This has been the single greatest challenge I have had to deal with, well meaning family and friends who only want to "be the dog's friend".

I was at my wits end for what to do until I got a copy of, and had a party to show Cesar's new "Pack Leader" DVD about the "pack mentality" that was so well shown in there along with why it is so important to take this role with dogs!

There is so much wisdom to learn as well from the dog relationships that can also be used to improved the human human relationships. How many families are torn apart, and edure suffering by the mixed messages put out isnide the families and extended families, -even the extended circle of friends that interact with the children (members of the pack).

My family has taken very to heart what Cesar has said, about dogs and family members walking together to build the human pack as well as the dog pack. The thing that surprises me most about this is that it seems to work better to build relationships then sitting together at meal times does.

I have to wonder if is has something to do with being with dogs seems to open people hearts in unique ways at every age level that they are more willing to share with others around them, where-as in about every other arena, the interactions are more likely to be about the masks we wear, to fit in, belong, conform or get approval for.

Could it be that being with dogs, returning and being a part of this nature way of interacting, we ourselves are more inclined to return to OUR natural selves, if only for all too brief moments?

I haven't seen this episode yet, but I've seen the previews for it!

My singular comment actually relates to the focus of the episode. I work in a veterinary facility and had recently contacted the canine psychology center in LA via e-mail to question about pack behavior in the veterinary clinic. The very first suggestion was that everyone needs to group together and act on the same level and not vary our procedures when dealing with behavior. I never considered how much sense that made, lol!

In an unfortunate twist of events, my boss ruled that we did not have enough time to deal with situations like that, and one of my coworkers thinks that how I help maintain behavior with dogs is too stressful for the clinic patients (as opposed to letting them flail about and cause stressful energy for everyone else *eyeroll*). So I didn't have much support, but this is just another hurdle I must achieve to get some sort of order with our day to day schedules as far as behavior goes.

So, my thoughts are this (and anyone is allowed to correct me if I am mistaken!): A canine will generally pick up certain scents for certain individuals, so perhaps if a patient who comes in might correlate my scent with the actions I take. To be a little more helpful, "This smell is making me walk correctly and will not allow me to bite or act offensively." I'm sure there will be some confusion if there is more than one energy, but unless I am defying canine logic by smell association, then I think I still have a fighting chance!

I think dogs do remember your scent. My friend has three huge dogs that jump on the door when anyone comes over. I was afraid of them before I watched Cesar's show. One day I decided to enter the house with the attitude that I watched Cesar and I knew what I was doing. I walked up the stairs like I owned the place, ignored the dogs, didn't make any eye contact, and sat in a chair in the kitchen like I belonged there. The dogs quieted down, layed down in a circle a respectful distance from me and didn't come near me until I invited them.

My friend couldn't believe what she was seeing. They do remember me and act respectful when I come to visit.

I think having someone who is a strong pack leader is what a dog at the Vet's needs and wants. They are probably tramatized just by being there, so a strong leader would make them feel secure.

I'm very disappointed that Cesar's company is not gonna make an illusion collar that will allow you to walk the dog on the "right side"

The Collar is made to walk the dog on the left side like in training classes, but I walk my dog on the right side because he is blind in his right eye, so it's better to have his eye that he can see out of (left eye) closest to my body, legs, so he can see me, plus keeping him on the right side, which has his blind eye (right eye) to the outside, he doesn't get destracted by anything, cuz he can't see anything on the right half of his vision, since he's blind in the right eye.

Anyway, I measured my dog, and one time when I measured him the measuring tape (like the one used for fashion) i had it kinda loose around his lower part around his neck and it measured at 19 inches, when I remeasured again, I had it a little tighter and it came out to 18 inches.

Now 18 inches, would mean I get the "medium size" and 19 inches mean I get the "large size", so which size would I get if I did end up giving in and bought the collar?

My dog is a 95 pd Bullmastiff that is done growing.

Hi Joan!

Thanks for responding to my notation. It gives me a little more confidence to follow through on my plans. My next hurdle is the owners, lol. It's very difficult to explain to owners, especially the older folks, that cooing to your dog and telling me to stop is not an effective way to help. I am very insulted when an owner says to their dog, "They're going to do mean things to you!" when I'm really trying to help. I don't let it get to my head too much, but smile and say simply, "I highly doubt protecting against diseases is mean!" or something along those lines.

