Notes from the book
CESAR’S WAY
By Cesar Millan
APPROACHING YOUR NEW DOG/PUPPY
The proper way to approach a new dog is NOT to approach her at all.
Dogs never approach each other face on, unless they are challenging each other. And pack leaders never approach pack followers, the followers always approach him.
Etiquette in the dog world demands that when meeting a dog, you not make eye contact, you maintain calm assertive energy, and you allow the dog to come to you.
BRINGING A DOG HOME
When you bring a dog from a breeder or shelter into your new home, remember that to the dog, you are simply transporting him from one kennels to another. The very first thing you should do once you reach your home is to go for a long walk with your dog- at least one hour, through his new neighborhood. During this walk you are both building a bond of trust with your new companion and establishing your position as pack leader. The rules of your entire relationship are being established in those first important moments. The dog is also getting the feeling of his new neighborhood. You are creating for him what it might feel like to migrate to a new home with his pack leader. And, of course, you are tiring him out so he’ll be more amenable to conditioning once you enter the house.
Entering the house is as important as the first walk together. Make sure you enter the house first. Then invite the dog in. Don’t let your husband/wife and kids come running out to shower the dog with affection and welcome him home. As hard as it will be for them, tell them to stand where they are. Bring the dog to them and let him approach them and learn their scents. All members of the family should project calm-assertive energy.
Avoid the temptation to let the dog roam the house and property, sniffing out every new room and object – you are allowing him to claim the entire property for his own. For the first couple of weeks, you must give him “permission” to do everything. The first night, dedicate a room for him and a sleeping place, possibly his crate or kennel. Once your dog is quiet, in his kennel, and ready for sleep, then you can share affection and begin your heart to heart bonding. But remember, it is not loving energy but the energy of your leadership that will make your dog feel safe and secure in your home.
The next day, begin what will become your dog’s regular routine: a long walk first thing in the morning, then food, then affection, then rest. Introduce the dog gradually to one room at a time, always making it clear that you are the one giving him permission to enter. Establish early on what is off-limits and what is okay. Consistency and strength during this early phase are gifts you are giving the dog. You are giving the gift of a solid, reliable pack—one in which he will soon be able to relax and become his calm-submissive self.
WHO’S TOP DOG IN YOUR HOUSE?
There are dozens and dozens of different ways your dog will tell you, loud and clear, who’s the dominant one between you. If he jumps on you when you come home from work in the evening, he is not happy to see you. He is pack leader. If you open a door to go for a walk and he exits before you, it is not because he loves his walk so much, he is the pack leader. If he barks at you then you feed him, it is not cute. He is pack leader. If he paws at you or your house quests, and you pet him, he is pack leader. Whenever he makes you do something, he is trying to tell you something, he is trying to remind you that he is pack leader, and you are follower.
When you open the door on your terms, you are pack leader. When you exit the door ahead of your dog, you are pack leader. When you are the one who makes the decisions in the household, then you are the pack leader. You must be leader 100 % of the time. If you are leader 80% of the time, your dog will be follower 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time he will run the show. If you give your dog any opportunity for him to lead you, he will take it.
Your dog does not want to be your equal. His world is made up of leaders and followers, and it is up to you, the owner, to choose which role you will play.
What happens when you give partial leadership to your dog? This is a great formula for an unbalanced dog because even more confusing for him than having to be leader over a human, is not knowing when he has to lead and when he has to follow. Dogs need leadership before they need love. Let love reward balance. That is how balance is maintained.
DOGS NEED JOBS
Leading a dog on a walk is the best way to establish pack leadership. It is a primal activity that creates and cements those pack leader-follower bonds. Therefore, the walk is the most important job you can give a dog. Walking with you, the owner is both a physical and mental activity for your dog.
RULES, BOUNDARIES, AND LIMITATIONS
The rules you make for the dogs in your household are completely up to you. But there are some overall rules that I strongly recommend you follow in order to maintain your pack leader status intact.
| Wake up on your terms, not his. Your dog is not your alarm clock. |
| Start the day with very little touch or talk--saving the affection for after the walk. Walking at a brisk pace is the best overall exercise for both human and dog—both on a physical and on a psychological-primal level. If you positively don’t have a full hour to walk, add a backpack to make it a better workout for the dog. |
| Feed your dog calmly and quietly. Never give him food when he is jumping up and down. He gets fed only when he’s sitting down, calm-submissive. He never gets fed in response to a bark. |
| Your dog doesn’t beg for scraps or interrupt your mealtime. When the pack leader is eating, no one interrupts him. You set the distance your dog is allowed to be from the human’s dining table. |
| After exercise and food comes affection time. Instruct your dog to be in a calm submissive position and then love him till its time to go to work. By doing this, you are conditioning your dog to have a beautiful, balanced satisfying morning, every day of the week! |
| Never make a big deal about leaving the house—or coming home. Practice going in and out of the house many times, before the first few time you actually leave him alone. Make sure he is a calm, submissive state whenever you leave or enter the house. Once he’s in the position you desire, don’t talk, touch or make eye contact while you’re leaving. Project your calm assertive energy. If you have properly exercised your dog and not nurtured his fear and anxiety, his natural body clock will tell him this is time for him to rest. Do not allow howling or whining when you leave. You may have to wait several minutes before your dog is calm enough for you to leave, be patient, and make sure this routine sinks in for him. |
| Once you return home, hold back as much as affection as you can at first. Do not encourage overexcitement. Take your dog for a walk again, this time a bit shorter. After the walk, once again reinforce your mealtime rules, and then allow your calm submissive dog to be your best friend after dinner. |
| Sleeping arrangements for a dog should be clear and unambiguous. A dog should have a regular place to sleep; he should not be able to choose it on his own. When your dog first comes to live with you, put him in his crate or kennel every night for the first week. This will get him accustomed to the new surroundings while providing limits. After the first week, replace the kennel with a pillow or dog bed. That is now his resting place. If you are a person who wants your dog to sleep in bed with you, fine. It is natural for dogs to sleep with other members of the pack, and it is a powerful way to bond with our animal. But don’t let the dog take over the bed. Keep the rules clear. You invite the dog into the bedroom. Get in the bed for a few minutes and then signal that your dog can come up. You choose the position of the bed that he sleeps on. Sweet Dreams. |
| Every human in the household needs to be a pack leader. From your toddler to your elderly grandparents. Your dog needs to respect everyone in the household as higher up on the dominance ladder than he is. |
| Don’t avoid or postpone bathing your dog just because he hates it. Though your dog probably doesn’t care how clean he is, you deserve to have a dog you like to be near. Remember, a tired, relaxed dog that’s just worked up a sweat is your best bet for a happy bath. |
| Don’t allow possessiveness over toys and food! Make sure your dog knows that his toys are your toys first; make sure he is calm-submissive or active –submissive before you feed him and that he doesn’t growl if you come near him when feeding. |
| Don’t allow out-of-control barking. If your dog has an excessive barking problem, most of the time it will be due to physical and psychological frustration. This is a dog desperate for more physical activities and a more proactive pack leader. Your dog is trying to tell you something with his bark, listen to him! |
Dogs live in a world of cause and effect; of the moment not the past. Animals are put into our lives for a purpose: to teach us lessons and to help us become better people.
Remember an animal has only four possible responses to any threat—fight, flight, avoidance or submission