What I have learned from Cesar so far...

Ok, a few days ago, I promised to tell you all about the book I am reading right now. I will try and relate this as well as I can, I am sure I won't use the right jargon, like he does!

Some of the main pointers I have gotten out of this book are:

**Dogs are NOT humans! (Isn't it pathetic funny that he even has to address this?)

They do not feel the same way we do; they do not hold on to memories about their mothers, brothers, sisters; they don't blame their fathers for running off after the "bi'ness" was over.... They live in the moment and don't worry about what's going to happen tomorrow. What's the point in acknowledging this? Mainly, a lot of owners tend to sympathize with their dogs, or feel sorry for them because THEY - the humans - would feel bad about the situation.

Example? Say you brought home a pound puppy, gave him a good home, and 6 years later, you are still compensating for his bad behavior b/c once-upon-a-time he was living in an animal shelter? That would be YOU - the human - projecting feelings onto the dog that he doesn't have. He does mention animals who were abused and hurt by previous owners having skittish tendencies with their new families. He helped these families to realize THEY needed to quit pampering the dog, and show him what BALANCE was. Dogs don't need pampering, they need emotionally stable owners!


** Three-part Formula: Exercise, Discipline, then Affection.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Dogs are "pack" animals, they want to have a leader, or else they will have to become the leader. If you establish, through exercise and discipline, that you are in charge, then you can give affection, knowing the animal will obey in an instant. A dog who is bored, or has lots of pent-up energy doesn't really want to listen to you. You haven't proven that you are leading the pack effectively.

**Some Issues that people should be paying attention to!!

-Aggression: Aggression is not cute, it's not a laughing matter. Your dog should be able to politely greet family and friends, not go charging at the door. They shouldn't be growling over food - your kids should be able to stick their hand in the food bowl and the dog remain calm. Some people have dogs specifically for their "fear factor," wanting to know they will be protected by a guard dog. If you have given a command for the dog to attack an intruder, that's not the issue. We're talking about everyday, "I bark at everyone I don't like," aggression. When Aunt Tilda can't get out of her car because your dog is aggressive, that IS a problem. (Unless you told him to bite Aunt Tilda, and then YOU have the problem :-) ....) As the owner, you are actually letting your dog be stressed out. It's up to you to stop bad behavior!

-Hyperactive Energy: Jumping on people, over-excitement, constant licking, digging, chewing.
- Anxiety/Separation Anxiety: Barking, whining, scratching, etc. Destroying things while you're away.
- Obsessions/Fixations: "Addictions" or preoccupations with anything from a cat to tennis balls. Oblivious to owners commands, even when food is offered, etc.
- Phobias: Fear or traumatic incident that the dog has not been able to move beyond. Thunder, trash truck noise, etc. (This is not the same thing as having an emotional feeling or always thinking about the fear. It's more like a "Flight or Fight" response when it happens. The owner can help the animal move beyond this by staying calm and assertive and stopping the behavior.)

So, these are a few examples of unhealthy behavior, and we can all see them displayed in just about every other dog around the neighborhood.

He also goes into detail, explaining how breed can influence a dog's behavior, the different classifications for dogs, and what types of activity level they need to have to remain calm and attentive. For us, Banner is a purebred working/herding dog. She doesn't have the energy of a Shetland Sheepdog or a Border Collie, but she has the ingrained sense of herding animals together in her blood. She's been trying, unsuccessfully, to herd the boys into a calm group since we got her. Ha, good luck, pup! She also has the need to be "working" and does a daily tour of the yard, going all around the fence line, looking for who knows what? The other night, she spotted some unknown critter in the yard, and was very diligent in defending her yard - all night long..... If we are not able to direct her energy into a productive outlet, she will become bored, and start venting her frustrations by chewing, digging, you name it.

Thankfully, he mentions several great ideas for "working class" dogs, and I have already started looking into some of them!! Here's a hint at what we're thinking about...