That's really good that you did that with your friends dogs. If anything boosted my confidence, it was that comment. So, perhaps I really can do this! It wouldn't be as great as the whole clinic pitching in, but I have to keep positive or else I can't max out the full potential of what I want to do.

Oh I actually have tears in my eyes - yeat another dog facing death row who not only has been saved AND rehabilitated but also now is a teacher and role model for children!!!! Now many lives will be saved because the children will remember what the dog did with his stop, drop and roll!

GREAT addition of using food to entice a dog on the treadmill! I use the front of the harness to have the leash hooked to rather then a collar and was able to have all my dogs walkin on the treadmill in minutes with it. How incredible to see the dog running freely on the treadmill alongside the firemen!

And HOLY Cow guys! How FABULOUS to bring in Trainer to work with Cesar to show the diffence between the two approaches and how both can work together! I am so much more willing to learn about clicker training now~! And again - look at what was done for the dog AND the community by showing how the Dog rehabilitator and the Positive Trainer can work together for the benefit of all!!!!

Hi need some help. I have a three and one half pound 12 week old shih tzu who will not go into his crate. Each time I have left him in the crate he throws up and poops all over the crate. I have left the crate open for him in the kitchen and he uses the crate to go to the bathroom in. When I leave the house I leave him in the kitchen and he seems to be just fine. The big problem is at night. Because he is so small I don't want to bring him into the bedroom with us because it is so large. So, we have been sleeping in the television room with the dog. I feel like one of Ceaser's examples of what not to do with a dog. Do you have any suggestions about what I should do with this dog? I have been watching Ceaser and believe that his way is amazing. I need help.

To Cute Scorpio,

It didn't even dawn on me that the pup shouldn't be on the treadmill until you just said that in yout post.

Anyway, your right in the fact that the pup shouldn't have been on the treadmill that young. I am a Cesar fan and do follow his methods but I wonder if he even thought about that? I think he was looking for a method that the firemen could use so they could stay close to the fire station. Hmmmmm, I'm a little worried that more controversy will come of this. Hopefull Cesar will handle it in the proper way. He always does.

Vicki

The treadmill is the reason people need to seek professional help when working with dogs. This is a high drive dog that is even as a puppy is almost humanly immpossiable to fullfill, mind and body. The walk is great, but for this dog the treadmill is needed. It is never to early to fulfill the dog, keep in mind dogs have different drives, if you have a dog that is satisifed with a walk around the block then great, but for a dog like this a treadmill is a great tool. Why would you wait until your dog is frustrated before trying to fullfil it?

Hi guys,
I just got an eight week old puppy this past weekend...so far we're doing really well...he's starting to go in his crate to hang out and when he's tired...we've only had a few accidents indoors..our big problem is that we cannot get him to stop biting! I think that he's doing it to play, cuz his tail wags and what not...but it hurts! My boyfriend and I already have about a thousand teeth marks/scratches...etc. We've tried the yowling and ignoring like a fellow puppy...that doesn't work, he just attacks our backs then. We've tried spraying him with water, that will work after about three sprays when his whole face is wet. But We hand him a toy and he'll go for our hands again. I feel like we're doing what we are supposed to, but it wont' work...any suggestions?

HB,

I know what you are saying about full filling a dogs needs and the delamation needed that. What I am saying is....If you call and ask your Vet if you should run your dog when he is a puppy, any good vet would say DO NOT run them until they are atleast 1 year old. Only because their bones are still growing and you could cause some damage.

Don't get me wrong, I love Cesar and agree with All of his methods, I just don't think he was thinking about how young the delmation was. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it and I still loved the show. The dog was adorable and responded so well to Cesar.

Vicki S

The people who say you shouldn't run the pup are probably the same people who say that you shouldn't discipline a pup until he's like a year old too. Discipline should start from day one of the pups life.

Again it's humans once again who are treating the dogs like humans and not animals.
Humans are putting uneccesary limitations on these dogs(animals).

