*Calm-assertive leadership projected through body language and energy; you should always be the leader or the dog will feel they need to fill the void; need leadership, not sympathy; too much emotional energy is seen as weak - p. 68, 107, 118-9
Calm-submissive behavior from the dog - p. 73

Greetings: let dog approach/come to you; don't make eye contact or touch or verbalize at first - p. 78, 90
Treat dogs like dogs, not people; different ways of being and thinking; recognize as animal first, dog second, breed third, individual last - p. 84, 94
Importance of dog senses (in order): nose, eyes, ears
Don't nurture negative/insecure behaviors - p. 123

*Need consistent rules, boundaries, and limitations - p. 126
Love and affection to reward stability and calm submission; should be earned and given after exercise and discipline - p . 151

Violent aggression isn't a natural behavior but outcome of instability - p. 182
Correct, don't punish - p. 184

*Need exercise, discipline, and affection - in that order!! p. 199
1. The walk: short, non-flexible leash; don't put on until the dog is calm submissive; you walk out first; dog walks beside or behind you; don't let them stop until you say it's okay a few minutes into the walk (think if migrating wolves); project calm assertive energy - p. 205-7
2. Corrections should be given with the appropriate energy, mindset, and timing, which are more important than the method; use eye contact, energy, body language, forward motion toward the dog, and sound/touch correction; never correct out of anger, though - p. 219
Behaviors you should never allow: jumping, separation whining, possessiveness, nipping/biting, aggressiveness, incessant barking; have to re-direct or replace negative behaviors - p. 224, 8
3. Share affection after a dog has exercised, eaten, and become calm submissive OR after corrected a behavior/responded to a rule or command; NOT when fearful, anxious, possessive, dominant, aggressive, whining, begging, barking, or breaking any household rule - p. 229

Should you get a dog? Questions to ask yourself p. 234-6:
Can you commit to at least an hour and a half of walking every day, becoming a calm-assertive pack leader, setting clear rules/boundaries/limitations, providing regular food and water, taking to the vet regularly, socializing the dog, cleaning up after him or her, educating myself on dog psychology, and putting money away in case of an animal-related emergency?
Look for a dog with compatible energy - p. 236
Sample routine p. 240: start off with little attention (touch or talk) - walk first! feed calmly and quietly, once calm submissive give some affection; don't make a big deal about leaving and restrain from giving affection when you first return (repeat AM ritual first); every human in the house should be a pack leader; add in extra physical exercise with playtime; regularly bathe your dog; socializing as mental stimulation for dog rather than replacement for exercise

Excitement is NOT the same as happiness - p. 253

In summary (p. 273-5):
1. Be a calm assertive pack leader all of the time for your dog and assure that they are a calm submissive follower.
2. Give them exercise (minimum of 1 hour of walking correctly), discipline (non-abusive rules, boundaries, and limitations), and affection (reward for calm submission) in that order.
3. Remember that dogs do not see the world as and are not people (nose, eyes, ears for them - reverse for us); don't humanize them but do treat them with the deserved respect of a fellow living creature with their own unique psychology.

If you own a dog or are thinking about owning a dog or ever owned a dog, you MUST read this book. It will change how you related to dogs forever! It has helped me relate to my new dog and made him a happier member of our pack. READ THIS BOOK!!

A spring/summer read I picked up after the advent of a "wee-doggie" in our lives: Callista, a "Great Wolfenese Hound" LOL...half Great Pyrenees - half Irish Wolfhound.

I saw Cesar's follow-up book, "Be the Packleader" and wanted to read the set in order, so I grabbed Cesar’s way along with a few other “dog books”. I'd heard about Cesar but had never seen his show nor read any articles about him—just talk here and there about the "dog whisperer."

As can be gleaned from my rating, I was impressed. No, it is not literature as some have complained; the writing reflects this, but it was not meant to be. Cesar and Melissa Jo Peltier, his co-author who I believe did most of the writing up of Cesar's observations and ideas, were presenting a book about dog psychology and how to deal with problems related to it, not trying to write the Yearling or n  Where the Red Fern Growsn. It drives me nuts when folk try to make that comparison and complain that it doesn't read like literature—it’s not literature, nor does it pretend to be. It’s the first effort on the part of a guy who first language is not English and on the part of a gal who is trying to remain true to the ides she’s being presented by said guy.

