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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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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. 

Dog Walking as Part of over all Dog training

It is hard to over estimate the importance of walking your dog during training. The dog whisperer way is big on dog walking and using this exercise as a way to reinforce your bond with your dog. It is also a chance to act like the pack leader and be in control of your pet. The biggest issue that has to be corrected on the walk, which is having the dog walk you, can be fixed very quickly if you can take over the role as the calm assertive leader.

A lot of dogs are trying to fill the void if their masters are not behaving like the alpha dog. As I mentioned before in a previous post, dogs want structure and they are very willing to follow the pack leader. They won't just follow you because you think you are top dog, you have to act like it and have the energy of the pack leader. The calm, assertive energy that displays leadership and strength to your pack must be the default energy level. As humans, we sometimes fail to realize just how perceptive dogs are and just how in tune they are with our energy. They are monitoring us all the time and they will pick up even the most subtle of cues as they will act accordingly.



Don't believe this? Think of another example when your dog knows what you are going to do about 5 minutes before you even start to move. Do you start to think about going for a walk a few minutes before you want to leave? Have you ever made the effort to get ready to go without making any mention of a walk or going out to your dog? How does the dog know something is going to happen soon?

You move up from your chair casually and try to plan your mission to get everything ready for the walk so you can then spring it on your dog just as you are ready to leave but it never works. As soon as you move from your chair with the intention of getting ready for a walk, your dog starts to get excited, barks and head for the door. They gather a lot of information very quickly without you ever saying a word.

Of course you know if you even say the word WALK your dog will go wild. You may even have to resort to spelling the word out one letter at a time, only to find out that as soon as you say W it will trigger your dog to get ready. This doesn't say anything about sensing your energy but it says something about dogs ability to learn. They are intuitive and intelligent so it is our job to be the pack leader to give them a stable and well balanced life.

Dogs have outstanding senses and will pick up on our assertion to be the pack leader if we can manage to stay calm and exude the right energy. You can make walking with your dog a great pleasure. Once you become a great pack leader you will never again fear being pulled down the street by your Rottie.

Walking your dog really can be fun.



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Dog training for the human pack leader

Dog training takes a tremendous amount of patience.  Dogs, especially puppies can be trying on our nerves and if we are not careful we will make things worse by being a poor pack leader.  Maintaining our calm assertive energy at all times is a must.  Easier said then done or at least that was the case with me.  Dogs are willing to follow us in the pack and do what we want but first we have to be trained in the art of living like a dog so to speak.  Well, we don’t have to go that far but we do have to adopt some of the behaviors of the alpha dog and of a good pack leader.  First and foremost is to keep our mood as even as possible no matter what our puppies do to drive us up a wall.  Our unstable moods or unstable energy will be acted out buy our dogs and they will not be able to be calm and stable until we learn to be calm and assertive as the pack leader. 

I was lucky enough to find 3 beautiful Australian Shepard puppies at the dog park one night many years ago and it changed my life in many ways.  In the short term it changed my house a lot too.  By this I mean so long to the new carpet, hello to the new bushes and new sprinkler drip system and hello to a major makeover of my personality. 

I already had 3 dogs that I rescued but they were getting a little older, very set in their ways and our routine was simple and low stress.  It is hard to say way I would take on such a task as to raising three high energy puppies but it might just be that they saw me coming a mile away and visions of dog biscuits started dancing in their heads.  For whatever reason I took on this challenge I can honestly say it changed my life for the better. 

It was funny that I soon realized that my patience was thin and that my dogs didn’t take well to me yelling at them after they chewed up my telephone.  It seemed to confuse them more than anything.  It was soon

there after that I became more interested in the dog whisperer and Cesar Millan way of dog training. 

I was fascinated by his control over his pack and how he was able to maintain such a calm and assertive energy under all types of circumstances.  I was also amazed at just how quickly the dogs took to his methods and how much more under control his dogs were than mine.  What I didn’t expect to learn was that my behavior was the primary cause of my dog’s energy output and placement. 

It was really a human psychology education rather than an exercise in dog training.   So was the beginning of my journey and education on being a good pack leader.  The “dog training” label just seems to be a way to draw you in until you find out that the dogs are really not the problem. 

