Cesar’s Way

We bought this one and "Be a pack leader" as companion help guides. I believe in his methods because I have seen the results with our own dog. I am impressed not only with his way with dogs, but with his candor and honesty.We have had dogs our whole lives (we're seniors) and never really had a dog with issues we didn't know how to address. That changed when we got our most recent dog from a rescue organization. We've had rescue dogs and cats before and highly recommend it, but being a good pack leader is even more important when you get an adult dog that hasn't been socialized well.The first thing I would tell folks is to get one of Cesar's books or videos BEFORE you go get your dog. Knowing how to bring a dog (especially an adult dog like ours) home and introduce them to your family is very important and can nip some problems in the bud. We "fell in love" with "Tara" and brought her home and showered her with love and affection because we felt sorry for her and because we had missed having a dog since ours passed and because we love dogs. She responded with love and affection, but was beginning to show signs of taking over the house. On top of that, we found out that our sweet lovable little ball of fur, HATES, HATES other dogs. Not people, thank heaven, but she went ape whenever she saw a dog - I mean, crazed growling and barking and snapping. Not cool in a neighborhood that where almost everyone has at least one dog and they spend quite a bit of time outside in their yard or walking. Then we started noticing she was fixating on my cockatiel and licking her lips whenever she saw her. She even jumped up and knocked over her cage. Scary. Then she started barking at everything that moved outside the window, birds, leaves, people. For the first time in all my dog years, I was at a lost as what to do, but there was no way I was returning her. We took her into our lives for keeps. I already was a fan of Mr. Millan's show, so naturally I turned to him for help. I bought a video on picking out and bringing a dog home. It pointed out several things that we had already done wrong. As suggested by Cesar's book and video, I talked to a local trainer too. She said that Tara appeared to have been bullied by her previous owner, and/or by their dogs. (she had a very aggressive brother that we did not select for that reason) and had a serious problem that was fear based. (fear aggressive in Cesar's terms) She gave me some tips that I am using in conjunction with this book to help us be better dog owners and to tackle the issues we were having. We really want her to be a big part of our lives which includes travel, camping and walking our dog down the street without fear of offending the neighbors or worse, having our dog attack theirs. We wanted a happy dog and to be a happy family. This book has helped so much. I learned some things we needed to change and immediately began to follow Cesar's exercise, discipline, affection structure. She loved the exercise part, but that created more tension because of her reaction to dogs. We found a slot of time when most of the rest of the dogs were indoors and walked, walked, walked. Taking charge of our house was easier than I thought. She fell into line fairly quickly when we set rules and followed up with calm, no nonsense correction. I couldn't believe how LESS talk and more energy could make such a huge difference. Now my husband and I laugh at each other whenever one of starts "explaining" something we'd rather she not do to Tara. She doesn't get it, but she understands our body language and energy. One word or sound works much better than all the pleading or cooking in the world. He books reinforced what I already knew, that dogs sense how we are feeling and our energy and that makes a huge difference in how they react. If we lose it, they will too. We have to stay calm and strong for her so that she knows she is safe and can follow us anywhere.Outside was harder, but we have made great strides. It's been two and half months and we can actually walk by a fenced dog that is barking without her going crazy and wanting to eat him. HUGE progress! We still haven't done the actual meet another dog thing, but I think we'll take Cesar's recommendation and include the trainer for that part. I really don't want to use a friend's dog to see if we can all keep our heads. She should be ready for that step soon. The bird issue is also getting better. I have established the bird as "mine" and even though she still rushes toward her at times when the bird is squawking, she will back off with a look or hand signal from me.Cesar's book is full of helpful advice and examples. The only drawback is that both this book and the "pack leader" book seem rather disjointed in the way it was edited. I can overlook that for results like we have gotten. It will take time, and my husband and I both have to be on the same page and be consistent and continue to be calm and assertive (this does not mean bossy or mean!). I will never be have the magic he has, but reading his books and watching his video has put us on the road to a happier life with our dog and to staying calm when our dog isn't. I wish I could hug Cesar.

I truly think that every dog owner should read this book and have as a reference. Cesar's books are written in a very entertaining and thorough way, however, you should have the right expectation in order to be satisfied with this purchase. This is not a step-by-step instruction on how to teach your dog to do tricks, or step-by-step how to solve your problems. However, if you are experiencing frustration with your dog's antics, behavior, or just want a better relationship and more understanding between you and your pet, this is a GREAT way to start.Cesar does give case studies to illustrate his points; some people complain that there are no examples, but I disagree. Because Cesar's effort is more toward people training than dog training per se, most of his effort is geared toward YOU- understanding your dog's way of seeing the world, understanding the evolution of your dog's mind from wolf to domesticated pet, and knowing how to look inside yourself to find the solution to your issues. In a way, it's more of a dog psychology book than a training book. Even if you don't agree with Cesar's methods and don't agree with the points that he makes in his teachings, at least consider it before you brush it off. I personally find his points to be very true for me. He does make the point though, that each person needs to find the right method that works for them because there are many ways of training your dog and there is no right way for everyone. So, read it, take what rings true for you, and leave the rest.I noticed, after reading this, that it was very true, that my energy and emotions directly affected not only my dog, but also my children! When I'd get stressed, I notice all of a sudden, the house would erupt in energy- my usually medium-energy children would start going nuts, breaking all the rules, screaming in the house, playing rough inside, etc...and the dog- she'd get all crazy too- picking up things for toys that she knows are off limits, running around and knocking down the kids (she's a Great Dane puppy), and just losing her grip! (shes also very docile indoors normally). I didn't see it at first, then when I realized that I had just fed this frenzy with my tension, I saw that I had to have better control over myself in order to make the changes that I want to see with my puppy- and subsequently, with my kids. How crazy, that getting a dog in the house would end up making me a better parent!I love the way that Cesar manages to articulate a way to communicate with your dog that doesn't require hitting for correction- in fact, he says to never hit a dog! Yet, by learning how to communicate properly with your dog, use corrections with proper timing and energy, you can get their respect and affection and know that your dog is leading a full life because their needs are being met too. A dog NEEDS bounderies, she needs rules, and first and foremost, she NEEDS NEEDS NEEDS exercise!! She needs affection when the time is right, but affection is such a powerful tool that rather than worrying only about meeting my needs, I have to meet her needs first. This is probably the hardest concept to really take to heart for me and most people since we love them and know that they love us too. Trust me though, you can see it happen like magic when you apply the right technique and philosophy. It's amazing.Now that we have mastered the walk, I look forward to our "migration" time and it's very obvious that she does too. Now she even waits for permission to enter or exit the house! We didn't even teach her that, we just used Cesar's methods to own the space by the door, established ourselves as proper pack leaders, and she just fell in to her place. She's happy and so are we. (Of course, a pack leader's work is never done and we're constantly trying to improve our consistency, our energy, and our methods).I've always loved dogs, and looking back, I can see all the mistakes I've made before very clearly. I know that this dog is going to be the best I've ever had, and I look forward to our years together. I can't wait for her to help raise our next dog too!Read this. Then read Cesar's book "Be the Pack Leader". The themes are similar but there's more expanding upon having the right leadership energy. I plan to read all of his books- not only are they just a good read, but they really help cement the concepts into my subconsious. I want to be the best pack leader I can be and to help my dogs be the awesome dogs they were born to be. It takes practice to know yourself, and to practice self-control when you're deep in an emotion. Maybe all your friends will think you're crazy because of the "new age" way you look at dog training- I know my family did- but it's not "new age" it's old school- really, really old school...like nature intended, and you'll never go back to humanizing your pets again when you see how truly happy they are being dogs!