Dogs can help you stay on course in life

Dog training is really a study in human psychology.  If you understand that we are all just bits and pieces of energy made up in the form of a human you will understand that everything we come into contact with will feel our energy.  The energy that we project has an enormous influence on how we interact with life.  If we are calm-assertive around our dogs, our dogs will be happy and calm in return.  They will gladly follow our lead.

  
This principal also applies to life in general notjust dog training.  Everyone has had one of those days when something is bothering you or upsetting you and it seems like on thing after another goes wrong and finally when you get off work you relax and regroup and just call it a bad day.  Well there some theories that say we are either attracting repulsing that which we want or don't want through our energy projection or commonly referred to as vibration. If you can grasp this concept then you will have a great time being Pack Leader because your dogs will be the best form of feed back you can find. Your dogs are worth 10 times more than a life coach or a personal assistant because they will give you the instant and accurate feedback that will keep you calm and assertive.  When in this state your vibration will be at a level that is in harmony with the universe and all good things will flow to you.  It is within your power to create the vibration that will attract all that you desire.  You can do it with a little help from your pack.  Your pack will love it when you are the best Pack Leader you can be and they will behave accordingly.  They are your compass that will guide your to a better feeling way of life.  You will be practicing the Laws of Attraction everyday and you will know when you are off course because your dogs will be the instant feedback that will alert you to check your state of mind and get back to the powerful pack leader energy of calm-assertive living.

Discovering the Power of Calm-Assertive Behavior and being the Pack Leader

Discovering the Power of Calm-Assertive Behavior and how it can make you the Pack Leader. 

The phrase Calm-assertive behavior is more than a term that is used to help you train your dog.  It also is a phrase that has the power to transform your future.  Our dogs give us a chance to learn the power of calm-assertive behavior on a daily basis.  Our goal to have a better, more satisfying relationship with our dog, gives us the perfect opportunity to create a better, more satisfying life as we develop our power.  We develop our power by using calm-assertive behavior, by increasing our self esteem, self confidence, positive intention.  All of these “power” building methods are what will turn us into great pack leaders. 

“Dog Psychology” is actually a study in human psychology.  If we can understand dogs and pack behavior we can see how important intuition and calm-assertive behavior are in nature.  If we translate this into more calm-assertive behavior our intentions will begin to change as well. 

If you want a great dog, you need to become great at being projecting calm-assertive energy, increase your self esteem, and develop your intuition.  Once you begin to make these changes in your behavior you will see significant changes in your surroundings.  Your life will change for the better in all ways and your dog will be more willing to follow you as a calm-assertive pack leader.  Your dog will give you the proper feed back that will let you know you are living with positive intentions.  It will be very clear when they begin to respect you as the pack leader. 

Dogs show us some of the wonderful personality traits that we all tend to suppress as we get overly busy.  The world we live in places little value on play, relaxation, and fun.  Our admiration for the go-getters and the type A crowd have given us the impression that calm-assertive behavior is something to be sought by Tibetan monks.  We have lost our connection with the inner most workings of the soul as our intuition has been tucked neatly away into the recesses of our subconscious mind.  If we are going to be the pack leader we have to shift our thoughts and intentions in a way that focuses more on the power of our intentions.  The pack leader needs to lead with powerful intention.  This sends out the right energy that is easy for our dogs to follow. 

Be the Pack Leader!

pack leader and dog whisperer make for a special bond between man and dog

They look so innocent. 

Becoming a dog whisperer doesn't happen over night.  As humans we are used to communicating everything through speech or the written word.  Our energy is important but people are less perceptive than dogs in reference to our energy.  We may be able to to pretend we are strong and assertive to humans and they might to for it, but our dogs can sense what is behind the facade.  If our energy is not calm-assertive our dogs will know right away and will not willingly follow as part of your pack.  But humans may believe what you tell them.  We all have been fooled by someone who was a smooth talker that later turned out to be a cheat or a fraud. 

Our dogs can read between the lines better than we can but we have the potential to use our intuition more.  We have instincts and senses that we have let go dormant for years.  As we evolved we learned to trust our senses less and less and it often has left us vulnerable to the "smooth talkers".  But as we become a better, stronger pack leader we will be projecting calm-assertive energy as well as developing our intuition.  As pack leader we will be using our intuition to assess the health and energy of our dogs.  They won't be able to tell us what is wrong.  But the more we get in tune with our pack and our dog training becomes more of a partnership, we will be able to tell things about our dogs that no one else would ever know. 

I could see something wrong with one of my dogs several years before she died.  I had spent a great deal of time with her for 5 or 6 years and I could tell if something was wrong.  The problems arise when our special bond with our dog can not be matched by the vet.  I noticed one of her eyes seemed to be drooping or bulging out and I took her to the doctor right away.  They assured me that it was nothing and it was normal for Labradors and it was totally fine. 
I knew it wasn't totally fine had her checked several times and everyone seem to placate me but never really give me a good answer.  I don't think modern medicine can account for intuition and vets tend to see most people as overly nervous about their dogs.  But about a year or two later the vet said it may be glaucoma in her eye and started her on daily eye drops.  This went on for a few years and I knew it wasn't working and that something just wasn't right  but I deferred to the doctors expertise.  I have sense changed my philosophy on that with my other dogs and cats. 