Also, this is NOT a training manual. It was not meant to be a training manual. It should not be used as a training manual. If some one wants to teach their dog to sit, stay, heel, lie down, etc., etc. there are plenty of great resources out there, from wed-sites (I recommend "webDogTrainer.com") to books (try The Monks of New Skete: How to be Your Dogs Best Friend: A Training Manual for Dog Owners, to classes. Go, Dogs, Go! But if you want practical advice as to why your dog is tearing up the couch cushions while you're away at work and what to do about it, this is a great book.

I think what is so challenging to readers, particularly the American audience, is that we demand the quick fix. Even though we love them dearly--to the point of anthropomorphism--we often don't want to deal with our pets beyond how cute they are, how they give us comfort or as a status symbol. Got a headache? Take a magic pill. Want to change the channel of the T.V.? Use the remote. Need to mow the lawn? Hire cheap landscape labor. Anything but face the fact that we are lazy and don’t want to make the effort. We want dog ownership to be like fast food: pay, scarf, enjoy, eliminate, repeat if necessary. Don’t ask me if I want it with a seseme seed bun or a kosher dill. If I wanted a groumet meal I’d go to Denny’s (LOL)…if I wanted to deal with my dog that way, I’d become an animal trainer for Sea World. We don’t want to entertain the idea that we may be part or the source of our dog's problems and to do anything lasting about it, we must engage them on a different level than we have in the past. We MUST take responsibility as owners to see that our dog are happy and balanced NOT simply sitting and staying and heeling. Cesar’s Way challenges the reader to do just that.

Cesar's formula for dog rehabilitation is simple: Exercise, Discipline and Affection from a "calm-assertive" positive owner-packleader. As mentioned above, the book also begs the question: How are you contributing to your dogs problem? Both of these points make American readers uncomfortable. The former because it ironically sounds too simple...or should I say "familiar":

“What? Walk my dog? I've heard that before! I didn't buy this book for 20 bucks just to hear what I a already know. Besides walking each morning and evening for a minimum of 45 minutes?! Are you mad! He's got a huge backyard to roam in and, besides, I don't have time to go on "walkabout" each morning! My grandfather's dogs go a walk everyday wandering around on the farm, and they still bit people! Isn't there a new-agey Bavarian word you can teach me along with a spiffy collar I can put on the pooch and, bam!, instant Rin-Tin-Tin? I mean really, if it doesn't come in matte black with an Abercrombie and Fitch logo, I'm just not interested.”

The later point makes folk uncomfortable as well because few want to entertain the thought that a dog who chronically poops on the carpet or bites guests or goes crazy when someone rings the door bell, might be more the result of our lousy ownership skills than because the dog, “…just isn’t quite right in the head.” The attitude reminds me of asking a student to pick up a bit of trash they dropped on the ground only to be met with surly excuses as to why they shouldn't have to pick it up, why it isn't their fault and why am I picking on them. The great American pass-time: passing the buck. We don't want to look at ourselves and have to make hard choices, decide if I part of the solution or part of the problem, and act accordingly. Cesar's book, when read thoughtfully, forces dog owners to do just that and act accordingly.

The book is part autobiography as Cesar outlines how he came to America…yes, he showed up as an Illegal—sorry if you were waiting in line for that dog-groomer’s spot and lost out to Cesar—get over it. Some may feel this is extemporaneous material. Fine, skip the first chapter, about 60 pages, and get on with the book. Yes, the writers of the book are at pains to make sure the ideas behind Cesar’s simple formulas and methods are clear to the reader and this may make the book seem drawn out at first or dawdling toward the point, but I believe the attempt at clarity is important to understand how deeply affecting the simple methods are when taken seriously. Further, the need to get the reader beyond the common mis-perception of our dogs as our “babies” or “children” is also mandatory for successful implementation. Cesar teaches dogs are animals first, dogs second, a specific breed third and the “name” I.E. our babies last. This is anathema to owners who want a source of unconditional affection first and an animal last. One must fulfill the needs of the animal first then move on to the name. We want to see our pets as little people and not the animals that they are and in the process we lead them down the role-playing path to neuroses and when we arrive wonder what could have possibly happened?

