An Idiot's Guide to Applying Cesar's Techniques
Welcome to Cesarsfans, a site designed specifically to helping you apply Cesar's techniques to every day life. If you've posted a question or a concern on www.cesarsway.com and never received a reply, this is the place to post! At Cesarsfans, our goal is to help you with your doggy dilemas using Millan's methods and glorifying the Creator in the process.
CAUTION
The following section is extremely long-winded and dull. Those faint of heart should not attempt such an extensive read. We at Cesarsfans are not responsible for any damage that may occur through prolonged exposure of computer screens or mental overloads.
Dog Psychology 2
Abstract
With various forms of animal abuse running rampant, a theory was developed stating that applying dog psychology, as taught by Cesar Millan, then pound populations, euthanasia numbers and dog abuse would diminish. Basing the theory on three season’s worth of testimonies, presented through National Geographic’s Dog Whisperer series, and personal experience with a pack of six at home offers a hands-on atmosphere. An assortment of references provides an adverse aspect to Cesar’s techniques and allows the reader to make the judgment for themselves.
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Imagine, if you will, a gift hidden under the Christmas tree placed there just this morning. Your name is on it. The family urges you to open it first and as you comply, you realize something inside the box is scraping at the sides. Cautiously lifting the lid, no longer sure what you’ll find, a pit bull puppy peers back at you, docked tail wagging.
Infatuation is imminent and immediate as most cases with puppies tend to be. The first week is spent focusing on the newcomer, playing games with it, feeding, grooming, and cuddling it. Time passes and the excitement begins to fade. Games become less frequent, interaction is at a distracted minimum, and food and water are provided when remembered. In the mean time, the puppy grows bigger, developing into a fine specimen of its breed. Bigger isn’t always better, however, as it continues to greet you with a playful pounce the way it always has.
Doubts begin to chase through your mind. Pit bulls are a fighting breed. Could owning one be dangerous? If my neighbors come over unexpectedly, would it bite? And it certainly has become energetic in the past month or so. Rebellious, too, running away from you as you call its name and destroying pieces of the furniture. The best course of action, you decide, is to drop it off at a local pound. Perhaps someone with more time and dedication than you would be able to handle it appropriately.
Unfortunately, many times this is just the case. I’ve seen it happen as people pass by the display windows of pet shops. Tiny, fluffy puppies stare curiously back at the visitors and romp and play, melting the hearts of the on-lookers. On an impulse, they buy a puppy with no prior information or preparation and end up with a fiasco, often resulting in abuse or the dog being dropped off at a pound when it is no longer cute and little.
According to a study done by the American Humane, “it is estimated that approximately 3.7 million animals were euthanized in the nation’s shelters in 2008.” (American Humane, 2010) Some of the animals could well and truly have been lost. Some of them could have been strays. Some of them could have been too aggressive for the original owner to handle. Some could’ve been abused. But many of them were undoubtedly there as a result of an urge gone sour or an unwanted gift.
The AKC identifies over 164 ‘Recognized Breeds’, 11 ‘Miscellaneous Class Breeds’, and 51 ‘Foundation Stock Service Breeds’ (AKC, 2010) Each breed is unique in its own way and requires research on the potential owner’s part. There can be no generalizations made as each dog has its own personality, but as it is, myths involving specific dog breeds being un-trainable and mindlessly violent persist, warping the breed’s image and people’s opinion about them.
If people were to understand the dog as a whole in more detail, both breed-specific aspects and general canine perspectives, all the needs and thought processes, then maybe there wouldn’t be a need for so many pounds. Cesar Millan, a self-taught dog psychologist, has developed a simple solution for most problems: Exercise, discipline, affection combined with rules, boundaries and limitations and a calm-assertive ‘energy’. He offers ways to connect with dogs and form relationships with them, resulting in balance not only within yourself, but with your pets. Were dog psychology, as taught by Cesar Millan, to become common-place knowledge then pound populations, euthanasia, animal abuse would drop drastically.