"I have never in my life heard that a dog should not run until they are a year old. How else will they build muscles and strength in their body? "

I've heard it before, but MOST people either hear it incorrectly, or say it incorrectly. A puppy should not be FORCED to exercise beyond his capacity - appropriate to his age. That does NOT mean they should not be exercised at all!

And BTW, I use to have Dals, and this puppy is stunningly beautiful...I can't believe his former owners just gave him up like that!

danielle, have you tried grabbing the pup by the scruff of its neck and holding it until it calms down? also, he should have plenty of toys that are ok to chew on. sounds like he's not getting enough exercise and has a lot of pent up energy.

Jeff do some research on Crate training, it uses the dogs natural instincts to help housetrain. The crate is also a safe place for the dog to be when no one can watch him. He is not learning to hold it when you are taking him out all the time. they learn from their mothers to not go to the bathroom where they sleep(in the den/crate). They will hold it, then when you get home the dog goes out goes potty and then you can let him back in, this way you now that he has gone, and you are there to keep an eye on him when he is out. Keep in mind you can't disipline him if you don't catch him in the act. This is a great tool to quickly housetrain a dog of any age, check it out.

I want to say thank you to Cesar for not only giving my dogs a quality life but for myself as well. I needed to loose weight and could not stay motivated enough to keep up the exercise routine on my own. I tried walking my dogs but could not control my chocolate lab, Hank. (He walked me!) I gave up on the walks and the exercise. After watching the episode where the dog would not eat, something clicked inside of me and I have come to own Cesar's idea that the dogs have to "earn" their food. I applied that phrase to my life and now believe that I have to stop using food as entertainment and start "earning" it. Hank and I walk every morning together and both of us feel like a million bucks. If the thought of not walking ever crosses my mind, I think of Hank and can't stand disappointing him; that motivates me to get going. We are much healthier and happier because of Cesar. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Tessa

Danielle,

For an 8-week old puppy, biting and nibbling is normal. We all have to realize that we can't stop a dog from doing it's natural behavior (play-biting is natural behavior), but we can redirect that behavior to something more appropriate. For example, his teeth probably hurt right now, just like a human baby who is teething. He is also at the age where his social interactions are most important. He needs to know that you are in charge of the household, not him. He is probably trying to establish himself as leader already. Now, also remember that Cesar's methods are NOT for young puppies. I see young puppies as an OPPORTUNITY for the human to teach the puppy what is and is not acceptable right from the beginning. Cesar's methods are for "good dogs gone bad" -- adult dogs who have behavioral problems. An 8 week old puppy doesn't have behavioral problems, why? because he is still learning and still finding his place in the world.

Get yourself some good puppy books and DVDs and enroll your pup in obedience classes. Once he is a little older, start taking him on LONG walks to burn off that puppy energy. If you do not, you will end up where most people end up: with an out-of-control 7 month old puppy. 7 months of age is the age when most humans give up and bring the puppy to the pound. The way to beat that tragic outcome is to exercise your puppy physically and mentally as often and as vigorously as possible.

As for the biting itself, the scruff of the neck thing someone else mentioned is ok, but I like to grab the collar of the dog UNDER his neck (under his chin, so to speak), look him in the eye and send him positive energy that you will not tolerate the biting. No talking, just firm energy emanating from you. Also, pushing your finger inside his mouth and towards his gums might help, but with a pup that young it may not work.

Danielle~ I saw that you asked for help twice. My terrier was too obsessed with hands when he was a pup. I consulted my vet on this one and followed her advice. Two part solution here... and I think Caesar would agree with this as it took a very calm assertive move on my part. First..I started just dropping whatever i was doing to engage him and simply walk away. I would ignore him for a few moments, and then attempt to engage again. If he bit at my hands or arms, I would again walk away. There were times however that he chomped at me and I couldn't walk away. The vet suggested (and this broke my heart) that Jake needed to see my hands not as toys.. so to that end instead of letting him take a bit out, i would actually put my fingers deeper into his mouth almost to make him gag. I only had to do this twice (thankfully) and he got the picture quicker than I thought! I resumed going back to remaining calm and just playing on my terms. I am happy to report that now three years later, Jake is a very intelligent, well mannered, dog with zero interest in hands. He is by far the best thing happening in my life! Please don't get frustrated, but don't allow yourself to be a chew toy either! No amount of yelling will work... just try the fingers in and the walk away. Your pup will pick up quick that "if I bite, I'm left to play alone". AND.. I think this is also key... do not allow your friends or anyone else to use their fingers or hands as a toy around your dog. Explain to them that you are trying to break not encourage this type of play. My ex. insisted on playing with hands and it did set us back a little! Oh, and keep in mind that your dog might be teething... so have something handy around that's good for him to chew. I used ice cubes until that phase ended.

