Exercise is Needed

Just because a dog is small doesn’t mean he needs less exercise, and, although breed can give an indication of the dog’s energy level, the final judgment must be made on the individual dog’s needs.

As your dog’s pack leader, you must help her to expend her energy in a productive way. For all dogs, this means a daily walk. Some dogs may require additional activities, such as running, Frisbee, or swimming, in addition to, but never replacing, the walk.

Remember that dogs are animals, and animals need to travel and discover the world. A big back yard is no substitute for a good walk. Master the walk and your dog will relate to you on a deeper level.

The post Exercise: Challenge Your Dog Physically appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Basically, it means command or grasp of a subject, or the state of being in control. Note, though, that mastery does not mean “being the best.” There are many people with a mastery of chess who could not beat the world champions no matter how hard they tried, although they still know enough about what they’re doing that they could beat a dozen amateurs at the same time.

Mastering the walk and leadership just mean that you are the one in control of your pack, and you understand what’s needed to keep your position as the leader. What’s great about this is that it’s personal. You don’t have to learn to lead anybody else’s dogs. You only have to know how to have mastery over your own pack.

Mastering affection
And this is where the most difficult bit of mastery comes in: mastering affection.

Exercise, discipline, affection. That’s my fulfillment formula. When you master the walk, you’ll give your dog exercise. When you master leadership, you’ll provide exercise and discipline. But what does it mean to master affection?

On the surface, it sounds like it means knowing how to give your dog affection by giving what he or she likes most. Maybe it’s belly rubs, or praise, or treats. But figure out which one your dog responds to, and you’ve mastered affection, right?

Wrong.

Timing and consistency
See, when it comes to mastering affection there are really two parts. One part is mastering not how but when to give your dogs affection. But the other, harder, part is mastering yourself and controlling your need to constantly give affection.

I get asked a lot, “What is the one bit of advice you would give to dog owners everywhere?” I’ve been asked this question in every country I’ve ever visited, and in almost every interview I’ve ever given. And my response is always similar: “Understand that dog psychology is different than human psychology. Dogs are not human children, and they have different needs. Dogs aren’t looking for love and acceptance. They’re looking for leadership and protection.”

And, in my travels around the world, the places where I find the most unbalanced, misbehaved, and neurotic dogs are those where people give them nothing but affection, affection, affection.

Your dog needs more than affection
You’d be surprised how often people seem confused, or even offended, when I tell them that they can’t give their dogs constant affection, and I understand how it can be hard. Dogs are cute, humans are programed to love cute things, and if you ask most people how dogs look at us, the words “unconditional love” come up constantly.

But here’s where the problem comes in. If you treat your dogs like human children and give them affection under those conditions, you’re going to fail not only at mastering affection, but at mastering leadership, because you’re going to do more harm than good to your dog.

If a human child gets scared by a loud noise, there’s nothing better or more soothing than a hug from a parent and words telling them that everything is okay. That’s what human children respond to, and it works.

But if a dog gets scared by a loud noise, then there’s nothing worse you can do than give them affection. That’s because dogs don’t accept affection as encouragement. They accept it as reward, but only for what they’re doing right now. Comfort a frightened dog, and you’ve just rewarded them for being frightened.

Greet an excited dog with affection when you come home, and you’ll get a hyperactive, uncontrollable dog.

Dogs have different needs than children
Dogs are incredibly intelligent, empathetic creatures, but they just don’t think the same way that we do. They live by instincts, and their instincts are geared toward survival. Over time, dogs learn that doing something that got a positive result is worth doing again and again — and to our dogs, affection is a positive result.

So, in order to master affection, we need to learn two things. The first is what our dog considers to be affection. But the second, and most important, part is to learn when to give our dogs affection. In order to do this, we need to fight our human instincts to give affection when we’re feeling sorry for the dog, and instead focus on only giving affection when the dog is showing a behavior that we want; when the dog is calm and submissive.

Without mastering this, you can’t really master leadership, and without mastering leadership you can’t master the walk. So this lesson really is the most important one. Master affection by mastering yourself first, then remember that a true leader provides the pack with direction and protection.

Affection comes last, and your dog will thank you for that, because they’ll be fulfilled by feeling that they’ve actually earned it.

Stay calm, and be the master!