Cesar is at pains to point out that our dogs do not live in the past as we do. They do not ask themselves: shall I shat on the carpet today? or plot: I’m feeling a bit feisty today, I think I’ll chomp the UPS man/woman, muuuhahahah! They react to and live in the moment. He urges us to understand this fundamental fact. We are afraid if we show our dogs strong, calm assertive leadership, afraid we might, “…hurt Fluffy’s feelings…” or that, “…she’ll be mad at me if I tell her ‘no’ ”. We feel sorry for them to the point of enabling them, “…I rescued Barffy from the pound where he must have had a traumatic experience with other dogs that picked on him; I’m sure that’s why he cowers when around other dogs—poor baby” never realizing that each time we coddle them and sooth them under such circumstances, we are reinforcing certain behaviors…many of them negative, some of them downright dangerous like aggressive dominance.

I recommend Cesar’s Way to any dog owner who is ready to take a cold hard look at their relationship with their dog. I recommend Cesar’s Way to any dog owner who is willing to entertain the idea of simple methods applied honestly and with effort over a course of time. I recommend Cesar’s Way to any dog owner who is willing to read discerningly. I recommend Cesar’s Way to any dog owner who is willing to change their own negative behaviors for the sake of their canine friends. I recommend Cesar’s Way to anyone who feels strong enough to look in the mirror and acknowledge their own negative attitudes and misapplications…as well intended as they were…and make adjustments.

I do NOT recommend Cesar’s Way to anyone who is looking for a dog training manual to learn how to teach their dog simple commands. I do NOT recommend Cesar’s Way to anyone who is looking for quick fix to a dog’s negative behavior. I do NOT recommend Cesar’s Way to anyone who what’s to read a dog-story. I do NOT recommend Cesar’s Way to anyone for whom a dog is a fixture rather than a living being worthy of respect. I do NOT recommend Cesar’s Way to anyone who cannot look at themselves honestly and entertain the idea that it may be their behavior that needs to change first.

This was a book that I read on my lunch breaks at work. And having just adopted a rescue dog, it gave me some great advice for helping to keep our new pup balanced. Although I don't agree with all of Cesar's methods, I did find quite a bit of the content useful, particularly around the importance of exercise. I do think this is useful for someone just wanting to better understand their dog and how they might be able to help keep things balanced.

The training tactics Cesar Millan recommends are inhumane, outdated and abusive. Most of the theoretical explanations that Millan gives regarding causes of dogs' behavior problems are wrong. His methods are dangerous to both dogs and their owners, check out "Dog Training for Dummies" or "Don't Shoot the Dog" or "Parenting Your Dog" instead!

I don't agree with many of the author's beliefs...

I have no desire to physically assert my dominance over my dog (such as pushing my dog down and forcing him onto his back with his belly exposed to show him he's submissive to me).

I don't believe that affection is the final thing my dog needs from me (after exercise and obedience). To me, my bond with my dog is built on mutual affection and trust. Without those things in place, I don't think my dog would enjoy exercising with me nearly as much, nor would he respond as well to obedience training.

I don't believe that my dog jumping on me when I come home is a sign of dominance. If that were so, why wouldn't he do it at random times throughout the day? Instead, he only does it after he's been alone for a few hours and is suffering from loneliness and/or a desire for some exercise.

I do agree that a well-exercised (and therefore tired) dog is generally a better behaved dog than one who hasn't had any physical activity all day. But I disagree that exercise is the most important part of a dog's life.

