Sunday, June 21, 2009

What would Cesar say


Toby in front yard, originally uploaded by phaird.

I have just started getting the National Geographic channel and have really enjoyed watching Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. What a great show and I have been learning a lot on how to deal with Toby. I worry though that Cesar would judge me harshly for my actions. He has spent his life considering dogs feelings and lifestyle and I'm really new to having dogs around. Even just one.

For as much as Cesar can get done in one hour, it really does take a long time to communicate to a dog, even your own. The bond that Toby and I have grew very quickly but that's different. Toby knows that I love and care for him and he even knows I'm the "pack leader". It has taken a lot of time and practice to know how to communicate to each other. It even changes from time to time. Things that I would say or do, he would listen to before doesn't work as well now. But better ways come along as I learn how to better communicate with him.

I'd be really nervous to meet Cesar if I had to bring him to take care of Toby. I just know that he would point out all my flaws and show me all the simple things I should have been doing to be a better "dad" to Toby.

If Cesar ever did come to visit, he should come see Bruin. Now HE could really use Cesar's help.

2 comments:

Esmerelda said...

Bruin looks like he's having a lot of fun at the park. I think if he's going to come to Acton he should see Hunter. On the other hand, I've already watched the Cesar Milan show and, while thrilled at first, realized that I cannot realistically live like that.

Of course if I lived in LA where all the dogs could be outside dogs, kept my dogs in kennels/crates all the time, and had a staff to do all the work (like Cesar does) then it would be just perfect for me.

But it's just me. And walking around with your chest puffed out and your ears forward just makes you feel silly after a while. Nevertheless, if Cesar wants to swing by and fix Hunter and/or Twinkie in 20 minutes like he does on the show, then I'd be perfectly happy to have him over. He seems like a really sweet guy.

And I am so over the thin-skinned stuff. I have teenagers, so I'm fully aware of how stupid and incompetent I am.

Anonymous said...

Blogger: Cesar Milan is not as good a role model as you might think. I just hope that you're not alpha rolling or yanking your dog like he does - if you are that may be why Toby doesn't listen to you as well as he used to. I don't know, you didn't give detailed info, but it's possible that your doing things "The Cesar Way" might be damaging your relationship with your dog. If you want to learn to communicate with your dog, don't worry about copying Cesar's "calm assertive" energy which if you really look at his body language he's being intimidating, not calm and assertive. If you want to communicate better with your dog, try giving Patricia McConnell's "The Other End of the Leash" a read. Good stuff there.

Esmeralda: I live in an area that necessitates my dog being an indoor dog and to be taken outside for pottying and 90% of his exercise and I still manage to do it. You don't have to have Cesar's facilities to provide for your dogs the way you think he does.