Cesar Millan is a dog trainer having more than 25 years of experience. He is known for his book “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” produced from 2004-2012 and is available in over 80 countries worldwide. The author has his instructional DVDs and line of dog products. Before making The Dog Whisperers series, he focused on offering rehabilitation services to severely aggressive dogs. Millan opened a rehab complex in South Los Angeles known as the Dog Psychology Centre.
Later on, he founded the Cesar Millan PACK Project, which provided financial support to organizations that deal with rehabilitating, re-homing, rescuing abandoned and abused animals, and fund programs to reduce dog overpopulation. The foundation aims to improve the happiness, health, and harmony of people and dogs.
Training Methods Used by Millan
Millan focuses on handling a dog with an energy that is calm and assertive. He believes that dogs have three needs, which include affection, discipline, and exercise. He says that it is your duty as a dog owner to match your dog’s energy levels and communicate the rules, limitations, boundaries, and lastly, to provide affection, which is a good thing. It improves your relationship with your dog.
He encourages you always to project calm-assertive energy as your own internal emotions; physical postures affect your dog’s behavior.
The training methods by Millan include:
Positive reinforcement and using a clicker-Your dog needs to be reinforced quickly. Cesar uses the click and treats method for dog reinforcement, which is a good idea as it allows your dog to learn and remain calm as it enjoys its reward. Pair your clicker with a prize, and after several times, the dog will realize that the clicker predicts a reward, giving both you and your dog an easy reinforcement process.
- Create better behavior by using your dog’s natural inclinations
Dogs have a wide range of habits. These habits, which are natural to them, can sometimes be annoying and frustrating to you. They include digging, chewing, and barking. Cesar explains that it is crucial to give them space and constructive time to act upon these behaviors. It is the right thing to do as the dog will feel loved and free to learn. If your dog is inclined to dig, give it space, create an area in your backyard for the activity.
Adolescent dogs and puppies need to chew to help in the adjustment of new teeth and jaw changes. If you have such a dog, especially a puppy, buy them chew toys as this is a form of them learning about the world.
- Encouraging and honoring your dog’s instincts
Cesar suggests that it is essential to honor your dog’s instinct to get them to behave the way you want. It is recommendable because when trying to communicate with your dog, you should not be emotional and intellectual as they will feel the need to control the situation. The walk is one of the best ways to honor your dog’s instinct. Many people find this unnecessary, but when you walk your dogs, you re-creating a packs’ experience in migrating together to survive.
While on the walk, the dog is working, and the end reward is going back home to water, food, and shelter. Dogs are amazing animals, train them well, and you’ll enjoy having them in your space.