Also, the author keeps talking about how his techniques are related to the pack system wolves live in (and that dogs lived in when they were first domesticated). He fails to address how much dogs have changed and evolved over centuries of domestication. Just because dogs acted a certain way a thousand years ago doesn't mean that those principals still apply. While I do think that we need to respect dogs as animals, we also can't ignore the numerous ways living with humans has influenced them.

This book is just making me angry!! I cannot finish it.

Cada vez hay más detractores de las técnicas de César Millán y a favor de que prohiban la emisión de sus programas.

Aunque no comparto parte de sus enfoques a la hora de rehabilitar perros como su visión de la dominancia/el perro quiere escalar en la jerarquía (ya que en la mayoría de casos está relacionado con un problema de protección de recursos), o el tenemos que ser líderes 24/7 o el perro se nos sube a la chepa (qué tensión de vida xD), y que me da la impresión que no acaba de entender de qué va el refuerzo positivo, ya que sí es posible rehabilitar casos difíciles con esta técnica... sí explica muy bien la tremenda humanización que sufren en países ricos y cómo les afecta que si fiestas de cumpleaños, ropita de diseño, tratarles como niños malcriados... o el creer que si viven en una mansión con un jardín de varias hectáreas el perro ya es feliz, cuando lo que necesita es ejercicio físico, mental, educación y que se colmen sus necesidades básicas.

Y sobretodo que si aparece un problema, la culpa no es del perro sino nuestra por no proporcionarle los estímulos necesarios o no cubrir sus necesidades básicas, que busquemos a un profesional. Sólo por ésto y la forma en la que lava la no merecida mala imagen de los PPP, creo que son mensajes importantes que transmitir a la sociedad, y que a través de sus programas repite hasta la saciedad a ver si entra en esas cabezas tan duras de algun@s...

I love Cesar Millan. He isn't perfect (his section about a woman killed by neighbor's dogs is missing some key information). However, he does have a tremendous understanding of dogs (and following his techniques rather than instinct saved my fiance from being seriously mauled by a pit bull). I strongly recommend this book for anyone that interacts with dogs. Period.

Es interesante la perspectiva de que somos líderes de nuestros perros. Pero no es muy útil cuando necesitamos que el panita perro aprenda ciertas cosas muy concretas. Es un libro repetitivo.

I need to start with a bit of a disclaimer about this one. I read this book as a sort of "know thine enemies" thing. I have seen enough of Cesar's show and read enough about his techniques to know I don't agree with him and I find his ideas about dogs sometimes old and out of date, sometimes simply wrong, and sometimes dangerously wrong. But I opted to read the book to give myself a more complete picture of his techniques and so that I'm more informed when it comes to refuting those techniques I disagree with. I did, however, approach it with an open mind and made sure to take notes on the things I agreed with, as well as those things I didn't agree with.

So all that being said, here are my thoughts on the book.

The good
One of the major things that Cesar advocates is exercise. Dogs need exercise. They need to walk or run, to explore, to get out of the house. A lot of dog owners seem to forget this, especially during the harsh winter months (I can't tell you how many more dogs I've seen out walking since the weather turned milder the last couple days). So yes. Exercise. But not the way that Cesar seems to want one to. He has this idea that it's "migrating" that dogs need. Dogs do not migrate. Dogs need to explore the world, generally with their nose. He tells people to get out and not let the dog sniff, keep their head up and walking, only allow them to sniff occasionally when YOU want them to. This means the dog is missing out on all the mental stimulation of the walk and leads to the people I once saw who practically choked their dog if it so much as put its nose down to sniff.

He also makes a point of telling people that dogs live in the moment. It's a common theme throughout the book and that is accurate. I wish he went more into it, like mentioning that because they live in the moment, shoving a dog's nose into their pee, shouting at them, and hitting them, when you come home from work to discover it does not do anything except make the dog scared of your coming home.

Dogs are not human beings is another common theme throughout the book and like the last one, it's absolutely accurate. He talks about people who baby their dogs, carrying them everywhere and who treat them like babies with fur. He specifically sites Paris Hilton, which amused me. And he points out that doing such things can create an imbalanced dog. I'm sure many of us have seen the little dog that growls and snaps at people and is picked up by its owner and babied. He's talking about this sort of thing.

