Dog Whisperer Saved My Life

Last spring I was stuck. I mean really stuck. I'd been down the unexpected path of living with cancer for the past five years. And, at this point in the road- the place I like to call The Aftermath - I lived in fear that this was how my life was always going to be.

Stuck.

I was in desperate need of a holiday. But I was in need of a getaway destination where I would feel comfortable being a single girl on vacation - not where I would be bombarded by couples holding hands at sunset (help me!). The Oaks in Oja seemed like the perfect spot.
A spartan spa nestled in the mountains just south of Santa Barbara seemed like just the right place to heal my wounds and indulge myself in season 4 of 24.

Sounds perfect, right? Yes, but...THERE WAS NO DVD player. And why should there be - it's a Spartan spa and who really needs an electronic device when you can do endless yoga, mindful breathing and a late afternoon Wasu massage (don't ask). Me, that's who. So now I was left alone and lonely, living off my stash of smuggled in chips, muffins and beer. .

It didn't take long for me to realize once again that the loneliness you feel inside travels wherever you go. Paralyzed, full of despair and in a muffin-coma, I gave in and began watching television: Television with commercials. What was to become of me?

And then something magical happened --I discovered The Dog Whisperer. I watched episode upon episode of Cesar and his dog psychology and it all seemed so simple. I felt Cesar talking not only to the dogs and their owners, but also to me. Why had I been wasting money on shrinks who wanted me to keep on grieving?

One episode touched me deeply - Cesar was visiting with a family with a rescued dog who needed help. I could relate to the family who looked at their dog as someone with a horrible, tragic past. I had done the same thing with my beloved Ellie the wonder dog.

And then Cesar said something that really struck a chord: "Dogs don't live in the past, they only live in the present." I didn't expect words from an animal expert on Bravo to unleash a torrent of emotion, but these did and I was shocked. Sure, we all try to live in the moment as best we can, but it's easier said than done. But something about the canine context knocked my demons for a loop and for the first time in years I felt like they were releasing their stranglehold on me. Like the poor rescued mutt, were I to continue to look at myself (a victim of cancer) as a tragic girl who had been robbed, than that was what I was setting up myself to be.

And so, thanks to he Dog Whisperer, I was finally free. Free to think of myself as someone who had a lot of time ahead of her. Someone who was going to enjoy the present, whatever it might bring. I was not a girl with a tragic past, but someone who had braved the unspeakable and had come out okay. I was finally unstuck.

Tiffany Daniel

'Dog Whisperer' may have a point

By DENISE FLAIM

Newsday

In certain dog-training circles, it takes something approximating courage to make the following statement, but what the heck:

Cesar Millan is not the anti-Christ.

It might surprise the average dog-owning Joe or Jane to know that there is a maelstrom of hostility over the star of National Geographic's ''Dog Whisperer.'' On dog-centric e-mail lists, his advocacy of collar pops and alpha-rolls has led positive trainers -- who advocate reward-based training instead of coercion -- to verbally eviscerate him with a ferocity that belies the training maxim of ''Reward what you like, and ignore the rest.'' The American Humane Association has called his training techniques ''inhumane, outdated and improper.''

Now, I'd just as soon alpha-roll a dog as let him teethe on a pair of Jimmy Choos. But at the risk of having the purely positive police repossess my clickers, I am hard-pressed to join the wholesale condemnation of Millan.

Do I think purely positive training is the ideal? Yes, in the same way I think a natural diet is. Do I think Millan's techniques sometimes cross a line -- or potentially could, in the wrong hands? Yes. But not everyone can work with a clicker, or forgo any and all punishment. Maybe one day compulsion-based trainers will see how much more eloquent and effective positive methods are, but that's the whole point of evolution: It's a process.

There is one overarching message in Millan's show that is as simplistic as it is powerful: Let dogs be dogs.

Sounds commonsensical enough, but is it? We call our dogs ''furkids,'' we dress them up for Halloween with enthusiasm usually reserved for toddlers. We tote them around in fancy carriers, send them to spas, hire animal communicators to let them unburden.

Harmless indulgence? But for your Amex balance, perhaps. But somewhere in the mix enters the idea that people should feel guilty for crating their dog when he needs stricter boundaries, or cutting down her kibble ration when she's getting too chunky.