The post Mastery appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Ocytocin 

When oxytocin works on various parts of the body, it is responsible for causing contractions during labor, as well as allowing the mother to lactate and feed her child. But when it goes to work in the brain, something else happens — it fosters bonding between humans and, in the case of a mother, facilitates maternal instincts.

Oxytocin is common in many mammals and plays the same roles. However, scientists have so far determined that there seems to be only one case in which interspecies interaction can lead to the mutual release of oxytocin — the interaction between humans and dogs.

Research in Japan 

In a recent study conducted by Takefumi Kikusui, an animal behaviorist at Azabu University in Sagamihara, Japan, a group of dogs and their owners were brought together, then each pair was allowed to interact alone in a room for thirty minutes. The researchers measured both human and canine levels of oxytocin before and after, and found that levels had gone up in cases where dog and owner spent a lot of time making eye contact — 130% in dogs, and an incredible 300% in humans.

A few wolves and their owners were included in the study, which showed no change in oxytocin levels between these pairs — unlike dogs, wolves see eye contact, even from a familiar human, as aggressive — and there were also no significant changes in the dog-human pairs that did not spend a lot of time making eye contact.

In a second experiment, the group gave the dogs a nasal spray containing oxytocin beforehand and found that the humans and dogs in these cases spent a lot more time making eye contact. The dogs’ eye contact levels increased by 150%, while the humans’ oxytocin levels again increased by 300%. But there was a catch: the nasal spray only showed an effect on female dogs.

Strong Bonds Formed 

Kikusui still isn’t sure exactly what’s going on, but there may be a clue here to explain exactly why humans and dogs have formed such a strong and lasting bond. We’ve certainly domesticated other animals. We also keep cats, rabbits, hamsters, snakes and others as pets, and work with horses and cattle and other farm animals. But in none of those other cases is the bond as strong and trust-based as it is between us and our canine companions.

It isn’t clear yet how this ability came about, especially because wolves don’t share it, but perhaps a few early wolves shared a genetic mutation that led them to bond with us and eventually be domesticated into the dogs we know today. However it happened, though, it’s one of the many wonderful gifts that dogs give us.

So look your dog in the eyes today and share the trust, respect, and love from a little dose of oxytocin.

Are you too enchanted by your dog’s gaze? Show us how irresistible those eyes are. Post a photo of your dog in the comments.

The post The Look Of Love: How Humans And Dogs Bond appeared first on Cesar's Way.

We’ve probably all had the experience of asking whether we could pet someone’s dog only to have the dog completely ignore us or try to run away, and it’s not uncommon for adult rescue dogs to be a little aloof at first.

It’s easy to take this personally and think that the dog doesn’t like us, but that’s because we’re looking at it from a human perspective. When two human strangers meet, our rules say that we introduce ourselves and shake hands. Dogs don’t have that rule with other dogs or with humans. Dog socialization is different from human socialization.

Think of the way that a lot people approach a dog for the first time. They talk to the dog, possibly in a high-pitched voice, approach straight on, and reach out toward the dog’s head. Is it any wonder that the dog doesn’t want to have anything to do with the human?

Here are the things you should do to earn a dog’s trust, whether it’s casually meeting a neighbor’s dog on the street or bringing a new dog into your pack.

1. Stay calm
   It can be tempting to greet a dog with excited energy, but avoid the temptation. If you approach a dog in an excited state, it can make the dog excited and lead to an unwanted greeting, like it jumping up on you. It can also trigger a dog’s fight or flight instinct if a stranger with high energy approaches. Stay calm and speak softly.
2. Respect their space
   Practice “no touch, no talk, no eye contact.” If you’re asking a stranger whether you can greet their dog, talk to the human and ignore the animal. Also avoid standing too close to the dog. Try to leave at least four feet between you before getting permission to approach.
3. Get on their level
   When you do approach the dog, do so from the side and never from the front. Kneel down next to the dog, facing the same direction. You’re now in the dog’s personal space, but in a non-confrontational way. Hold your hand down in a fist, still not making eye contact.
4. Let them come to you
   This is when the dog will let you know if she’s interested. If she sniffs your hand and stays calmly in place, then you can pet her — but pet the front of her chest. Never try to touch an unfamiliar dog from above. If she licks your hand, then she’s accepted you. However, if she turns her head away or doesn’t pay any attention, she’s just not interested. Again, don’t take it personally. Accept it and move on.
5. Go for a walk
   When first meeting a dog that you are going to adopt, the above procedures also apply, and you may need to respect their space and let them come to you for a while after they’ve moved into your home. Remember: in the dog world, the followers approach the leaders and not the other way around.But once you have that new dog in your pack, the best way to earn her trust is to take her on walks. This is where you get to be the Pack Leader in action, and she gets to learn that you are giving her protection and direction. Maintain a calm-assertive state, and your confidence will quickly teach her that she is safe when she’s with you.