Other good points: Dogs need boundaries and rules. A dog without them is out of control, though for different reasons than Cesar cites. Fearful dogs often escalate into aggression which is why people need to nip that fear in the bud before it gets worse. When choosing a dog, people need to pick out a dog that matches their lifestyle and energy otherwise they can create problems for their dog. And he makes a point to tell people to work on getting their dogs used to the sorts of things they'll endure at the vets and groomers. I think if more people did this, there would be less issues at both places.

Also on the good side, he comes out against dog fighting and breed-specific legislation.


The bad
Cesar's entire book and indeed his show and life are based on the idea of dominance. If the person is not the "pack leader" then the dog will become the pack leader and then you have a very unbalanced dog. This was a fairly common theory back about 20 years or so ago after a study on wolves showed that there was an alpha who everyone deferred to and because of this, there was harmony in their pack. Except...the study was flawed. Seriously flawed. It was based on a captive group of wolves who were not from the same pack (a wolf pack is generally made up of relatives -- mom, dad, a few other relatives, and the pups) and who is the leader is very fluid. It changes from one activity to the next, depending on each wolf's strengths. And so the conclusions drawn were simply wrong and later studies show a different pack structure. Unfortunately, Cesar has bought entirely into this.

The other problem with this, of course, is that dogs are not wolves. They're closely related genetically, but they're not the same. Wolves grow and mature into adults. Dogs remain as if they're perpetual puppies. Wolves are wild animals. Dogs are not. They've been domesticated for thousands of years.

Because Cesar believes dogs are always trying to be the dominant one, he labels everything as dominant: when your dog jumps on you when you come home, he's being dominant (or maybe he's just happy to see you and has a lot of pent-up energy from being cooped up for a time); when your dog puts her paw on you, she's being dominant (or maybe she just wants some reassurance or is asking for petting); when your dog wakes you up at 5am to go out, he's being dominant (or maybe, since you've trained him to go outside to pee and he has to pee, he wants to be taken outside because he knows he's not supposed to go in the house). I'm amazed at the amount of things that are labeled as the dog being dominant and unbalanced.

Back on the exercise thing, Cesar talks a lot about "mastering the walk." What he means by this is that you walk at a brisk pace with the dog either at your side or behind you. The dog is not allowed to sniff unless you stop, allow it to for a moment, and then continue on. The dog can never ever be in front of you, even if it does not pull, because that means the dog is, of course, being the dominant one ("the pack leader does not follow"). I find a lot of issues with this. For one, I like to be able to see my dog. If she's behind me, I can't know what she's doing. Is there a chicken bone or a piece of cat poop on the ground that I didn't see (which I wouldn't see because, of course, I'm walking tall with my chest puffed out and looking straight ahead like a good "pack leader" should) that she scooped up to eat as we walked? Is someone coming up behind me that could threaten her in some way? walking along side me is fine, but I never ever want her behind me. I also find a lot wrong with his not allowing the dog to sniff and here's where I think he goes really wrong. Physical exercise is important. There is no doubt of that. But mental exercise is just as important. He doesn't really bring up the idea of mental exercise until page 228 and even then it's glossed over. He looks down on the idea of obedience training (it won't bring balance to your dog/show them who's leader/teach them to be "calm submissive").

Cesar believes that in order to have your dog balanced, you have to give the dog exercise, discipline, and affection. Three very good things, but he believes that it should be 50% exercise, and 25% each of discipline and affection. And to push this even further, he says you should give the dog them in that order. In other words, exercise the dog first, then give it discipline, then finally give the dog affection. He thinks that new owners should not give affection to their dog for the first two weeks they have it, that somehow the exercise is enough for a bond. I really heartily and strongly disagree with this. Affection IS important. The other two are as well, but I think they're all equally important. Giving a dog affection before exercise is not going to create an unbalanced dog. All things in moderation, including exercise.

