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Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems (Hardcover)
by Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier
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Dog, Pet, Home |
| Market price: ¥ 268.00
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¥ 248.00
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| MSL Pointer Review:
Filled with simple, realistic and educational concepts, this book is definitely a must-own by all dog owners. |
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Author: Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier
Publisher: Harmony; RAO edition
Pub. in: April, 2006
ISBN: 0307337332
Pages: 234
Measurements: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00613
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-0307337337
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- Awards & Credential -
One of the top sellers in books ranking #11 on Amazon.com as of January 11, 2007. |
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- MSL Picks -
Cesar Millan's methods are based on the behavior of dogs living within packs. Packs are organised to the extent that there are pack leaders and followers. Instinctively, dogs need packs for survival, so they naturally follow the strongest and most stable dog and weed out weak, unstable dogs who threaten the effectiveness of the pack. When dogs are removed from their natural state, their pack instincts must be compensated or they become unstable.
The root of most dog problems that Millan is asked to correct originate not with the dogs, but with their owners who often view their dogs as furry little people. Even those dog owners who recognise that dogs are not people, use human psychology on their dogs. This often takes the form of affection and is often given to soothe the dog when it is acting stressed. But, affection given at the wrong time, when the dog is stressed, rewards the dog's behavior and makes matters worse.
Millan has several formulas that he applies to different situations. If you accept that dogs are pack animals, it all makes sense. If you want to control your dog, you have to become the pack leader. As pack leader, you cannot be unstable. You must be calm and assertive or the dog will dismiss you as the leader, though he might be fearful. As pack leader, you need to give the dog what he needs: exercise (dogs roam all day), discipline (packs are organised and the leader sets the rules, boundaries, and limitations) and affection, in that order. People often mess-up their dogs by giving affection and not much else. This results in the dog assuming, in it's mind, the role of pack leader. Every pack needs a leader and if you are not it, the dog will be.
Millan says that he rehabilitates dogs and trains people. Many of the situations he encounters are amusing, because some neuroses can be funny. But, once you get it (understand what you're seeing and why it's happening), the causes of the neuroses, along with the cures, become clear. Much of the cure for dog problems is in understanding what your dog's movements are telling you and immediately acting to short circuit escalating behaviors. They telegraph virtually everything if you are attentive and understand the signals. Bad behavior can by stopped immediately by snapping them out of a state of mind that will lead, often within a second or two, to unwanted behavior.
(From quoting Doug Druchunas, USA)
Target readers:
All dog trainers, owners and/or dog lovers.
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Founder of the Dog Psychology Center in Los Angeles, Cesar Millan is the star of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan on National Geographic Channel. In 2005, the National Humane Society Genesis Award Committee presented him with a Special Commendation for his work in rehabilitating sheltered animals. A native of Culican, Mexico, Cesar lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Ilusion, and two sons, Andre and Calvin.
Melissa Jo Peltier, an executive producer and writer of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, has been honored for her film and television writing and directing with an Emmy and more than fifty other awards. She lives in Los Angeles and Nyack, New York.
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From Publisher
“I rehabilitate dogs. I train people.” - Cesar Millan
There are at least 68 million dogs in America, and their owners lavish billions of dollars on them every year. So why do so many pampered pets have problems? In this definitive and accessible guide, Cesar Millan - star of National Geographic Channel’s hit show Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan -reveals what dogs truly need to live a happy and fulfilled life.
From his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show to his roster of celebrity clients to his reality television series, Cesar Millan is America’s most sought-after dog-behavior expert. But Cesar is not a trainer in the traditional sense - his expertise lies in his unique ability to comprehend dog psychology. Tracing his own amazing journey from a clay-walled farm in Mexico to the celebrity palaces of Los Angeles, Cesar recounts how he learned what makes dogs tick. In Cesar’s Way, he shares this wisdom, laying the groundwork for you to have stronger, more satisfying relationships with your canine companions.
Cesar’s formula for a contented and balanced dog seems impossibly simple: exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order. Taking readers through the basics of dog psychology and behavior, Cesar shares the inside details of some of his most fascinating cases, using them to illustrate how common behavior issues develop and, more important, how they can be corrected.
Whether you’re having issues with your dog or just want to make a good bond even stronger, this book will give you a deeper appreciation of how your dog sees the world, and it will help make your relationship with your beloved pet a richer and more rewarding one.