How did obedience training change your dog’s behavior?

The post How To Get A Dog To Trust You appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Any time there’s a list of “10 Best Presidents,” whether voted on by the public or created by historians, these two are at the top, usually along with Franklin Delanor Roosevelt. It really says something about their legacy that very few people who were adults when FDR died are still alive and no one was alive when Lincoln and Washington were, and yet these men hold onto their places in history.

What was their secret? Exactly the same thing that will help you find balance with your dog.

Leadership with Dogs

By definition, a president is supposed to be a leader. That’s the job they’re elected to do. Some of them excel at it, while others do not. But whether they’re good at it or not, they’re still the leader. The same thing is true of people and their dogs. Whether you’re good at the job or not, your dog is still looking at you as the leader and will behave accordingly.

It’s easy for a president to be a leader in times with a good economy and no big wars going on, just as it’s easy to be a dog’s Pack Leader when that dog is well-behaved. The real test, and the thing that elevated the three presidents I mentioned above, is how they handled things in a crisis, and each of them had three of the biggest in U.S. history: the American Revolution, the Civil War, and World War II. FDR also got to deal with the Great Depression.

A dog owner’s problems are certainly much smaller than wars and economic downturns, but they can still be huge tests of leadership. And, like war and the economy, the problems can be either external or internal or sometimes a combination of both.

For example, if you have a dog that’s afraid of loud noises and a thunderstorm or fireworks come along, the cause of the problem is both external and internal: cause and effect. Your job, in that case, is to be the calm source of protection for your dog — not giving affection, but rather demonstrating that there is nothing to fear. Leadership in this case shows itself as not reacting in any unusual way to the noise.

Your dog may suffer from separation anxiety, which is an internal problem. Again, it’s up to you as the leader to set the tone by teaching your dog to lie down calmly in his place before you leave home, not making a big fuss when you go or come back. You provide the leadership by making sure your dog associates your departure with a calm and relaxed state of mind.

If your dog has developed an obsessive behavior, like chasing her tail or excessive licking, then the problem is internal. In this case, your job as a leader is to determine the cause of the behavior, as well as to figure out how to redirect or stop it.

Always keep in mind that just as a good president guides a country through crises, a bad president can cause them, and a poor Pack Leader can cause a lot of misbehavior in their dog. Your dog can’t vote you out of office if you’re not doing a good job, but he can certainly protest in his own way.

Remember: a big part of the way a president guides a nation through a crisis is by providing a  calm, reassuring voice. The president sets the tone and this can have a huge impact. After all, humans wound up on the moon as a direct result of a speech by one president, JFK. The same is true with us and our dogs. We set the tone through our energy, and a good Pack Leader knows the right energy to send.

So in this time between Lincoln’s Birthday and President’s Day, take an approval poll by looking at your dog’s behavior. If there are any issues, it’s up to you to deal with them. And if your dog is perfect, pat yourself on the back. You’re number one on their top ten list.

Stay calm and lead on!

The post Presidential Leadership with Your Dog appeared first on Cesar's Way.

We Can Learn a lot from a Dog’s Character

Work Well Together

Dogs have a lot of admirable traits that humans can learn from. They can be tireless and persistent in pursuit of a goal, and they can work together very well with other dogs whether they’re pulling a sled, herding sheep, or hunting prey.

Great Listeners

They are incredible listeners, although they listen to a lot more than just words. Every moment, your dog is reading your energy and your body language and reacting appropriately, whether you know it or not.

However, there is one trait that is practically synonymous with being a dog, and it’s also one of the greatest abilities they can teach us to have.