There are some more minor things that he gets wrong, though some of those are common miconceptions, like the "don't comfort your dog during a storm; it'll make her more fearful" thing (for a good description of why that is wrong, check out this article by Patricial McConnell).


The ugly
Some of Cesar's techniques are downright dangerous, not just merely irritating or against what is natural. Two of the most controversial are the alpha roll and flooding.

The alpha roll is a technique where you take a dog that is acting "dominant" (or, to put it closer to what he really does, aggressive) and force it down and onto its side or back. The idea here is that a dog showing its belly is submitting to the pack leader and in order to show the dog who's "boss" one has to get it down into that position. If a dog is "too dominant" and will not do it, then it is up to you to force the dog into the position where, Cesar believes, they will then become a "calm submissive" dog and accept your leadership. I saw him do this once on an episode with an aggressive dog. He did it by grabbing the dog by the leash, pulling it up until it was hanging with its front feet in the air, and then shoving it down and onto its side. At the end, he said "see, calm submissive dog, ta da!" Except it wasn't. It was a dog who had shut down out of extreme fear (and who was most likely fearful to begin with). I'd be scared too if someone hung me and then shoved me over. This whole alpha roll idea came, again, from that study of captive wolves and is as flawed as the study was. In nature, a more dominant wolf does not force a dog into submission -- submission is granted (for a good example of what really happens, see this video of a wolf submitting to a higher member of the pack). The alpha roll is dangerous to the dog's emotional state -- an aggressive dog is likely to become more aggressive. And it's also dangerous to the human attempting it. He claims it should be used only by trained professionals (which, mind you, he is not), but then in the epsidoe referenced above, he teaches the dog's owners to do it as well.

Flooding in a concept wherein if a dog is afraid of something, you flood them with it in order to somehow make them more comfortable with it. In one episode, which he discusses in the book, he forces a Great Dane who is scared of shiny floors across one. He drags the dog onto them and forces him to stay there. Then, when the dog "submits" he calls it cured. Unfortunately for the dog, he had simply shut down out of extreme fear. Flooding is not a technique anyone in psychology would recommend. Imagine if you were afraid of snakes being forced to have a bunch on you. Would that cure your fear? I think it would make mine worse if I were afraid of something. I know it would with my particular phobia. Counter conditioning works much better in these manners than flooding, but Cesar stands by his stance on flooding and on how the dog reacted.

He also advocates the use of a treadmill for exercise if you can't get out and walk the dog enough. Yes. He's talking about putting your DOG on a treadmill. This can work in certain situations and some people use them. But the way he uses them is downright dangerous. First of all, he ties the dog to it with a leash. If one is going to do this, it would be best to put a harness on the dog so that the dog cannot choke if anything happens. Then he says that once the dog is used to it, you can leave him alone on it for short periods of time. No. Never. It's an electrical piece of equipment that your dog is tied to with what could easily turn into a noose. It's a BAD IDEA to leave the dog alone on it. And then there's the issue of this being proper exercise for a dog. Dogs need to sniff and explore and a walk is great for this. Just running in place on a treadmill is not. I'm surprised that he advocates this after he was sued for damages to a dog who was slapped on a treadmill with a choke collar on.

Right in the beginning of the book he talks about how he walks into his dog pack (30-40 dogs he keeps at his "Dog Psychology Center") and shows he is the pack leader by looking away, not meeting their eyes. That meeting their eyes is a sign of weakness. Unfortunately for Cesar this is pretty much the absolute OPPOSITE of how dogs really work. A dog who is dominant is one who is leaning forward on his front legs, ears forward, eyes staring into the eyes of another dog. A dog who is deferential turns his face and eyes away. Cesar is giving off the complete opposite of the signals he claims he is. He also allowed his very young, toddler-aged, kids to walk through the pack all alone. He's very lucky nothing happened to those kids.

Cesar, really, is not a master of reading dog body language. I suppose this is because he believes it's about his energy and so hes never devoted his time to reading dogs. At one point in the book he shows a picture of a very frightened pit bull: tail down, head down, fearful set to the face with the mouth pulled back. The dog IS clearly in a fear position. But I've seen other dogs show that same body language on his show and he calls it "calm submission." Hint: he's right about it in the book, wrong on the show.


