I think this one piece is the most important thing I have learned from Cesar is how very important it is to let the dog exhause himself if he is in a high energy state. Signal Bear finially retreated into an area behind the shed after running, running, running, in the mainenance yard, so I blocked, him from getting out, just sat for about 2 hours until he came over and bumped my arm with his nose. That whole time, no talk, no, look, no touch was the rule. AND a rock sold calm emotional center (in me) - no fear, anxiety, or uncertainty was as much a part of the success as anything the other aspects.

What is just as important, I think, is that he had terrified 75 men from street transportation who worked in that yard. I am a 52 year old, out of condition 5 foot tall female. Point being, you don't have to be a giant hunk o' male, bench pressing 100 pounds to use these techniques successfully.

Very true CJ!

You definately connected with this dog, and handled the situation beautifully!

Okay, here I go with a another "lightbulb moment" I've gained from working with other animals, but I have found every observation and interaction with any animal, has taught me something!

Sometimes one of my chickens gets out of the henhouse. If I chase the little gal and try to catch her, forget it! If I kind of move parallel with her, like I'm looking for food, she becomes comfortable. Pretty soon she will want to join me, and I can get her to follow me back into the henhouse.

In many of the studies I read about dogs, there are mentions of "drives". I believe all social animals have a "social drive". A need to belong with another being. Joining up with another being is a "motivation" and the animal is "rewarded" with a sense of security, or maybe what Cesar might call "fulfullment".

I was up last night until 2:00 AM, reading Cesar's book. I could not put it down. Still a few chapters to finish. I'm sure I will be reading it more than once.

Cesar and Melissa Jo Peltier,

If you read this, congratulations! You have a hit on your hands! This book is excellent! Everyone should read it, whether they actually own a dog, or not.

Bestseller list, here you come! :)

Thank you both so much!

Deb

I have been a big fan and constant watcher of The Dog Whisperer since i found several months ago.....I have a schnoodle and a blue pit bull, both almost 1 yr old; my concern is I am not doing the right training for them; they r very different dogs; in fact the schnoodle all 13 lbs of him acts more like a pit bull than the pit bull; the pit bull really takes a lot of crap from him...they r not neutered yet but will be soon; I have owned a pit previously for 3 yrs so the breed is not new to me; I am a small woman but so far I am in charge at least part of the time; but it needs to be all the time; any thoughts r welcome.....TY

Deb,

I couldn't agree more. The book is fantastic. I haven't read the whole book yet, but I love what I read till now. I am sure it's going to be a bestseller!

Cockers,

Thank you for your post. I want to rescue very dog that I see (thank goodness there aren't many). But I need to think what to do with the dog. Since my pack fights, I can't accept another dog right now, even though I would love to. It's going to be very hard, but I guess I'll have to let someone else rescue the dog. I always think that if I won't do it, nobody else will.
I helped locate the owners to a few lost dogs in the past, and kept some of them in my house untill the owner was found, but it was before my dogs started to fight.

I have learned SO MUCH from the book. I have already
skimmed it from cover-to-cover, and now I'm reading it
for real, and I know I will keep it handy as a sort of
"reference manual" for always. Thank you Cesar and
Melissa Jo!!!

When a dog is dominant or unsure, it will stare at you and not look away. If you stare back, the dog will think you are challenging him in his dominant role. A submissive dog will look away. As pack leader, your dog should (ideally) submit to you so you can assume the role as head of the household - the pack leader.

Aw gee CockersX3 -my heart goes out to you! Sometimes it is about being at the wrong place at the wrong time, I send a prayer that you can find some helaing with that and maybe somehow benefit from it in experience, insight or wisdom (hugs)!

Ewa, Blogs vs email list different approaches to meet different needs. I love this blog for the wealth of insights and experience that people are willing to shar to each topic posted!. The yahoo DW list allows for resources, interactivity, links, to other helpful sources both local andregional as well as having access to immediate specific responses directly or on list when someone needs help NOW - especially with a rescue. If you resub, you can chose to not recieve any posts, but just read on line, just like here, or have it all put in one email and dropped in you email box once a day...but the advantage of belonging, is that if you run into problems, you can immediately just call for guidance, ideas or support, and by changing one button on your membership, then recieve emails with the responses you are looking for and to reply with further questions or read about situations and preventions you may not have thought about.

When I am home, Cesar's book is close by. Now that I have read it , I will just go to it, think about what my problem is, open the book and there the ideas are for me to read!

Debbie, thank you for your comments about the chickens - roflol - you learn something new every day!!!!

What is also really funny is how his comments apply to people relationships! I am going to talk about how I used Cesar's techniques on a Red Zone Human!!! As a contractor, I am in a very vulnerable situation with one of my clients with the City. This guy has waited to the last second to review a program I submitted amost three weeks ago and now in the last 4 hours he has been in "fear agression, just like Signal Bear was. Night before last I got no sleep making changes for him, last night, only four hours, but what has been carrying me though is meditating on "calm assertive leader/Cesar" (image) - breath/drop energy, breath drop energy (and repeat as needed - thank you Wayne Dyer for teaching me how to meditate!).

But the lessons I learned from Cesar's show and book all came together in the last two day with my interaction with the Rottie lookalaike (energy wise) red zone human and my choice to engage with him (as opposed to fight with him) as a calm assertive balanced leader - woowhoooo!

Hi all! As usual, tonight's episode was excellent!