Strong Loyalty

You’ve probably already guessed the answer: Loyalty. A dog will be loyal and faithful to her humans and almost nothing can break that bond. Even a dog that’s been abused will still come back to its owner. That’s how strong a dog’s loyalty can be.

Now cynical people would say, “Dogs are only loyal because you feed them,” But that’s not what’s really going on at all. It is true that dogs will take more quickly to strangers who give them treats, but the relationship between a dog and, for want of a better word, his owner goes way beyond anything as trivial as the dog seeing the person as a meal ticket.

And dogs will show loyalty to more than humans or other canines. Dogs have formed close bonds with all kinds of animals, including cats, owls, hamsters, orangutans, tigers, and even elephants. Needless to say, dogs in a pack are fiercely loyal to each other.

Accepting of all species

That’s part of what’s behind it. Dogs are pack animals, but they are capable of accepting animals of different species as part of their pack, and that includes us. They have an instinctual need to belong to a group. Once they are part of that group, they will devote all of their loyalty to it.

There’s more going on though and, in addition to a dog’s natural affinity for groups, there’s something else interesting that happens between them and humans. When a dog and their human look into each other’s eyes, both of them experience an increase in the hormone called oxytocin. This same hormone is involved in mother-child bonding during nursing and in the formation of romantic bonds between two humans. But its levels can also increase just by looking in a good friend’s eyes — or in the eyes of our four-footed best friends.

Two other interesting things about this phenomenon is that in a dog’s case the effect is enhanced when they smell a human giving off oxytocin, which is something their species can do; and that despite being dogs’ ancestors, wolves do not show any increase in oxytocin — although they are also not inclined to make eye contact with humans.

I have always had an affinity for all animals, even from before I can remember, but the thing I constantly remind myself is that the human-canine relationship is unique. And, when you really think about it, it’s pretty remarkable as well. We are two species of predators that have created such a strong bond that we live together exactly as if we were family, we are able to communicate despite not speaking the same languages, and the degree of trust between a person and their dog can be absolute.

A dog’s loyalty is something we should keep in mind when it comes to our friends and family because our dogs are already showing us how to have the best relationships possible with both. Be loyal and be trusting. Like your dog, always be there for the ones you care about.

And, beyond that, there’s another powerful reminder in a dog’s loyalty. If they can have such a connection with beings from another species, then why can we not show the same for all of the other members of our own species? I know that this is what they would call a “tall order,” but it’s still an idea worth thinking about, isn’t it?

At the very least, it’s just more proof that dogs have it all figured out, and we’re the ones who have to learn from them.

Stay calm, and be loyal to the ones you love!

The post Your Dog’s Greatest Super Power appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Now, it’s a myth that we’re the only species that kills its own. Nature is full of examples of that. The difference is that one animal will kill another of its kind for very specific survival reasons — food, territory, or competition over a mate. Humans will murder for those same reasons, but there are two more that are uniquely human motives.

Humans will commit murder over ideas, and will sometimes do it to get something they want. I believe that these two motives come from an excess of our uniquely human dimension: our intellectual approach to the world. The ironic end result is that killing for these reasons dehumanizes us the most.

It’s possible to rehabilitate an aggressive dog, but is it possible to rehabilitate an entire species that frequently shows aggression? I’d like to think so, but both have to be done the same way: One person at a time, rehabilitating themselves. Each of us individually can add up to great things and make great changes for the better.

But before you can change the world, you have to change yourself, and it involves the same combination of Exercise, Discipline, and Affection that I recommend for balancing our dogs. Fortunately, when you’re working on yourself, you don’t have to follow that formula in the order I just gave it, but in the order that works for you.

The reason that dogs need Exercise, Discipline, and Affection in that order is because this is how their psychology operates. Exercise is necessary to engage their body and reduce excess energy. Once this has brought their mind to a calm state, then it’s possible to focus them on the discipline part, which is learning the rules that you’d like them to follow. When that’s all done, then it’s time to reward your dog’s success with affection.

As humans, we’re a little more complicated. Some of us may need to exercise first so that we can then focus. Others may need to find the discipline necessary before they can begin to work out. Some may need to learn how to give themselves self-care and affection before they can begin the other two steps, while others may need discipline and exercise in order to learn how to love themselves.

But, like dogs, we still need all three elements working together in order to find balance, and finding balance is even more important in a world that seems out of joint.