Dogs are natural followers if they have a strong pack leader to fall behind.  It is just nature’s way and it has been part of the evolution of the dog because these instinctual behaviors lead, in part, to the survival of the species.  Wolf packs and other wild dog packs need an order to their pack structure or they would be constantly fighting one

another over limited resources and likely would have extinguished themselves thousands of years ago.     

The reality is that dogs know how to behave in the pack structure.  They just need a good alpha dog that is a strong leader.  This is where we humans come into the mix.  By default we have become the pack leader for our dogs but if we act in ways that are not conducive to being a good pack leader or if we are unable to channel our calm assertive energy our dogs will try to take over the lead role. 

Dogs and teeth Cleaning

There has been more and more concern about dogs teeth and a lot of talk about the best ways to keep them clean and healthy.  It is becoming more and more common for dogs to get their teeth cleaned at the Vet which was something was rarely done 20 years ago.  The theory is that the bacteria in the dogs teeth will spread to other areas of the body and cause illness.  Now teeth brushing is even fairly common among dog owners so the awareness of how important it is to keep your dogs teeth clean but people are much more hesitant to put the dog under anesthesia.  Even though the teeth cleaning procedure may seem fairly minor there is always the risk of complications when putting your anesthezing your pet. 

However, fortunately for those of us who have a little difficulty getting Fido to sit still while brush their teeth and who would rather not have their dog in for unnecessary surgery the standard procedure is lots of chew treats that hopefully will help reduce the tartar and plaque build up.  There are assortment of treats that can be good for your dogs but only if they are chewers.  If your dog doesn't like to chew on the raw hides or nylabones you can rely on milk bone biscuits.  If none of those do the trick you might have get your dogs teeth cleaned by the vet in order to prevent complications later in life. 

Dog teeth cleaning is one more good reason to always consider dental insurance as well.  Some insurance plans may cover certain preventative maintenance procedures like teeth cleaning or yearly check ups.  If you have more than one dog or cat you will definitely want to look into a couple of different types of insurance policies to keep the rising cost of pet care under control. 

Dog Whisperer technique for dog training

If you are interested in dog training you have to look into the dog whisperer Cesar Milan.  He is amazing with animals and has a unique approach to he says he rehabilitates people first to get them to see how their behavior is effecting their dog or dogs.  The philosophy is that it paramount to be the pack leader so you can interact with your dogs on their natural instinctual level. 

In order to be the pack leader you have to behave like the alpha dog.  The alpha dog is the boss and is the one that the other dogs look to for leadership and guidance.  This is natural behavior to the dogs and they are most at peace and comfortable when they are in the presence of a strong pack leader.  Dogs have evolved from wolves through natural selection and breeding and but they have many of the natural instincts of wolves deeply ingrained into their psyche.  This is why we have to be conscious of the ways of dogs and not treat them the same way we treat humans.  Dogs understand this natural hierarchy and unless there is a strong pack leader in their pack, which typically will be you and your pets, spouses and children etc, one of the dogs will want to fill that void. 

It is like a vacuum in nature.  It is always said that nature does not like a vacuum so the empty space is soon filled with something naturally.  The void in the dog pack come when there is no leader and one dog will instinctively move to fill that void and you will have a very confused and unstable household on your hands.   Dogs are social and pack animals and they will be part of your pack whether you have one dog or several.  The humans can be just as good of a pack leader as another dog and it is a must if you are going to have a stable dog and a stable household. 

There are several things you have to do to be a good pack leader and Cesar recommends the walk as the most important bonding exercise with your dog.  However, this can not be a walk where the dog pulls you up and down the street.  You have to walk with your dog like you are the pack leader and you must be able to channel your strong assertive energy in order to be in control. 

The calm assertive energy is what dogs respond to the best.  If you ever see a mother dog dealing with an unruly puppy you will get the point.  The mother dog reaches her breaking point but it only takes a calm and assertive grasp or bite on the scruff of the neck and the puppy usually gets the message that it is time to settle down.  It is quick and simple and has little aggression or aggressive energy behind the discipline.  This is a key for humans to understand when training their own dog.  It is difficult for the dog to understand what you are doing if you act out of frustration or anger.  If you raise your voice and try to discipline your pets with an aggressive or angry tone, you will be just confusing your dogs and causing them more undue stress.  Your energy will be mirrored by your dogs and if you are angry and aggressive you will be making it much harder for your dog to be calm and well adjusted.