Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog... and Your Life

I love the way Cesar understands and trains dogs regardless of the dogs disposition. He understands dogs and knows what individual dogs need. I am going to adopt his techniques when I get my Emotional Support Dog.

We have acquired a 14 month old rescue white lab (Buddy)--stubborn, intelligent, a counter surfer and spoiled by his previous owners. He had never been walked, had never seen a body of water and ran the household of his previous owner. You get the picture. We tried all the techniques we had used in previous dogs. Not much changed. We been using Cesar's approach now for two weeks and Buddy is beginning to become the dog he should be. The techniques taught by this talented and dedicated man work on Buddy (and us!). Period. Great stuff.

The major criticism of Millan is that his methods are too "harsh". What people fail to realize is that 1) the technique of "flooding" (forcing the dog to face/experience the things he fears (giving him praise and positive reinforcement each time) until he realizes there is nothing to be anxious about, while not often appropriate for humans is EXACTLY the way to approach animal/dog behavior; 2) touching the dog with an approximation of a mother dog's mouth (hand open, fingers apart like teeth) is not hurting the dog; neither is touching it with your foot while the dog isn't looking; 3)this man LOVES and RESPECTS dogs and would NEVER hurt them. AND he is not training dogs; he is rehabililtating them from being out of balance with their natures. Get a grip, folks. There's always a critic out there, especially when someone has made a name for him/herself. I've lived with/trained dogs since I was 5 years old and this man has taught/reminded me of many things that have improved my Doberman's behavior. He is now even happier than he was and I am trying to train myself to stop the behaviors that keep my dog unstable. If people don't like some of his methods then use only the ones you like. If you don't like any of them then go back to your own life and leave him alone. This book, even more than his other one, is invaluable. Unless, of course, you don't want to look at your own dysfunctional behavior.

I adopted a 6 month old male mastiff mix. From the time we brought him home he was a little nervous and he became more and more fear aggresive. By the time he was a year and a half I had paid two dog behaviorists, one dog trainer and one dog psychologists and no one came close to helping. Some behaviorists and trainers refused to take on the challenge, one in particular even said I should put him down because he would end up attacking someone. Then a friend told me about Cesar Milan's show and I was hooked from the first show. I bought the book, took notes from the shows, and I used the techniques. I have a completely differrent dog now, we work consistently with him and he's finally a great, well adjusted member of the family. I've read reviews from trainers that say that Cesar's techniques are improper but those are the same kind of trainers that suggested that I give up and put my boy to sleep. Sargeant(my dog) had to trust that I was strong enough to lead him so he wouldn't feel the need to fear. Cesar Milan is a miracle worker!

My profession since 1969 has been a dog trainer specializing in the problem dog. I see Cesar's new book as being quite helpful to dog owners as well as fellow dog professionals. In the book Cesar explains how to become pack leader via a calm/assertive pathway. He clearly explains on how to achieve this state without being aggressive,yelling or emotional. How? With positive affirmations,inner dialogue and visualization along with other techniques. If you like Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer..You'll love Cesar Millan.His approach to leadership is quite new age and nowhere near what the critics are stating. I've seen negative reviews regarding the book..obviously the close minded have not read it and have some preconceived notion about Cesar Millan. Nothing could be further from the truth. Do your dog a favor..Get this book today. Get another for a dog owning friend/relative...they'll love you for it Yours for a better understanding of dogs, Bob Maida Westchester County, New York www.dogtrainingbybobmaida.com

Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier have done it again. In Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog...and Your Life, the dog whisperer and the writer have put their talents together once more to provide dog lovers and owners with a valuable resource. This resource helps us build and maintain a harmonious relationship with a balanced animal and, perhaps, even with each other. In that vein, Cesar speaks to four aspects of human nature that need to be in balance: intellect, emotion, spirituality, and instinct, and how we have lost touch with number four. Developing a balanced relationship with our dog(s) helps us to regain the instinctual side of ourselves buried so deeply within. In his acknowledgements, Cesar also speaks to the ability of women to impart a calm-assertive influence on the world's inhabitants. That was nice to read. In his introduction, Cesar states that he has continued to learn from dogs and people and has taken to heart the criticisms of his first book. As a result, this book includes easily remembered practical tips for working with dogs and a step-by-step reference (at the end) for specific situations, in addition to more of Cesar's innate wisdom when it comes to dogs and their behavior. (I especially liked the Rudyard Kipling quote near the beginning of the book. Be sure to read it.) Part I deals with balancing our dogs and Part II deals with balancing ourselves. Cesar presents case studies of the relationship between various dogs and their humans, including that of the Grogan family (bestseller: Marley and Me). Then there's the Tycoon and his seriously out-of-balance dogs, Willy and Kid; and Bob Kettle, a pro who helps domesticated dogs get back in touch with their natural instincts when it comes to snakes...in other words, to stay away from them; and the book's author, Melissa Jo Peltier, makes an appearance as an example of how one's nervous energy can set dogs into a frenzy. As a skilled writer, she was able to describe, in her own words, how she experienced the situation in which she found herself. There is much to be learned from Cesar's books and his television show, The Dog Whisperer. Those who have been lucky enough to see him in person have an additional dimension in which to experience and appreciate his talents. In the two years I've known of him, several friends and family members have put his methods to work with great success. He has become one of my heroes. Carolyn Rowe Hill