They are dogs, I remind such owners. Dogs.

Many dogs self-destruct with noodle-spined owners, a tendency that has to do with the species' historic role as consummate moocher.

Nature in her wild wisdom programmed dogs to have a relationship with humans in which we call the shots.

Do I agree with everything Cesar Millan does or says? Certainly not. But you don't have to eat everything at the Sizzler buffet, either. Millan's exercise mania speaks to our suburban dogs, who often wreak havoc in dog parks because their social lives have been stunted by postage-stamp lots and stockade fences. Students of body language can spend hours deconstructing Millan's pivot points and postural inflections. He is talking to those dogs, but not with words.

I don't know if there is a great risk that the untutored or unsophisticated will copy Millan's more physical tactics, despite all the on-screen warnings ''not to try this at home.'' As a friend of mine said on a doggie e-mail list recently, if someone asks you to demonstrate how to turn a screw correctly, ''and if they then take the screwdriver from you and proceed to stick it in their eye, it is neither your fault, nor the screwdriver's fault.''

I don't know how one effectively saves idiots from themselves. What I do know is that a life with dogs is a process, one that ideally leads us away from overtly physical techniques such as Millan's, and toward the more motivational and reward-based ones of the positive trainers I admire.

But I also know that many newbie owners aren't ready for positive training: The lingo baffles them, the sometimes self-righteousness of the movement repels them.

You have to walk before you can run, and therein lies Millan's appeal: He shows us that something has gone wrong in our relationships with our dogs. About that, at least, we should listen.

Monterey County Herald | 10/23/2006 | 'Dog Whisperer' may have a point

technorati tags:dog, whisperer, cesar, milan

Dog's behavior has a lot to do with owner's behavior

FOCUS ON PETS

By Christy Powers, Roundup contributor

Friday, September 22, 2006

Most dog owners are familiar with the "Dog Whisperer," Cesar Millan, who is seen on television transforming problem dogs into manageable and pleasant family pets. Linn Boyke is one of only three people trained by Cesar and he now offers a 30-day shadow program in Los Angeles. Lori Chandler of Pine and one other person were chosen to spend 30 days listening and learning as they followed Boyke on his consultations, his workshops and throughout each day while he worked with a wide variety of dogs.

For the first 10 days of the program, the students were not allowed to speak. At first this seemed strange and unnecessary to Lori until she realized that if you are talking, you are not listening. They quickly saw the need to find other ways to communicate, to feel like a dog. Only 25 percent of incoming information comes through the dog's ears, 15 percent comes through the eyes and 60 percent through the nose.

The course is based on dog psychology, which, Lori said, "is about relating to our dog in a way he understands and living in a manner that dogs can relate to similarly to how they relate to themselves. The dog must respect the leader who decides when he eats, sleeps, migrates and hunts in the wild pack."

Dogs need to be calm and submissive before and after any activity. If they are going for a ride, they need to wait quietly before getting into the car. When it's time for a walk, the dog should sit quietly while the leash is attached. If someone comes to the door, the dog must sit quietly while the door is being opened.

Cesar, in his programs, deals with lots of dogs and people with aggressive dogs. Lori learned that aggression is not fixed, it is managed.

Lori shadowed Boyke to 14 consultations with dog owners and their dogs during the program. All but one were successful in that the dogs showed immediate improvement and the clients were happy and motivated to follow the suggested methods.

"The last consultation was at the center and had a different outcome and it was a light bulb moment for me," Lori said. "A woman drove all the way from San Diego with her pit bull who had gotten into two fights and she was seeking help to remedy the situation.

"Both she and the dog walked in obviously shaken, partly due to the freeway experience. Boyke took the leash and within minutes, the dog relaxed and was walking calmly by some crated dogs.

"He asked me to let a particular dog out of the crate to test the degree of aggression. Hearing this, the client screamed and threw her hands in the air and over her eyes in sheer terror.

"Linn stopped the consultation at that point as it became apparent that it was about the client, not the dog. Her fear of an event that may or may not happen actually caused the very thing she feared the most.