I received my doggie backpack in the mail today. I took
my dogs for a VIGOROUS 40-minute walk tonight (hooray for
me!!!) and then after they ate and so forth I put the
backpack on my Lab/Coonhound with the idea that I would
get him used to wearing it for a while. He has a habit
of standing up all the time, which I have figured out
means he is not getting enough challenge or exercise.
Sometimes he reminds me of a HORSE!
I call him "George Washington" when we're in the car,
because he will stand up in the way-back of the SUV for
the first 10 minutes of the ride! Remember, George
Washington stood up on his boat on the Potomac LOL!

I digress! So, there he was, standing up while I and the
other dog were relaxed and sitting down in the living
room. I put the backpack on him and within
about 45 seconds he laid down on the floor. He
didn't mind the backpack at all. It calmed him down
immediately. He fell asleep with it on a few minutes
later. I left it on him for about 30 minutes while he
just slept. Then, I took it off, and put it on my
Lab/Shepherd. Same thing. He laid down immediately and
fell asleep. I think I heard somewhere (on this
blog??) that putting a coat or sweater on a dog when
they are afraid of fireworks or thunder produces this
same effect. The backpack I got can be removed (velcro)
and the base of it left on the dog while you're packing
the backpack with items, so I just may use it that way
when the fireworks next explode!

The last segment of tonight's episode showed the
family walking the Beagle with his little backpack, and
Cesar mentioned that having the backpack on with a small
amount of weight in it will result in a shorter walk
burning the same amount of energy. I think he said a
30-minute walk with the backpack on will be the same as
a one-hour walk without. Wow! I'm so glad I heard him
say that -- I plan to start using the backpack this
weekend, and I think I'll let my Lab/Coonhound wear it
for the first half of the walk, and my Lab/Shepherd for
the second half (the Lab/Coonhound is more problematic
on our walks). I can't thank Cesar enough for helping
all of us. It does not surprise me that the book is
flying off the shelves!

(Sarah, I noticed that this blog was the same subject
as a previous one, too.)

Cockers x 3
In-My-Humble-Opnion, eye contact is not ALWAYS a sign of dominance. In a pack, many times the others will make eye contact with the leader because they're waiting for the pack leader to tell them what to do. Kinda like soldiers awating orders from their General. And looking away can also be a sign of insecurity or fear. Not always submission. Just my opinion.

Cockers,

That is a good question about dogs in a car. Mine are allowed wherever they want (except in my lap), and usually they sit together in the passangers seat. One of my dogs will lay down on the dashboard. I know it's not safe, and I was thinking about getting seat belts for them.

Hi K2

Yes, they can lay down because the restraint is actually a special harness which you attach to the seat belt. They do come in large and extra large. The barriers are fine but I think you might feel better if they were secured solid on your trip. It's not you I would worry about, it's the other drivers. My dogs got adjusted right away with the harness and I felt they were safe. I take all three to the groomers and I want them to arrive in one piece.

SJS

I now carry pepper spray and am prepared to use it if necessary.

On another more pleasing note, I got to meet Mr. Cesar himself at a book signing. He has such an amazing aura about him that I can see for myself why the dogs respond to him the way they do. I also met his wife, Illusion and she is an amazing person herself. She is a psycologist. Put his expertize together with her knowledge and you get wonderful results.

I have started reading the book and it is definitely a must-have training tool. I am wearing a Pack Leader t-shirt as we speak. I bought it when I attended his seminar here in Los Angeles in February.

Leah,

We don't get thunderstorms much in LA but we do we morons who start celebrating July 4th 2 weeks early. My 12 year old female hides in the bathroom wrapped around the toilet,
terrified out of her mind. I tried closing all the windows and playing nice jazz or classical music (loud) and it seems to soothe her. I do not attempt to pet her or comfort her - she eventually comes to me. I find music is a good tool for scared dogs. I hope this helps.

Here I am at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday, and we're right
in the middle of a thunderstorm! My Lab/Shepherd really
flips out about thunderstorms, and my Lab/Coonhound is
fine with it but gets agitated because of the Lab/Shepherd flipping out. I put the doggie backpack on my Lab/Shep
right away. It didn't help at all! Oh well! Now he's
under my desk. As the other bloggers mentioned, they
like small places to hide in. But he also wants ME. I
tried to put the dogs in the bathroom and shut the door,
and that made it worse. He's relaxed now that he's under
the desk. (Cockers X3, oh two weeks early for July 4th
IF ONLY -- the morons around here have already started!)
I play music sometimes too, it does help.

Cockers X3, I hadn't really thought about being in a
rear-end collision 'til you mentioned it. The SUV is
a 7-passenger with a jump seat in the "way back" (ha ha)
so I could put a seat harness on that seat and still
keep the dogs in separate places. They are big, so they
need to be able to lie down on those long rides. Thank
you for the advice!

GC, Just off the top of my head, I would think that sunglasses still look like "eyes" to the dog. But you've gotten me thinking -- I recently got reading glasses for the first time, and the dogs behave differently when I have them on. Perhaps they can't see my eyes. Maybe you are on to something.

Cesar, I was hoping we might persuade you to comment in a general way on some good methods for draining energy from higher-energy dogs. The segment on Snoopy-the-Beagle was extremely helpful in that respect with the "I'll hide the toy, you find it" game. In fact, we are already outside today working on that game.

We're acting as foster-parents to a young, very high energy Beagle female, much like Snoopy. Our job is to allow her to recover from being spayed, to get her housebroken and socialized, and to help find her ideal "forever home" and family. She was kept confined in a barn stall and bred too many times in a "puppy mill" situation, and now that she's free, she just wants to explore the entire world at warp speed. She was house-trained in only a day or two (just needed to be shown) and adjusted nicely to collar and leash almost as quickly. She has a daily "calm and submissive" walk with our other Beagle (an older, settled gentleman), plenty of romps in the Dog Park, and lots of play time in the fenced yard.