More to the story here. 



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Cesar’s Way or another dog training method?

Cesar’s Way or another dog training method?  

This article will give you a few suggestions on how to find the right dog training method for you and your pack. 

There are hundreds of dog training methods to choose from when you get your new dog or puppy.  It seems like there are dog training experts everywhere selling their “best” ever dog training methods.  Since Cesar Millan came on the National Geographic Channel as the Dog Whisperer, everyone decided dog training was a new money maker.  I am sure most trainers have the expertise they claim but before you pick a method you will have to do some research.  After you have gathered enough information you can then make a much better decision. 

A lot depends on you the dog owner.  Her are a few questions you need to answer when you start your search for a dog trainer or dog training method. 

1. Do you want what is best for the dog or do you just want obedience? 


2. Do you want to hire a trainer or be the trainer? 


3. Do you want to train your dog using treats and positive reinforcement?


4. Do you want to use the Clicker method?


5. Do you want to use electronic collars that use electricity to control your dog?


6. Do you want to illicit obedience by force or by creating fear in your dog?  

                                          -OR-

7. Do you want to use training as a way to develop a stronger bond with your dog? 


8. Do you want to use a method of training that has little need for the use of treats?  A method that does not call for you to hit, spank, prod or abuse your dog in anyway?    

This method relies on your energy as the Alpha dog and pack leader rather than electricity.  This way of training is commonly referred to as Cesar’s Way.  If you want to be a dog whisperer this is the method you need to use. 

One of the things I had always tried to resist was the use of treats as a reward to train any of my dogs.  I had little training or experience in training dogs but I just didn’t want to have to “bribe” my dog into behaving.  I was not sure this was possible but I was certain that I wanted to have a stronger bond with my pet.  My thought was that the treats might get in the way of building a better handler/dog relationship.  It wasn’t until several years later I was fortunate enough to see the Dog Whisperer show.  I immediately realized this was what I was looking for all along. 

 

However, this method of training had many more hurdles for me to get over before I felt like I was making any real progress.  I was not surprised that I was influencing my dog’s behavior with my energy but I wasn’t so sure that I wanted to train myself first before I could project the calm-assertive energy necessary to be the top dog.  So I was going to have to be learning about pack behavior right along with my dog Bobo.

I can say with out hesitation, after using the Dog Whisperer techniques on 7 dogs and having my own pack for over 10 years, that the way of the pack leader is the most rewarding and most satisfying way to train your dog.  If you are truly concerned about what is best for your dog and are willing to look in the mirror at how your own behavior influences the behavior of your pets, you will love Cesar’s Way.  You will be doing what is best for you and your dog.  You will not regret it. 

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Why do dogs take so well to Cesar's Millan Methods?

What we can learn about instincts from our dogs.

Instinct is in animals is similar to what we call intuition in humans.  Our dogs operate on instinct that has been part of their evolution and they don’t question it.  Dogs can sense something is going wrong or when a person is in a bad mood or if someone is nervous.  Dogs had to rely on their instinct to survive in the wild before they became more domesticated.  However, dogs still use there “intuition” or instinct to sense what is going on around them.  They can tell what kind of energy is in the air at that moment.  The calm-assertive energy given off by a good pack leader is the energy that dogs naturally follow.  They are drawn to this energy because this was the energy of their pack leaders when they were living as wolves in the wild. 

Dogs are always tuned in to the alpha dog, or pack leader.  They are continually assessing their energy state and will automatically act according the energy they sense from the pack leader.  The structure of the pack is necessary for survival and since dogs don’t have the luxury of talking, they have to communicate in much more subtle ways. Training dogs or a pack of dogs requires constant monitoring of the energy we are projecting. 

If you are training your dog but you do not maintain the proper calm-assertive energy level dogs will be nervous and uncomfortable around you.  They will be more likely to act out or just be more difficult to train.  Dogs naturally have a lack of trust for anyone or anything with a nervous, frustrated or angry demeanor. 

Humans have learned to communicate in other ways often to our detriment.  We have learned to push our intuition to the side in many cases.  Of course there are certain times when it is good to push our fear aside and move forward. In certain cases it is imperative that we push back against our fear, but this is usually when we have an abnormal fear or a fear that is not aproportionate for the level of risk. 

For example if you have a fear of public speaking, it may be a worth while goal to battle that fear and become more comfortable speaking to an audience or classroom.  It would be to your benefit if it was important for your work.  Also overcoming this type of fear will often improve your self esteem. 

However, if we get the message as children that are feelings don’t matter as much as someone else’s or if our feelings are not treated with proper respect from our care givers, we may be suppressing the very important messages from our intuition.  People will even go as far as trying to convince themselves that their intuition about someone or about a certain situation is wrong and will repress the fear. 