"I knew then how important it is to help the client acknowledge that what is going on with them is also going to go on with the dog."

Lori hopes to help dog owners in our communities solve problems with their dogs so that dogs are not returned to the humane society. However, people must match their energy with the needs of the dogs. Too often, a poor match ends in disaster. Exercise, discipline and affection need to be kept in balance. Even lap dogs need exercise, says Lori. And dogs must be challenged to think. Physical and mental energy must be balanced.

Lori is presenting a short seminar to share her incredible experience at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Pine arena. There is no charge for this program, but you need to bring a chair. No dogs, please. A shelter dog that Lori has not met will be used for demonstration purposes. Call Margie Mansell at (602) 312-6992 or e-mail mfmansell@npgcable.com to reserve your space. The Pine arena is on Old County Road. Watch for the red barn and horse arena.

Lori will also be at "Dog Day in the Park" Saturday, Oct. 21.

Remember the I Love My Dog show, sponsored by the Soroptimists, will be Saturday, Sept. 30 at Rumsey Park ramada #5. Registration is $5 for each dog and $1 to run the agility course. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The show starts at 10 a.m.

The Payson Roundup: Dog's behavior has a lot to do with owner's behavior

Lynn Thomas: It takes patience to adopt a stray

I call them "animal angels." You know, the folks who take in a stray cat or dog, or use their own money to spay feral cats or provide surgery for a dog hit by a car. They are the men and women who volunteer their time and energy at the many organizations dedicated to helping animals find a home.

They are the ones who respond with offers of a home or money to help an animal that has been brought to their attention after the poor critter has been brutalized by evil forces inherent in some fiends.

These are the people who rescue animals desperately in need of help.

It's easy to adopt a pet that has no traumatic history. A friend of a friend is moving and needs to find a home for their pet. That's pretty much cut and dried. And rare.

As people have "baggage," so do strays. The trauma might have been physical abuse, isolation from other people or pets, being terrorized by screaming and yelling, or simply not getting any attention or affection.

How do you know what the sad eyes you're falling in love with at the adoption center, or our city streets, are trying to tell you?

People who decide to become caretakers for these special animals need a lot of patience, understanding, love and unwavering commitment. Those angelic qualities are necessary to help heal the pet, physically and psychologically, so it has a second chance at life and happiness.

Jennifer and Darren White are not unaccustomed to rescuing abused dogs, although usually without the spotlight that recently embraced their newest adoptee, Trixie.

Trixie is the puppy pit bull mix whose previous "caretaker" allowed people to hack off her ears last month. Between the public outcry and media attention, I hope these people don't get off with a fine and slap on the wrist. I think anyone who abuses a defenseless animal (or a child) should be subjected to the same kind of abuse - I'll get my shears sharpened.

White, the Bernalillo County sheriff, gave me an update on Trixie: She had the stitches removed, and the veterinarian is pleased with her progress.

She will attend obedience training with her new mom and dad in a few weeks, she's making friends with Lily, the White's other rescued dog, and loves being loved.

The Whites have been petting Trixie's head and ears (rather, where the poor baby's ears used to be) so she'll not be fearful when a hand approaches her head.

Additionally, Trixie's new mom and dad are reading books about her breed and familiarizing themselves with the characteristics of her personality.

As subscribers to the Monks of New Skete, a religious order dedicated to dogs and authors of "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend," they're reading about training puppies and their emotional needs.

"We're all God's children," White says, reiterating his belief that we should never abuse other humans or animals.

Because Trixie is a puppy, and puppies are notorious for living in the moment, according to Cesar Milan, author of "Dog Whisperer," chances are she won't suffer lasting negative behaviors as a result of the mutilation.

Rescuing a traumatized animal requires more than offering shelter, food, water, and, even love.

Without the patience, commitment and knowledge to cope with the animal's issues, chances are the poor creature will be once again in peril.

The Dog Whisperer is coming to Austin

By OLGA CAMPOS / KVUE News

Cesar Milan, the man credited with revolutionizing dog training is coming to Austin. The upcoming event will benefit Lucky Mutts, a local dog rescue group.

Tickets are selling out quickly, but sponsors are slow to step up and that has event organizers concerned.