Since we are fifty-ish, and skateboards/rollerblades aren't an option, it would be great to hear some general ideas about calming the energetic dog. The backpack is inspired, and I'm going to get her one. Perhaps there are other games to be learned, activities we can undertake, or other things to do. I suspect that this kind of information in general terms might benefit lots of dogs and their humans.

One good thing is that we can have some input into who adopts her, and we can be certain she's well matched with an energetic (and probably much younger) family.

Thanks, and an AROOOO from our little Joy. :)

I'm new to the internet so sorry if I posted this Q in the wrong catagory: I have what may be the dumbest dog on the planet. "Hunter" is a 5 yr old cocker/poodle mix.(He was supossed to be pure cocker. I have always had success in training my dogs... mostly working class & some sporting. But Hunter often times will not come to me when I call him. If he THINKS he's in trouble - forget it! He's skittish, can hardly sit still, and refuses to show any indication that he wants to please his master. We refer to him as the "cat-dog", because his behavioral interest toward us is more like that of a cat. I had a coffee cup one time that read "your nobody till you've been ignored by a cat" - being a "dog person" I didn't get it, but since Hunter has been with us since he was 6wks old it describes him completely. I find Hunter frustrating so I try not to expect anything good dog like from him, but that concept I find frustrating as well because I want to enjoy my dogs, as I also want them to enjoy them being in our company as well. Incidentally; Hunter is not a lone dog in our yard, we also have a 7yr old St. Bernard who is a big "love-bug" and he & hunter are pals like the Skipper & Gilligan. Please; I don't want to give up on Hunter, I like a dog to ALWAYS come when I call him (I've owned & trained several dogs in the past 20yrs, and I've NEVER had one that refused to come when called- even if they knew they were going to get corrected for wrong behavior. HELP! Hunter defies all logic... he acts more like a street curr; skittish and afraid when being directed by us- the pack leaders. Even the two roosters we have come when we call em! Thanks for your attention... looking forward to a response in technique I haven't tried.

I’m really enjoying reading everyone’s blogs, and the enthusiasm and sincerity is awesome! I havne’t seen any episodes on DW that replicate my problem, so hopefully someone here will have a suggestion.
One year ago I adopted a stray Aussie mix that I named Mulligan (I’m giving him a do-over in life!). It took me 5 weeks to gain his trust, and that involved seeking him out to feed him, sitting and ‘talking’ with him, etc. He finally followed me home one day! at the time I had an older Akita, and they got along just fine. My problem? He will not let ANYONE but me touch him, and he is petrified to get in my SUV.
When I took him to the vet the 1st time (a year ago) he tried to jump out of the window. And he had to be premedicated w/Valium (40mg)before going to the vet. The meds didn’t seem to phase him, so I’ll not do it again. We muzzled him during the exam, as he would not stop growling. These phobias/fears are issues for me because I cannot leave town! Even if I kept him at home, no one can get close enough to him to put a leash on him for walks. And I also need to get him to the vet again for this year’s shots. He just will not get in the car, and he’s 90lbs..too big to lift.
On our daily walks (1×2miles, 1×1mile, 1x.5 mile) he is fine with other dogs and people. He’ll walk up to them and sniff them, but will bolt if they move their hand. His favorite toy is hte tennis ball, but he ignores it if I try to lure him in the SUV w/it.
Was he possibly thrown out of a car? Could someone have abused him so badly that he trusts no one else? What can I do to help him and me get over these fears???????

We do Yorkshire Terrier rescue. We just got in a young Yorkie boy and all he wants to do every minute is hump! Especially people - legs, arms, whatever. He is not neutered but will be very soon. Until then, how do we break this habit. He can't stop himself and I don't know how to make him stop it. This will keep him from getting a home, so please reply. Thank you.

Hi Sheryl...In addition to wonderful response from Debbie RWD, I would also google "anxiety wrap."

I am going to order a wrap, in addition to the other training I'm learning from Cesar. I have a very anxious Bully mix who is aggressive. These folks have taken some ideas from Candice Perk, regarding molecules and emotion as well as T-Touch which I highly recommend along with the Cesar's training, especially when we don't have Ceasar with us in person (how I wish :))
Hope this is helpful...Pam

Terry,

Cesar would probably describe Hunter as not being a balanced dog. It's hard to know without being there what Hunter's daily life is like.
You don't mention if you take Hunter on daily structured walks. Nothing in your post indicates if you're applying the concept of you being the pack leader as Cesar describes.
The good news is, if Hunter is healthy otherwise, he can be rehabilitated.
I would highly recommend you getting Cesar's book and his DVD, "People Training for Dogs". Cesar does not train dogs, he rehabilitates them and trains people.
Dogs pick up on the energy we project, so if you're frustrated or angry with him, he'll know that and it will only increase the likelyhood of him not responding the way you want. Dogs respond to a "calm assertive" energy.
Approaching life with a dog from the dog's point of view is the key.
You can gain this knowledge from studying Cesar's techniques thru his book, DVD and TV program.
There shouldn't be any reason to give up on Hunter, learning basic dog psychology isn't difficult.
One of the things I apprecaite most about Cesar is he has completely dispelled the myth, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". In other words, it's never too late to rehabilitate a dog, it just takes applying the right psychology, patience and being consistent.
Good luck :)

Moderator's note: Please refrain from posting outside links or any personal information
.

k2,

Ha-ha-ha! We were almost one in our "enlightenment".