The weird
Cesar talks a LOT about "energy" and how dogs can feel your energy. If you're not projecting "pack leader" mentality, the dog will know it. Not by reading your body language, but by your energy. He gets far too New Agey in much of this book and sometimes I kept thinking "is he going to tell me my dog can read my aura next?" Dogs are masters of reading body language, theirs AND yours. It's not about energy. It's about how you move and what the look on your face is or where your hand is positioned.


Cesar: How to Write a Book with So Many Contradictions that No One Should Take it Seriously
It's hard to believe a person could contradict themselves so often in just 320 pages. Here are some of the contradictions I noted:

1. Dogs do not want to be the leader. They do not want to be the dominant one. But they're always looking for weakness in their humans and trying to become the dominant one. Either they want to be leader or they don't. Pick one and stick with it.

2. He says that you cannot blame a dog's breed for the way it is acting, but then goes on to talk about shutting off a dog's "pit bull genes" and talks about how a Siberian husky is not a good city dog because it needs to roam. Either the breed is important or it's not.

3. Dogs must always walk behind the owner or next to the owner, but never in front. But then he goes on to say that he allows the dogs in front sometimes. Does that mean they become the pack leader in those moments?

4. Dogs must always walk behind the owner or next to the owner, but never in front. But then he goes on to say that dogs who are guiding the blind must be out in front, yet the person walking them is in charge and they know it. So why can't a dog who is out in front of a seeing person know the person holding the leash is "in charge"?

5. He talks about a dog being submissive a lot, "calm submissive" (which he touts as being the ultimate state of mind for a balanced dog), but then goes on to says that submissive dogs are weak and have low self-esteem.

6. He talks about wearing your dog out from exercise. He thinks that the ideal amount of exercise is 8-10 hours! I'd be in great shape if I could walk that much, but I think my dog, who loves affection, might not be too happy if we walked THAT much. But then he eventually says that you should walk your dog twice a day, ideally for 30 minutes each time. That's not very long at all and isn't enough to exhaust a dog.

7. You should position your dog's collar high up on their neck, where it's in the most vulnerable place on their neck. Keep their head up on the walk and give a correction when they put it down (I've seen someone doing this before -- it's not pretty). A couple contradictions here: According to him if you just exude the right "calm assertive" energy the dog should naturally follow and a dog should be walking with its head down because that shows a "calm submissive" state instead of a dominant one.


In conclusion
Cesar ends his book with this: I sincerely hope that, with this book, I have helped you find a place to begin in your quest for a better, healthier relationship with the dogs in your life.

I do believe he believes this. I do believe he is sincere. Unfortunately, this book contradicts itself too often and when the advice is clear, it is not anything based on the reality of dogs. It is based on a flawed study about captive wolves. You can get some common sense things out of this book (exercise, boundaries, etc.), but you can get those from any book on dog training or psychology. I really recommend against this book and would suggest, if you want a book that is more positive and gives you some good idea on what to do with dogs, check out Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash.

288pp. This was a skim read. It was fine, but too much story and background when what I needed was the practical application (last 50pp). I Bought it on kindle yesterday, finished this morning. Desperation is an apt description of where we are with Albus. On walks he gets fixated on dogs and people out on walks and will spin on his leash and bark--not aggressive--he wants to play with every moving thing but it's frenetic energy which isn't good. At home he jumps up whenever anyone comes to the door or we leave and come back.

Jon and I have been using the calm-assertive energy, the establishing and enforcing of boundaries and rules for 24 hours and have already seen a big difference here in the house. It will be challenging to teach the kids to be consistent with this methods, but we're going to try. I wish I would have read his book on puppies so we would have chosen a dog a bit less energetic and with more of a calm temperament. But this could be an opportunity for Zola to practice assertiveness and for me to practice calm and for all of us to learn in new ways. Now I'm going to take him out for a walk, trying to apply the principles and we'll see how it goes. Like everything else all we can do is moment by moment.