Through Lucky Mutts, a local non profit rescue group, Karen Cole and other volunteers help save dogs from the Town Lake Animal Center.

"They euthanize about 50 dogs a day just because there's no room for these dogs. The number would be much higher without these rescue groups because they would have to euthanize so many other dogs," said Cole.

Lucky Mutts not only finds foster homes for dogs, it trains the dogs as well as the new owners.

Speaking of people training - the advice of dog guru, Cesar Milan, is changing the way millions of pet owners handle their canines. Now the man known as the Dog Whisperer is coming to Austin for an event benefiting Lucky Mutts.

"He [Milan] is just as calm as he is on TV," said Cole.

Calm on television and willing to conduct seminars if the proceeds go to non profit dog rescue organizations.

Tickets ranging in price from $35 to $85 dollars are already sold out, but organizers are having a tough time rounding up sponsors to help defray the costs of the December 9 event at the Austin Convention Center.

"So the more sponsorship we can get the more money that will stay with Lucky Mutts and then we'll be able to help more dogs," added Cole.

Organizers are counting on money from Milan's seminar to help cover the costs of dog surgeries, pet and owner training, public education and foster care costs.

Another 500 tickets to the December 9 event will be available next week, now that the Austin Convention Center has added more seating. However, more than a 1,000 people are already on the waiting list for tickets.

News for Austin, Texas | kvue.com | Local News

technorati tags:Millan, Cesar, Dog, whisperer

An outcry over 'Dog Whisperer'

In certain dog-training circles, it takes something approximating courage to make the following statement, but what the hell:

Cesar Millan is not the anti-Christ.

It might surprise the average dog-owning Joe or Jane to know that there is a maelstorm of hostility over the star of National Geographic's "Dog Whisperer." On dog-centric e-mail lists, his advocacy of collar pops and alpha-rolls has led positive trainers - who advocate reward-based training instead of coercion - to verbally eviscerate him with a ferocity that belies the training maxim of "Reward what you like, and ignore the rest." The American Humane Association has called his training techniques "inhumane, outdated and improper." Even the kindly Nebraskans at SitStay.com felt compelled to put a disclaimer beneath his bestseller, "Cesar's Way," noting that they offer it for sale "because we want to turn you on to something better ... positive dog training."...

An outcry over 'Dog Whisperer' - Newsday.com

technorati tags:dog, whispering

Defending ‘The Dog Whisperer’

By Columnist Gene Lyons

“What mighty contests,” wrote 18th-century satirist Alexander Pope, “rise from trivial things.” The poet had sex in mind, although something similar could be said about Americans and their pets. If you think people get worked up about politics, say something “controversial” about dogs or cats. Then prepare for action.

Since many dog-lovers imagine their pets as humans in fur coats, realistic observations can evoke outrage. Consider the hubbub over my favorite TV program, “The Dog Whisperer.” Cesar Millan is a Mexican immigrant whose uncanny way with problem dogs has made him a star on the National Geographic channel. Every week, Cesar visits some of the most feckless Southern California suburbanites in captivity and liberates them from the tyranny of everything from 120-pound Rottweilers to killer Chihuahuas.

It’s always instructive, often funny. Cesar’s gift is what the military calls “command presence.” A compact man who moves like a professional athlete, he gains instant respect from all but the most incorrigible animals simply by entering the room. Fortunately, all dogs “read” human body language better than many humans grasp theirs. People who have no clue what dogs are communicating never cease to amaze. I recently got screamed at by a woman terrified at the bumbling approach of a basset hound intent upon a belly rub. That’s like being afraid of a geranium.

It’s common to see pet owners — mostly women, in my experience — convert dogs into fear-biters by inadvertently teaching them to cower from everybody they meet. Alas, making similar observations has landed Cesar in trouble. A recent New York Times column by Mark Derr, a self-described dog historian, criticized “The Dog Whisperer” for sexism, and worse “a simplistic conception of the dog’s ‘natural’ pack, controlled by a dominant alpha animal (usually male).”

Derr calls Cesar “a charming, one-man wrecking ball directed at 40 years of progress in understanding and shaping dog behavior and in developing nonpunitive, reward-based training programs, which have led to seeing each dog as an individual, to understand what motivates it.”