Learn what goes on inside your dog’s mind and develop a positive, fulfilling relationship with your best friend
In Cesar’s Way, Cesar Millan—nationally recognized dog expert and star of National Geographic Channel’s hit show Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan—helps you see the world through the eyes of your dog so you can finally eliminate problem behaviors. You’ll learn:
• What your dog really needs may not be what you’re giving him
• Why a dog’s natural pack instincts are the key to your happy relationship
• How to relate to your dog on a canine level
• There are no “problem breeds,” just problem owners
• Why every dog needs a job
• How to choose a dog who’s right for you and your family
• The difference between discipline and punishment
• And much more!
Filled with fascinating anecdotes about Cesar’s longtime clients, and including forewords by the president of the International Association of Canine Professionals and Jada Pinkett Smith, this is the only book you’ll need to forge a new, more rewarding connection with your four-legged companion.
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Chapter 2: If We Could Talk to Animals
What is the communication style you use with your dog? Do you implore him to come to you, while he refuses, continuing to run down the street after a neighborhood squirrel? When your dog steals your favorite slipper, do you talk baby talk to him to try to get it back? Do you scream at the top of your lungs for your dog to get off the furniture, while he just sits there, staring at you as if you’re crazy? If any of these sounds like you, I know you’re aware that the techniques you’re using aren’t working. You understand that you can’t “reason” with a dog, but you simply don’t know any other way to communicate with him. I’m here to tell you that there’s a much better way.
Remember the story of Dr. Dolittle, the man who was able to speak and understand the language of any animal he happened to meet? From the Hugh Lofting books to the 1928 silent film, to the thirties radio series, to the 1967 movie musical and seventies cartoons, to the blockbuster Eddie Murphy comedies, this wonderful tale and its main character have appealed to children and adults generation after generation. Just think of the countless worlds that would be unlocked if we saw things as animals see them. Imagine looking down at the earth through the eyes of a soaring bird, moving through life in three dimensions like a whale, or “seeing” the world through sound waves, the way bats do. Who hasn’t dreamed of such thrilling possibilities? The attraction of the Dr. Dolittle story is that it brings animals to life, in big-screen living color.
What would you say if I told you that Doctor Dolittle’s secret was more than just creative fiction?
Perhaps you’re imagining this secret from a human perspective.
You’re wondering if I’m telling you that there’s a verbal way to talk to your dog, perhaps with the use of a phrase book that translates your language into his. What would his language look like, sound like, you wonder? Would it include the words sit, stay, come, and heel? Would you have to shout the translations, or could you whisper them? Would you have to learn how to whimper and bark? Sniff your pet’s behind? And how would your dog answer you back? How would you translate what he was saying? As you can see, creating a dog-to-human phrase book - the way, say, an English-to-Spanish phrase book is created - would be a very complicated effort indeed.
Wouldn’t it be simpler if there was a universal language that every species could understand? “Impossible,” you say. “Even human beings don’t all speak the same language!” True, but that hasn’t kept people from trying to find a common language for centuries. In the ancient world, all the higher-class, educated people learned Greek. That way, they could all read and understand the most important documents. In the Christian era, anybody who was anybody knew how to read and write Latin.
Today, English is at the top of the language food chain. I learned this the hard way when I first arrived in America fourteen years ago. Believe me, if you’re not born speaking it, English is a monster of a language to learn from scratch - yet everyone from the Chinese to the Russians now accept it as the international language of business. Humans have sought other ways to breach the language barrier. No matter what language you speak, if you’re blind, you can use Braille. If you’re deaf, you can understand any other deaf person using International Sign Language. Mathematics and computer languages cross many linguistic borders and allow humans of different tongues to converse easily with one another, thanks to the power of technology.
If humans can succeed in designing these collective languages, can’t we create a way to converse with the other species on the planet? Isn’t there a language we can learn that means the same thing to every creature?
Good news! I’m happy to report that the universal language of Doctor Dolittle already exists. And humans didn’t invent it. It’s a language all animals speak without even knowing it, including the human animal. What’s more, all animals are actually born knowing this language instinctually. Even human beings are born fluent in this universal tongue, but we tend to forget it because we are trained from childhood to believe that words are the only way to communicate. The irony is, even though we don’t think we know the language anymore, we are actually speaking it all the time. Unknowingly, we are broadcasting in this tongue 24-7! Other species of animals can still understand us, even though we may not have a clue how to understand them. They read us loud and clear, even when we’re unaware that we’re communicating!