That's exactly when I discovered the show, only a year before, I remember not really enjoying the Thanksgiving meal, and then heading for bed. I was so sick I was wondering if what I was seeing was real or flu meds. I just couldn't believe it.

All I wanted to do was discuss this with someone! I felt like I had just discovered the missing link between birds and dinosaurs! Unfortunately, there was nobody to discuss this with! I have never been connected to any dog groups or organizations.

I found Cesar's friend, Cheri Lucas, through his site. She was very gracious, kind, and encouraging. I was able meet both Cesar and Cheri, at the seminar Cheri hosted a year ago.

This was a huge challenge for me to go to the seminar. I only leave my Island, when I visit my parents at Xmas! I'm a bit of a hermit, in a beautiful place of Nature. Why would I want to go anywhere? I've just become used to staying put.

Drive all the way to California?!

But, I did it! I stayed near Pismo beach, so I could explore the tidepools, watch pelicans in the wild, and see the open ocean. I had a wonderful time! The seminar was really great, too! :)

After the seminar, I started connecting with owners and trainers on the dog forums. There are some amazing people out there, who "get it". I've learned and shared a lot of great information. But, I am so tired of debating methodologies, instead of discussing Cesar's teachings.

This blog is a breath of fresh air!

Deb

k2,

You sound like you live in a beautiful place, too! :)

One of the books Cesar mentioned, which helped him feel like he wasn't crazy, is "The Dog's Mind" by Bruce Fogle, DVM. Would you believe I have that very book sitting here next to me, and I haven't even read it yet?

I get a lot of my books through second hand stores, and read them as I get around to it. I'm going to give that one a good read, once I'm done reading "Cesar's Way" again.

Like you, I whipped through it pretty fast the first time. And now, I'm going to sit back and savor it, like a fine wine.

hi:
i really need help,i bought a shih tzu from a kennel,her name is barbie and she has 1 years old but i have a big problem every time i call her she lay on the floor and make pipi and sometimes poo too.one time i carry her in my hands and she make pipi all over me.what can i do i can’t talk and when i walk her she walk with her tail between her legs and never goes.and when i call her she never come neither, how can i train her i’m loosing my patience.when she is with my husband her behavior is totally diferent.please help!!!thanks in advance.

On the show that was on the 13th (this past friday)...the dog named Pepper that was acting aggressive when people came to the home...I think she was the prettiest dog I've seen. I wish they would have given an idea of what breed mix it could have been. Anyone have any ideas???? I also loved seeing the dog herd the sheep. It looked so happy.

Also I felt badly for the dog that had issues about walking on the new flooring. imagine if you had trouble walking.... i do have trouble. I'm bedridden and so flooring ideas are important to me. Well i have several dogs and think about what they'd like before getting anything. i don't want them to have pottie accidents that will soak a carpet or something hurt by their nails...or them sliding. i redid a room so that i could be moved downstairs so i could see sunlight and flooring is what i'm up to....it's driving me nuts making a decision. Any ideas from you all? i even thought about rubber tiles but can't find them. doing everything by computer since I cannot walk is not easy.

I wish I could get the dog whisperer to help housebreak my puppy. We got him for me...to love me while I'm stuck in bed but he's more attached to my husband. I won't let him on the bed because of the non housebreaking things.

hugs,
Sandy dawson

Thanks
Sandy

Egriet,

I agree with Deb. When a dog gets to the point of actually having a bowel movement the dog is probably scared half out of it's mind. Dogs are extremley sensitive to the energy we project, so staying calm is vital. Your dog knows when you are frustrated and this can only add to the problem.

This is what Cesar said last week to a similar question during the chat:

Hoytmyster: I have a mini Pom, and he pees when he is excited or scared, even sometimes when we go to pick him up. Do you know why and how to fix it?

Cesar_Millan: What I have learned in dealing with dogs that are very sensitive is not to approach them and wait for them to come to me. Sensitive dogs have to come to you.

Your dog needs to learn that submitting to you is no cause for fear. Take Cesar's and Deb's advice.

k2,

You and your dogs did great! A nice progress.

I only trust Blackie 100% to walk her off leash anywhere. Sparky, the pit bull mix is very friendly, just like your dogs, and for that reason I will let her off leash, because the worst thing she can do is go and lick someone. She is not a huge dog, so if I yell that she's friendly, people don't mind. But I let her off leash only in the park, when there aren't too many people with dogs. She want to play with every dog she meets, and not all dogs are social. I let my husky mix - Ruffy off the leash only if I know there is nobody close. She is unpredictable, most of the time she would ignore people and dogs, but she can also run and snap on them.
When I made Sparky and Ruffy follow me this morning, there were no distractions, so they did great. By having them follow me, instead of being who knows where, I can put a leash on Ruffy quickly, and pass whatever we see.

Ewa, Thanks!! We had a little more practice on our afternoon walk -- we encountered two more off-leash dogs
(different ones from this morning). One came up and played
with my guys, until my Lab/Shepherd decided he'd mount
the poor little thing (a miniature Schnauzer!!) and I said
enough already and we left! LOL!