Once it was the Whole Child; now it’s the Whole Dog.

Color my neck red, but I doubt that after eons of human-dog symbiosis, we’re seeing exciting breakthroughs in canine psychology. At best, animal behaviorists may be rediscovering things guys like Cesar have always known.

I recently read another Times article explaining that academic psychologists now question the long-orthodox view that dogs feel no emotions. I called my veterinarian pal Randy Bob.

“Doctor,” I asked, “does it strike you as newsworthy than a dog has emotions?”

“Doctor,” he answered, “a bleeping dog is emotions with a nose.”

Exactly. But they’re not intellectuals or even children, and you can’t reason with them. Cesar doesn’t brutalize dogs. I’ve never seen him hit, hurt or shout at one. But he does let them know who’s boss, even if it takes physical interaction. He introduces particularly aggressive specimens to his “pack” of 40-odd large dogs. Even the most belligerent realize they can’t fight everybody, and calm down fast.

Maybe it’s simplistic, as Derr charges, to think that most dogs are dominance-obsessed, but it does have the virtue of being true. Supposedly, studies of wild wolf packs show that “dominance contests with other wolves are rare.” That’s because canids are more realistic than people.

My wife once rescued a rambunctious 85-pound male golden retriever from the highway. Almost immediately, Big Red attempted a coup by charging the mellow but very powerful German Shepherd-Great Dane mix that handled security at our place. Taken by surprise, Corliss was knocked to the ground. A brief scuffle ensued, during which the retriever found himself lifted clean off his feet by the scruff of his neck.

You could see him changing his mind in mid-air: “OK, I can be No. 2. Two’s good. Less pressure.” Corliss and Big Red lived to a companionable old age together without renegotiating the issue.

Here’s “The Dog Whisperer” in a nutshell: Somebody’s going to be in charge, you or your dog. If it’s the dog, you’ve both got problems. (It helps Cesar’s ratings that Los Angeles is chock full of attractive women who don’t get it.) He doesn’t teach dogs to navigate obstacle courses or compose sonatas. He instructs their owners how to prevent them from attacking children, eating furniture and charging city buses.

Leader Call - Defending ‘The Dog Whisperer’

TEACHING NEW TRICKS

WHOEVER came up with the phrase 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' has obviously never seen Three Bridges' resident 'dog listener' in action.

Sharon Bolt, 39, has been offering therapies to the people of Crawley for eight years now.
Her room above a hairdresser opposite Three Bridges Station is a positive shrine to relaxation and alternative therapy, with relaxing sounds wafting amidst the strong smell of jasmine, and pictures of waterfalls and unicorns adorning the walls.



For full story see this week's Observer

News - Crawley Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More

‘Dog Whisperer' offers K-9 advice

Saturday, August 12, 2006 11:21 PM EDTBy Diane LaRue

On the New York Times best-seller list this week, the number-one hardcover non-fiction book is John Grogan's “Marley & Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog,” which has spent 40 remarkable weeks on the list. I thoroughly enjoyed that book last year and gave it rave reviews in this column.

Number one in the category of hardcover advice, how-to, miscellaneous is “Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding & Correcting Common Dog Problems” by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier. Millan is known as the “Dog Whisperer” and has counseled famous people, such as Jada Pinkett Smith (who wrote the forward to the book) and Oprah Winfrey on how to train their dogs.

Millan also hosts “Dog Whisperer” on the National Geographic Channel. On that show, he visits people who have issues with their dogs, such as dogs who jump on people or dogs who are aggressive with other dogs. His show is so popular that the channel ran a marathon of his show last week; two hours each night.

Cesar grew up on a farm in Mexico, surrounded by dogs. Their dogs lived outside the home and were treated as animals. Dogs lived together in packs and it was there that Cesar learned how to deal with dogs.

When he came to America at the age of 21, he got a job at a dog grooming establishment, owned by two very kind women. It was difficult for him because he spoke little English. He worked on the hard-to-handle dogs and gained a good reputation with the customers. He also saw first-hand how Americans treated their dogs like people, not dogs.