A recent trip to the vet’s office confirmed my suspicions about pound statistics. Dr. Julia Leese, a down-to-earth veterinarian in Spokane, has to put dogs down every day. When asked for the cause, she replied that many of the dogs were ‘old’ or that the ‘owners could no longer afford to keep them’. “It’s a sad fact, but that’s what we have to deal with.” (J. Leese, personal communication, March 5, 2010) According to Dr. Leese, she works with owners that consider their dogs to be pets, not just animals. She does, however, run a unique establishment and reports that county statistics are tremendously different. Hundreds of dogs are put down regularly, eighty percent of them being pit bulls, also known as the American Staffordshire Terrier.
“Until the early 19th century, the Bulldog used for bull baiting in England was more active and longer-legged than the breed as we know it today. It is thought that the cross of this older Bulldog and a game terrier breed created the Staffordshire Terrier. Originally called the Bull-and-Terrier Dog, Half and Half or Pit Dog, it became known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier in England. When accepted for AKC registration in 1936, the name changed to American Staffordshire Terrier to reflect the heavier American type and to distinguish them as separate breeds.” (AKC, 2010)
When asked why mainly pit bulls were euthanized, Dr. Leese replied it was due mainly to behavioral issues, such as aggression. She supported the idea of creating more awareness for dog handlers and thoroughly approves of Cesar’s techniques. “Cesar’s teachings aren’t about money. They’re simple and easy to apply to life.” She agreed whole-heartedly that if people became educated in dog psychology, pound populations would decrease as would euthanasia numbers and dog attacks.
“Born and raised in Mexico, his blessed gift - a primal communion with nature - always came naturally to him, but his unique connection to canines became most noticeable around the age of 13. Everywhere Cesar went, there always seemed to be a swirl of dogs surrounding him. The locals gave him a nickname, "El Perrero" - Spanish for "The Dogman".
Cesar embraced this gift whole-heartedly, and he came to America to pursue his dream of becoming the greatest dog trainer in the world. He soon realized, though, that he was searching for something rather more profound than teaching dogs basic commands.
Heeding his grandfather's advice to 'never work against Mother Nature', Cesar acquired yet another pack of dogs. He passionately studied books on dog psychology, but it was through his own observation, awareness, and firsthand experience that Cesar distilled his own formulas that clearly kept dogs balanced, calm, and submissive” (Millan Inc, 2009).
Best known for his National Geographic television series, The Dog Whisperer, Cesar has already begun ‘rehabilitating’ America and has recently furthered the battlefield into the UK (Millan Inc, 2010) Having spent his whole life with dogs, Millan’s theories and techniques are derived not from textbooks and articles but through hands-on interaction and continual studying. His humble beginnings and friendly disposition offer viewers and ‘students’ a relaxed, casual atmosphere; ideal for a learning environment.
There are those that would argue against him and his techniques, the AVSAB (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior) and the American Humane Society among them. “The American Humane Association sent a letter to National Geographic in 2006, complaining that Millan’s techniques were ‘cruel and dangerous.’ The association asked that the program be removed from the airwaves.” (VIN News, 2009) Many professionals recommend Animal Planet’s dog-training show, It’s Me or the Dog. Based in England, the show deals specifically with positive reinforcement and dog training. (Mullinax, 2008) Not psychology.
Maria Eftimiades, a columnist for People magazine, wrote an article detailing the specific grievances and heated debates about Cesar’s methods. “…a prominent veterinarian from Tuft’s University’s Animal Behavior clinic accused Millan of ‘“setting dog training back by 20 years.’” She goes on to discuss a particular episode many critics refer to, dealing with Kane, a Great Dane. “By most accounts it was the episode about Kane, the 2-year-old Great Dane with an irrational fear of linoleum floors that incited the dog world. Trembling and drooling, the 160-lb. dog was commanded by Cesar Millan, TV's Dog Whisperer, to walk along a hallway until he appeared, to use one of Millan's favorite terms, ‘calm-submissive’”. (Eftimiades, 2007)
Another episode that sparked discussion dealt with an aggressive Korean Jindo, named Jonbee. “One disturbing example is Jonbee, a Jindo who is forced to lie on his side. After a significant and dangerous struggle (during which the dog appears to have urinated), the dog finally gives up and allows himself to be rolled over.” (Mullinax, 2008) I re-watched the episode myself and what critics are neglecting to tell you is the mental state the dog was in prior to Cesar’s rehabilitation session: he was a stray, picked up from the streets with no knowledge of previous history or experiences. The Jindo was territorial and aggressive inside, snapping at his owners whenever they tried to touch him. The most controversial piece of the episode is where Cesar seems to be hanging the dog from his leash. However, if you watch without pre-formed misconceptions, you will notice that as the dog is flailing, he actually locks his paws around the leash and lifts himself off the ground.