Patty, my Lab/Shepherd likes to walk for hours on end. I
am practicing not letting him sniff every bush and tree
(and urinate on them) but it is not easy. If we walk for
an hour, and I want to turn back and go home and he
doesn't, he will lie down right on the side of the road
in protest. People will stop and say "awww, he must be
tired" -- Heck no, he is STUBBORN and spoiled rotten!
ha ha ha If I allowed him to go in the direction he wanted
to, we'd still be truckin' right along! What I do is let
him lie there for a few minutes, and then I give him the
gentlest nudge with my toe on his rear end, and say "Wanna
go for a WAAAALK?" in that goofy dog-owner voice, and that
usually works. Sometimes he will lie down again two
seconds later. With my dog, I definitely see it as him
challenging me for pack-leader status. He was "the boss"
for a long time, and he gets stubborn when I assert my
pack-leader-ness onto him. Cesar recommends in his book
to not let them sniff or stop to do their business for
the first several minutes of the walk. Then, after you've
established that, allow your dog to sniff, urinate, poop
whatever for a minute or two, then take over again and
don't allow it, and keep switching off. Cesar walks his
pack for 4 hours in the mornings, and he says he'll let
them even walk ahead of him for five minutes at a time
but then will take the lead back after five minutes, and
keeps switching off, only allowing them to sniff, etc. with
his permission. Hope this helps! Get Cesar's book if
you haven't already! It's awesome!

KathyB,

I know quite a few people who have two or more male dogs. None of them has any problems. But i've heard the same thing, if you want another one, get the opposite sex. As a proud mom of three females, two of them fighting, I agree.

K2,

One of my dogs, Sparky does the same thing. We walk, and suddently she decides to rests. She would lay down in the shade, and it takes me a couple of minutes to make her move again (I want her to go, not me pulling her). With her it's not a dominance problem, as she is the most submissive dog I know. I think she just wants a break, and enjoy the scenery.

"I am hearing that a lot…If I am going to get another Rott or Gladiator dog to make sure it is a female"

Because you won't have the dominance and hormone related posturing that can occur when you have multiple dogs of the same sex...especially in breeds bred to tend to have a more dominant temperament. With only a tiny bit of luck, a "couple" of dogs, even if both are neutered, will become a team...instead of rivals.

It does depend on the breed of course. In Whippets we have very littel male-to-male problems, but bitch-to-bitch problems can occur...as they say: "they con't call them bitches for nothing!" but on the whole, Whippets being bred for cooperative hunting as a distanct background in their "creation" (via their Greyhound ancestors) have fewer problems with rivalry - since they are cooperative hunters.

But the gladiator breeds are different and take different considerations...mostly of what you think YOU can handle. Can you handle it if 2 over 100 lb dogs decide they hate each other and get in a serious fight? If not, get a female, it's FAR, FAR less likely to happen because a sane male dog will not seriously attack a bitch.

But if at all possible, I would try to do what Cesar did with the Boxer that lost his female parnter...try to take your male with you and let him meet and greet the prospective females away from the home territory of both, and let HIM help decide which will fit in your home.

My Black Lab was a spayed female, and when she was about
17 I adopted my Lab/Shepherd, who is an intact male now
6 years old. When he was 18 months old, I adopted my
Lab/Coonhound who is also an intact male, now 4 1/2 years
old. They have always been cooperative with each other,
and have never once had a fight of any kind. Outside the
home, they will sometimes work as a team, and chase a cat
or something like that. They are always confined, either
on leash with me, or tied on long leads in the front yard.
We are going to be putting up a fence so we don't
have to tie them up. They are very well behaved, except
for chasing other animals, and barking at activity going
on in the neighborhood. We live on a dead-end dirt road
in the country, so not a whole lot is going on around here!
I cannot let them loose, as there is a leash law, but also
they disobey me. The times that I have let them loose,
they do not wander more than a few houses away and I can
always see where they are. They don't wander for hours in
search of a female in heat or anything. So, aside from
them working in tandem at chasing things, I haven't had
any problems with them as a "same sex" pair.

No lectures, please --- the reason I never had them
neutered is just that I simply never got around to it,
and I've never had any problems with them wandering or
fighting. It's not that I want to breed them (they are
both mixed breeds). I am considering neutering them
because of some convincing things in Cesar's book, but
prior to that I didn't see any reason to do it.
We do not have many female dogs around here --
and those that are here are spayed. Most all of the dogs
in our area are neutered males. They all get along really
well. So, based on my own experience, I don't see any
problem with having two male dogs. I will say, though,
that my Lab/Shepherd (the older one) is a very focused
and has leader qualities, whereas the younger dog, the
Lab/Coonhound is more of a follower and therefore learned
a lot from the older dog. He will "challenge" for
leadership, but only on walks, and now that I'm mastering
the walk that has almost stopped entirely.

Hi Sarah!
Actually no I have not discussed this with my vet but I do know on his last visit the vet said that as far as Rottweilers go he is as perfect as can be and should be a poster dog for weight and such.lol We decided (or the vet did) to put him on a low carb diet as he said one of the biggest problems he sees with Rotts, is being over weight so I have him on a very good dog food.
I am not sure if its just that we are walking and I may have the walk mastered to such a point that he is just following???lololol If I look behind me and say come on slow poke (at that point I can start to feel tension on the leash he is lagging so far behind), his ears perk up and he bounds right up next to me and then we go right back to walking as normal. Maybe I am just over analizing it!lol I'm in Florida, he's big, black and maybe he's just happy? I dunno....I need to learn how to think like a dog!lololol

Ewa,
According to my vet it's all about his breed and according to him, Roman loks perfect weight wise and wants to keep it that way so he wants him on a low carb food with more protein in it, as he says Rotts have a bad habit of gaining weight??...I dunno....he's the expert so I'm just following Dr's orders!lololol
Actually it could be...again I have NO idea!hahahaaa I'm kinda walkin blind on this one!lololol

Doggone/GA,
While Roman may be bored, what you suggested would KILL me!hahahaa
Seriously though...I've had two back surgeries and cross country walking would NOT be a good idea for me! I can't be swinging from monkey bars either! How can a dog be BORED with walking??????lololol Do you think I should work with him more as far as challenging him mentally with things in our neighborhood instead....the barking dogs down one street, the talking neighbor, etc.???
I've never heard Cesar talk about a bored dog walking.lol

"How can a dog be BORED with walking??????lololol Do you think I should work with him more as far as challenging him mentally with things in our neighborhood instead….the barking dogs down one street, the talking neighbor, etc.???
I’ve never heard Cesar talk about a bored dog walking.lol "

Maybe "bored" wasn't quite the right word...but a simple walk around the same route day after day becomes automatic. It happens to people driving too. Didn't you ever set out to drive somewhere familiar and get there and not be able to remember the trip? Has happened to me a LOT.

