Customer Reviews

Cesar's Rules: Your Way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

With "Cesar's Rules", Cesar Millan has provided a ton of information to dog owners about the history of dog training, various approaches to dog training, and how dogs have contributed to humans as working animals. Oh, and there's some dog training info, too!

The book starts off with some background on Cesar. It quickly moves into background and thoughts from many other trainers. This is probably my favorite part of the book (as a professional animal trainer) as I love reading about the other trainers' backgrounds and methods. I also love that Cesar reaches out to many styles of trainers, including those who may disagree with his methods. Throughout the book, Cesar is highly respectful of each trainer's methods, even when he points out that he chooses another method. I also have to admit (and this is my scientific background coming out) that I am thrilled that Bob Bailey was interviewed for this book. So much of modern training comes from the decades of data and thousands of animals that Bob and the Brelands (graduate students of BF Skinner himself) worked with, and yet I meet so many trainers who have never heard of them. Bias aside, I think the variety and quality of trainers interviewed is top-notch, which bodes well for later chapters.

I think Cesar gives a very excellent and fair presentation on the use of rewards and punishments in training, allowing each person to have their say. Even when he presents his position, he seems to simply present it as his method, and not The One True Way. Very professional, and I admire him for that.

There are a few chapters that give dog owners some broad ideas for training, and then one final chapter which gives information for training a few behaviors. For each behavior, there are a variety of methods, allowing every owner to choose the method he or she is most comfortable with. This is great, because I know of some people who are comfortable using one method to get a sit, but can't get a down using that same method. If they switch methods, they can get a great down. It's great that Cesar provides SO many options.

Lastly, the book ends with a little chapter on how dogs help us with herding, scent work, protection, etc. It feels a little off-topic, but it's a nice way to wrap up rather than just ending cold on training plans.

While there are some things Cesar and I disagree on :) I have only 3 moderate complaints about the book. First, I dislike that Cesar labels "balanced" training as being based on both modern "positive" training and "traditional" training. It implies that anyone who doesn't do both is an "imbalanced" trainer. I think it's clear from his interview with Dr. Ian Dunbar (who would be thrown under the category of modern/positive) that he would not consider Dr. Dunbar or his dogs imbalanced, so why stick with this label? Second, I'm surprised that his walk training section includes a choke collar rather than a prong collar. He does an excellent job referring to the American Humane Association guidelines for the use of the electric collar. If he did the same with choke collars, he would have reported that they are not recommended for use. Alternatively, prong collars are "conditionally recommended" for certain training conditions. Furthermore, it is my experience that both traditional and modern/"positive" trainers, as a whole, view prong collars more favorably than choke collars. I wish he explained this choice better. Finally, I wish this book would give guidelines to pet owners for choosing a dog trainer, especially when he's telling his readers to use a professional trainer when using certain training tools. On the upside, it does give links to the APDT and IACP, two professional dog training organizations. Both provide links for finding dog professionals, and the APDT also gives guidelines for choosing a professional.

Beyond that, let's face it. Some "positive" trainers are not going to be satisfied with this book, as Cesar and some other trainers are still recommending the use of punishment in this book. Some traditional trainers and old Cesar fans will probably call him a sell-out for making this book, which tries to have professionals representing all types of dog training. I say phooey to both groups of people. This is a great book both for professionals, who should be working together to better the lives of dogs, and dog owners, not all of whom will be able to effectively use just one particular type of training. Well done, Cesar. Well done.

Okay, living on a farm, previous titles like 'Cesar's Way' and 'Be The Pack Leader' didn't have that much advice I would be able to use. This book however had things about training off-leash. It had ways to teach dogs words and phase out treats. Lets face it, the best dogs we ever had were the dogs we had as children. We had time for them, they followed us everywhere, they did it all out of love cause we couldn't sneak that darn many treats to them! A pitbull mix adopted me. She just followed my car home, hung around and tried to follow my car off every time I tried to go anywhere. So I had to take her to town or put her on a chain so I could go. I wanted desperately to phase out the chain and the leash. The information in this book on when is the right time to use an e-collar was huge for me. I now trust my dad to use his e-collar to help me get her to stop following my car. Also she chased a few animals, cats, chickens, and a horse! So far she has stopped as asked and all the animals remain accounted for. Still, I am relieved that if she does develop a problem, there is a good chance it can be fixed and she can live freely here. People can bash me all day for my choice to try to improve her quality of life with the e-collar. If you don't live in the city, your dog lives outdoors, you feel ridiculous leading your dog around the farm on a leash, this book actually has stuff for you too!

This review comes in from a professioanl dog trainer friend in Canadaa:

"This could be the best think I've ever read. There is no judgment, no firm rules, just lots of information and ideas - even when there's a conflict, no one's opinion is left out. I never in a million years thought that I would be recommending a Cesar Millan book to my clients as their first reading, but this book... it's as close to describing my own training philosophy as anything I've ever read."

