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July 2006 Archives
Yorkie 911
Believe it or not, I find rehabilitating an aggressive dog much easier than working with fixated or obsessive dogs. Before I came to the United States, I couldn't even imagine a dog with an obsession! Wild dogs, like the ones I grew up with on my family's farm in Mexico, never obsessed over everything - the pack would have never allowed it! But in my years working here, I've learned that dog obsession is a side effect of an unbalanced life.
The Cussions' two Yorkies developed obsessive behavior over the vacuum cleaner and a bush in front of their house. The dogs were anxious-aggressive, and were obsessing over things they believed they could dominate and take advantage of.
For many obsessive dogs, the actual object doesn't matter - it tends to be whatever happens to be there at that moment. They learn that they can drain pent-up energy on this "thing," using it as a way to numb themselves, just like a human would use drugs, alcohol, food, or gambling. The object is just the outlet. We needed to figure out exactly what was causing this frustrated behavior.
Frantic Fella
I spent a lot of time, including two follow-up visits, working with Cindy Steiner and her daughter Sydney, trying to help their adorable terrier mix, Fella, overcome his separation anxiety. I've had many clients who have dogs that seem to be stable in almost every situation, except when the owner leaves the house.
Separation anxiety seems to be an epidemic among the dogs of busy, working people, and that's not at all surprising. It is normal for a dog or pack-oriented animal to feel anxious or panicky when left alone. They are not programmed to be by themselves. Only rarely is a natural dog pack ever separated.
But since most people must leave the house to work or run an errand, the best way to ease our dogs into this very unnatural situation is to make it as natural as possible for them. We can accomplish this is if we send them into a resting mode before leaving the house. First thing in the morning, wear your dog out with the most vigorous exercise possible. It's a win-win situation for us too because most of us could use a lot more exercise! And feed your dog after you exercise him, so he feels like he's earned his reward.
After an ideal morning like that, it will make sense to a dog to rest when you leave. If this becomes their everyday routine, the anxiety will begin to taper off because a lot of that nervous energy will have been spent by the time you leave the house.
Embarrassing Bikini
During this season of Dog Whisperer, I've dealt with two cases where an exceptionally "well-trained"dog has had serious psychological issues: Hootie the agility dog, and now Bikini, the prize-winning bull terrier. In over 20 years of working with troubled dogs, I've found that to be the rule rather than the exception.
Remember, dog training focuses on getting the dog to respond to human commands. Dog psychology is really training humans to understand how dogs function, communicate, and fulfill their lives without human-created techniques.
A well-trained dog in the sense of traditional dog training doesn't necessarily make for a balanced dog, any more than a Harvard degree makes for a balanced human being. You can teach almost any dog to sit, come, stay, or heel because most dogs are easily conditioned to respond to commands with positive reinforcement. True understanding of dog psychology results in your dog staying next to you on a walk, even as you pass by another dog, someone riding a bike, or a noisy garbage truck.
Humans believe training a dog to respond to words will allow them to communicate with animals. But animals only care about fulfillment. They don't train each other, they fulfill each other's needs. If a dog is 100% fulfilled, you may not even need verbal commands to communicate. That's when the relationship between humans and dogs reach it's highest level - when you're using that elusive, magical "sixth sense." Isn't that what we all strive for?
The "Other Woman"
The more cases I take on, the more I come to understand that dogs are truly a reflection of the human dynamic in a household. If a family isn't working as a team in raising their dog using exercise, discipline, and affection, not only will the dog experience behavioral problems; his human pack could experience problems too!
Malcolm, Snowflake's owner, seemed to be continually sabotaging his wife Judi's chances of making peace with the dog because he wanted Snowflake to be "his" dog -- "his" loyal companion -- and not his family's.
But this isn't fair to the dog, who are pack animals by nature, and it isn't fair to the other family members. They all need to take turns consistently walking him, disciplining him, and giving him affection. By doing this, he will experience the entire family in leadership roles within the pack, and will submit to them. This creates a stable pack environment for Snowflake and he'll stop taking advantage of any one particular family member.
Cesar's Transcript will be Available Soon!
Thank you to everyone who logged on to Friday evening's chat. Check back soon for a full transcript!
Log on Tonight to Chat with Cesar!