When I said "cross country" I wasn't necessarily talking about ROUGH country! Just get off the sidewalk, off the road, off the usual path. Get on some grass, some gravel, even a dirt road if there are any around.

If you can't do that, break up your walk into sections and do something different between sections. Start teaching him some tricks, like shake hands or roll over. Walk a while, train a while, walk some more.

Just turn it into something more than one foot in front of the other. As you said, challenge him with a different route or even a different direction on the same route.

K2 "Oh, how I wish my dogs would be bored on their walk! LOL!"

If you do nothing but walk the same route, in the same direction, at the same pace...day after day after day...it could happen.

Good Morning Sarah,
I am going to take him in today actually....he has a strange wound on his chest. I cannot get him to stop licking it and it's oozing blood, so I will be taking him in today. It's completely round and looks like the hair was just plucked in that area....I think we may have the wrong kind of brush for him and it may have happened when my daughter brushed him the other day.

I will ask the vet about the walking while I am there. I also plan on getting him micro-chipped at the same time. I'll let you know what he says. But my main concern is this weird wound though. KathyB

Hi Kathy B.

I'm so glad you're going to let us know how the vet appt. goes, thank you.
I'll be checking back later.
Sarah

Annie,
i'm 50ish too. i've always trained my dogs to run beside my bike.I wrap the end of the leash ,usually twice under the seat. then i walk them beside the bike, i let them feel the wheel run into them(gently) so they know it's there,i give them voice commands like, scoot over while i turn their way, slow down, stop, and NO! when they see a dog, especially to their left.(they run on the right of me)
then, i start to peddal slow at first. my husband's way works much better, because he is able to also hold onto the leash after looping it one time under the seat, so he can control them better, but i need both my hands on the bike. i've been doing this for the past 20yrs with my dogs, only the very small breeds were not trainable. after we run about 6-7 blocks, we walk home. it's great excersize
and it takes less than half hour per dog(unless you want to go longer)

Hi bootsmut!
I have taken Roman to the dog park twice ...each time a fight almost broke out because of another dog.

YES...Cesar's book will help you.

I do not put the leash on mine when at the park until it's time to go, but he comes when I have called him (he is 14 months old this month),here is what I have done on 3 seperate situations I have come across:
1. The day my trainer introduced his 50lb female lab (Roman weighs in at 100lbs.) he tried to mount her and that is a BIG No No, so he was disaplined for it with the shssssst sound.

I ALWAYS watch my dog while at the park as it would be my fault if a fight broke out, as I am the one with the "bad breed" supposedly.
2. A large black dog about Roman's same size tried to mount him at the dog park and that was NOT going to happen in Roman's world (he almost attacked) so I immediatly stepped in with the "bahhhh/growl sound" and the dog IMMEDIATLY got off my dog and backed off.
3. As soon as we walked in the park a small dog (50lbs.) was in a crouched position/stalking position getting ready to attack. As soon as it started moving towards Roman, I stepped in front of her and made the "growl" sound and again she backed right off.

If MY dog was to ever mount another dog at the park I would immediatly put him in a submissive position in front of the other dog like Cesar does...I have not had that happen yet as I watch him like a hawk while at the park and he is just happy to run around, play in the water, and play with other dogs so far.

I should be getting my book in the mail today....I am SO excited!lol

Poor Roman is MISERABLE today wearing this crazy "brace" around his neck...I feel so bad for the poor guy!lol

PS: Thanks for the info about yours being mello....I think that's with mine on our walks.

bootsmut,
The "growl" sound is a sound that sounds like "bahhhhhh", but low and more gutteral. My dog KNOWS that sound and the "shsssssst" sound Cesar makes....The "bahhhhhh" noise is VERY effective for dogs that are coming towards mine or dogs I do not know that are trying to be dominant. VERY VERY effective noise.....I practiced it alot when I first hired my trainer and the louder I am the more serious my dog knows I am. A very loud "bahhhhhh" has made EVERY dog back off thus far! It and the "shsssssst" sound are very effective tools for me, and you will find when you read Cesar's book and watch more of his episodes that he uses the "shsssssst" sound quite often. Hope that explaination made sense!lol

Joanna,
I dunno but I have a feeling I would do exactly what your dog does if someone "pops" out of nowhere!!!!lololol
It will be interesting to hear Doggone/GA's advice as YES he/she has been a tremendous help to me for sure!!! :)

WoHooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
My Book is HERE!!!! Off to Cesar world I Go!!! :D

ha ha ha I feel the same way about the book!! KathyB
you will definitely enjoy it! I skimmed it cover-to-cover
the first night and stayed up til 1:00 a.m. reading! Then
I went back to the beginning and read it as slowly as I
could LOL and I finished it yesterday. I hope Cesar reads
these blogs sometimes because I can't thank him enough for
sharing his gift with us all!!

