"The Dog Whisperer"

[Eileen Stein]

You have a captive wolf pack comprising of a bunch of wolves from different wild wolf family units that are living together in an enclosure, regardless how large your enclosure is. They are not representative of a wild wolf pack.

 

Hmm. I wonder which would be more relevant to the modes of communication, expectations and behaviors of dogs living with human families -- observations of a captive wolf pack comprised of a bunch of unrelated wolves living together, or observations of a wild wolf pack.

[DTrain]

In all my years of having and training dogs, granted I train herding, I have had very few situations where I need to correct a dog. Of course I have had the usual puppy stuff etc. With two of my dogs which are well past puppy years I use a correction command and I very seldom do not get the desired result. If I need to take it a bit further I apply pressure and it works. But these two dogs were born and raised in the middle of nowhere with my wife and I being their major source of contact. My youngest dog however has been exposed to the big city so to speak and I frequently have correction issues with him. I believe some of what Cesar teaches is of some great value but the subject of wolves has come up and how they deal with each other. I too have been exposed to wild canines and I lived very close to a gentleman who raised hybrids. There is a difference between and wild and free wolf pack and a captive group but they do have something in common that is worth a note. Correction between canines starts when they are puppies and while they are puppies they learn their place and right from wrong and the vast majority of the time a correction is nothing more than a look, a growl, a re-direction or removing the puppy from a situation. Each dog has a personality and I have often noted that as dogs grow from puppy to adult some have learned their place well and other tend to push the limit. I these cases a correction can be harsh. To apply a single method to all dogs does not make sense. I think a good understanding of the dog you are training is very important, harsh correction does not apply to all dogs. I prefer a soft but firm approach from day one offering correction in the same fashion each time it is required and I have had success with this. When my dogs are given a correction it is the same correction they have had in every case since they were puppies. I will use a quick pull on the leash or a neck scruff when they will not give me their attention but this very seldom happens.

[Sue_Deutscher]

I like that Cesar persuades people to walk their dogs. I didn't think I could walk my three together until I started watching his show. Now I walk them nearly every day, and if they're not walked, they run at the park.

 

What I don't understand is when he talks about projecting energy. Do you just assume the dominant role? Act with confidence? I don't think I can bluff my way through that.

 

Not to get off the subject, but I think I'm leaning more towards Temple Grandin's approach that dogs really are like our children, and if we just assume the parent role, it all works as it should. I don't mean baby talk or silly stuff. I never say I'm my dogs' "mom." I just mean don't let them act like spoiled brats. Have fun with them, let them explore, and catch them if they're going to fall too far.

[mbc1963]

What I don't understand is when he talks about projecting energy. Do you just assume the dominant role? Act with confidence? I don't think I can bluff my way through that.

 

Not to get off the subject, but I think I'm leaning more towards Temple Grandin's approach that dogs really are like our children

 

I think Cesar's take on "projecting energy" is precisely what normal, effective adults do when they are in charge of children. And I think you're right - I don't think you can "fake" it. (I've watched enough bad 8th grade teachers come and go to know that.) It's simply an internal understanding that you are in charge, and capable of making decisions correctly, and of being listened to. I use exactly the same "energy" with my students as I do with my dog. When I was younger and less experienced, I had a lot more trouble with classroom management, because I didn't KNOW internally that I could take control, and that lack of certainty came through in everything I did.

 

I would guess it's the same energy that really strong business and political leaders have. And I'd guess that it's lacking in a lot of them - merely getting MBAs and promotions doesn't suddenly give people the ability to lead. (Hence a lot of problems.)

 

Mary

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Zhi (8 pound Chinese crested) can do the thing that looks like an alpha roll to dogs much bigger than herself. Hence, I have to conclude that "alpha rolls" are in fact a rather different set of circumstances than what we assume it is. Zhi begins all interactions with new dogs, after the first polite overtures, by asserting control over them through manipulation, basically. Within a few seconds Zhi has any dog, even dog aggressive dogs, eating out of her tiny little paws.

 

Then if she is displeased with them, and has to issue a giant "verbal" correction, many dogs will go into full on appeasement mode, belly up. They do it to try to get back into her good graces - not from fear, but because they want to stay friendly with her and get what she gives them.

 

When she does it to Lynn, who occasionally goes into clueless Golden zone and starts playing in ways that leave out Zhi, it's hilarious. Lynn is Golden sized, about 24 inches tall and almost 70 pounds.