“Training – 1 the action or method of one that trains 2 the process or experience of being trained” (Webster, 1999 p. 1518).
“Psychology – 1 a) the science dealing with the mind and with mental and emotional processes b) the science of human and animal behavior” (Webster, 1999 p. 1158).
It seems the conflict starts with not knowing the difference between training and psychology. Training is teaching your dog to sit, stay, come, shake, and roll over, good boy. He can fetch your slippers and he can get your newspaper, but his state of mind is something else entirely. To apply dog psychology successfully is to achieve balance and contentment with your dogs
Cesar believes that ‘achieving balance’ in the form of a calm-assertive energy, or attitude, is the first step to become the pack-leader, the person your dog trusts, respects and looks to for direction. “Why? Dogs are animals, and they respond to calm-assertive leadership – not emotional arguments or negotiations.” (Millan, 2009) It takes a constant effort to remain calm; particularly when your dog finds it convenient to potty in the house. But if you can manage to maintain that stability, half the work is over. Many times, animal abuse occurs when people are going through emotional stress and they see the animal as an outlet. Sometimes, it’s an immediate reaction to a dog misbehaving in one way or another. If a dog bites, for example, it could result in a human striking it in different intensities ranging from spanking to punching. However, if the handler were to apply Millan’s psychology to the situation, then there’d be no need for physical abuse. There will, of course, be that faction of people that abuse animals because they can. Those people need human psychology more than dog psychology and probably shouldn’t own pets in the first place.
The next part in applying dog psychology is ‘mastering the walk’. Cesar has developed a special collar, designed specifically to make walking and performing corrections on a walk simpler for the human. His style of walking puts the human up-front, as the dog’s leader, and asks the dog to go into ‘migration mode’, following the human and watching them attentively. He considers the walk to be ‘the most primal form of bonding’ and continually stresses its importance. Daily exercise is a necessity in every dog, particularly terrier and hunting breeds, and contributes to the bond between animal and human. Many times a dog will become destructive, obsessive or aggressive when it has no exercise and is seeking an outlet for its energy. Walking with your dog can help prevent that.
Affection is also important, although it doesn’t mean baby-talk and coddling the dog. According to Cesar, affection is given through providing food, water, exercise and shelter. It can be given through a positive energy or attitude and through play-time and toys. In all actuality, cuddling the puppies and the doggies is more for us than it is for them. Often times, many problems stem from non-stop affection or the humanization of a dog which results in mental unbalance. All things in moderation.
When one becomes aware of dog psychology and how it applies to our lives, our energy levels become apparent to us. Using Cesar’s methods as a guide can help you choose the dog that is right for you and your family’s energy level. He suggests that people “choose a dog whose energy is equal to or lower than their own.” (Millan, 2009) For example, a hyper-active Jack Russell would not be a good match to a laid-back, retired couple. A lazy Pekingese would not match an energetic youth and a head-strong bulldog would not be compatible with anyone who’d rather avoid a problem than face it head on.
Generalizing dog breeds is the equivalent to racial profiling. Pit bulls are a favorite target, for example, and have managed to sustain the image of a vicious, battling breed. While it’s true that they were originally bred for fighting, that doesn’t mean each individual is a warmongering brute. Unfortunately, most people don’t take the time to do any research and buy into the myths and spread the rumors. I’ve heard it from a teacher that pit bulls are mindless, un-trainable monsters. And the truth is she’s probably never had contact with one. Therefore, when choosing a dog, it’s advisable to first visit the dog at least once before deciding and judging whether or not its energy level is right for you. Going by generalizations can get stuck with a dog you could never handle.
Cesar also warns against puppy mills. As mentioned previously, some people abuse animals for their own twisted purposes and often times for money. The AH and ASPCA are constantly battling against puppy mills: “American Humane’s Red Star Animal Emergency Services team participated in the seizure of 95 dogs from a puppy mill in Marshall County, Miss., on Feb. 4, 2010. They included small breeds, such as Shih Tzus, Lhasa Apsos, pugs, Yorkshire terriers, corgis, and Chihuahuas.
