Customer Reviews

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

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My reason for buying this book was pretty shallow. I love the Dog Whisperer and was about to get a dog of my own. Not wanting a dog that acted out of line, I figured reading this would be a nice start.

I was right.

If you've seen Cesar's show on the National Geographic Channel, you basically know, in a sense, what to expect. What I didn't expect was how much his philosophy of 'calm-assertive' energy played into being a better person as a whole. The whole 'calm-assertive' thing, as skeptical as I was, actually works too. I always thought Cesar knew what he was talking about but using his methods with my new addition actually works wonders.

Lets not forget the guidlines he so adamantly preaches...
1. Exercise
2. Discipline
3. Affection
"In that order!"

What really makes me laugh, and even like the book more, is that it's so clearly Cesar. Listen to him talk on his show sometime, then read Be The Pack Leader. It reads EXACTLY like he sounds.

Strewn about are 'Success Stories.' I really enjoyed them. More than anything it just solidifies how much Cesar's approach works in rehabilitating dogs. Without Cesar even coming to help out these ordinary people transformed their dogs--and more times than not--themselves.

If you're like me and wanted this book simply to learn how to deal with new dogs, Appendix-A Quick Reference Guide To Becoming A Better Pack Leader, at the back of the book is going to be your bible. It sure was mine the first couple of weeks.

Overall, even if you have a perfectly behaved dog--or don't even have one--Be The Pack Leader is a terrific, fast, read. Everything is very straight-forward and to the point and is chalk full of amazing tips on transforming your dog. Highly recommended.

All I really want to do is walk my dogs without them pulling on their leashes. Cesar makes it look so easy and, unfortunately, his book does not give me the magic, step-by-step formula that will instantly transform my dogs into perfect little walking machines. Alas!

On the positive side (and surely more realistic), the book gives wonderful insights into how to communicate so that your dog understands what you want. His threefold formula of exercise, discipline, and affection is simple and effective. My two little dogs (1 yr. old puppies actually) are happy to get a morning and evening walk, have boundaries at mealtimes and limits on where they can go in the house and what they can do, and , of course, get lots of affection.

If you want a step-by-step manual don't buy the book. Milan states up front that he is NOT a dog trainer. However, if you want an interesting read that helps you understand how your dog learns best, I'd recommend buying it.

Cesar Millan truly loves dogs and wants to make their lives better by teaching us how to interact with them in instinctual ways that they will understand and by showing us how to fulfill their true needs. His repeated reminder that dogs should not be humanized cannot be emphasized enough, nor his mantra of calm-assertive behavior (which excludes both pampering and hostility in equal measure). Anyone who has worked with groups of dogs at liberty knows the truth behind the words - dogs respect the one who carries him/herself with confidence and remains consistent and fair.

I also greatly admire that Mr. Millan has sought out professionals in behavior and positive reinforcement to increase his understanding. A willingness to continue one's education and expand one's knowledge is exceptional and commendable.

I hope he continues his quest for knowledge, because it still comes up short in some areas. His unfailing belief in "alpha always first" has been largely undermined by recent study. In several packs, members other than the alpha lead the hunt - a smart leader knows when to defer to superior skills. Wolves on the way to a hunt may disperse and regroup along the way - sniffing, playing, marking, and enjoying - until they are closer to their prey. Helen Thayer observed wolves switching off the lead position, sharing the arduous job of breaking trail through snow. Leadership is about guidance and good decisions, not about absolutes; therefore I cringe when he insists that the only "correct" way to walk a dog is to keep her behind or beside you, using "high collaring" or compulsion to do so. The correct way is whatever the leader decides, and if I want to defer to my dog to lead me out of the woods, that's my decision (and a smart one, given our relative navigation skills). I really don't care whether she is ahead, beside, or behind me, so long as she is not pulling and is paying attention.

He also continues to insist that positive reinforcement is fine for training behaviors, but ineffective for rehabilitation. Sadly, it appears he has only encountered trainers who don't properly implement the proven, effective method of counter-conditioning (pairing the trigger of a dog's fear or aggression with positive experiences to alter the association). CC does not involve simply throwing food or comfort at a dog who is already aggressing or reacting. Dogs are worked sub-threshold (at the level that does not set them off) and gradually worked closer and closer to the trigger. It is very nuanced, and can take a long time, but it certainly works when done correctly and is a valid option for people wanting to avoid physical methods. However, it certainly can and should be paired with "calm-assertive energy" in the handler, as so many of these problems are fear-based, and the dog can benefit from the handler's energy/attitude.