 

I've also learned that it's not true that "every dog wants a leader." Every dog wants structure and to know where they fit in - that's different. Zhi manipulates dogs by giving them what they want and then taking it away if she doesn't like the way things are going. Within a few minutes, new dogs know exactly what Zhi wants and how to get what THEY want from her.

 

What dogs want is very weird, from what I can tell. Every time Zhi meets a new dog, that song by the Eurythmics goes through my head: "Sweet Dreams" - Everyone's looking for something . . .some of them want to use you, some of them want to be used by you. . .

[mbc1963]

Buddy occasionally meets dogs like Zhi. He immediately and frantically tries to get in their good graces. He usually only acts this way with dogs who seem quite aloof: "You can follow behind me if you want, overmarking me, and I will permit it." After a meeting or two, he will actually pull to get to those dogs, and whine with that "I love you" tone. This, despite his being notoriously grouchy with dogs who overdo the friendliness thing.

 

I often wonder what it is about the "leader" dogs that makes Buddy crave their approval so much. He sometimes starts with the "need to meet him" thing at 50 yards or more. Right now, there's a greyhound who walks the neighborhood at the same time as we do in the a.m.. We've never gotten close - the other dog who walks with the GH is dog aggressive, so the owners always swerve to avoid meeting dogs. But, at this point, Buddy has seen the GH twice, always from quite a distance. He is DESPERATE to meet this dog - to the point of pulling me down streets if he can even smell that the dog has been there.

 

Strange.

 

Mary

[Freeman 101]

Zhi (8 pound Chinese crested) can do the thing that looks like an alpha roll to dogs much bigger than herself. Hence, I have to conclude that "alpha rolls" are in fact a rather different set of circumstances than what we assume it is.

 

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In general, the alpha dog is actually not doing the rolling. The submitting dog is rolling itself on his own back.

 

 

Someone mentioned the "energy" that Cesar refers to. I don't get that either. I'm a literal person, so I need specifics.

I also don't like how Cesar over-simplifies dominance. It seems as if he feels every behavior problem is related to dominance. Maybe he realizes this is not true, but tries to keep it simple for the average viewer?

 

Anyway, I try to watch TV trainers as little as possible. It drives me crazy because Hollywood makes dog training look too easy and too miraculous.

[Debbie Meier]

What I don't understand is when he talks about projecting energy. Do you just assume the dominant role? Act with confidence? I don't think I can bluff my way through that.

 

IMO, when you project energy you have an aire of committment or understanding, that can't be faked, I think it is achieved buy understanding what you are trying to teach or what you are expecting at that moment. When you commit to getting a specific thing accomplished it will be easier for the dog to read what you want or to get an incling of what you are looking, providing that you are willing to help the dog via two way communication.

 

Something that has helped me recognize if I am being clear for the dog is to have someone tell me if they can understand, just by watching, what I was trying to acheive, video tape works well with the audio turned off.

 

Deb

[bcnewe2]

IF you are familiar with martial arts I think the energy CM talks about is like Ki or Chi which ever art you are experienced in can help you understand what they are talking about.

IMO It can also be "pressure on, pressure off"

Some people write about a look that can stop their dog. Some talk about leaning into a dog. Not touching but leaning into. That lean carries energy.

 

I took Aikido when I first started dog training. I could really relate Ki energy into dog training. I think it helped center me for training dogs.

 

Ki is that energy found within your chest.

 

I used to do craft shows where I was walking to hotels or motels with lots of cash. Hearing people talk about being robbed scared me. The Aikido teacher taught me to use Ki when walking to send people away from me. It's like an energy bubble around you. I worked for me. If I concentrated on my energy I could make people walk around me, giving me more space. I think you can learn more if you do some martial art reading.

 

STM CM is talking about energy that gives an air of confidence. Telling a dog to do something rather than asking for something. With authority. Not questioning when you ask. Don't your dogs respond to you better when you are talking with confidence? Telling rather than asking? My dogs mimic my energy. If I'm excited they're excited. If I'm calm, they're calm.

"please don't go in the road sweetheart, please don't stick you finger in that flame" or "DON"T GO IN THE ROAD< DON"T STICK YOUR FINGER IN THAT FIRE" it's still a dog or childs choice but the energy sways the choice of the dog or kid.

 

JMHO