…The team discovered the dogs living in feces-encrusted pens and filth. Manny Maciel, one of our Red Star volunteers, said that many dogs appeared to be underweight and have skin diseases, among other medical conditions. Several dead adult dogs and puppies also were found” (American Humane, 2010).
These are the dogs that are most often found in pet stores and boutiques. Because of their beginnings, many of these dogs end up with psychological issues. Cesar rescued a Yorkshire terrier from a puppy mill and named her ‘Georgia Peaches’. He reports that Peaches is only 80% rehabilitated and still has frequent accidents in the house because of the terrible living conditions she’d grown up in (Millan & Peltier, 2009).
There’re several organizations you can contact if you suspect your local pet store or cute, little pet parlour is supplied through puppy mills. There’re already many people working on shutting them down, but without nation-wide participation their battle won’t progress. The best way to avoid a puppy mill is to buy a puppy from a responsible breeder or to adopt a dog from the pound. They could use our help, too.
I can personally vouch for the authenticity of Cesar’s techniques. With a pack of six, we’ve been able to forge our way through problems like fear-aggression, dominance issues, and over-excitement. Yesterday, I walked four of the six at the same time. Eventually, I’d like to walk all six together but we might need to invest in some longer leashes, first. We even successfully selected our newest edition with his advice and a prayer and we couldn’t ask for a bigger blessing.
Ultimately, my goal is to help people become aware of the things that are going on and what they can do to improve human-animal relations. I want people to know that they don’t have to put the dog down. They don’t have to drop it off at the pound and they don’t have to yell at it to make it understand. With practical, disciplined application of Cesar’s psychology, America could become a balanced country and if I’m meant to help, then I pray this paper reaches more than just the class.
References
Agnes, M. (Ed). (1999). Webster’s new world college dictionary. (4th Ed.) New York, NY: Macmillan General Reference.
A.K.C. Meet the breeds: American Staffordshire terrier. (n.d.) Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://www.akc.org/breeds/american_staffordshire_terrier/
Animal Shelter Euthanasia. (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://www.americanhumane.org/about-us/newsroom/fact-sheets/animal-shelter-euthanasia.html
Animal welfare act. (2009, Dec. 22). Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://awic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=3&tax_level=3&tax_subject=182&topic_id=1118&level3_id=6735&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&placement_default=0
ASPCA leads second dog fighting bust in Georgia. (2010, Feb. 24). Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.aspca.org/blog/aspca-leads-second-dog-fighting-bust-in-georgia.html
Cesar against abuse. (n.d.) Retrieved February 24, 2010 from http://www.cesarsway.com/askcesar/cesarspeaks/Cesar-Against-Abuse
Donaldson, J. (2006.) Modern dog training vs. Cesar Millan. Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.urbandawgs.com/divided_profession.html
Eftimiades, M. (2007). Canine controversy. People, 67(3). Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20062474,00.html
Ernst, S. (2008). Animal use and abuse statistics: the shocking numbers. Retrieved February 24, 2010 from http://animals.change.org/blog/view/animal_use_and_abuse_statistics_the_shocking_numbers
Kirn, T. (2009). Veterinary behaviorists question dominance theory in dogs. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=12230
Millan, C. & Peltier, M. J. (2006). Cesar’s way: The natural, everyday guide to understanding & correcting common dog problems. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.
Millan, C. & Peltier, M. J. (2009). How to raise the perfect dog through puppyhood and beyond. New York, NY: Harmony Books.
Minnesotans call on lawmakers to protect animals. (2010, Feb. 24). Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/02/minnesota_humane_lobby_day_022410.html
Mississippi puppy mill. (2010, Feb. 10). Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-animals/programs/animal-emergency-services/mississippi-puppy-mill.html
Mullinax, L. (n.d.) The dog whisperer: frequently asked questions. Retrieved March 10, 2010, from http://4pawsu.com/cesarfans.html
The real cost of that adorable puppy in the window. (n.d.) Retrieved February 24, 2010, from http://www.idausa.org/campaigns/puppymills/index.html
Who is Cesar Millan? (n.d.) Retrieved March 20, 2010 from http://www.cesarsway.com/node/695?cat=3