bootsmutt, Thank you thank you thank you!! I thought I
was the only person afraid to go beyond my safety zone!
What a relief to know somebody else had the same problem!
I know EXACTLY what you mean about feeling victorious, and
also about looking forward to the walk. Before I got
Cesar's book, a couple weeks ago, I was trying to walk the
dogs separately (something I'd never done before). But
Cesar does recommend that the pack be walked together, so
once I saw that in the book I have been walking both dogs
together every time.
I feel the same way as you, I'm not 100% comfortable but I
am getting so much better, and I was able to go
beyond the safe zone twice last weekend! What I do when
there's a loose dog or some other animal that causes them
to get all geared up is I just look straight ahead, stand
tall, shoulders down and I just keep walking, almost like
a "march" like a soldier. If they look to the side or
behind us, I give a gentle correction of the leash, and
I always use choke collars. I don't say a word. I used
to yell, "No no no no no no no " while staring at the other dog, and being dragged down on the ground! What a
difference!! I can't even believe it's me that is doing
it, but it IS ha ha ha. It's great to be able to share
our experiences like this!

Debbie,

That makes lots of sense. I can walk my two fighting dogs side to side (with a help from my husband).

I have a question about my husky mix, who would try to charge at some dogs. I use the correction, but it doesn't work. I have a regullar collar on her, and if I correct her, she doesn't pay much attention. Should I get a choke chain? Would it work better?

Ewa,

I think a big part of it, is not to let your dog escalate to the point where they more difficult to control. Cesar catches them almost before the moment it starts, and blocks, corrects, or redirects their focus. The timing is very important. It can only take a split second to get to the point where they are much harder to snap out of this frame of mind.

I've noticed a lot of these situations, in the DW episodes.

JMO, but on a dog with thick fur, a prong collar might be a better bet. Choke chains tend to get tangled in their fur, and not work as well. You also don't want to be put in the position of pulling back on your dog. Pulling back can make them pull harder and escalate their frame of mind. It's more of a tug to the side, to get their attention back on you, not to administer punishment because they are not doing what you want. If they escalate too far, you are then put into the position of trying to "control" your dog.

I look at anytime we are "reacting" to the dog's "actions", we are functioning in the follower position. Leaders act and make decisions, followers react.

Please get a trainer who agrees with Cesar's methods to help you fit the collar, and also to also help you time and administer a correction properly. The goal being to get your dog paying attention to you, and not making the decisions. They need to learn to ignore all distractions.

It should get to where a simple "hey", a slight tug, or a touch, is all you need to get their attention back on you.

Positioning them to where they are sitting, and turned away from a distration, is also very helpful.

Setting up situations, with the assistance of others does really help. That way you will feel more in control of the timing in the exercise, and will project more confidence.

These are only my personal opinions. :)

Deb

Thanks for the answers and advice about walkin' in the woods, Doggone and Kathy. I hadn't considered correcting Loki for barking right next to the victim, because I was so concerned with calling her AWAY. I agree with Doggone that she is reacting to strangers out of insecurity. She is sometimes shy (tail tucks) with new adults. But I'd still rather have her romping and leaping off-lead on the trails (which is what she is doing 99% of the time,) than plodding at heel all the time. She has so much more fun and gets so much more excercise! If only I can achieve it righteously!

I will try to do some set-ups. It's tough because she won't react to people she knows, so I'm not quite sure how I will manage. Maybe the long line dragging is more of a possible idea for me. Also maybe I could take her to some shopping area where people suddenly "appear" around some corner.

Here's one more thing to ponder: More effective for me to give a correction (jerk on collar, sst!! cut it out!) or better to be positive and ask strangers to give her a treat??

Thanks again for the ideas. I really appreciate it.

"Here’s one more thing to ponder: More effective for me to give a correction (jerk on collar, sst!! cut it out!) or better to be positive and ask strangers to give her a treat??"

It's better for you to correct and distract her. If a stranger gives her a treat while she is still tense...if she'll even take it...it's just rewarding her for being tense. But if you get her calm and submissive and relaxed...THEN you can see if she will take food from the stranger, but the stranger has to be very observent and NOT GIVE IT if she tenses up. She only gets the reward if she remains calm and relaxed.

I agree with you guys about the collars. So many people are saying they are cruel nowadays, they don't even allow them in some training classes. But the people I know who use buckle collars and don't train or give corrections have dogs who constantly strain and gasp and lunge, seemingly doing a lot more damage to their necks than a few quick corrections, and then slack most of the time. Also I can walk down steps with my dog on an icy day without fearing for my life!

People who justify the choke or spike collars say they mimic the natural scruff shake or throat grab that mama dogs use on their pups. It's good enough an explanation for me, because my dogs don't pull and it's a pleasure to walk them. Of course I give 'em lots of time off leash to play too!

It's great to read all the new blogs, i look forward to coming here everyday. today i need to leave for work early(@ noon/not 2:30) but because of what Cesar says, i'm still going to get in a walk/bike ride with my 2 dogs. sometimes i just don't feel like going out!I taught my boxer in the last 2 months to ride along with me on my bike, but unlike my rotti-boots, she pulls the first block fast-then i can keep up with her, but i'm afraid she may go across the front of my bike, so it's stressful still for me, but when my husband takes her on the bike, she trots right along side,my husband is a born leader...i have to work on it, so today, i'm putting her prong collar on her/we'll see how that works, wish me luck.

"Speaking of thunder, any good strategies out there? My good friend has a terrible problem with her dog when there are storms. He is 90 lbs and goes nuts! I’ve never had a dog scared of noises so I have no experience in this area"

Cesar's advice is to give the dog something else to do during the noise - he suggests a session on a treadmill. Another idea I've heard, and suggested - though I don't know how well it works, is to put a T-Shirt on the dog!