Once we’ve found that balance, then we’ve connected with Nature and reconnected with our own humanity, and can begin the process of healing wounds and finding solutions that work for everyone. Those solutions begin with empathy and kindness; with learning to work together instead of to tear apart.

I mentioned at the beginning that it’s a myth that we’re the only species that kills its own kind, but I would love to turn the fact that we do kill our own kind into a myth one day. Fortunately, time and history have shown that it has been getting better, and we’re still much safer from each other than we were even only a hundred years ago. We just hear about events like last week’s sooner and more often.

We can make such incidents non-existent, but we have to find the keys and the will to do it within ourselves. The good news is that the more balanced each of us becomes, the more balanced the world will become — and isn’t that the planet we’d all like to spend the rest of our lives on?

Stay calm, and change the world!

The post Chaos And Change appeared first on Cesar's Way.

It’s easy to take that kind of thing personally even when it’s not, but it’s also easy to miss when we do it to others. And yet, it’s the kind of thing we do to our dogs constantly without knowing it.

We mislead our dogs when we are not absolutely clear in our intentions, and we lie to them when we give them affection at the wrong time. The end result can be dogs that are frustrated, fearful, confused, or even aggressive, but the solution is very easy.

Stop deceiving your dog.

Lack of clear intention leaves your dog uncertain what you want. For example, if you want your dog off of the sofa but you say “Down” in a weak and uncertain way, your dog reads your energy as telling her that you really don’t want what you’re asking for. If you’re not confident in your body language on the walk, then your dog will try to lead because you aren’t.

Confuse your dog like this enough, and he might start ignoring you completely because he’ll have learned not to rely on what you’re telling him. It’s a lot like that old story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” At first, when there was no wolf, the townspeople believed him, but by the time he was serious — and really needed their help — no one did, so no one came to his rescue.

If your dog doesn’t believe you’re serious when you want her to do something, then she’s not going to pay attention. How many times have you heard someone say — or said it yourself — “My dog doesn’t listen to me?” Well, this is exactly why.

There’s another form of lying to your dog, though, that is much more difficult to catch yourself doing and also much more damaging, and this is when you inadvertently tell your dog that you approve of their behavior when you don’t.

If you have a small dog, have you ever picked him up when he’s gotten aggressive toward another dog? For a dog of any size, have you ever petted or held them when they were scared by something, like a loud noise or a stranger? Have you ever let your dog have that treat after they failed to carry out your command?

In each case, you’ve rewarded your dog for doing exactly the opposite of what you want. And dogs are all about figuring out what brings them good things and what brings them bad things. All animals are because they learn instinctually and react by association.

This is the same reason that you cannot punish a dog for doing their business in the house unless you actually catch them doing it. Otherwise, the negative association attaches to whatever the dog was doing in the moment. If he happened to be lying down calmly when you started yelling because of the mess on the rug, then you’ve just taught him that you don’t want him calm.

This is why it’s so important to be absolutely aware of when we’re giving our dogs affection, and to only do it at those times when they are behaving the way that we want them to, whether actively — by behaving on the lead, or following a command — or passively — by being calm and submissive.

This is also why we have to be absolutely clear in our attentions and express them to our dogs with completely certainty. It is only when what we want and how we express it match up that we are telling our dogs the truth, and only when we are truthful that we can get our dogs to do what we want.

Stay calm, and communicate!

The post Dog Deception appeared first on Cesar's Way.

Humans and dogs both have instinctual, intellectual and emotional dimensions. We humans live in a world where intellect and emotions are primary, while our instinctual side is less important. For dogs, it’s the other way around. They live in an instinctual world where their intellect and emotions are secondary.

When we relate to our dogs in a human way, emphasizing the intellect and emotions over the instinctual, they can lose touch with their own instincts and nature. Meanwhile, we don’t recognize our dog’s instinctual behavior and what it’s telling us. Our dogs thus develop behavior issues.

Order of Importance

That’s why exercise, discipline and affection must be given to our dogs, in that order. We first exercise the instinctual, then we discipline the intellect and express affection to the emotions. In this way, we fulfill the dog’s needs and promote balanced behavior. That’s why Cesar calls this the Fulfillment Formula:

Exercise is for the Body = Fulfilling Instinct = Creating Trust

Discipline is for the Mind = Fulfilling Intellect = Creating Respect

Affection is for the Heart = Fulfilling Emotion = Creating Love

It is only when we, as humans, stop acting intellectually and emotionally with our dogs and start living more instinctually that we learn one of the most important things we need to have a balanced dog: Our goal is not to make our dogs trust, respect, and love us ‘ it is to make ourselves trustworthy, respectable, and loveable.

