touch (when meeting a dog)
3. Exercise, dicipline then affection

Before diving into Cesar’s theories and techniques, Cesar’s Way  first breaks down the origin of the modern day canine in an effort to reiterate to humans that dogs do not communicate, learn or interact the same way that humans do with one another. Once we can wrap our heads around the fact that the family dog is not a child but instead a dog, your pack will begin to experience balance.
Unlike humans, dogs strongest sense in their scent along with energy. If you are working with your dog after a long day at work you feel stressed and short tempered, your dog will reflect your energy. In nature, dogs live in packs and follow the lead of a single pack leader. The pack leader embraces clam assertive energy and the members of the pack respond with calm submissive energy. In turn, it is important to create this environment in your own home with your pack (family).
When meeting a dog either for the first time or your own dog when you walk in from work, keep in mind the sense that dogs use to communicate and calm assertive energy. Continue to walk forward using the technique, no eye contact, no talking and no touch. Dogs will immediately begin to respect you as a pack leader and look to you for direction.
Before launching into a training routine with your dog make sure you are practicing calm assertive energy and your dog is well exercised. Practice this mantra; exercise, discipline then affection. It is a dogs nature to work for food and affection and by practicing this routine, you are creating more situations for you dog to see you and respect you as the pack leader! 

Exercise at the Ski Hill

Check out  Dog Whisperer videos on YouTube for more examples:

http://www.youtube.com/show?p=ygVF8eWNrAk&tracker=show6