Watch dog whisperer and really appreciate it. I think more is needed on house breaking if you have that in your area of expertise.

Hello everyone! I'm new to the blog and would like some advice concerning my six-month-old terrier/lab mix. We recently adopted him from the Houston SPCA and have had him for about five days now. Because we followed Cesar's suggestions in his book -examined the dogs and puppies in their cages with the correct energy, following the "no touch, no talk, no eye contact" rule and taking him for a two hour walk around the apartment complex- he has accepted us as his leader from day one! He heels automatically on his own and has overcome a bit of skittish-ness with passerby and cars. For the most part, he is very submissive to us and to the apartment... his head, ears, and tail are always low when on a walk or when he approaches us, when we enter a room, even if he gets to the entrance first, waits until we enter first before he does, and doesn't have any food aggression or possessiveness or toys. Literally, he is a very calm-submissive puppy. There are a few things that he does that tend to worry me a bit...whether I'm expecting too much of him or it's the subtle beginnings of future problems, I don't know. Here it goes: when we do play with him with one of his toys, (we always have him sit first before giving it to him or tossing it) he doesn't bring it back to us, and if we extend our hand out to him he just keeps out of reach. If we do manage to get a hold of it, he holds on to it a bit and may yank it gently once or twice before we can slip it from his mouth. He's never shown any aggression or discontent when we do this, but I'm just not sure why he does it. Next issue, when we rough around with him a bit with our hands, he tends to mouth us a bit--he'll open his mouth ever so slightly and kinda touch his teeth to our hands briefly, then lick them a few times. He has gotten to the point where we got a bit intense and he chewed (although gently) on my hand. He hasn't done that since the first incident, but it stills worries me a bit. My sister and I took a short trip to HEB the second night we had him to get him a rawhide bone. She stayed in the car with him while I went in, and once I got back she told me that he barked rather loudly at a couple of passerby. She said she corrected him with a leash pop and a stern demeanor, and that after two or three times he only remained alert when people passed by the car. To be honest, that knowledge frightened me, as I was afraid he might have aggression issues later on. He's somewhat under-socialized with other dogs, not aggressive or anything, just very curious and wanting to jump all over them, but because of his neuter surgery he can’t go to dog parks for little more than a week. Are there any other ways to socialize him until then? (preferably ways that don’t involve money, like puppy classes and such) I’m at a lost here, and I really don’t want him to end up like the dogs we’ve messed up in the past. Thank you. ^^

Cesar is a SAINT to dog and man alike!

Hi I have a dog named Jack he is 2yrs 3months old. We got him when he was 5 weeks old. He was an average dog, we have no children of our own but always have nieces or nephews over which he is great with. About 7 - 8 months now we have noticed him to become more aggressive lately with strangers. If we are walking him 5 out of 10 people that pass by us he will bark and look like he wants to bite them. And quite frankly I believe that if he could he would. It scared us and we spoke to a couple of trainers and they told us that he is either spooked or just trying to protect us. At home he is fine and with people that he knows he is great but certain people that he meets he just hates them and I am afraid for him and the people. I believe we have really spoiled him and given him too much attention. But could that have done him wrong now. Why does he snap that way with certain people? Is there something we should be doing normally its always when we go out. If I go into a store and tie him outside people can come out and pat hime and whatever the minute he see me come out of the store that's it he become aggressive with people near us, it bother me alot and it has become scary or embarrasing. He has been out everywhere with us since a puppy he gets alot of socializing therefore I don't understand this new behaviour can you suggest anything? Please...