This truly universal, interspecies language is called energy.
Energy in the Wild
How can energy be a language? Let me give you some examples. In the wild, different animal species intermingle effortlessly. Take the African savannah or a jungle, for instance. At a watering hole in a jungle, you might see monkeys and birds in the trees, or on a savannah, different plant eaters, such as zebras or gazelles, wandering around, happily drinking out of the same crystal-clear pond. All is peaceful, despite the many different species sharing the same space. How do they all get along so smoothly?
How about a less exotic example? In your own backyard you may have squirrels, birds, rabbits, even foxes, all happily coexisting. There’s no trouble until you rev up your lawnmower.
Why? Because all these animals are communicating with the same relaxed, balanced, non-confrontational energy. Every animal knows that all the other animals are just hanging out, doing their own thing - drinking water, foraging for food, relaxing, grooming one another. Everybody’s feeling mellow and no one’s attacking anyone else. Unlike us, they don’t have to ask one another how they’re feeling. The energy they are projecting tells them everything they need to know. In that sense, they are speaking to one another, all the time.
Now that you’ve got this peaceful vision in your mind, imagine this: Suddenly, a new animal enters your backyard, or approaches our imaginary jungle waterhole, projecting a completely different energy. This new energy could be something as minor as one squirrel trying to plunder another’s stash, or a gazelle jockeying another gazelle for a better drinking position at the oasis. It could also be as serious as a hungry predator seeking to subdue its next prey. Ever notice how a whole group of peaceful animals can turn scared or defensive in an instant, sometimes even before a predator has shown itself on the scene? They probably got a whiff of its scent - but it’s also probable that they sensed the energy the predator was projecting.
What’s always amazing to me about the animal kingdom is that even if a predator is near, all the other animals can usually tell if it’s safe to stay around it or not. Imagine being introduced to a man you knew to be a serial killer. Would you be able to relax in his presence? Of course not! But if you were another kind of animal on this planet, you would probably be able to sense whether the serial killer was on the prowl or simply kicking back. Animals immediately recognize when a predator is projecting a hunting energy, sometimes even before they spot the predator itself. As humans, we are so often blind to these nuances in animal energy - we think a tiger is dangerous at all times, when, really, if he’s just eaten a three hundred-pound deer, he’s probably more tired than treacherous. The moment his tummy gets empty, however, he’s a different animal - all instinct, all survival energy. Even your backyard squirrel will pick up on this subtle difference. Yet we humans tend to be blind to what, in the animal kingdom, is pretty much a flashing red light.
Here’s an example of animal energy that folks who live in the American South can probably relate to. On a sunny day in Florida, Louisiana, or the Carolinas, you’ll see giant alligators sunning their leathery bodies on the banks of swamps - all over expensive, exclusive golf courses! Meanwhile, golfers are teeing off a few feet away. Herons and cranes and turtles are happily sunning themselves right next to these terrifying reptiles. Eightypound old ladies are walking their teacup-size dogs on footpaths just inches from the alligators’ swamp. What’s going on here? It’s simple. The other animals - from the turtles to the teacup Chihuahuas - are aware, on an instinctual level, that these fearsome predators aren’t in a hunting mode at the moment. One thing you can be sure of - when the same big creature’s tummy starts to rumble and his energy shifts into hunting mode, the rest of the animals will be gone in the blink of an eye. Except maybe the golfers. But they are one of the strangest species in nature, and even modern science hasn’t figured them out yet... |
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| View all 12 comments |
Jennifer Camille (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
We simply loved this book and the show, The Dog Whisperer. Our good friends recommended it to us, just for a good laugh (the show) and for a good read. We were interested because we had plans to adopt two dogs soon. We did loads of research and found this to be the most helpful. We also found the Monks of New Skete book helpful and we enjoy the tapes by Leerburg--his website is loaded with info for free.
If you are afraid of controversy, or if you read the NY Times dreadful, and falsely biased article on Cesar, then this is the book for you! Read it and find out for yourself. The article has striked much debate about false accusations of physical violence. We NEVER use physical force on our dogs and have found the tools Cesar talks about to not only be 99% true, but his methods get results.