Score.

Convert.

Buy it.

That is all....

Wow! This book is just another great one in Cesar's series. Cesar's philosophy of "all ways are good that don't harm the dog" is truly shown here as he spends time with and learns from some of the very trainers that have publicly criticized him! This is such a great resource for those that want a well behaved/mannered dog as well as a dog that knows obedience commands. They truly do go hand in hand and now Cesar, along with the many trainers he interviewed and spent time with, tell you how you can have that dog!

It's interesting how many of the dog trainers I have worked with are so skeptical of Cesar Milan without understanding his techniques or approach. This book is a great way to understand the difference between "rehabilitating dogs - train people" approach used by Cesar and "dog training." He then shows how to approach dog training by combining his techniques with those of well-known and respected dog trainers. I recommend this book to all dog owners, especially "newbies."

Cesar's new book Cesar's Rules: Your way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog,
is Cesar Millan's FIRST book about dog training. Many people incorrectly refer to Cesar as a dog trainer. He is not a dog trainer. He trains people to understand dog behavior, and he rehabilitates dogs who have problems. So, this is his first book about training, like I said, and it's a good one.

For many years, Cesar has been criticized for his "training" methods. During the research and writing of this book, Cesar got together with dog trainers who use all sorts of different methods -- and even collaborated with a few of the trainers who criticized him the loudest.

This is a great book for skeptics who believe there is "only one way" to train a dog. Because Cesar worked and collaborated with people who disagree with his methods (and by the way he does NOT disagree with theirs!) this book is also about agreeing to disagree, being open-minded, and working together "across the aisle" with people who have different viewpoints from your own.

A must-read for any dog enthusiast, and of course any Dog Whisperer fan.

Cesar's Rules represents a departure from Cesar Millan's earlier books: Cesar's Way, Be the Pack Leader, A Member of the Family, How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond. In this book, Cesar's first on dog training rather than dog rehabilitation, Cesar discusses his methods in context with those of other trainers -- and highlights those other trainers in dedicated chapters or when referring to their specialties. In his book he speaks with Dr. Ian and Kelly Gorham Dunbar, flagship representatives of the positive reinforcement school of training; Mark Harden, Hollywood animal trainer (including the two dogs who play the part of Sam in HBO's hit series "True Blood"); Robert Bailey, specialist in clicker training and long-distance or remote training in many kinds of animals; Bonnie Brown-Cali, trainer in community group obedience classes, service dogs, search-and-rescue, etc.; Joel Silverman, host of Animal Planet's "Good Dog U" and author of What Color Is Your Dog; Martin Deeley, one of the founders of IACP (International Association of Canine Professionals)and the author of Working Gundogs and other experts.

Cesar's calm, assertive energy is the star of this book. His willingness to listen as well as teach speaks volumes about the possibility of cooperation among different schools of dog training. The emphasis is on what's good for the dog, how to find it and how to implement it in your life, often with the help of a professional trainer.

I believe in Cesar Millan's methods and have been an admirer of his Dog Whisperer TV show since its beginning, but I have also lately become aware of and appreciate Ian and Kelly Dunbar's Open Paw method for making shelter dogs more adoptable (and cameoed in this book) and Ian Dunbar's theories on puppy training and his SIRIUS (R) Puppy Training Program which has revolutionized the way we train puppies.

In addition to the personal information Cesar gives about himself and his growth, anecdotes about member of his dog pack we have come to know and love (and in the case of his long-time companion Daddy, mourn) and his general observations about our relationships with dogs, Millan stresses the need for trainers and promoters of different schools of dog training and rehabilitation to come together in ways that benefit the welfare of dogs in general, rather than emphasizing the differences in methods to the detriment of those who differ from them.

I would highly recommend this book to dog enthusiasts and professionals who are dubious about Millan's methods, his sincerity or his knowledge of dogs. I think it will open many eyes and serve as a way of bringing together all of us who care about saving the lives of dogs.

This is the first Cesar book I've bought - we're getting a dog in 2 months, and I love his tv show. But I found the book to be very "light" reading. Lots of interesting stories and anecdotes, but not so much that feels applicable to a newbie. For example, I don't need to know how to rehab a police dog who's afraid of tools. I don't really need to know how movie dogs train. I want some basic do's and don'ts for the home pet-owner. I liked the Ian Dunbar chapter and am considering purchasing one of his books next to help me out better.

I am loving it. Such good Dog Whisperer sense put into one book ]p[

This book is an extension of Ceasar's other books. The rules are general in nature, thus you have to be the one to aapply the principles to the training of your dog. Calm, and assertive remains his mantra and don't forget lots of patience and consistency. If you are a devoted follower of Cesar's principles, this book adds clarity to the process.