Tonight's the night to log on to www.ngcdogwhisperer.com for a chance to chat live with Cesar Millan! He'll be taking questions to solve whatever doggie dilemmas you might be facing.
The chat will begin at 8:00 p.m. (ET) and a full transcript will be available early next week!
Drop it, Sugar!
The case of service dog, Sugar will show you that it makes no difference to dogs whether or not--or how--their owners may be handicapped, as long as that person projects strong, calm-assertive energy. Service dogs demonstrate that, as long as they trust their human leaders, they can do amazing things to make up for whatever physical disability that person has.
Sugar's owner, Ray believed that the dog was "picking on him" because he had multiple sclerosis and couldn't fight back. But what Ray didn't realize was that he actually had a very powerful, calm assertive energy that he wasn't using. The best way handicapped people can empower themselves is to make the most of what they have; in Ray's case, his scooter. You'll see how, when you tune into the episode. His problem was not his MS, it was dog psychology!
Remember, dogs can sense weakness from those who are perceived to be weak-minded. But if they can commit to learning how to become a strong pack leader, a successful relationship will emerge.
Three's a Crowd
The most important thing you can do when introducing a new dog to the pack is to assert leadership. You need to be in total control of the situation, with every dog in the household recognizing your authority. In my work, I meet so many warm and generous people who take animals into their homes. They just reach out and adopt strays out of the goodness of their heart, no matter how many other pets they have at home. However, with dogs, the more of them you have, the more important it is that you 100% commit yourself to letting them know that you -- and you alone -- are the pack leader.
For example, once Dog #1 and you have a leader-follower relationship, the rest will fall into line, though only if you behave consistently with every other animal. In other words, Dog #3 will see that Dogs #1 and #2 are calm-submissive, which to him means he is entering a balanced pack. Dogs that spend time at my Dog Psychology Center rehabilitate so quickly because of this dynamic. Everyone knows their place and no one questions authority and leadership.
See, dogs need to feel like they "fit in" just as humans do and usually that drive to belong neutralizes a lot of unwanted behavior. In other words, most well-meaning owners adopt unstable dogs into an unbalanced pack, hoping the new addition will balance everything out, but more likely than not, the opposite happens -- it intensifies the pack's unbalanced state.
Countdown to Live Chat with Cesar!
Do you have a problem dog? Does your dog have a problem owner? You've come to the right place -- Cesar is here to lend a helping paw! We're kicking off Sunday's Dog Whisperer Week extravaganza with an all-new live chat on Friday, July 28, at 8:00 p.m. (ET)! Log onto www.ngcdogwhisperer.com approximately an hour before the start of the chat to submit your question.
Then tune in Sunday, July 30, starting at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), for the start of Dog Whisperer Week on NGC, including three all-new episodes!
Cesar Heads to The Big Apple on July 24!
Attention New York City -- the ultimate Pack Leader is heading your way! Cesar will be making an appearance at Tower Records on Monday, July 24, from 4:00-6:00 p.m, to sign copies of his Dog Whisperer DVD. Don't miss it!
Tower Records is located on 20 East 4th Street, (212)505-1166.
Live Chat to Kick Off "Dog Whisperer Week"
Bow WOW -- what Cesar's fans want, they get! He's back on-air and online! The overwhelming popularity of our very first Dog Whisperer chat led us to create another, so log on Friday, July 28, at 8P Eastern as NGC presents another chance to chat LIVE with Cesar Millan! He'll tackle your toughest questions, from how to build confidence as a "pack leader" to fulfilling and balancing a destructive doggie. Log onto www.ngcdogwhisperer.com for more information!
Begging for more DW? Well, mark your calendars, set your Tivos, and tune in Sunday, July 30, for the start of Dog Whisperer Week on NGC, including three all-new episodes!
"Cell"-abrate the Dog Days of Summer with Cesar Mobile Phone Tips!
Need a bit of Cesar's wisdom on-the-go? Starting Monday, July 10, here's your chance to sign up for Dog Whisperer tips to be sent directly to your mobile phone! Each Friday, a Dog Whisperer "Dog-ma" will be delivered to your cell phone before the show airs that night! Go to www.ngcdogwhisperer.com to learn more!
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