Millan was stunned by the number of people whose dogs had behavioral problems. He found many dogs who exhibited what he calls “an unnatural energy.” Dogs in Mexico were, in his words, balanced. The dogs he was seeing in America were aggressive and obsessive, unbalanced.

His goal was to become a dog trainer, so his next job was working in a kennel. He earned a reputation for being successful with the more aggressive and powerful breeds - Rottweilers, pit bulls and German shepherds. It was at this facility that he saw how the psychology of the pack helped to rehabilitate the unbalanced dogs.

He began to work with dogs in packs. Soon he had saved enough money to start his own business, Pacific Point Canine Academy. Through word-of-mouth, he gained a solid reputation for working with the most difficult dogs.

Millan believes dogs need three basic things in this order: exercise, discipline and affection. Americans are good with the affection part, but we do not allow our dogs to be the animals that they are, which creates unbalanced dogs.

According to Millan, dogs should be walked twice a day, a half-hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Allowing your dog to roam the fenced-in backyard does not count as walking him. A dog that has been properly exercised will get all of his nervous energy out on the walks.

Discipline is essential as well. Millan will frequently introduce an undisciplined dog to his pack of dogs at his Dog Psychology Center. Often the pack will do a better job of bringing the problem dog around than a human can. Discipline does require much work on the part of the dog owner. Consistency is important and will result in a more satisfied dog and thus a happier owner.

Finally, affection is necessary for a good relationship between dog and master. Millan cautions people to remember that dogs want to be treated as animals, not as humans. Behavior problems arise when people forget that key fact about dogs.

Dogs must have a leader of the pack and if their human master will not accept that role, the dog will take it on. We have all seen dogs that run households, and Millan says that this is the result of the human not taking on the role of leader. Dogs want their masters to be assertive and often become fearful or aggressive when their master fails to be the leader.

Simple things, like the human going out of the door first when it is time for a walk, signal to the dog that the human is the leader. Millan gives the reader techniques for the proper walking of a dog, making sure that the dog follows the master, not the master pulled every which way by the dog.

Millan gives examples of his successes and expresses regrets for the few times he has failed to rehabilitate a dog. I found “Cesar's Way” to be very informative, and I have tried a few of his techniques on my dog, Malcolm. Malcolm enjoys the more frequent walks, but we still have some work to do on the discipline end.

If you are a dog owner, I highly recommend “Cesar's Way.” It gives you a good insight into your relationship with your dog. I give it three and half stars.

The Citizen, Auburn NY

Schutzhund? What is it?

Everything I read recommended that I train my new AB puppy early and establish my position as pack leader, since this breed tends to be stubborn and dominant. My wife and I had been watching "The Dog Whisperer", so I adopted Cesar Millan's "calm dominance" and "exercise, discipline, and then affection" mantras. I also enrolled Lola in a puppy obedience class. The trainer, Evelyn Rossi of "A Step Above" obedience school, ran the classes. When she saw Lola, she asked if I was interested in working her in Schutzhund. She trained Sunday mornings with the Mid Island Schutzhund Club and she invited me to drop by. I didn't know much about Schutzhund, except that it was German and that the commands sounded harsh, and the dogs were taught to bite. That wasn't what I wanted for a family pet, but I was curious. This breed is a working dog, so I wanted to provide her with some kind of a job to keep her calm and happy.

One Sunday morning in July I drove out to eastern Long Island to see what Schutzhund was all about. The club meets on a sod farm. By the time I found the place, there were already a few people out on the huge field laying down tracks. By 10:00a.m., they began obedience training. I'd never seen such well trained dogs up close before. The real fun started, though, during the protection training phase. I got to see Josh Markow in action with his Schutzhund III dog Coal. I was amazed by the force of this dog's hits on the sleeve. At one point Josh gave me an up close demonstration of how to play "two ball". On the retrieve, Coal came running like a freight train towards us and sent Josh flying. As a hockey fan, it reminded me of a defenseman executing a perfect hip check.

Joe Moldovan is the resident guru of the club. He knows what he's doing and doesn't suffer fools gladly. Being a fool myself, he explained to me in no uncertain terms everything I was already doing wrong with my puppy. I knew I had a lot to learn.