We applied his methods to our friends' dog (we were practicing before we adopted our dogs) and found that his simple methods worked extrememly well on their strong and dominant Sara. We use his methods, but not as much, with our three dogs; they were so responsive to his methods that we barely have to apply them anymore.
I only wish I had the info Cesar offers sooner. My little dog Lily was finally put down--yes, killed at the vets--at the recommendation of just about everyone: PETA, The Humane Society and my husband of the time. When I saw Cesar's show for the first time, I knew I had made a BIG mistake, one I could never correct. After spending thousands of dollars on "training" Lily I finally gave up. Her symptoms totally matched the symptoms Cesar talks about and addresses on his show. I know I could have done better and saved my dog had I only known how. If you are having trouble to this kind of serious extent with your pet, consider trying something new, try Cesar's show and his book.
We both highly recommend this book (and his show) to anyone with a dog, especially if:
they are new dog "owners"
have a troublsome dog
have a biter
have a breed that is considered dangerous or outlawed
feel controlled by their dog
are ready to give up
WANT A GOOD STORY TO READ |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Since following Ceasar's way, my dogs have become happily balanced and well behaved. I have a 2 year old boxer and a 1 year old austrailian cattle dog, both very high energy dogs. I have always loved them, but I had allowed them to control my life (and I was frustrated). I always gave my dogs plenty of exercise, but I did not walk them on leash except when we traveled (I live in the country). I tried to always give them what they wanted, when they wanted it. We now walk a couple of hours a day, including some huge hills, and they are much calmer and easier to discipline. I am the alpha dog 100% of the time and my dogs get plenty of exercise, discipline and affection - in that order. My dogs are not perfect, but I know what to do to improve their behavior - we're still working on greeting company. My dogs no longer control my life, and we all live a well adjusted life together. |
Jill Jackson (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
As a person involved in dog training, I have read many books about dogs and dog training. I highly recommend this book (and Millan's TV show) to anyone who is interested in dogs. As the author states, he "rehabilitates dogs and trains people." His advice on how to be the calm, assertive pack leader that your dog needs has been very helpful to me in changing my behavior with my dogs, with a resultant change in their behavior. His advice on how to walk your dog, alone, is worth the purchase price of the book. Our walks are now much more relaxing. The book helps the reader understand dogs from a dog psychology, rather than a human psychology, viewpoint. I appreciate the fact that Millan acknowledges that there are other approaches to dog training, and does not assert that his is the only right way. I think he has so much to offer dogs and their humans.
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Stephanie Manley (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-11 00:00>
Cesar Milan has a unique approach to dealing with dogs. While his personal approach is not popular with all people and organizations, some of his ideas have merit. This book isn't about training a dog, as much as it is the philosophy behind training your dog. We as pet owners often humanize our dogs, and then are surprised when dogs have behavior problems. The book primarily focuses on the why Cesar treats dogs the way he does.
You may have seen his show 'The Dog Whisperer' on tv. You may have been amazed at how quickly he can rehibilitate dogs. How does he do this? I believe in that reading his book, you will find the greatest lesson that he teaches, is that you cannot treat a dog like a human. We as pet owners are often good at treating dogs like children, humans, and a variety of other roles in our lives. His greatest emphasis on training your dog is that your dog is a dog.
While it can be a painful lesson to realize that your dog is really just a dog, and he thinks differently. We has pet owners should adapt our teaching style to what the dog naturally understands. There is some dog psychology that Cesar Milan discusses throughout the book that is helpful. He believes that dogs follow the pack mentality and therefore we should utilize this in training our dogs. Why? It is the language that they understand.
While all of this ideals are not sanctioned by all trainers and organizations, I do not feel that his theories should be tossed out because of this. I think many of his ideas such has exercising your dog before you want to try something new is a great idea, as your dog is calm after physical exercise. Sometimes are just better than others when training your dog.
If you like his show, you will like the book. If you are looking for a book that will help you train a dog quickly, this book may not be the best choice for you. If you are a pet owner that really seeks to change the way you and your dog interact, this book is a good choice for you. The book is easy to read, and you should be able to gain much insight on your favorite dog by reading this book. |
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