Cesar Millan references the book “The Gift of Fear”  by Gavin De Becker when he discusses how energy and intuition can play a vital role in having a well adjusted and stable dog or pack . 

      {De Becker gave an example of how we forget that we have powerful intuition when as he told the story of his friend not selecting a contractor because her dog growled at him.  De Becker said the dog was likely an expert at reading her and she was an expert at reading people without realizing it.  He said the dog was likely just reading her and sensing her concern.  De Becker goes on to say that humans have something dogs do not have and that thing is judgment.  He states that this is what allows us to disregard our intuition unless we can explain it logically.  We tend to honor our intellect rather than our intuition.  We succumb to our judgment and are distracted from reality by our hopes and wishes of how things could or should be in spite of the reality.}

The extra special thing about dogs is how much of a gift they are to us once we realize they are teaching us to become more self aware.  They are letting us know when our energy is out of balance.  All we have to do is pay attention and be willing to get better in touch with our feelings and our energy level.  Most people go through life with no clue what type of energy is ruling their lives or what they are projecting in the world.  (At least until they get a couple dogs.)

Being a good trainer for your dogs and a good pack leader is not only enriching to the lives of our dogs but it helps us become more calm and centered. It is not fair to your dogs if you refuse to open your eyes to how your behavior can have negative or positive consequences on your pack.  

Learn to trust your intuition more and you will be opening the door to a more calm-assertive energy in your life.  Your stress level will also go down and you will create a much greater more loving bond with your dogs. 

If you want to train your dog in the most loving way possible, bond with them in a special way, and never have to punish your dog then you need take a look at the dog whisperer’s DVDs on being a good pack leader.

Pack Leader at the Dog Park-a dog training lesson

Don't Forget the Treats

 

Sammy, Buddy, Jake, Bobo, Scruffy and Jack

Yesterday I was at the dog park and saw a perfect example of a pack leader.  This was the best dog training lesson for anyone to witness because it is much different to see it happening before your eyes rather than on the Dog Whisperer Show.  It was fun to see. 

 The dog park is set up with three large areas that are fenced off around the outside and divided with two fences down the middle.  The large square area and the two dividers have gates to pass from one section to the other.  A woman with a medium size dog and very small dog was walking in the farthest corner of the third section.  On one end of her section some larger dogs were playing and it looked as though she didn’t want to go that direction.  I was in the middle section with my six large dogs, one of them a young Pit Bull who likes to greet everyone who comes into the gate with great enthusiasm.  It was quite clear she felt a little trapped. 

The only way for her to get out was to go through one of the areas with the large dogs.  She tried the back end gate which is always locked in order to keep a limited number open so there is not complete chaos at the park with dogs coming and going from every direction. 

 I was getting ready to approach the woman and ask her if she wanted me to corral my dogs so she could walk through with her dogs on the leash.  My dogs are typically very good with other dogs.  However, I have Aussies and they like to herd anything in site and if they all start off together it can frighten some of the dogs.  If I am not close enough to get their attention I don’t like it.  Keep in mind this is a huge dog park that is over 10 acres and if I am by one gate and someone comes through the other gate I can’t keep up with the dogs if they decide to go investigate. These three are usually so interested in chasing the tennis ball that they don’t even pay attention to other dogs.  The Pit Bull puppy still has puppy energy and is a little over friendly at times.  He is learning though and doing well when I am being a good pack leader.

The woman in the other section was on the phone so I didn’t say anything to her and then got distracted picking up a few tennis balls a few hundred feet away from the gate.  The next thing I see is this young woman walking through the end gate with no warning.  She had both her two smaller dogs on leashes and she was in complete control.  She exuded calm, assertive energy as she entered the gate, her dogs following perfectly. My Pit Bull ran over to say hello to the dogs and I was a little nervous being a long way away.  But her pack was on a mission. 

She held her head up, had one hand on the phone, the other hand holding both leashes.  As my dog approached she paid no attention to him and told her dogs to keep moving.  My dog got in one sniff and they were still on the move.  His playful energy was completely neutralized by the woman’s strong assertive energy.  She was going to complete her mission and get through the park without any big dogs bothering her or her little ones.  She did it just the way Cesar would have done. 

It would be nice to have gotten it on video because it would have been a great dog training aid while reinforcing the dog whisperer methods.  It was the first time I have seen another person practice being the pack leader in person.  I have seen it on the Dog Whisperer Television show, read about it in books, and try to be a good pack leader myself but witnessing this event totally convinced me that dog training is all about energy.  I could feel it myself and my Pit Bull didn’t know what to do.  He was completely obedient and did not try to disrupt her pack. 

I already was a big believer in the methods Cesar teaches but this made me even more certain that it really is possible for our calm, assertive energy to have a major influence over our dogs.  If you are interested in doing what is best for your pack I would recommend watching the Dog Whisperer Show or go ahead and try the Cesar Millan DVD’s on dog training.