The post Pack Leadership Technique 2: Provide Exercise, Discipline, Affection appeared first on Cesar's Way.

One of the things people often ask me is, “What’s the best training method for my dog?” It can be a confusing subject, because there are two approaches to training, and various techniques.

Training comes down to either “do” or “don’t” — encourage a positive behavior or discourage a negative one. This can be based on rewards, like a treat, or ending a bad thing, like stopping in your tracks when the dog pulls and not moving until she relaxes.

Techniques are not important. I do use positive reinforcement when I work with dogs, but not in the way that it’s commonly understood.

Dog Psychology

Before I can explain that, let’s go back to dog psychology. Dogs are social pack animals, with a leader and followers. The leaders provide protection and direction to the rest of the pack. The protection helps to create trust, respect, and loyalty. Direction means creating the rules, boundaries, and limitations that define what behavior is acceptable in the members of the pack.

In a wild pack, it’s the job of the dogs at the rear to warn of danger. That’s the rule: sense danger, bark to alert the pack. If these dogs either don’t bark when they’re supposed to or bark all the time, then they are not fulfilling their role, and they endanger the entire pack.

When dogs join us as part of our human packs, they still need rules, boundaries, and limitations. When they don’t get them, they lack protection and direction. If they don’t feel protected, they can lash out defensively at the humans around them. If they don’t get direction, they’ll make their own rules.

Calm-Submissive State

This is why it’s so important to remember that dogs need exercise and discipline first, and then affection only when they are in a calm, submissive state. Give affection at the wrong time, and you’re training your dog to continue doing whatever it was doing. It may look cute the first time the puppy pulls all of the toilet paper off of the roll and drags it all over the house, but if your reaction is to laugh and give the puppy attention, then “pull this paper off the roll” becomes one of the dog’s rules. It’s not so cute anymore after coming home to the mess a few times.

No amount of training can overcome these misbehaviors. Teaching a dog to sit, stay, or roll over will just teach them that they can get a reward when they do these things, but it won’t stop them from eating your shoes or pulling on the walk. You could spend the time training your dog out of all of their misbehaviors, but the training may only be effective when you’re actually around — without the trainer present, there’s no reward or punishment to change behavior.

Positive Reinforcement

Now back to that different method of positive reinforcement. This one doesn’t use specific techniques. Instead, think of creating those rules, boundaries, and limitations as the positive reinforcement. Remember: Your dog wants you to tell her what behavior is expected. When she has rules, boundaries, and limitations, she doesn’t have to try to figure out what she’s supposed to do. It’s a lot less stressful for her.

For example, if you create the rule that when you’re getting ready to go to work your dog has to go lie on his bed, this will keep him from becoming excited or anxious about your impending departure. He has something else to do, and he knows he’s supposed to do it. If you create a boundary around the dinner table that your dog cannot cross, then he will understand that the area belongs to the humans, and won’t become obsessed with trying to beg for food.

“Limitation” means that you control the length or intensity of an activity. The game of fetch is over when you say it is.

This is where calm, assertive energy comes into the process. When creating each of these rules, boundaries, and limitations, do it in a calm, assertive way. This energy will reassure your dog — it’s the energy of a Pack Leader, after all. It creates the association in your dog’s mind: If I do this, my Pack Leader is calm and happy.

And that is the only positive reinforcement you need. You don’t have to give your dog a cookie to get her to behave, because you and your approval become the cookie. Our dogs want to please us. We just have to be clear and consistent with what we want.

Once you’ve achieved this relationship, then training your dog is easy, and you can use whichever technique you’re comfortable with. But balancing a dog has nothing to do with training and techniques. It has everything to do with being a calm, assertive Pack Leader, and creating rules, boundaries, and limitations.

Stay calm, and positive!

As the Pack Leader, do you practice positive reinforcement with yourself? Do you reward yourself when you’re a good girl/boy?

The post You Are The Reward appeared first on Cesar's Way.