By the end of the day, I'd seen some incredible dogs in action, met a whole bunch of interesting and friendly dog people, and had been told that my sweet little pup was a real schutzhund prospect. I was excited and confused.

Chris Quinn: 'Dog Whisperer' might just keep Fido, and you, in line

San Antonio Express-News

Have you ever entertained company and watched as the family dog walked up, flopped down, stared you right in the face for a minute, then proceed to lick himself in unseemly places?

And when he was done, he again looked you in the eye and was like, "So, what of it?"

He then casually buries his face into the crotch of a guest, and when finally shooed off, looks back at you with a seeming smirk and wagging his tail in a snooty fashion?

It is as if they are thinking that just because they are flexible and without shame, they can do whatever they want and we should bow to their superior skills. But maybe it is a sense of genetic and species memory.

Maybe Modern Dog is thinking back to a time when Primitive Man worshipped them. Because think about it . . , There you are in prehistoric times, sitting picking grass and being bored because there is no Xbox. All of a sudden a hairy four-legged thing walks up, plops down and begins to lick himself in places unbecoming in front of company.

Can you imagine the sheer shock of such a thing? And remember, this is the first time we as a species ever saw: 1. a dog and 2. a public display of what would become "unacceptable behavior."

And being Primitive Man, you would then spend roughly three days trying to replicate the feat.

Modern Man, however, has advanced to the point where we spend only 10 to 20 minutes in an attempt before realizing it is an unachievable and pretty much useless action.

But Primitive Man, no way. Day 1: trying; Day 2: trying a different method; Day 3: Still trying, all due to male stubbornness. And the whole time there sits the dog, watching.

Predictably, in his failure to replicate the act, Primitive Man would eventually worship the dog.

Fast-forward to the present and here we all are, man and dog . . . and woman, living together in harmony. Since that first meeting, dog has gone from awe-inspiring deity to servant, then protector and finally, best friend.

Yet, never mistake that deep down, dog remembers. He remembers a time when he sat and watched a hairy, doltish, bipedal, almost ape roll around on the ground for three days trying to, well, be doggish.

Scary? Yes.

And what does all of this have to do with TV?

Not much. But consider this. In the parlance of our times and adhering to national thought, if it weren't for the invention of the vacuum cleaner we might all be speaking Dog. (Dogs fear vacuums like we fear death.)

And then came Cesar Millan.

Baby, I am floored by Cesar Millan and "Dog Whisperer," airing at 7 p.m. Fridays and various weekday mornings on National Geographic. Cesar — aka the Dog Whisperer — is clearly the smartest man in America. Why he is not yet ruling us all, I have no clue.

He is an animal behaviorist who "rehabilitates dogs and trains people." He also may be . . . a witch! No, no, only kidding. He is no Brujo, although his uncanny ability to work with dogs and modify their behavior is amazing and may have you reaching for an egg.

As he notes, dogs get their cues from their owners. I agree that there are no bad dogs, just crazy owners. And this is part of the fun of the show. You can guess the mental or emotional problem of the owners.

For example, my own little ongoing theory has hypothesized the following. Bipolar owner = constant barkers; lazy self-absorbed owner = moody dogs prone to property destruction; misplaced affection/co-dependant owners = frequent runaways; people who watch "American Idol" or "Dancing With The Stars" = pee-ers; and finally, those annoying "my baby does no wrong" and "this is not an animal but is equal to a human child" = dogs that bite and are as crazy as their owners. (Granted, I may be projecting a bit here, but go with me on this. It's a well-founded theory based on absolutely nothing.)

See, I grew up with dogs. Lots of dogs. There was hardly a time in my life when there was not a dog within 5 to 10 feet of me. My family loves the heck out of dogs — dogs every freaking place.

Truth is, I would be happy with a pet sock, or maybe a nice pet 2007 Dodge Charger.

I vowed never again to own a dog. But after watching the "Dog Whisperer," the fire has been rekindled. I am ready to give it another go. However, I am not as spry as I was when I was 9. I could really hurt my back this time. What can I say? I am male. And we males never admit defeat — just walk around with cricks in our necks.