Sadly, this book, like its predecessor (this book being much better-organized and thought out than the original), will probably be demonized without justification. Mr. Millan so clearly emphasizes that all things are to be done in a calm, controlled, fair and pain-free manner that he simply cannot be compared to the compulsion trainers of the dark, not-so-distant past. He likewise advises that each person answer to his/her own conscious, particularly in deciding what "tools" to use. He makes far too many good points to place this book into the "bad" category, and I hope trainers who do not agree with his methods will read the book before vilifying it.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

Chapter 7 in this book, relates the story of how just the first few lessons were enough to help me rescue a "red-zone dog" trapped in a traffic signal maintenance yard that terrified about 75 men to the point that they had called animal control to come put the dog down.

Risk management, safety and environmental health, have all been my career for 30 years. I knew there was nothing to risk by trying this new fellow's approach to problem dogs, (except being exposed to the 105-degree Arizona heat mid afternoon). I had tried Cesar's way ~sorta, off and on without much success - on my old dogs that I had humanized for 10 years, the way I had been raised to be with my dogs since childhood. With this rescue, if I didn't succeed, it wasn't a matter of him barking too long or getting my food, it would cost him his life.

Cesar's way turned him in days to one of the best dogs I ever had in my life. I had turned to a yahoo email list for help. When the owner needed to leave, I volunteered to take it over. This began the best adventure, in my life of wonderful adventures of opening doors to have thousands - yes thousands of people helped and helping each other to walk Cesar's way (Over 65,000 messages in just two years - open archives for anyone to review, current membership at 2300 with over 1000 more who came in, solved their problems and left) . People who had exhausted local sources for help or support began reaching out to each other through that email list.

The original book "Cesar's Way", talks about the mechanics and philosophy of how Cesar's way can successfully used people under a complete variety of environments and life challenges.

This new book, "Be the Pack Leader - shows the underlying foundation of the WHY that Cesar's way can work from the first moments on. It is the difference between simply driving a car or understanding how a car works so weel that you can "fix" just about any challenge or problem, and KNOW how to work both it's strengths and it's weaknesses successfully.

Cesar's way works
~Because dogs do NOT lie.
~Because they show us the truth of what is going on under the masks that humans put on for other humans so much from childhood, that we forget the mask is there and even deceive ourselves with pretending we are not hurt, angry, sad...or weak. When we learn to reconect with the truth of ourselves and trust our instincts and intuitions, we are less likely to suffer from other human's manipulation, power plays or preditor agression against us.

Through this book's principles, we can learn how to learn from what our dog show us that we are really doing in our relationships, and then apply that understanding when we engage with others.

All relationships are about power - our family, friends, co-workers, clients. We will either learn to work WITH power, or we will be at the effect of power throughout our lives! "Be the Pack Leader", to can be find the holes, gaps and Achilles heels in our dog/human relationships. Those lessons can then be used to change our human/human relationships to be more fulfilling.

With self-knowledge comes power. Chapter 8 talks about "Our Four-legged Healers. Many hearts and souls are finding healing because of the work Cesar is doing.
Thousands of dogs are being saved that otherwise would be abandoned or euthanized as being hopeless. How can anyone turn their back on this kind of information and say that it is bad?

If anyone wants to hear what happened as "the rest of the story", to Chapter 7 and the quantum leap it provided for me, find the yahoo Dog Whisperer Fan email list (third largest in obedience and training section) and check the archives under my yahoo name, siegeanderson, or yahoo me and I will tell you which post it is!

I have also creating a video review of the successes to be found in Cesar's way Pack Leader methods, that I have experienced in my life so far which should be available to review here as well.

By the end of the book, I got it. I read Cesar's first book and liked it very much but I couldn't get it. I still wanted it so I bought this book too. Now I get it. It's the difference between good parents and great parents, good and great dog owners. It has illuminated my failings as a parent raising my kids and now that they are grown, raising my dogs. It's not about what I want my dogs to do or not do, it's about my own emotions about whether they will trust what I say. I may say come to my dog but my emotions are "what do I do if he doesn't? Will I have to chase him? Should I call him again? Should I punish him? My dogs don't hear come. They hear uncertanity and anxiety. As a choir director and singer I knew what to do to lead my group. They trusted that I knew what I was doing and followed me even if I made a mistake because they accepted my position of authority. But their acceptance was intellectual. With dogs and children you have to earn it. And you can't tell dogs "Because I'm your mother and I said so". It doesn't always work with kids either. So what I got from Cesar is that you have to learn to check your emotions and believe that when you tell your dogs come they will read your assurance that this is what's best for all (or both) of us right now, just like when I tell the choir "turn to page 56 and I only want to hear the altos" they understand I am the leader and want the best for the group. I get it Cesar, and I'm working on it.