"Wondering what is the best breed to walk with me on the Appalacian trail, the very social tow-path along the canal near me, to stay with me as I garden in the yard….cbiel2004@yahoo.com "

That's an unanswerable question. Only YOU can decide which breed or mixed-breed will fit into you WHOLE life and lifestyle. No one here can answer, because we don't know you; we don't know how active you are; we don't know what appeals to you in a dog.

Joanna -- New York, close enough!! That's wicked cool ha ha ha. We are having thunder right now, and my dog is
underneath the desk (it's an old desk with a cubby hole
so he has the whole wooden desk behind his back) and he
seems pretty calm. Usually he claws at me and tries to
sit on top of me. I heard to use a T-shirt, and there is
also a thing called an anxiety wrap, and the other thing
I mentioned the anti-static cape. Also, Cesar recommends
distracting the dog by walking on a treadmill or some
other kind of enjoyable activity that will give it focus
like a toy filled with food maybe something like that.
I haven't tried ANY of these things, by the way LOL! He
likes to hide under the desk, but only if I'm sitting here.
When he was little I "trained" him to go down into the
basement during thunder or fireworks. So, he'll do that
sometimes, but again I have to be with him. I actually
used to set up a lawn chair in the laundry room, bring
a book, and hang out there with him until the thunder or
fireworks was over! I called it our "bomb shelter" LOL!!!
I don't recommend this, however, as he became dependent
on it, and it's quite inconvenient for me, unless I have
to do laundry LOL!

Hey, one way to go to get your dog calm and used to obeying commands around other dogs is to take a dog training class. It doesn't even matter if it's a great class, just so long as it has other dogs in it.

Congratulations Joanna! That was really clever of you!

Bootsmutt, I feel the same way about the book. I could
not put it down. I'm on my second read of it already!
You know who I use for my role-model?? Cesar himself!
Look at the photo at the very beginning of the book... the
one with him a a whole bunch of dogs. Look how TALL he
is standing. Like a soldier on a march. When I'm out
with my dogs walking, I think about that photo of Cesar,
and put myself into that same stance! BTW: I walk them
rain, shine, snow, ice, sleet, wind. I have all the equipment (for me) from rain slickers to cleeted snow/ice boots, gloves and parka that can go WAY below zero if
necessary. These two do not let me get away with staying
in -- it's great 'cause I don't have to even think about
going to the gym. They are my personal trainers! LOL
But if it is too cold in winter, we don't go, that is
true. It's been raining here for 3 days, and we went on
our twice-a-day walk (45 minutes each) each day! They
were wet, but calm, and slept all day and then all night!

"Both are considered to be all purpose hunting breeds although, the Pointer will be more attuned to birds and the Terrier to small animals. We were thinking we would train them to track…any thoughts on that? Any other tips short of teaching myself to use a shotgun? "

You might think about trying agility. I know it doesn't seem to have much to do with their hunting instincts, but it is a very active sport and teaches them to think and to have fun.

If you want something more of a "hunting" nature, I used to have a Welsh Springer Spaniel and I taught him to "find the glove" I would hide a scented glove somewhere where he could reach it when he found it and then encourage him to look for it. He even learned to look above his head, something a lot of dogs have trouble conceiving.

I started by putting it out in the open, and taking him to it while I pointed at it and said "find it" and as he learned what the words meant, I gradually made it more and more difficult to find - but, as I said, always making sure he COULD get it once he found it.

"I have a female collie-lab who is 7 years old and is becoming terrifeid of thunderstorms and other loud noise. I have heard of the anxiety wrap and wonder if it would help? "

I've heard of (and suggested before!) putting a T-shirt on the dog. I've no idea if it will work for your dog, but it definitely does for others, according to their owners.

I have an Afinpincher Terrior mix, a rescue dog 5 years old. When we got him he was great but over time he took to barking over any movement outside the house even people on sidewalk. I did what Caesar does and am having great success. I have his training leash by the front door and when he starts barking I just pull up on it and sshh Problem solved. No more barking at everything. He continues to growl at my 9 year old grandson a household member. I think he lightly teases him Moving fast toward him pointint play guns etc. Id like to stop this Any ideas?

I'm not sure if anyone checks this anymore but I think I found a solution to thunderstorm phobia. I've had Suki for just over 2 years. She's a rescue and came to me with a terrible fear of thunderstorms along with other anxieties. I've tried almost everything. I've rubbed her with static sheets, played loud music, distracted her with toys, medicated her, tried natural herbal remedies, and the worst offense was I cuddled with her and told her it was alright. Where I live we're just getting into thunderstorm season. That means every afternoon and most evenings throughout the middle of the night there will be storms. Not fun for me, not fun for Suki. I obviously hadn't heard of Cesar yet.

Now I've been watching the Dog Whisperer for about a month and I decided to try a bit of WWCD (What would Cesar do?) since I hadn't seen him cover this in an episode yet. So, the last two times there were storms I put her lead on her and walked her in a calm assertive manner and corrected for every negative behaviour she displayed. I opened the door and let her really hear it, then took her back in and kept walking with her around the house, and them made her sit and ignored her and corrected her when she whined with a "shh". She actually calmed down! I know this is not going to be a quick fix and it might take a hundred times of doing this but the results I've seen warrant it worthwhile. We just had another storm and she woke me up by jumping on my head (35 lb dog). So I Put the lead on her and did what I had tried before and now she is actually lying by my feet, her heart has stopped racing and she is really calm.

I really hope this helps someone else!