Weighing in on Dog Whisperer Controversy

Today on the New York Times editorial page Author and Dog Expert Mark Derr takes issue with the methods of Author, Dog Expert and Media Star, Cesar Milan, also known as "The Dog Whisperer." Apparently Mr. Derr feels that Mr. Milan has both simplified and harshened dog training with his "cookie cutter approach" which is "designed to correct the problems resulting from a failure of the human to be the pack leader and to dominate the dog completely".
Mr. Derr, a noted dog historian, advocates a more individualistic, psychologically based and reward oriented solution to these same problems.

Well, as an Author, Dog Lover and Self Appointed Dog Expert myself, I would like to weigh in with my own very special third plan which I call" Flexible Cohabitation."

When practicing "Flexible Cohabitation" I encourage the human in the equation to view the pet companion as they would an exchange student from another planet. For instance, Neptune. Once that is accomplished, all that is required is to sit back with an ice cold beverage and allow the dog to behave as he or she wishes. And watch the show with interest and amusement.
Because unlike Mark Derr, I have never had the patience and follow through necessary to get very far with the psychology and reward approach to training. And unlike Cesar Milan, who was raised in the macho culture of Mexico, I don't have any tremendous urge to dominate. Therefore I don't expect anyone who subscribes to my plan to put themselves in harm's way or subject themselves to painful puncture wounds by doing the alpha rollover when their dog appears agressive.

No...If I want to be covered in dog hair and mud, all I need to do is sit down on my own furniture!!

But Merrill, you say, you can't mean that you are advocating letting dogs run wild through your home? To which I reply 'Obviously you have never been to my home." It is no accident that frequent visitors have compared my living room to The Bad Lands of South Dakota.

By adopting my approach, you will learn the benefits of "asphalt water skiing" (patent pending), my way of taking your dog for a walk that not only exercises the animal but also shapes and tones your own calves, thighs, biceps and abdominals. Yes, I can show you how to simply hook the pet to the leash of your choice, then hold on tight and get ready to go on the ride of your life!

And that's not all.

Under the rules of "Flexible Cohabitation" you will also learn; how allowing your dog full access to your plate at meal times can help you cut down your calorie consumption by thousands of calories a day; how letting dogs make their own rules within your home teaches a form of Zen non attachment to material goods that can increase your life span for years, if not decades.

Plus no one ever points out how bad it is for the self esteem to try and force a dog to heel or walk slower than you do. I think you'll be amazed at how much more free time you will have when you try my plan of not expecting the dog to do anything except enjoy himself . And if , for some reason, these results are not quite to your liking , you can still go to bed at night pleased with the knowledge that your dogs are happy. (Unless they sprawl across the bed on their backs, like mine do. Then you can probably sleep better on the couch.)

Duo's doggy dialogue (St Albans Observer)

HEARD of the horse whisperer? Now meet a dog listener.

Jay Adams, of School Lane, Bricket Wood, has set up a new business to help dog owners understand their canine friends with special training methods that teach them to speak to their pets in their own language.

Jay, 34, and her friend Amanda Hardeman, 29, of College Road, Abbots Langley, have set up Wagtail Animal Care, to look after dogs, cats and small animals while their owners are at work or on holiday.
continued...

They have been inspired by writer Jan Fennell, author of bestselling book The Dog Listener, who created her own dog training methods from her study of canine behaviour, where she adapted the "pack" relationship of wolves to reflect the leadership roles between a dog and its owner.

Without the need for gadgets or aggression towards their pets, Jan's methods allow humans to build better relationships with their dogs.

Jay is practising the training methods on her own dogs.

She said: "We've been talking about it a lot. I have two really difficult dogs and after I read Jan's book, I definitely agreed with it. I've worked with animals for more than 13 years and I've seen lots of training methods. This one definitely seems to work."

Amanda said: "Each dog is different but once you have established the leadership between human and dog, it becomes a lot easier."

The training principles are the same for all dogs, focusing on food, walks, the threat of danger and reuniting after separation.

For more information about Wagtail Animal Care, visit www.wagtailanimalcare.co.uk, email info@wagtail.co.uk or telephone 07780 608789.

A must for dog lovers

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Absolutely awesome and answer to all your needs. Even allows a membership for $10! Adam Katz has done it again.

Martin

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