March 2007 Archives

TUNE IN TONIGHT AT A SPECIAL TIME, 9P et/pt, FOR THE SEASON FINALE OF DOG WHISPERER ON THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL!!!

I saw my first service dogs when I first came to America. What a wonderful way for people and dogs to connect with each other! But what makes a good service dog?

Good service dogs are generally medium-energy with good temperaments and are tolerant, curious, focused, and have good social skills. A dog with a high tolerance will not be fazed by sudden changes in its environment, new situations, or experiences. He or she a dog will show an interest without viewing the object as prey, using the nose to make identifications and move on. A service dog should also be a highly social without any territorial or dominant tendencies.

Dogs of any age can be helpful to people, but it's best if service dogs do not begin specific training until they are nine months old to allow them to grow into a balanced adult.

Join Cesar and his pack for the season finale of NGC's Dog Whisperer this Friday at a special time: 9P et/pt!

Gandhi once said, “"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." I believe that supporting your local shelter or rescue group is as important as any other community service people can provide. Living in a community that cares for animals also teaches our children the importance of compassion and empathy. Everyone benefits from the time, money, and energy spent when we give back to animals in need.

The Dog Whisperer is hitting the road in search of canine S.O.S.s, so here's your chance to have Cesar come directly to you! To submit your case for consideration, visit www.cesarmillaninc.com/dogwhisperer/submissions.php . Cases left on the blog may also be considered, so while posting comments please leave ONLY your name, city, and state. Any other personal information, such as home or e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted.

AGAIN, OTHER THAN CITY/STATE, PLEASE DO NOT POST PERSONAL INFORMATION WHEN SUBMITTING STORIES. IT WILL BE DELETED!!!!
 

If you find yourself laughing at your dog’s bad behavior, stop. To a dog, the energy he senses equals affection and excitement and a good pack leader knows to never reinforce unwanted behavior. Make sure you’re able to distinguish harmless play and dominant or territorial behavior. Using the exercise, discipline, then affection rule will keep your little court jester from taking over control of your kingdom!

Large breed dogs like Riley don’t necessarily need big yards to live happy lives. Last time I was in New York City, I saw big dogs that lived in small apartments, yet appeared perfectly calm and balanced. Dogs’ needs are not met inside the house but outside through regular exercise and play. And because this burns energy, once inside, dogs tend to relax and remain calm and submissive.

Remember, it doesn't matter if you keep your dog in a crate or on the grounds of a country estate. They will always be anxious and unbalanced if you don't provide the proper exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order.

When a client becomes afraid of their dog, it presents a major roadblock to rehabilitation. To get past the problem, there first needs to be established trust and respect between owner and dog. I would recommend seeking the advice of a professional. In other words, if you don’t trust him, he can’t trust you back.

After working with a trainer, you must continue to practice with your dog on your own. Have your spouse, partner, or a friend become a “coach” and observe how you interact with the dog making sure the energy and body language you are sharing remains calm and assertive.

When you’re trying to create a pack with your dog and cat, you need to block the predatory instinct of the dog and the fight and flight mode of the cat. I’ll give you some suggestions on tonight’s episode. The key is changing the energies of both animals to calm-submissive. Think about it in terms of the animals on a farm. There are many different species, but they all tend to submit to each other and get along.

It also happens during moviemaking! While filming the movie Babe, different species were put together on the set during filming. Humans conditioned them to co-exist, but neither the humans nor the animals were nervous, aggressive, or tense and as a result, it was a great looking shot! Your home can be as calm as that movie set if you commit to becoming the pack leader.